The Rise of Luna Inara (The Luna Queen Book 1) Read online

  He sighed, “Well there are a few wild dogs around town. That’s probably where the tracks came from.” He draped an arm over my shoulders, “Besides, I could take down any wolf!” He smiled at me trying to be a tough guy.

  My ears faintly picked up a low, menacing growl. I looked around wide-eyed to see if anyone else had heard it. “What was that?” I asked turning around to look at the woods.

  It was a good distance away, but I strained my eyes anyway trying to find any disturbance in the treeline. Most of my group looked at each other to see if anyone knew what I was talking about.

  Jeremy put both hands on my shoulders turning me to face him. “You’re hearing things, Inara. Nobody else heard anything, myself included. I think you’re a bit nervous about the possibility of a wolf where we run. Maybe we should talk about something else as we wait for Coach to come back.”

  I nodded, and he turned back to the group, satisfied that this conversation was put to rest. I glanced back at the woods one last time and stopped. It took my brain a second to comprehend what my eyes were seeing: a pair of glowing amber eyes were peering at me from the undergrowth. They were barely visible, but there they were. I closed my eyes not believing what I was seeing, and when I opened them again, they were gone.

  Did I imagine that? Am I going crazy? They were right there! I jumped as my friend Olivia grabbed my arm.

  “You alright Inara?” she asked, smiling at me. “Where were you just now? Daydreaming about a wolf chasing you?” she teased, nudging my arm.

  I hadn’t heard a word they had said. My mind was on those eyes in the woods. They were far off, but they somehow seemed angry. They made it seem as if whatever was attached to those eyes was going to come charging out at any second. Could it be the wolf we heard? Maybe it’s hungry and we look like an easy meal.

  I chuckled at her, “No, I’m just a bit tired.”

  Just then Coach appeared from the visitor’s center along with one of the volunteers. She addressed our group and told us that, for the time being, it would be best if we practiced somewhere in town. She said since nobody saw what howled earlier, it’s best to play it safe until we know for sure what’s out there. At this point, I was pretty convinced it was a wolf. We all thanked her and piled into the van for the ride home. There were multiple conversations, but I just stared out the window contemplating the afternoon’s events.

  Unknown’s P.O.V.

  I had to get out of there! I couldn’t take it anymore. Yes, my father is the Alpha, but I’m an Alpha too! Granted, I’ve only been able to take my wolf form since my 18th birthday a few months ago, but my wolf is clearly an Alpha.

  Should I challenge my father so I don’t have to take his orders anymore? No--I don’t want either of us to die. I’m just tired of having to follow his every order no matter what. If he wasn’t so stubborn, we could rule together, and I could learn from him as I prepared myself to take over the pack.

  No, he has to have it his way. His orders and his rule, no matter what, until the pack is mine. No discussions with the future Alpha, HIS SON! Absolutely asinine! Not even his Luna, my mother could change his mind.

  I was so caught up in my thoughts that I barely noticed I was approaching the pack border. I was about to leave our territory, and my dad would be livid. Nobody was allowed to leave unless he gave permission. I don’t care anymore--he won’t throw me out. I’ll probably have to make it up somehow, but he’ll get over it.

  I could feel my wolf just below my skin, anxious to come out. He was trying to take over and run. I quickly obliged, phasing mid-stride and letting him completely take over. We’ve been in sync since the first time I phased. I trusted him and he trusted me. I loved seeing things through his eyes, feeling how fast we could go. Hunting as a wolf was incredible! This time though, I needed to clear my mind. I let him decide where to go, and I took a back seat, trying to sort through my jumbled thoughts.

  He had been running for about an hour and I knew he would need to stop soon. He was dehydrated and I could feel his muscles on fire. Another 10 minutes went by and he finally decided to stop for a drink. He found a pond, but it was a little more in the open than I usually preferred.

  Werewolves were significantly bigger than normal wolves and since I was an Alpha, mine was even bigger. I didn’t like risking exposing us to the humans. That never ended well for either side. We searched the area and, after deeming it safe, he carefully headed to the pond for a drink. We had just finished quenching our thirst when we noticed a van approaching in the distance. He slumped to the ground and quickly made his way back into the shelter of the trees.

  We eyed them curiously as they gathered in a group. They stood there for a few minutes, then started running toward the pond. One of them, a girl, quickly took the lead. How could she be faster than all the guys? Intrigued, I stared at her, trying to figure out how she was so fast. I was looking for any sign that she had a wolf under her skin too. That would definitely explain her speed compared to the others. She had made it around the pond and was headed in my direction, so my wolf quickly darted from the path and made his way deeper into the woods. He turned around just in time to see her enter the woods. I couldn’t help but watch her. I felt--connected to her. I knew my wolf felt it too.

