The Luna of Lunas

Chapter Two: Waking Up

[Imogen’s P.O.V]

What is the beeping and why is it so annoying? Who is whispering? Why do I feel so heavy? I see a light. Is that the light? Is that where I should be heading?

“Yes, head toward the light human.” That voice again. I’ve heard her since I was eighteen. I never told anyone about her. I know hearing voices isn’t normal, but I don’t think I’m crazy. Her voice being in my head feels natural. Like she is a part of me.

“I am a part of you. Now go into the light and go get him back.”

She’s so bossy.

-

[Gavin’s P.O.V.]

“Is she waking up?” I ask no one in particular. My father is in the room with us but he’s just as clueless about medical matters as I am. He shrugs. I look to Lucas, our Gamma. His mate is a doctor, maybe he would know what to do. Unfortunately, he looks as clueless as my father.

Her eyes are fluttering. I am desperately hoping she’ll wake up. I don’t know why. She isn’t my mate. I knew from the first moment I took in her scent. All I know is that I need to protect her. Arran, my wolf, is telling me, I need to protect her.

“Speak again,” my father tells me. “She’s responding to your voice”.

Why would she respond to me if she wasn’t my mate? “Open your eyes sweet girl”, I beg her. Her eyes flutter again.

“Keep speaking”, my father urges me.

I keep talking to her. I have no idea what to say. I don’t know this girl. I am just desperately hoping she will wake up, and I’m not the only one. For some reason, everyone in our pack is invested in her waking up despite her not being a pack member. I have an idea. Maybe Dr. Burke might just let me do this.

“Dr. Burke!” Our head pack doctor runs into the room. I may not be the Alpha, but I am still an Alpha by blood. If we call, our pack comes running.

“Can you get me the dog?” I ask a bit more politely to soften the summons.

“The dog?” the Doc questions me.

“Yeah, the dog that looks like a wolf.” It feels weird for our kind to say that because we don’t have pets and we have a particular aversion to dogs.

“I know what you mean, but why would you want the dog?”

I’m getting tired of her questioning me. “Just bring the dog” I quip. The minute the words leave my mouth, I feel regret. I also feel the disapproving eyes of my father on me. “Just trust me, I think this will help”, I beg him.

“That’s not what I’m disappointed about,” he retorts. I know he is thinking of how much better my brother, the real Alpha, would handle this. I know he is better; I just hope I can do this one thing right and help her.

-

After a few minutes, Dr. Burke arrives with four guards. It didn’t take me long to understand why she was with four guards. That wolfdog was chomping at the bit to get to the human girl. Literally, this dog-wolf thing was biting the guards, straining itself to the point of choking. My instinct was to stand in front of her, but my wolf told me to step aside, so that’s what I did. I told the guards to unleash him. They did look at me as if I was insane, but I knew what I was doing – well I hoped I knew what I was doing. As calm as anything, this monster-turned-angel gently climbed into her bed, laying his big head on her feet.

-

[Imogen’s P.O.V]

Seriously, what the h*** is that beeping!? Why can’t those people stop shouting!?” Wait, before they were whispering. Now it was shouting. Am I alive? There’s something wet running up and down my feet. It tickles. A realization hits me. Faolchú! This is what he does to wake me up when he wants attention. I have to be alive.

I startled everyone as I shot up. I couldn’t take note of their faces as right away Faolchú’s noise was shoved in my face. Just as suddenly, he growled, whipping around to nip at whoever’s hands were trying to pull him off of me. I guess it must have looked like a dangerous situation. A giant wolf-looking dog piling on top of a woman. I can handle him though, even if he gets a bit too excited, he is just nuzzling.

-

“He bit me!” a somewhat familiar voice sounded.

I can’t see who it is through the sea of hair that’s covering my face. Oh, and probably the bed I’m in. I’ll have to apologize to whoever owns it later. “Runter” I command Faolchú. He does what he is told, but that doesn't mean he didn't spare a growl in the direction of that voice.

“He bit me.”

“Well, don’t touch a dog you don’t know without permission” I quip, stunning him.

Taking a good look at him, it wasn’t just his voice that was familiar, he looked familiar. An older man standing next to him looked amused.

“We need to discuss a few things, miss…?” the older man started.

“Ní Cearbhaill” I answer. Crickets. “Just Imogen is fine.”

“Imogen?” a woman with kind eyes asks. “We can call you that, but first, I need you to spell your last name for my records. No, I’m going to need you to spell both names for my records. And slowly, please.”

I laugh seeing her poor face. My name really does not help when traveling overseas. Sparing another look at the older man standing next to the familiar man, I see something in his eyes. Amusement still, but also something more.

"I'm Alpha Dominic Black, when you are done with your forms, we really do need to talk."

-

[Dominic’s P.O.V]

Why was I blessed with such complicated children? First, Duncan’s wolf stopped cooperating with him, forcing me out of retirement so he could look for his Luna. My daughter refuses to acknowledge Clara, my chosen mate, despite her coming back to help me while Duncan is away. Now Gavin. I gave him the Beta title when I came out of retirement so I could train him. He would be an Alpha one day and here he was enthralled by this human girl, following her around like a puppy, begging me to take her in. She is human. I don’t know how she found us or what she is up to but...

“She isn’t up to anything. She is meant to be here." Ainsley, my wolf, interrupts my thoughts.

Ainsley has been up my a** about this girl. Usually, I leave the rogues to our guards, but the night we found her, Ainsley would not stop bothering me until I went and checked it out. I have to say she was impressive that night. She was too fast for a human, and she fought smart. We train women in this pack to use what they have instead of brute force, but this human was a natural. Every move she made was with grace.

-

“Alpha, may I have a minute?” Dr. Burke interrupts my train of thought. “There are some things that came up during the physical exam and my suspicions were confirmed when we took her x-rays.”

“Yes, please Dr. Burke take a seat.”

“Alpha, I suspect the young miss was tortured.”

“TORTURED!” Gavin yells, interrupting the doctor. I may not be as fond of the human girl as my son is, but even I can’t deny the small bubbles of rage rising in my chest.

“Yes, Alpha, Beta. There were obvious markers during her physical exam...”

“Obvious markers!” Gavin interrupts again.

“Calm down Gavin, let the Doctor speak.” I reprimand him.

“Sorry, Dad. Please continue, Dr. Burke.”

“As I was saying Beta, during her physical exam we found extensive scarring across her back. Upon looking at her x-rays, I found rib fractures. These aren’t normal fractures. They occurred when her rib cage was extended. Most people, when facing this type of assault, would pull their arms into their chest. She didn’t”

I am completely lost. “Doctor, can you…”

“Yes Alpha, I’m sorry. Given the fractures, she had her arms around someone. Shielding them from the assault.”

“That just means she was attacked and was protecting someone. That isn’t torture.”

“Yes Alpha, except…” Dr. Burke paused, looking hesitant.

“Please,” Gavin begs beside me. All the color has drained from his face. A few minutes ago, he was on the verge of shifting, now he is just desperate.

“Alpha, Beta, the fractures are all in different stages of remodeling. This happened over time. Months if we had to guess.”

This girl took months of torture in order to shield someone else. I still don't know if I trust her intentions, but I am impressed. Maybe she is someone to hold onto and welcome into the pack. “Told you.” Yeah, Ainsley, you told me.