Pink Moon

Prologue

“Rheagan! Are you trying to sleep the day away? Get out of bed right now! You have 15 minutes before I send in your dad!” shouted my mom from outside my door. 

I groaned and pulled the comforter away from my face to look at the alarm clock on my nightstand. Bright red numbers blinked back at me. 8:00 AM. In what world was this considered sleeping in? I grumbled something about life being unfair and threw the covers off. I shuffled over to my door, dragging my feet along the plush carpet. I pulled it open slowly and made my descent down the stairs.

I padded into the dining hall of the pack house letting out an embarrassingly large yawn.

“How nice of you to finally join us, Rheagan,” my mother teased. “Although I do wish you’d have thought to get decent first.”

I grunted a response in her direction. I didn’t understand how she was always so perky in the morning. I quickly grabbed a plate and started piling it high with the eggs and bacon that the Omegas had prepared.

“We have a very big day planned,” my mother gushed. “First we’ll finish up here, and then we’ll head up to get you properly put together this time, and next we have to…”

I had learned to tune my mother out long ago. I shut her off as I shoveled yet another mountain of eggs into my mouth. As the Luna of our pack she was incredibly well respected. You couldn’t help but feel a sense of calm and warmth wash over you as soon as you stepped in her presence. As a Luna she was awe-inspiring. As a mom, she was way too much first thing in the morning. I looked up to see my mother staring at me with an amused expression on her face. 

“You weren’t listening to a single thing I was saying, were you?”

I pursed my lips and gave her the sweetest smile I could muster. “Of course I was listening to you, Mommy. Have I told you how absolutely stunning you look this morning?”

Her melodious laugh echoed through the spacious dining room. “You’re rather cheeky this morning aren’t you?”

“Well, well, well, look who decided to join the land of the living!” I turned my head, mouth stuffed to the brim with bacon, towards my father who was grinning from ear to ear, closely followed by my twin brother.

“Goddess, Rhea. It looks like an animal died on your head. Do you ever brush your hair?” My brother Sebastian sniggered as he plopped beside me. 

I scowled and stuck my tongue out, bits of bacon falling in spitty blobs on the table around me. Sebastian laughed hard as my mom glared at me from across the table. I was frantically picking the pieces up and shoveling them back in my mouth when my brother's best friend, Cassien, walked in. 

“Ah, Cas, right on time,” my father said, rising from his seat.

“Alpha Nathaniel, Luna Rhiannon.” Cas bowed his head respectfully as he trotted to where we were sitting and plopped down in the chair on my other side. He did a quick nod in my direction before turning his attention to my brother saying, “Hey man! You ready for this?”

I knit my eyebrows together and tilted my head at Sebastian. “Ready for what?”

Ignoring me, he beamed at Cassien,“I was born ready, dude. Can we go now Dad?”

“Where are you going?” I asked again, glaring at the pair of boys.

“Yes, I think it would be best to leave now. That way I can brief you both before we begin,” my father said, leaning in to give my mother a swift kiss on the cheek and gesturing with his head towards the door that led towards the woods.

Finally, exasperated, I shouted after the retreating form of my father, “Just tell me where you guys are going!”

“Patience Rheagan,” my mother cautioned, raising an eyebrow at me. 

“Please?” I asked, sheepishly.

My father glanced back at me and sighed. “I’m taking the boys to pack training today. As the future Alpha and Beta of Pearl Moon Pack they need to be prepared. They’re both of age now so it’s time they started helping lead training and learning some things themselves.”

“I’m of age too, so does that mean I can go?” I asked.

My mother and father exchanged looks. I saw their eyes go still and unblinking. 

“Hey, I’m right here, ya know! Don’t mind link. I don’t see what the big deal is if I go. Other she-wolves go to training.”

My mother spoke first, “You’re right, some do go. But those other she-wolves aren’t the daughter of the Alpha. They probably won’t be the Luna of a pack one day, as you will. You have Luna training with me starting today, which you’d have known if you actually listened to me while you ate your breakfast.”

“I don’t want to just do Luna training! I want to do what the boys do. What kind of Alpha wants a Luna that can’t defend herself?” 

“Rheagan-,” my father started. 

“Come on, Dad! Please? Look, I can kick Cassien’s butt right now! Watch!” I yanked Cas out of his chair and threw him into a headlock. 

Sebastian folded his arms over his chest and sniggered, “Man, some Beta you’ll be if you can’t even overpower my sister.”

Cassien struggled against my grip and started turning blue. 

“Enough Rheagan, let Cas go,” my father said with a smirk. He turned toward my mother and raised an eyebrow at her.

“Alright Rheagan. You may go,”A small smile escaped her lips as I dropped Cassien and pumped my fist high into the air. “I do think that learning how to defend yourself will be beneficial. Luna’s help guide their Alpha, they help with anything that the Alpha can’t do on his own, and if that means being able to protect yourself to take some weight off his shoulders then so be it.”

“You heard your mother,” my father retorted, turning back to the doorway and gesturing for the boys to follow. “I suppose you’d better go get dressed.”

I hopped up from my chair and ran to throw my arms around my mother. I made eye contact with Sebastian and Cas and gave them a cheeky grin.

You got lucky that time, Cas’s voice sounded in my head. You caught me off guard! Don’t expect it to be so easy next time. I’m going to kick your tiny butt!

Don’t count on it, I winked at him before turning to sprint up the stairs.