Luna Lost

Chapter 04

Fate 

-noun

the development of events beyond a person's control, regarded as determined by a supernatural power.  

Previously; 

“You’re Charlie’s boy, aren’t you?” She asked, stepping outside- holding onto her wooden cane. 

I instantly nodded, afraid if I didn’t reply hastily it would upset her and I’d end up back at square one. “Yeah- I mean, yes ma’am.” Max turned to me, knowing it was a moment where his silence was needed, “I came here to-“ 

Just as I began, she stopped me with soft laughter, gesturing us to come in. 

“No need to be so formal boy.” She retorted, “You’re here to find the lost girl. I knew you’d come someday soon.” Her tone was soft, yet her strong intuition made her intimidating. 

“Come in- I’ll tell you everything I can.” 

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The older women led the boys deeper into her house; the floor boards creaked as they walked, her walls were covered in a peeling, paisley wallpaper and generations that seemed to start as far back as it seemed they could hung on them. Though they could sense her wolf, it felt as if they walked right into the most cliche witch's home. 

"My name is Nan." She suddenly spoke, turning the corner into her living room that was lit by the fireplace. "So no need to use formalities with me. I'm not like other snobby elders of the pack." She began, obvious distaste lacing her words, "They're irritating you know, acting like they know all there is to know just because of their age then getting defensive when they're proven wrong- especially by pups like you two." 

Jake and Max nervously laughed, silently agreeing with her, but they knew they needed to get her on track. 

"Nan.." Max started, "How do you know for sure the lost girl is supposed to be our next Luna? She was only around six to eight at the time, no?"

Nan laughed again. She was such a giggly person, "Yes, she was such a beautiful little thing." She sighed, pursing her lips together in a way that accentuated her wrinkles as she sat herself in an ancient looking Lazy-boy. "Sit, I'll tell you all about that day." 

The boys sat on each end of her paisley couch, "I still just don't understand fully why I need a Luna." Jake cut in before Nan could begin her story, "I'm strong, intelligent- I don't think the pack needs anymore than that." 

The older woman leaned forward, holding her cane tightly as she smack his calve, "You huffy little boy," She scoffed, shaking her head at his arrogance. "Yes, a pack needs a strong, intelligent leader, but they also need empathy, care, and understanding. You Alpha's- well males in general- are too full of yourselves to realize that. A Luna is much more vital to the pack than you know." 

Surprisingly, despite his ability to bud into conversations unnecessarily, Max remained silent. 

Jake cleared his throat, his face reddening as Nan finished her scolding, "What can you tell us about her?" 

"A lot more than I bothered to tell your parents, boy." She replied, reaching over to the circular nightstand beside her, she grabbed a glass and drank from it. "But first, I haven't offered you kids a drink, I have whisky, gin, vodka. I ran out of tequila a week ago and haven't bothered to send for more." 

Jake could feel his eyes want to basically roll back into his head as he listened to her list off all the hard liquor she had to offer. 

Great she's the town wack job and an alcoholic...

"No thank you, Nan." Max stepped in and replied, practically feeling Jake's impatience radiating off him. "We just want to find out more about the girl that way we can get straight to finding her. He needs to be sure she's really his mate." 

Nan nodded, chuckling after taking a last sip of whatever alcohol she had in her coffee mug. "Alright, alright. Firstly, Jake," She said, the two making eye contact as she set down her mug, "Stop questioning whether or not she's truly your mate or not. She is. Nothing will or can change that unless the Goddess chooses different paths for the two of you." Intertwining her fingers together, she laid her hands to rest on her stomach as she leaned back into her seat. "Now, second, just shut up and listen. I'll tell you everything about what I knew of her and her family." 

"I remember the days she'd come to visit me. Her mother and I were good friends due to my daughter-" She smiled sweetly, but sadness seemed to follow that sweetness close behind as it laid in her gaze. "My daughter passed away young, around twenty-five. Ella's mother was her best friend." 

So her name's Ella... 

Nan sighed, "I was really alone after Violet passed, she was my pride and joy- and after it all, I didn't thing Josephine would ever come by again. But, obviously she did, she became like my daughter almost- she didn't replace my angel, no one could, but her presence was so welcomed." She nodded, looking as if she were revisiting those times as she relived her past for the two men. "My sweet baby, I miss her dearly. But of course, my tragedy isn't what you two came to hear, is it?" 

Jake instantly cut him, her words were so threaded with pain it felt as if he could feel every bit of it, "Nan, your story is what we came to hear, every bit of it- no matter how far back would..." He trailed off for a moment," would mean the world for us to hear. Everything helps." 

"Thank you, boy." Nan retorted, relaxing once more as she continued, " Josephine is the lost girl's- as everyone seems to call her- mother. She married a man name Damien Rain." She shrugged, "He was rough around the edges, but the Goddess proved she makes no mistakes mating the two of them. But, to get to Ella, she was their oldest, she has a younger brother named Theodore." 

"Ella..." Jake said, her name rolling off his tongue like silk- how could just her name make his heart pound like this? "She had white hair, right?" 

