The Reincarnated Luna

Imaginary Friend

"O-okay." Was all I could mutter when he looked at me with those eyes. He smiled, seeming more determined than ever. After a few seconds, I continued.

"-But we need to act normally. As friends. We can't repeat what happened in the bathroom." His eyes flashed with lust, but he looked away. A muscle in his jaw twitching.

"And you with Eli?" The words seemed to come out strained. 

"I'll do the same with him. I can't promise anything to either of you." I didn't hesitate.

"And your Luna position?" He was looking at the sky in bliss.

"Well, I will continue to do what I can for these people. Just as I will for the people in the Colonies. I understand the title of Luna is important to the Amaruq people but I don't need a title to try to make the world a better place." A small smile danced on his lips.

"That was spoken very Luna-like." He stood up and offered me his hand. I took it, feeling a lot lighter than before. 

"So have you tried using your powers in a non-life threatening situation?" We were back on the cobblestone path walking through the woods now. I thought about it for a second.

"Honestly I don't think so. When I saved Mana I felt as strongly about saving him as I did when I wanted to find Lilly at the park. I've only ever used them in times of need." 

"Maybe you should try to use them when you aren't trying to save something. Relax and try to focus on it sometime and let me know how it works. We'll eventually try to work it in with training." I nodded, already trying to sense the vibrations around me. I ended up with a massive headache by the time we made it back to the packhouse. 

Why is it so hard for me to focus?

I said bye to Rowan and went down the left hall to find Cora and Lilly. Once the hall opened to a large split off which had a front desk and a small waiting room. I had forgotten how big this pack really was. It was the size of a small functioning city. 

"Hi I'm here to see Lilly Ambrosia-" I realized I had said our actual surname and stopped. My head had been so clouded I had forgotten that we had used a fake last name for her here so no one could track her.

"Uh, sorry. I meant Lilly Claud. Alora Claud here to pick her up and speak with Cora." I hoped the lady at the front desk didn't keep up with the Colony news.

"Right away Luna." She turned and vigorously typed on her keyboard.

"You don't have to call me that you know? I'm not your Luna yet. Just a normal pack member." She paused, then smiled at me.

"Yes, Ma'am. It looks like Cora has already checked Little Lilly out herself. She left a note stating she would be gone for the rest of the day." I mentally kicked myself. I had completely forgotten I was supposed to meet Cora in my apartment after training. 

"Thank you! Keep up the good work!" I waved to the Pup watcher. 

I was told by Sam that their rank in the pack was slightly above the Omegas and slightly below the Sentinals. Of course, Alpha and Luna are the leaders of the back, Beta is next witch is Rowan. Then Eli's group of Sentinals which would consist of Denver, Nia, Cora, and Sam. Under them would be the Elders and healers, the warriors/hunters, Pup watchers, then the Omegas. Subordinates are the ones who haven't been assigned their ranks yet, which they are assigned every year on the Winter Solstice when the moon is at its strongest. Rarely does anyone change ranks but from what Sam told me unless they undergo whatever training is needed to become a doctor. Most other jobs in the community are run by Omegas, so a lot of job assignments are like the Colonies. Based on work history.

I repeated in my head trying to remember the tiers of the Amaruq world. 

No matter what, if these people see me as some form of their leader I need to have some understanding of how their government works. If I do follow through with being Luna I will be making the Selections every year with Eli on the winter solstice. Their very futures would be in my hands. 

The Elevator let out a sharp ding, jostling me out of my thoughts. I sped walked to my apartment and was met with Cora watching the holographic Tv. 

"I'm sorry I'm late I-" I tried to explain but Cora held a finger up to her mouth in a shushing motion.

"She played hard today, and learned how to till a garden. She's fast asleep." Cora pointed to Lilly's bedroom. I tiptoed over to her doorway to check on her before I silently closed her bedroom door. 

"Is Eli gone?" I asked plopping on the couch beside her. She nodded and turned the TV up before turning to me.

"Okay tell me what's going on?" She seemed eager but still whispered. I'm assuming in case anyone with werewolf hearing walked by. I turned the TV up slightly before continuing. 

"So-" I spilled about everything. What Selene has told me, what happened with both Rowan and Eli, and what Rowan and I had talked about. She sat there listening to the entire time, her jaw-dropping when I first went into detail about Rowan and I's make-out session. 

"Like I'm really grateful I heal fast now, or else Eli may have ended up seeing the hickey you know?" Once I finished she cleared her throat and sat up straight.

"Okay so, let's forget about the titles. Let's push aside all the things you currently have on your plate. They will all still be there, okay? Now, close your eyes." She placed a hand on each of my shoulders. "Breath with me and think deeply. About your future, and what you may want. I want you to try to picture it." I did as she said and tried to steady myself, but I couldn't see any certain path. 

"Either way I'm supposed to stay with the pack right?" My brow furrowed.

"That's up to you. You don't honestly have to choose either of them. Whatever would make you happy." I kept my eyes closed for a long while, then sighed heavily before sinking farther in the couch. 

