The Moon's Daughter

Chapter 2

“Elira, where the f**k have you been?” Abby shouted as soon as I walked through the door.

“I was out on a run, I had to clear my head”. I said while clearing my throat. I made my way towards my room and stopped, turning to look at her. She was wearing a skintight black dress that showed off all her curves for the ceremony tonight. "Damn girl, you look good!" I complimented her. She gave me a twirl and then curtsy. "And you're about to put on your 'f**k me' shoes", I added.

"I know! I can be a little slut sometimes. Plus the hunt is tonight I gotta look good" She said as she sat down on the couch to strap on her shoes.

“Hey, I’m sorry about what I said earlier, I didn’t mean it. I don’t know what came over me”.

“Yea, well I do!” She said while looking up at me. “The guy I was f*****g, happened to be your mate. You only reacted the way you did because I took what was yours. Not that I wanted him, I honestly just met the guy today”. She stood up and walked over towards the mirror by the door to put her earrings in.

“And where did you meet him?” I asked, curious to who this potential mate might be.

“Here at the packhouse. He was with the group that the new Alpha came with”. She turned, staring blankly at me before screaming “Lipstick!” As she made her way back into her room. “You’re not going to the ceremony wearing that are you?” She yelled from her room.

I looked down at my outfit which was covered in dirt and sighed at how underdressed I am. I walked into my room and picked the first dress I saw which happened to be a red dress with a low ‘v' neck. I scrunch my face up at how revealing this dress might be for the ceremony when Abby walked into my room.

“Wear that. You’ll look drop dead gorgeous. I’ll do your makeup!” She said enthusiastically. It was as if everything went back to the way it was before I twisted her arm which I'm grateful for.

When she was done with me, I looked unrecognizable. My eyelids had a red smoky look to it with black eyeliner, winged to look like a cat's eye. She had put fake lashes on me which made my hazel eyes pop and red lipstick, making me look bold. My hair was done up in a simple braided bun since we didn’t have enough time to style it. She ravaged my closet for a pair of heels and found my black Louis Vuitton that I had bought in celebration of me graduating college. I looked at my reflection in the mirror, only it didn’t look like me. We both headed down towards the banquet hall of the pack house and separated once we got there. She went with her friends while I looked for my family.

“Mom!” I called out to her. She was wearing a long green dress as she waved towards me. Her long red hair was neatly swept to the side making her look even more radiant. Beta Yu, who was in a standard tux was standing next to her and he raised his glass towards me. I made my way towards them and my mother embraced me as soon as I stood next to her. She held me at arms length, admiring my outfit for the night and hugged me once more.

“I didn’t know you could clean up so well”, she laughed.

“I didn’t either, my roommate Abby did it for me”, I chuckled while brushing a strand of hair away from my face.

“She did an amazing job, you look beautiful”, said Beta Yu. I smiled as I nodded at him. “How have you been, Elira? Your mother has been worried about you since the day you left for college!”

“I’m great, actually. I’m sure my mother has informed you that I just graduated with a nursing degree. I’m no doctor like her but at the least I could help out her with her work”.

“Of course she has! She hasn’t stopped boasting about you, it's always 'Lira this, Lira that!'" He said while waving his arms up in the air. "You didn’t have to leave pack territory to become a nurse, you know. We supernatural beings aren’t like other humans”, he winked at me as he sipped his drink.

My mother gave me an apologetic look before taking a sip of wine from her glass. I gave her a soft smile and turned to look at Beta Yu, dying to know if the rumors about our soon to be Alpha is true.

“Have you met the new Alpha?” I asked him already knowing the answer.

“Yes, I have”, he replied while taking a sip of his drink.

“Are the rumors true? About him being a halfling and all that?”

“Elira Evans! Watch your mouth”, my mother scolded while pinching my arm.

"Ow!" I yelped while rubbing the area that she pinched.

Beta Yu chuckled and looked over behind me, waving at somebody before turning his attention back onto me. “Rumors are just rumors, Elira. And speaking of the devil he’s walking over this way”. The smell of mahogany wood hit me like a train and I felt the room spin. I turned to see the man that was with Abby standing in front of me and I reached out for my mother to keep myself from falling over.

“Careful, Lira. We can’t have you drunk before the ceremony”, my mother said in a harsh but worried tone. I glared at her as she glared at me with warning before I stood up straight to meet the soon to be Alpha.

“Elira, this is the man that’s going to be taking over our pack. Zahruk, this is Elira, Eirina’s daughter”, said Beta Yu as he introduced us. His eyes locked onto mine and my mom cleared her throat as she noticed the tension between the two of us.