  As we watched her, she slowed to a stop precisely where my wolf had been standing only moments ago. She looked in our direction, so my wolf ducked behind a thicket. It’s like she knows we’re here. We peered between the brambles and saw her body walking toward us. My wolf wanted to lunge out of the thicket, and it took every ounce of strength to keep him from running to her. He felt the pull to her more than I did. As we struggled against each other, a twig snapped beneath us. He paused for a moment. I took that moment to regain control and steer us deeper into the woods, away from her. I couldn’t help but feel guilty, because deep down, we both wanted to go to her. The way she was getting closer, it seemed like she felt a pull to us too. We just couldn’t reveal ourselves until I knew what she was. We couldn’t risk exposing us to the humans. I opened my thoughts to my wolf, letting him know she wasn’t allowed to see us. We had to stay low. He was stronger than me when we were in his form, but I was hoping he would understand. He could’ve easily overpowered me and ran to her, but he seemed to understand the situation with the humans around.

  We watched from a distance as she reached the thicket and searched it. She was distracted, so he took this chance to put some more distance between us. We ran away from her as fast as my wolf could go while he whimpered quietly, feeling the pull weaken the further away we got. Once the pull was very faint, he slowed down, irritated at the situation. As soon as he stopped, he let out a loud, mournful howl that vibrated the earth beneath our feet.

  Shit! So much for going undetected!

  I made him hunker down low, knowing every eye would be scanning the area for a while, trying to find the source of the howl. I could feel my wolf was pleased with himself. He wanted her to know we were here. He had found a way to call out to her without exposing us.

  Smart, I guess, but the other humans could potentially go into a panic. I had no idea how they felt about wolves. At least we lived quite a distance away and probably wouldn’t be back here. I was about to leave when I saw her through the trees, running through the prairie. She was so fast! We had to get a closer look, so we crept quickly through the woods, back to the treeline. We watched her as she closed the gap between her and two other runners. She passed them, then slowed down, before she joined the others. They were talking in groups and one of the males was smiling and talking directly to her.

  I felt the jealousy boil within me. Why am I jealous? I don’t even know who she is. Heck, I don’t even know what she is! I watched as he slipped an arm around her shoulders. My wolf growled within me. We were on the same page. She was ours. Rage was overtaking us, and if we didn’t leave right now, we would lose it and rip his head off his shoulders. My wolf and I both knew this wasn’t the place, and she didn’t appear to be
in danger, so we made no movement. We just stood and stared at her. She turned towards the woods again and searched it. Had she heard me? Impossible. She was so far away and none of the other humans seemed to have heard anything.

  Our eyes locked and she knew we were here. Shit! She closed her eyes, so my wolf shut his and backed away quickly. She can’t know us. Not until we figure things out.

  We ran back to the packhouse. It’s time to face my father and pay up for my disobedience. Maybe my parents knew what this pull meant. Maybe they could tell me who she is. We ran faster, hopeful at the prospect of finding answers. I needed her and it felt so wrong to leave her. I knew I would be back soon, I couldn’t stay away. I wish he hadn't howled. Now people would be searching the area. Just what we need--.

  It was just past dinner time when I arrived back at the pack border. The patrol was doing a perimeter check and intercepted me. They growled and relayed my father’s anger through the pack mind-link. “I know!” I snapped back.

  I ran to the center of our land with them trailing my flank. I phased back to my human form and put on some spare clothes we keep in the shed. I entered the packhouse to find my father in the living room having his post-dinner drink with mom on his lap. I couldn’t help but smile at them. Their bond was always strong no matter what. They loved each other deeply. The moon goddess had blessed them well when she chose them for mates.

  My father raised his eyes and met mine. “You missed dinner son. Are you hurt?”

  My eyebrows raised as I stared at him. Is he sick? Why isn’t he yelling at me? Where’s the list of chores I need to do to make up for leaving? I took a deep breath and matched his calmness. “I’m sorry for taking off father. I needed to clear my head for a bit. I promise I’ll let you know where I’m going next time.”

  He put his hand up to stop me. “What you did was reckless and irresponsible. A lone wolf is a target to more than just hunters. A lone Alpha has even more enemies. Please consider the consequences of your actions, not just for yourself, but for the pack. You are my one and only successor. That being said, I’m very glad you’re back. There is no punishment this time. However, if you ever do that again, there will be severe consequences.”

  “I promise father,” I said, bowing my head respectfully. This is going much better than I had hoped.

  “Good, I will make a promise in return. Starting tomorrow, I will train you to follow in my footsteps and treat you like the next Alpha. I’m sorry I haven’t done that so far. I was wrong. I was stuck in my old ways, and it took my strong Luna to open my eyes.” He pulled mom close and nuzzled her neck. She smiled and kissed his lips.

  “Dad?” I started hesitantly.

  “Yes, son?” He looked at me still smiling.