"I don't know Cora. I've had boyfriends in the past but none of them were as intense as what I feel for these two men. It doesn't make sense." I placed my head in my hands, annoyed that I'm even in this situation. 

"Do you know which one you have stronger feelings for?" Cora's voice was just above a whisper. I let out a frustrated grunt and stood. 

"Yes, of course I do." I tried to whisper while shouting at the same time. "The most confusing part about it though is having Selene in my head. How am I supposed to know if my feelings for Eli are truly this intense or if it was that stupid ritual we performed thousands of years ago."

"And if it is?" Cora's face was emotionless and determined. 

"What?" I didn't really know what she meant.

"If your connection to Eli is just because of some ritual you did in another lifetime, would that make it obsolete? What about the feelings you have about him currently? Can you say those are only from the connection or do you genuinely enjoy being around him?" I hadn't thought about it that way.

"I really didn't like him when we first met." I chuckled remembering how much of an asshole I thought he was. 

If I was solely driven by the mate bond doesn't that mean I would have been in love with him instantly? Then does that mean I actually have feelings for Rowan too? I wanted to rip my hair out. I sighed heavily.

"You really just scrambled my thoughts more." Cora smiled at me and went to make popcorn. 

"I think you'll be fine hun. Love isn't something you can force. It's something that you'll eventually realize and work on it from there." She plopped back down with a bowl of buttery salty goodness. I groaned again. 

"As long as I have you to talk to about it I guess I can stay at least a little sane." We turned to whatever was on the hologram and changed the subject. We sat there talking for what seemed like hours until I went to check on Lilly. When she was still out cold another question for Cora popped in my head.

"Has Lilly been acting okay?" Cora seemed caught off guard by this.

"What do you mean?" She tilted her head to the left.

"Well-" I lowered my voice and sat back beside Cora on the couch. "Her parents were literally murdered right in front of her and she has not mentioned them since. She hasn't had a nightmare, she hasn't asked where they were. Nothing." Cora seemed to ponder on this.

"I don't think I've heard her mention them either. Just you, Eli, and her imaginary friend." 

"Her imaginary friend?" I giggled a little relieved she was acting somewhat normal for her age. 

"Yes, she talks about seeing him and his friends quite often." Cora smiled too.

"She's never mentioned him to me before. Does this friend have a name? Maybe I can get her to open up to me through her imaginary friend."

"It was something like Alice, or Alex." My heart rate picked up. 

"Alec?" I mumbled, praying to the moon goddess it wouldn't be true.

"Yes, Alec! That was his name!."

 I inhaled sharply, remembering the ominous message the person whole almost took Lilly left with us. 

"What has she said about Alec?" I tried to keep my tone calm, I had forgotten that I haven't told her my brother's name until now. 

"Just simple stuff, like that she can't see him right now but he was coming to visit her soon. She said that he was away on a business trip and would be back to see her shortly.  I thought it was so cool how she even gave her imaginary friend a job. She's such a smart driven kid." I couldn't respond. My hands started to get sweaty. Cora peered at my face seemly confused to be picking up on my changing mood.

"Alec is my brother." I let out in a frightened whisper. 

Has he somehow made contact with Lilly again?

"What do we do?" Cora stood instantly and now wide-eyed with her fists balled. Almost everyone in the small circle knows what my brother tried to do.  

"I need to know exactly what was said." She nodded and I found her a pen and paper. She started writing every time she could remember Lilly mentioning Alec and I tried to concentrate.

I need to mind-link Eli. I made sure to portray the urgency to Selene. I could feel her listening in to mine and Cora's conversations but she wasn't completely present. She either couldn't respond or just didn't. 

I closed my eyes and focused. I tried to recreate how I felt during the manticore evaluation and brought all my energy to my core. I felt a small tug and seen a hint of a blue line behind my eyelids. 

"Eli." Exhaling I felt the connection with him. It wasn't very vibrant, but it was there.

"Alora? How are -" He seemed confused and taken back.

"I'm sorry there's no time to explain. Lilly has been mentioning Alec to Cora. She has been saying that she is going to see him soon. That partnered with what she said the last time they breached the walls-"

"Stay where you are. I will be there shortly." I could tell he had become much more serious and spoke with authority just now. He understood what this might mean.

"Thank you."  Was all I could get out before the connection was severed. I then peaked back into Lilly's bedroom and was relieved to see her still there. I opted to keep her door cracked to where I could still see it from the couch. 

Minutes later, as I was sitting with cor going over what she remembered she jumped up, putting herself between me and the door.

"What is it?" The hair on the back of my neck stood, I was ready to tap into Selene if I needed. Cora then relaxed. 

"It's okay. It's just Denver. I told him to come on in." I sat back down, and so did she. Moments Later Denver and a guy I remember Rowan introducing as Jack walked in. Denver locked the door behind them.

"Eli didn't say much other than we were needed here right now." Cora nodded and explained the situation as I kept looking over what she had written. Lilly had mentioned him quite a bit.

How could this have happened?