The Alpha's Little Luna

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"What the hell, Jace?" I growled at my Beta, staring at the little goddess behind him.

In the brief time she had spent in his company, the girl had already put all her trust in Jace. She relied on his protection while taking all the necessary time to inspect me thoroughly. Jealousy welled up within me.

“Hi Alpha, my name is Mercedes,” she suddenly spoke up, her innocent marbles still pointed at me. Her voice was hoarse and soft, and I could listen to it all day long.

I got down on my knees to get a better look at her. “Mercedes. What a beautiful name you have. You can call me Zane, okay?” I whispered to her.

She cast me a beaming smile and stepped out of her hiding spot.

“Would you like to come with me to the packhouse, Mercedes? I want to ask you some questions about how you got here," I said softly. "And surely you must be hungry."

She nodded eagerly, looked down for a moment, and then back into my eyes. “But I don't have a wolf. Can I ride yours then?” she asked, clearly delighted at the prospect. "What's your wolf's name?"

“Jax. And he really loves to take you on his back,” I let her know.

I got up and looked at the men around me. Jace stared at me in disbelief, and when I turned to my Head Warrior, Cleo, he also stared at me strangely.

‘Come with me to my office. I have some announcements to make. We leave here in wolf form,’ I told them in the mind link.

I quickly shifted again and Jax laid low for our mate. Deftly, she climbed onto his back and held on tightly. Obviously, she had done this many times before, and I'd ask her more about it later. Jax took a bigger detour to the packhouse, enjoying the pup's joyful cries. Her hair blew in the wind, and she urged him to go faster by hitting his flanks with her legs. But he wanted to keep her safe and probably also liked having her stay on his back for a bit longer, so he maintained a moderate pace.

Half an hour later, we reached the packhouse.

Once Mercedes was off Jax's back, I went behind a tree to shift and get dressed. When I returned, I offered her my hand which she accepted without hesitation. Jace and Cleo disappeared for their own shift. We waited for them, and when they arrived, we entered the packhouse and walked straight into my office where I put Mercedes on the couch and sat next to her. Jace and Cleo both took a one-seater.

“Let me introduce everyone to you, Mercedes. Jace here is my Beta and there is Cleo, the Head Warrior. Please tell us everything that happened, just as you told Jace earlier. What is the name of your pack and how did you end up in the woods here?” I asked in a low voice, all smiles. I didn't want to scare her into holding back.

“I don't know, Zane. I had fallen asleep and when I woke up, I saw Jace looking at me," she said smoothly. “I was in the woods behind the packhouse in my pack, I was playing with Marco and the others.” Her big, innocent eyes stared into mine, and I was immediately convinced that she was telling the truth.

"That is good. And what are the names of your parents and your Alpha?” I asked her.

“Mummy's name is Selin and my Daddy is Marc. They are the Beta of Alpha Ahri,” she answered fluently once again.

I raised my eyes to Jace, her father was his colleague. The Betas in the region also stayed in contact through a w******p group chat, allowing him to easily track down this information. He nodded and retrieved his phone.

“Who did you last see when you fell asleep in the woods?” I asked her again.

I took her hand in mine and pressed it encouragingly. She still stared at me as she shook her head. “While we were playing, I tried to hide in the woods. Marco didn't come to catch me, so I laid down on the ground to wait. I haven't seen anyone," she explained.

I understood that there was nothing left to her story, whoever kidnapped her had ensured that he remained unseen. But even then, the question still stood, why did someone snatch a pup from her family and take her to a foreign pack?

“Tell me, Mercedes. How old are you? Are you going to school yet?” I asked her with interest. She smiled wider, the school likely brought back fond memories for her.

"I am ten years old. I'm in fifth grade. My teacher is Alyssa and she is very kind,” she chirped. “She says I'm adorable too. She often brings fruits from home for us to snack on. She says it's healthier than chocolate."

I nodded in agreement. “That's absolutely true. And if Alyssa shares some of her own fruit with you, then you must be her favorite student," I complimented her. The smile couldn't be better, her eyes sparkled now.

“Mercedes, would you like to come more often in my pack? During the school holidays or when you don't have homework on the weekends or something like that,” I asked her carefully.

As my mate, I had to have her with me as often as possible. She was underage, so I knew I'd have to wait until she turned eighteen before claiming her and making her officially my Luna. My primary concern now was how this situation would affect Midnight Moon. As both the most feared Alpha and a widely respected leader in our region, news that my mate was still just a little pup wouldn't sit well with some packs, especially mine. It was essential that everyone knew beyond any doubt that there were no perverse intentions here!

I totally understood the Moon Goddess's reasoning behind placing Mercedes in my path. My patience to finally meet my mate was running out, and by introducing her at this young age, Selene saved me from the possibility of being without her for an extended period of time and ultimately giving in to temptations to choose a Luna for my pack.

I looked back at the girl who couldn't seem to take her eyes off of me. Carefully, I extended my hand and stroked her head. She didn't flinch back from my touch, which meant I’d already gained her trust. That's the perfect start. Now I needed to talk to her parents and the Alpha about this exceptional situation.

“Yes, Zane. I'd like to live in the packhouse with you. But I have to ask my Mom and Dad first," she replied.