  “Something happened while I was gone.” His smile dropped and his face became serious.

  “What is it?”

  “Well,” I started, “I ran near a town called Flint. I stopped at a nature reserve and saw a girl. She didn’t see me, at least not all of me, but I felt something when I saw her. I felt like I needed to be near her. My wolf felt it too. I needed to protect her, even though she wasn’t in any clear danger. Do you know who she is, or why I felt such a strong connection to her? I think she felt it too. She could sense us in the woods, and I think she could hear us from a mile away.” I paused searching his face for answers.

  He turned to mom and smiled, “Do you want to take this one, my Luna?”

  She smiled back, then turned her attention to me. “It seems, my son, that you’ve found your mate.”

  “I thought mates were the same species? This girl appears to be human. There was no sign of a wolf in her, except maybe her speed,” I said, looking puzzled.

  My mom looked at my dad, clearly unsure of how to answer this.

  He continued, “Well, the moon goddess hasn’t made an interspecies match for centuries. I think she wanted the separation between species because there were too many deaths on both sides. Werewolves would kill another wolf’s human mate as revenge. Killing the human mates was much easier than exacting the revenge on the wolf itself. When the bond between a mated couple is severed, the agony often consumes the wolf until he ends up going mad or killing himself. They usually blame themselves for not being able to protect their mate. It’s their number one responsibility, followed by protecting the pack and creating pups. The few who are not consumed with grief, pour themselves into the only job they have left, protecting the pack. They become ruthless killers and usually move swiftly to the top ranks of the guard. When humans were killed by wolves, this harbored resentment and fear within the humans, and they would sometimes retaliate by hunting down wolves and shooting them with silver bullets. Many didn’t have enough knowledge about our kind to distinguish us from normal wolves, so the wolf population declined almost to extinction. This is when the interspecies matches were stopped.”

  “It seems the Moon Goddess is ready to try again,” my mom said softly.

  “It seems so,” dad smiled. “So you didn’t claim her? How did you resist the pull?”

  “I don’t know,” I shrugged. “I guess I don’t know much about how to claim a mate. I read that when you meet them and look into their eyes, you bond immediately and you claim them right there. You seal the bond with your bodies and become one. I was too busy trying to figure out who she was, and what she was, that I kept my distance and fought the pull. I didn’t look into her eyes--at least not when she was close. We did lock eyes once, but she was at least a mile away. Does distance matter?”

  “Maybe,” he answered. “We will head out in the morning and find her. We will make sure the bond is true and if it is, we will talk with her and you can get to know her. I don’t think claiming her right away is best in this situation. If she really is human, she will be terrified and might not ever trust you. It’s easier with wolf mates because both sides already know how it works. We’ll have to handle this a little more delicately,” he smiled at me again.

  I blushed, thinking about claiming my mate. He stood up and clapped me on the back. “If all goes well, we’ll soon be training the future Luna by your side. She may be human, but the Moon Goddess would not have chosen a mate for an Alpha if she wasn’t up to the task. Now, you and I should go into my study, and I’ll explain the mate bond to you a little more in-depth. I should’ve done this before your 18th birthday because that’s when you phase for the first time and can find your mate.”

  My mother stood up and kissed his cheek. She walked over and hugged me. “I’m so happy for you!” she whispered in my ear. She turned back to my father, “I’ll go tell Luke he’s in charge tomorrow.” And with that she took her leave.

  Luke is my father’s Beta and right-hand man. My father got up and headed down the hall to his study, I followed behind, still thinking about the prospect of having my mate by my side. My wolf was resting inside me, but I could tell he was taking in all the information as intently as I was.

  We sat down in his study and spent the next 2 hours talking about the claiming process and strategizing exactly how things should be done since my mate was not of our kind. We would have to handle this with finesse if I was going to convince her to leave everything she’s known and stay with me. I could always take her by force and kidnap her as others have done, but that wouldn’t end well. There is no point in having a mate if you’ve forced it. There is no trust, no happiness, and the bond would never be strong. Basically, you had a prisoner who felt a connection with you. If they knew about rejection, they could reject you and the bond would be severed. It would be as if the mate had died. No, that is not what I want. I want my mate to lead by my side. I will protect her, and we will have a bond as strong as the one my parents shared. Now I just needed to convince her.

  After I was done talking with my father, I laid in bed thinking about tomorrow. What if I brought her home tomorrow? Would she be willing to leave that early? Either way, my life would be different from now on, and I was excited about this new adventu
re. I finally drifted off to sleep an hour later thinking about her.

  The next morning we got ready and left early. My father came along just in case I ran into trouble along the way. He promised to let me do things my way and not interfere. We phased into wolf form at the border and ran quickly through the trees that connected our land to her town. We were there in a little over an hour and stopped at a stream for a drink before shifting back and putting on the clothes we had brought.