Zahruk reached for my hand and placed a gentle kiss on my fingers. I felt a strange heat where his lips met my skin and my whole body vibrated. I shuddered and pulled my hand away from him before excusing myself to use the restroom. It’s not that I hated the man, it’s everything but that. I’ve never felt such an intense emotion before that I don’t know how to act. I stepped into the hallway, turning the corner when Zahruk pulled me by the shoulders and lightly pushed me against the wall.

“Do you find me that repulsive?” He asked, voice laced with pain.

“No”, I replied while looking up at him. He was so tall that I had to crane my neck up to look at him. Of course it didn’t help that I was only 4 foot 11 inches. The Goddess blessed me with knowledge and good looks but took my height as compensation. I noticed that his eyes were bright green this time, there was no gold swirling in them like before.

“Then why do you keep running?” He asked, while leaning down closer towards me.

“I don’t know”, I whispered. His lips brushed against mine and I shuddered. There was this strong urge to kiss him and I fought it with everything I had. Being mated to someone scared me. I've been alone for so long that I wouldn't know how to act when someone besides my mother needs me. Plus, I also didn't anticipate that my mate would be an Alpha of a pack. Especially my pack.

“Don’t fight it”, he asked of me as his lips inched closer. I leaned forward and closed the gap between us. His soft lips met mine and I felt an electric pulse buzz throughout my entire body. The warmth in my chest grew and I felt my chest tightened. I never knew that it would hurt to want someone so much. My hands reached up to cup his cheeks as I pulled him closer to me. His hand wrapped around me, needing to feel my warmth against him. I moaned into the kiss and he pressed me against the wall when someone cleared their throat, breaking us out of this moment.

“Brother, the ceremony is about to start”, said a man with blonde hair and hazel eyes. Zahruk kissed my lips, then my forehead before following the blonde back out into the banquet hall. “Here, wipe your lips. It’s red, with lipstick”.

My hands shot up to my lips and I ran into the bathroom just as Zahruk looked back, smirking at me. I looked into the mirror and noticed the lipstick had smudged onto my chin and cheek. I grabbed the paper towel, wetting it before wiping the smudges away. I cleaned it out the best I could before heading back out to meet my mother.

"Elira Evans, is everything okay?" She asked, worried.

"Yes, everything is okay". I reached for her hand and gave it an assuring squeeze and her frown eased into a smile.

Clinks on a champagne glass captured our attention as our current Alpha stood up on stage, ready to make a speech.

"I'm sure you all know why we've gathered today. As some of you might already know, I do not have an heir and my time to rule is over. I've done my research so I know your next Alpha and ally is dependable. Now, I've heard some rumors around the Packhouse as of late, and I think it's best if we let Zahruk address that situation himself", said Alpha Don as he stepped to the side, letting Zahruk take center stage.

"Hello, my name is Zahruk Dey Nadan. My father is the Alpha of the Sun and my mother was the High Queen to the Seelie Fae. For those of you who don't know what a Seelie Fae is, they are a type of Faery that looks like you and I but possess an immense amount of power. The Seelie Court is full of honorable and kind Fae while the Unseelie Court holds the worst of our kind and more. They seek violence for fun and would ruin lives in a blink of an eye". The crowd murmured and whispered with one another. I scan the crowd, some looked scared while others couldn't be bothered.

"Wait, he’s from the Sun Clan? Isn’t that one of the most elite wolf tribes out there?" Someone whispered. The wolves of the Sun are considered one of the biggest and strongest packs out in the Pacific Northwest. Their Alpha was said to carry the bloodlines of a royal making him the strongest shifter out there.

“Does that mean he’s a prince?” Someone asked. My gaze met Zahruk’s and he gave me a small nod before resuming his introduction.

"Yes, I am one of the princes of the Seelie Court, along with my brother Zakil". The blonde from before stepped forward and he bowed to the crowd. "Zakil is the next Alpha of the Sun while our oldest brother Zakeem, is the heir to the throne. And being the youngest, I can assure you that I am more wolf than I am Fae. But please still address me as Alpha instead of Your Highness.

"As for me being a dragon shifter, well sad to say that isn't true. It would be cool to fly though...", he laughed awkwardly. "I'm not good at speeches but I promise you, I will live up to your expectations as Alpha". The women looked up at him in awe while the men looked at him with respect. His eyes scanned the crowd one last time before landing on me. This was the second time he looked at me while standing up there. My mother turned to me and gasped, as her suspicions about Zahruk being my mate arise.

Zahruk stepped back to let our Alpha lead the ceremony when my phone buzzed in the pocket of my dress. I took it out, looking at who was calling me on my requested day off. It was a number from the hospital, so naturally I excused myself to pick it up. I slid the green circle and put the phone to my ear as Alpha started his goodbye speech.

