Breaking the Blood-Wolf Luna

CHAPTER 8

*KINCAID*

"FOR f**k'S SAKE!" He cursed as he shifted back to his human form. "I can't even enjoy a solitude run again!" He snatched up a pair of pants from the floor and put it on. The pack had designated places where clothes were kept in the woods for shifting back.

"Just when I was starting to enjoy myself!" He snarled, marching back to the packhouse. As he broke out of the tree line, he saw a silhouette standing underneath an oak tree and waiting.

"s**t," He cursed under his breath.

"I can hear you, Caid," the voice rang out in the darkness as the person stepped out from underneath the shadows. It was Lucy, a girl who desperately wanted to be his girlfriend and future Luna of the pack.

"Hello Lucy," Kincaid said, walking past her. She matched his stride and walked beside him.

"I was wondering when you would come and see me," She replied. "I heard you got back this afternoon."

"Word sure travels fast in this pack," Kincaid muttered. Lucy was an adamant girl and even though he had not responded to any of her advances, she made it her mission to push herself unto him.

"Everyone cares for their future Alpha," Lucy said sweetly. "Especially me." She grasped his hand. "So when were you going to see me?"

Kincaid slipped his hand from hers. "When I had rested, Lucy. Why are you up now?" He asked.

"I knew you would want to take a run tonight," she said sweetly. "I know you so well, Caid."

Kincaid rolled his eyes. He had not gotten serious with any girl since Roxanne died. So far, he has blocked every futile attempt his parents have made to matchmake him with other girls. They had now gotten the message that he was not interested, and they respected it. All except Lucy, she was obstinate to get Kincaid's attention.

They had gotten to the front door of the pack house. "Are you coming in?" Kincaid asked her. Every wolf in the pack was welcomed in the packhouse anytime even though they had family houses.

"Do you want me to?" She asked.

"No," Kincaid said and walked in.

"Well, won't you kiss me goodnight?" She asked again.

Kincaid stopped. He took a deep breath to calm his nerves before turning. He leaned in and pecked Lucy on her cheek before walking in again and closing the door.

He knew that was not the kiss she had wanted, but what did he care? He was already in a bad mood since his interrupted run, he did not have the strength to patronize a needy b***h.

"I see you met Lucy,"

Liam walked out of the room. He held a glass cup in one hand and a bottle of scotch in another.

"Yeah," Kincaid said. "Doesn't she know when to give up?" He collected the bottle from Liam and drank it directly before handing it back.

"Maybe she really loves you and wants to be the Luna of this pack," Liam said.

"Yeah, right," Kincaid said sarcastically. "We both know Lucy. Everything she does is for herself."

"Yeah," Liam chuckled.

"Even if I was going to choose a mate, you can be assured that I won't choose Lucy, " Kincaid said.

Liam smiled and did not reply to that. Instead, he changed the topic with, "How did your run go?"

Kincaid scoffed. "I was interrupted. Someone ran unto my path and crashed into me."

"A wolf?"

Kincaid nodded. "A weird wolf, yes. I haven't seen it before. It might be one of the ones that shifted during my time in captivity."

"Or it is the guest that was brought back from North London," Liam said, but he added thoughtfully while stroking his chin. "But I thought she wasn't a wolf."

"What are you talking about?" Kincaid asked, lost.

"Don't you listen to what is happening in the pack?" Liam questioned. Kincaid shrugged. "A girl was brought along with you today from North London. My younger sister overhead some rumors that the girl was wolfless that was why she was sold to your father."

"So father bought a slave," Kincaid chuckled. "That's funny. To think that we are slave owners now."

"If she was given the freedom to roam and run, then she's not a slave, is she?" Liam asked.

"Perhaps not." Kincaid frowned. "But still that doesn't give her the right to barrel into my way." He snarled as he headed up to his room. "And why didn't my parents tell me about her?"

"Go to bed, Caid," Liam called. "You're tired and angry at nothing. You'll feel better in the morning."

"Yeah, right," Kincaid rolled his eyes and slammed the door behind him. He plopped on the bed and tossed around. Was it right for him to hold on to the memory of Roxanne even after all these years?

He was so busy living in the past that he was lost in the present and did not think of the future. He turned to lie on his back and stare at the ceiling.

He knew his father didn't have many years left to be alpha, and soon, he would have to step down for Kincaid to take over. But was he ready? Shouldering the weight of a pack without love and care from a Luna could be catastrophic.

He had to make a choice fast. He closed his eyes. "We are going to be on the lookout for a chosen mate, Caer," he said to his wolf. His mother's words nudged at the back of his mind.

Would the moon goddess be so kind as to give him a second chance mate?

"Moon goddess," He started to pray. "In your infinite wisdom..." He searched around his head, thinking of the right words to say, but his head was blank. "f**k!" He cursed under his breath and gave up praying. He turned to his side and wrapped a blanket over his body and closed his eyes to sleep.

He had better get his s**t together, because, second-chance mate or not, he had seen how a disorganized alpha could affect his pack, and he swore to himself that the great and ancient High Moon Pack of Scotland wasn't going to go to waste.

~~~~~~~~~~

KIKCAID WOKE UP with a throbbing headache. Werewolves didn't normally suffer from human illnesses except on rare occasions. So when he woke up and his head was pounding, Kincaid was surprised and wary of what it might mean.

He stumbled to the bathroom and washed up. He heard noises coming from the kitchen and dining area. Almost everyone was up already.

He pulled on some clothes and went downstairs. Some members of the pack hung around the packhouse, some were eating at the large dining table, while others waited around in groups, about to go on with their daily duties. Kincaid sidestepped some little children playing on the floor and sat on the dining table heavily.

"Are you alright, son?" Amelia immediately asked after one glance at Kincaid.

"Yeah, I'm fine," He muttered. "Where is Dad?"

"He had some important meeting with the pack's council," She replied, placing a plate of pancake and steak in front of Kincaid. She took another look at his pale skin and placed the back of her hand on it. "Holy moon goddess!" She yelped. "You're burning with a fever."

"I've told you, mum. I am fine." Kincaid snarled. He poked a pancake with his fork and brought it to his mouth.

"You look like s**t," Liam muttered from his side, sipping a hot glass of coffee. Kincaid didn't know his best friend was beside him all this while.

"You shouldn't be talking about looks," He replied Liam. "You look like you woke up drunk."

Liam chuckled. "You know fully well that alcohol doesn't affect us." He sighed. "But what can affect us is lack of sleep."

"You were up early because of the meeting?" Kincaid asked.

Liam nodded and replied. "They had to have it early in the morning. My Dad woke me up just a few minutes after I finally fell asleep. He needed me to 'watch over you'" He scoffed the last three words out.

Kincaid understood. Liam's father was the pack's present beta, and anywhere the alpha went, the beta went along. The more time they spend together, planning and strategizing, the stronger their bond. "What do you think the meeting is about?" He asked Liam.

Liam started to shrug but stopped midway. His eyes were fixed on something behind Kincaid. "Maybe about her,"

Kincaid turned sharply to look at who Liam was referring to, but as he spun, he felt the earth spinning even more as he blacked out and fell to the floor.