The Alpha & His Secret Luna Princess

Chapter 1 - On the Run

(Jade's POV)

I am running like my life depends on it, because at this moment, it does.

One moment, I was at a bar minding my own business after a long day. Next, I got shot in the neck with a dart. So much for some fun. I have been in hiding for the last four years. Moving from town to town, living in small apartments for no longer than a couple of months at a time. Working sh*t jobs to stay under the radar for just enough money to survive. Finally, I decided to take a small break, going out for a drink, thinking I deserved at least that much. Look where that got me, running for my life. I think someone has finally figured out who I was.

Somehow, I had ended up in the woods completely surrounded by trees in all directions. I hear paws beating the ground, getting closer and closer to me, and a growl so threatening erupts. Oh sh*t! I thought to myself. I have tears in my eyes as I try to push my body past its own abilities. I hold back the scream that threatens to leave my throat and, with all the determination I can possibly muster, and push even harder than before. I refuse to die here tonight. It is not my time. I have yet to meet my mate. Oh, did I mention I’m a wolf?

Yes, that I am, and a lone wolf at the moment, thanks to the evil that killed my family and entire pack precisely four years ago on this exact night.

Before I ran from the bar, I reached for where the slight pain was coming from, and realised that someone had blown a dart with something on it. I could not locate who the person was but I felt my skin prickle, and a cold, very dark feeling came over me as I felt eyes on me that made my skin crawl.

The burning started in my neck and travelled down only increasing in pain as it went along, and I ran before I could locate the person. I headed for the woods. This made most sense at the time because it meant I would be able to shift, but when I tried, nothing happened. My wolf also couldn’t surface as I tried to get her to speak to me, “Lola!! Help me please! Someone gave us wolf's bane!” Silence followed, and I tried again, “Lola!! Please come on, you were just here!”. I knew it was futile because all wolves knew the power wolf's bane had on us and there was no way around it but to let it run its course through your system. Depending on the quantity administered, it could take anywhere from one hour, to a full day, or even longer. It’s really tough to tell, and it depends on the wolf. The stronger the wolf, the quicker the poison works through our systems. If the dose is strong enough, it could kill you.

I happen to be a Midnight Wolf, one of the strongest in our world, practically royalty, and this is the only reason I am still able to at least run with as much speed as possible.

It feels as though fifteen minutes, or an eternity has passed and I am still being chased through the woods. I felt my strength leaving my body faster than I had anticipated as I ran along the river bank. I feel myself start to stumble, and I lose my footing, and ungracefully fall into the river. The water carries me away so fast, but I am too weak now and I cannot even swim as my arms have finally given in too. I struggle to breathe and I think I am drowning. All I can think of is, this is it, and I’m dying. Goodbye Lola… and I drift into darkness, accepting my fate as I finally hear my wolf whimper with sadness, and I am gone.

(Hunter's POV)

I suddenly wake up, breathing heavily, sweating, completely soaked, and my wolf is fighting for control. I looked around and realised I was in bed. But there is a sense of dread I cannot place. Awakening to a dream I cannot remember. I turned to look at the watch on the night stand and saw that it was only twelve A.M.

I rubbed my eyes, and asked my wolf “What was that about Luca?! Are we under attack?”

My wolf howls in my mind and says something that shocked me to my core, “MATE IN TROUBLE!!!!!”

I try to control my wolf as he still fights for control and I try to clear my mind and figure out what is going on.

“MATE IN TROUBLE!!!! NEED TO GO RIGHT NOW!!!!”

I lose the fight for control and he takes over with me as a passenger in my own body. He makes his way out of the packhouse and immediately takes off into the woods and knows exactly where to go. During our run, it gave me time to feel what my body felt and what it sensed, and I could feel the pull towards something undeniable. I had never felt this pull before but I knew I had no choice but to follow it like my life depended on it.