I stepped out into the terrace for some privacy before talking into the phone. "Hello?"

"Hey, it's Dr Souma. You asked me to give you a call if I have any suspicious patients and I have one in the bed at the moment", he said a little warily.

"What do you mean by suspicious?"

"I don't think it's a shifter but something else. It's eyes had two different colors and they were swirling. I couldn't tell if it was awake or not, so I left it alone and called you". Swirling eye colors? Could it be a demon? They're known to have bi-colored eyes and small black writing swirling around their irises. And if it is a demon, that's bad news especially if they're this close to pack territory. I pinched the bridge of my nose, thinking of anything else it might be.

"Is it a demon?" I asked.

"I'm not sure, but if you could get here before it wakes, I'd appreciate it".

"Alright I'll see what I can do".

The reason why I went to get a nursing degree outside of pack territory was so that I could keep an eye on rouges and other supernatural beings that come in close proximity to our territory. There is also the fact that humans are sensitive and are easily scared when it comes to supernatural beings. If a s*x demon approaches a human, they would turn into a mindless rut and can't think of anything else but s*x. Or if they meet a vampire, they are easily compelled and will willingly do whatever they tell them to do. It would be a mess nobody would one to clean up. The only ones that humans can seem to withstand are shifters and witches. After all, we fall under the category of human.

I went back inside to stand next to my mother just in time for the pack to acknowledge Zahruk as our Alpha. Everyone held hands to the person next to them except for those who came to visit from a different pack. Zahruk knelt down facing the crowd while Alpha Don stood behind him.

"We, the wolves of The Moon, accept Zahruk Dey Nadan as our next Alpha and pledge our loyalty to him as long as he holds the title", everyone said in unison. I felt a surge of energy wash through me and felt the bond to our old Alpha cut and a new pull towards Zahruk. He howled inside our minds and everyone howled out in unison. He took his shirt off to show off the crescent mark of the Alpha to our clan and I could literally smell the arousal coming from all the females in this room.

"Let the hunt begin!" Zahruk yelled from the stage. The females took off their heels and ran out, shifting as soon as their foot hit the grass.

"Are you not going to join?" My mother asked.

"You know I've never been interested in the hunt. Plus, I have a work related issue to take care off".

"What work thing?"

"Dr Souma called and told me that there was an unidentified supernatural being passed out in one of their rooms. He said that when he checked their eyes, it was bi-colored with the colors swirling". My mom's face turned white and she gripped onto my shoulders.

"Lira, don't go", her voice shaking.

"What? Why? I have to".

“No, you don’t. It could be a threat”.

"That's why I'm going to check it out. If it really is a threat, we need to stop it before it gets onto pack territory", I cupped her face and gave her a reassuring smile.

I turned to walk away when she grabbed my wrist. "Mom, I'll be okay", I told her as I turned back towards her.

"Can you move back into the house with me? It's been so long and I rather have you stay with me than at the Packhouse". I hugged her tight and she kissed my cheeks before letting me go. "I miss you", she said as she stroked my cheek.

"I miss you too. How about I come back home tonight? If you want you can pack the things in my room and bring it over to your place. I promise it'll be a quick visit to the hospital and back". She nodded and I turned around, getting ready to leave when I smacked into something hard. I almost fell back when Zahruk snakes his arm around my waist, pulling me close to him. His heat sent shocks down between my thighs and my core clenched, needing him as my body betrayed me.

“Are you not going to participate in the hunt?” He asked as his hands tightened around my waist.

My breath hitched as my n*****s grazed against him. Placing my hand onto his chest I couldn’t help but let it travel down to his side before pushing him away. “I have business I need to attend to, so please excuse me, Alpha”.

“Alpha, since there’s no Luna, the hunt starts on your time”, Beta Yu interrupted. I looked towards him flustered at what he might have seen between the Alpha and I as I gave him a firm nod before making my way towards the exit.

I heard a low growl behind me and Zahruk announcing the hunt with a sense of eagerness. My chest felt tight, knowing that the hunt wouldn’t end until the Alpha picks his victim for the night. I stopped by my room to grab my keys and change into something comfortable. I changed into a loose fitting shirt and athletic tights while swapping my heels for my tennis shoes.

As I approached my car, a giant black wolf with gold eyes stood in front of it, growling at me. “Alpha, I need you to move”. He huffed before jumping up onto the hood of my red Kia Soul and plopped down on it. His wolf was as big as the car, engulfing it as he tucked one paw in while letting the others daggle off the side; tail included. “If you scratch my car, you’re paying for it’s repairs”, I huffed.