Nodding, she went on, "Yes, she was unique thing- but absolutely beautiful inside and out. You would've thought she was the reincarnation of an angel if you would've met her, even then." Nan seemed so fond of the young girl, she smiled as she described her personality as being so delightful that it was a breath of fresh air and how much she adored her younger brother and parents. She talked about how the young girl was lively yet calm and how much she loved playing with another pup in the pack.

"The days before they left, Ella came to visit more than her mom did," She said, "She asked me many questions about life and the Goddess, she was so philosophical for her age. She seemed like she felt lost- her soul felt older than her body was and she seemed to be longing for something." 

"What do you mean? Like she was just one of those kids that was an old soul?" Max suddenly asked, his curiosity peaking. 

"No, Max," Nan spoke, slightly startling the two as she spoke his name. 

She shouldn't know their names, their parents possibly, knowing of them due to their inherited status- of course, but their names, no. "She felt ask if her soul was as old as I am, it was like she needed to find something out, and when I realized what it was her inner self wanted to know I told her." 

"I remember the last day I saw my dear girls, Ella came- looking longing as ever." Nan sighed, turning to look out the window. |

"She asked me "Nanna," " Nan laughed fondly at the nickname," That what she used to call me, but she said "Nanna, what am I here for? Mommy says to be a grown up and help everyone, but.." I recall cutting her off, embracing her and telling her, "You're going to lead us, baby girl. You're fated to be our next Luna."  

She then talked about how Ellas's little face beamed as she said that asking her a repeated series of "Really!! I'll be like princess Nanna!" or "I'll be the bestest bestest Luna ever!" 

Her eyes watered as her retelling was starting to come to its end, "Josephine came looking for her, and apologized, but, of course, I told her to stop- that it was always a pleasure to see Ella," She cleared her throat as he tone turned raspy, "Sorry- it's hard- no one looked for them afterwards and I was labeled as crazy even though my insight and intuition once assisted the entire pack for decades even from before your father became Alpha. I just wanted them to bring them back to me..." 

The tears that flooded her waterline, escaped, cascading down her cheeks before she swiftly wiped them away, "Ella then told her mom "Nanna said I'm going to be Luna when I grow up!",  poor baby was so excited but she froze when her mom's face looked so concerned." 

"She grabbed her hand and as they turned to leave, Josephine said "She won't. I'll make sure of it."- then soon after, Damien stormed in, yelled profanities at me for simply telling Ella the truth." Her tears continued to trickle down and her voice sputtered as she recalled the obvious heartbreak. "After that I never saw them again. Josephine never came back to go to the market with me, the leaky pipe Damien swore to fix is still leaky to this day, I never saw baby Theodore grow,... and my sweet, bubbly Ella never came to for her daily visit again." 

Jake sighed, his heart heavy with emotion as he watched the older woman dry up her tears with the sleeve of her cardigan. 

"Thank you for everything you've told us, Nan." He hummed, unsure of what to say or how to comfort her, "You'll see Ella again, I swear to you- even if she isn't my Luna.." He said, his iffiness about his mate still showing through, "I'll find her, and tell her how much you love and miss her. I'll-" 

Before he could finish, the older woman cut him off with her tearful giggle, "Ella is very sweet and loving, but she was the most stubborn out of all the kids who came to visit me," She added, "She might even be more stubborn than you are now, little Alpha." 

Max chuckled, "Damn, that'd be a surprise." 

Jake gasped, offended, "I am not that stubborn. Come on." 

"You refuse to accept that you need a Luna," Nan came back at him, "You refuse to acknowledge your huge ego, and you need to start or else you'll never get through to her once you do find her. She may be stubborn, but cocky is something she never was." 

"Where do you think I could find her? Possibly another town? Another city?" Jake asked, ignoring her statements about his attitude. 

Nan shook her head, "No, boy, look to the forest and the Moon. Her parents would've never made it that simple." She retorted, looking out the window once more as soft light from the half moon penetrated through her fire orange tinge. "I can tell you've never changed before, but child you need to let your wolf free-" 

"-He'll help me find her.." Jake finished her sentence, suddenly it felt as if he could hear his mom in his head lecturing him about the change, "My mother told me the same thing." 

"She was always an intuitive woman," Nan scoffed, before turning her gaze back towards the boys in front of her. "Find my little Ella, Jake." She practically pleaded, surprise hit once again as his name left her mouth. 

Maybe she wasn't just the town crazy.

"Bring her home." 

As the mood changed with her plea, turning tense as he Jake simply just nodded, Max couldn't stand the feel in the room. Bouncing up from his seat, he suddenly blurted,

"So where's that leaky pipe, Jake and I can fix it."  

Nan grinned, allowing the tension to disperse, smiling at Max's liveliness, of course she wanted to beg Jake to find the girl she considered her grandbaby, but she knew he would- it was simply his fate. 

"It's right down the hall, the room to your left- it's my main bathroom," She replied softly, gesturing down her main hall, "Tools will be right there as you open the cabinet under the sink, hopefully the leak hasn't rusted them."