Finally, close to our borders, I saw a body floating in the river and coming to shore very slowly. I can see the glow of the moonlight on pale skin and long pitch black hair, and my heart stops when I realise the person is unconscious. I immediately shifted back as Luca knew my human body was needed at that moment.

“MATE!!!” Luca chants in my head and my heart stops beating.

I ran to the river and as I grabbed the body out of the water, tingles rushed across my skin and I knew my wolf was right. I held her in my arms, and looked at her face and saw the most beautiful face I had ever seen in my entire life and my breath caught again.

I quickly realise that she is still alive as I feel her slow pulse, and I am sure she has drowned, so I do the only thing that makes sense to me and I start CPR on her.

As I pump her chest as gently as I can, and breathe air into her mouth, I have tears in my eyes as I think that I can’t lose my mate before I have even properly met her.

“Come on!!! Wake up! PLEASE!!” I screamed, and for a moment I thought I may have been too late, but as hope leaves me, she coughs and all the water that was swallowed comes out. She seems scared and confused but so exhausted that she quickly falls unconscious again. At least I know now she is sleeping as her pulse has picked up and her breathing is even. She may not know I am her mate yet, but her body does, as she snuggles in my arms and I walk back to my home.

(Jade's POV)

I feel the most amazing warmth seeping into my bones on one side of my body, and smell something so amazing I can’t help but take a deep breath of it.

Hmmm, forest mint and... Oh my goodness dark chocolate!!!

My wolf suddenly perks up and she starts going crazy in my head. Before I can ask her what’s happening, she practically screams in my head, “MATE!!!”

I stopped breathing and shot up into a sitting position from the warmth and softness, opening my eyes, suddenly remembering everything that had happened, and that moment darkness consumed me. I looked down and saw the most beautiful, gorgeous face I could ever have laid my eyes on, and the look of pure shock and worry reflected in those hazel eyes.

I did not know what to do as I have never been in this position, and at that moment I screamed!

I close my eyes as I scream and I feel strong hands pull me to a rock-hard body that fits me perfectly. I struggled a bit, and struggled to push away, but I got nowhere. I felt like a little girl trying to push at a wall and expecting it to give way.

“Ssshhh, sshh… it’s okay love”, a voice that sounds like butter makes its way to my ears.Oh goddess, he’s voice melts my insides and tingles erupt across my skin, and I shudder.

“You’re safe now, you don’t have to worry anymore. You’re safe. You’ll always be safe. I will make sure of that.” He speaks softly in my ear, rubbing my arms, back and hair softly trying to calm me down.

I realize that I'm on a bed, and this man with the amazing voice, who happens to be my mate, is lying next to me.

We fit perfectly, I think to myself, as I slowly calm down. But now what? Gosh, I did not even introduce myself! Instead, I humiliated myself by screaming like a banshee. Ugh! I didn’t know his name! Where am I?! I start freaking out and before he can grab me again, I jump up and run across the room staring at him, and get into a defensive stance. It is the instinct of survival that kicks in. I have been on the run for so long that it seems like a normal reaction to me.

He leans up on his elbows, and we lock eyes. His eyes never leave mine, and it feels like he’s staring straight into my soul. I want to look away but I don’t. I feel this need to defy him and prove my strength by showing my own strength, so I keep looking. This is when I realized that he was an alpha. This is a major sign of disrespect to an alpha, and naturally could be taken as a challenge. He raises his eyebrows at me as if asking, really? what now?

Not just any Alpha either, I can feel his aura and the pressure of it tells me he's crazy strong. He seems amused but understands why I am not affected by it. But he does not know the whole truth, and that I would have been able to resist the strength of his aura regardless of the mate bond. I have been trained to hide my aura and only let it out when absolutely necessary, and with the help of my wolf Lola, we’ve perfected it. So, most wolves we come across assume that we are not a threat. This is fine with me.

I leave my defensive stance and I stand up straight looking at him, and I ask, “Who are you?”, he picks up again on my tone and raises his eyebrows and says, “I am your mate, can you not feel it?”.