“You’re really going to leave the second your mate gets appointed as Alpha?” He mind-linked me.

I scoffed, rolling my eyes as I opened the door only for him to slam it shut with his paw. “Alpha!” I shouted annoyed.

“Zahruk”, he responded as his wolf nodded at me. I c****d my eyebrow at him in disbelief that the Prince of the Seelie Court and former member of the Sun Tribe is acting like a child.

“First and foremost Zahruk, I haven’t acknowledged you as my mate and if you must know, I just received a call from the hospital, informing me that there is a supernatural being that they couldn’t identify. So, I’m going to head out there to check it out myself”, I explained as I crossed my arms. He jumped off from the hood of my car and shifted back into his human form. He loomed over me and I can tell that he loves spending time in the gym. He was cut and built like I’ve never seen before, and he was huge. My face blushed as I tried looking anywhere but at him.

He chuckled, grabbing my chin to look up at him, “Like what you see?”

I swear my face must’ve turned as red as a tomato and he laughed as I tried to stammer out a response. “N-No”, I lied. I shoved him back and opened the car door, getting inside of it. He came around the other side and sat in the passenger seat.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m doing my duty as an Alpha and coming with you”, he smirked.

“But you do know that the hunt will continue until you bring someone home right?” Gold swirled in his green irises as he leaned closer to me.

“Then would you like me to mark you now?” He grinned, showing teeth.

I looked at him flabbergasted when his eyes glazed over, indicating he was in a mind-link with someone. I c****d my head to the side, curious to what news he just received or relayed. “What?” He shrugged, “I have Zakil taking care of it for me unless you really want me to make you mine in this car of yours”.

I rolled my eyes at him and he chuckled. I put my key in the ignition and put the car in reverse when I realized that he was sitting in the car naked. I stopped, looking at him to see if he would notice what he’s missing.

“I know I’m quite the specimen to look at but we have somewhere to be”, he said while giving me a questioning look.

“You’re naked”. He looked down and clothes started to materialize on him. My jaw dropped and he reached out to close them.

“It’s called glamor, a perk of being half fae”, he said smiling at me.

The hospital was just fifteen minutes away from the pack border and the ride was surprisingly comfortable. Our conversation flowed and it wasn't awkward or intimidating like conversations I've had with other Alphas. Zahruk was much different than what I had pictured in my mind. I thought he was going to be an arrogant ass but he's actually the complete opposite. He was kind, caring and surprisingly funny and if he did have a playboy attitude, he didn't bring it out with me at all. He felt the need to address why he slept with Abby that day and I told him I didn't want to hear but insisted on it anyway. Apparently Abby was wearing a clothing of mine and he was attracted to the scent. When he got to the house, the smell only grew stronger which drove him mad with need. He didn't realize it at the time but he thought Abby was his mate until he met me.

We arrived at the hospital and Dr Souma came out to greet us. He took us to the room where the unknown creature was in. As I got closer, I noticed that it was a male. He didn’t smell like one of us and his scent was something I didn’t recognize. I leaned down closer and he opened his eyes and Zahruk pulled me back against his chest.

“Where am I?” The man asked.

“You’re in Kingston”, I replied.

“Kingston? Where is that?”

“Washington”.

“Washington? f**k. I need to leave, I have to get out of here”, he got up off the bed and his knees buckled. I caught him before he fell onto the ground and looked into his eyes. My wolf surfaced and he pushed me back, causing me to land on my bum.

“You’re a wolf!” He pointed out.

“Yes, and so is he”, I said pointing at Zahruk who was staring at him with his brows furrowed.

The man got up and started to pace, “No, no, no, I can’t be here”. The man said while making his way towards the door. Zahruk moved to block his exit, causing the man to walk backwards into the room with fear.

“You're a fae of the low caste”. The man flinched as he studied Zahruk. His eyes widened and he knelt to the ground.

“Your Highness! Pardon my rudeness, I did not recognize you”.

“Why have you come?” The man looked at me, unease that I was listening in. “She is to be trusted”. The man looked at Zahruk then back at me again.

“The Unseelie Prince is back causing havoc. It’s a mess down there, he told me to find the dragon king if I didn’t want harm to come to my family”.

I stood up making my way over to them, “Wait what?”

“He also asked for the daughter of the Moon Goddess”

“Is he on crack? Cause I’m sure she ain’t real”

“Elira”, Zahruk warned.

I lifted my hands up, surrendering, “I’m just saying. The Moon Goddess is Diana and the only children she ever had were the twins who ended up dying”.

“That’s where you’re wrong, she had another child not too long ago and he wants her as his wife”. Something sparked within me upon hearing those words and I felt my head spin before collapsing onto the ground.