“Of course I can feel it, but that doesn’t answer my question, WHO ARE YOU?!”

I scream at him and he slowly gets up from the bed, walks to me slowly, keeping his hands up in a way that shows me he won’t hurt me, and I couldn’t help myself but I look at him from his head to his toes.

He’s wearing boxer shorts only and they cut quite low to the V, his rock hard abs on full display for my eyes only. I try to get my eyes back up again, and my breath catches when I meet his eyes, again realising how close he had gotten.

My heart beat grows louder and faster the closer he gets, and I can see the lust growing in his eyes. He stops in front of me, and holds the sides of my arms gently as if willing me to calm down. It works somehow, and those damn tingles are so distracting, every time he touches me I feel like I will explode from pure lust.

“I am Alpha Hunter of the Silver Moon pack” he says, and before I can say anything, my lips are crushed by his and everything around me disappears into nothingness. All that I feel is his lips on mine and it’s like my brain malfunctions.

We’re both grabbing each other, trying to get as close to each other as possible as we deepen the kiss. His lips taste like heaven, and the feel of them on mine. Wow! No words. His hands are roaming my body and finding their way under my t-shirt. I am grabbing any available skin I feel on his body and can’t help but to crave him and how perfectly we fit together. It truly felt like coming home.

I am pushed against the wall with his body pressed tightly against mine. He glides his hands down my body till it reaches my butt, and lifts me as if I weigh nothing. I gasp, he takes advantage of the opportunity and plunges his tongue into my mouth again and gives me the most earth-shattering kiss a girl could ever experience. Without thinking about it, I wrap my legs around his waist and he starts grinding against me. Even if I wanted to, I couldn’t control the moan that escaped my lips. I hear him growl, and I shudder at the sound.

Things are getting way too heated, and at this moment I remember I’m still a virgin. As if thrown with a bucket of ice, I quickly stop what I’m doing and I shout, “STOP!! Please!”

He comes to his senses as well and smirks at me before putting me down slowly and brushing his lips softly against mine.

“Sorry, but you’re so damn beautiful I couldn’t help myself.” He leans forward and takes a deep breath of me, his head going towards my neck and breathing me in there as well, “You smell amazing too, like roses and honey.” He leans away and smirks at me again, and I give him a small shy smile.

He looks at me more seriously and asks, “How are you feeling? How thoughtless of me not to ask, the condition I found you in a day ago was enough to stop my heart from beating in my chest” he says, looking at me. I felt so confused and asked him, “A day ago? I was out for a whole day?!” What the hell?!! I think to myself and again all the memories rush back. Oh no, how am I going to explain to him that I am the only survivor of the Midnight Moon pack?!

I try to compose my thoughts, and think of the best way to explain to him the situation I found myself in, making sure to leave out my heritage. But this proves tougher than I thought. As I battle with what to say, I feel a hand under my chin, pulling my face up slightly and looking into those gorgeous eyes again. On cue, the tingles erupt along my skin, and my breath hitches. How was I blessed with someone so perfect that my brain scrambles every time I look at him?! “Would you mind telling me what happened and where you’re from?” he asks. “Straight to the tough questions…” I mutter to myself, but with the wonderful wolf hearing he doesn’t miss it. I steel myself and try my best once again for composure, keeping eye contact. I decide there’s no other way around this than to be honest. He is my mate and will protect me. If there is anyone I can trust, it will be my mate. “I’m Jade Rose of the Midnight Moon Pack, daughter of Alpha Reginald and Luna Bridgett Rose”, I say, releasing my full aura so that he understands as an Alpha I speak the truth. Trying my best to hold on to my emotions and not cry. It still hurts more than I can say, even four years later. I heard a slight gasp, and I focused my attention more clearly on his reaction. He holds his hand to his mouth in shock, recognition in his eyes. He falls to one knee from the force of my aura, struggling to breathe for a moment, eyes wide and whispers, “It can’t be… we thought, that well.. that everyone was gone.”