The Alpha Luna's Veiled Emotions

TWELVE

Kane was leaving.

He told me that he would be gone for five, potentially six whole days. He had never just left before. He told me it was to handle a "council issue" but I didn't believe him. He had kissed me this morning, roughly fondling my breast, and I knew that my time was almost up. But I felt better, there was only one part of the plan unfinished - the boy. The silver fire gifted to me by my pack was enough to fill my broken heart with joy.

Silver fire was rare. It was outlawed and could only be made by witches, of which there was few left. Silver dust was infused by herbs and then cursed. Each batch had a single ignition word, and as long as you were holding some of it when you said it, it would ignite wherever it was. The burn life was short - even without being put out you only have about twelve minutes at most - but it was deadly. The silver-tinged flames would sting your skin if you even approached its wrath, and it was unlikely you could survive more than a few moments in the flames. And because it was still fire, it damaged buildings and land the same as a regular fire would. It would be a perfect distraction.

But the boy.

With Kane leaving I knew that I should use the time wisely, but he was all I could think about. And I was running out of time. Suddenly, the door opened.

"Pet, come here," Kane said from the door, leaving it open.

I internally sighed in relief, he was simply coming to say goodbye. I moved quickly over to him, not risking angering him. He pulled me roughly against him as I approached, pressing his hot, foul mouth against mine. He kissed me roughly, hungrily, his hands reaching down to cup my ass through my jeans. After a moment I just couldn't handle it anymore, and I pulled away, forcing a tense smile.

"Are you leaving already?" I asked softly, fluttering my lashes.

"Mmmm," he said, squeezing a handful of my right cheek in his hand, "Yes, I've got to go now, I just thought I would tell you that I have a surprise for you."

This made my eyebrows rise, "A surprise?"

He nodded, and released me, "Come," he said roughly.

Two Omegas filed in. Sarah was one of them, and I could only tell that the fair-haired woman beside her was one because of her clothes. Her hair was almost white, and she had creases around her eyes. Her skin was papery white, and she was very thin, and frail seeming. But her eyes were a bright hazel, and she had a warm, but tight smile. She was old, but strong, that was for certain, and most definitely wise.

"Introduce yourself," Kane growled, rolling his eyes.

This surprised me even more, and I almost fell right over when the white-haired woman spoke, "Luna, my name is MaryAnn, and I am a seamstress. I've been tasked with making a dress for you."

I gave her a big, warm smile, "MaryAnn. It's wonderful to make your acquaintance. My Alpha," I said, turning my eyes to Kane, "What is the dress for?"

He shrugged, a dark look coming over him that made a chill run down my spine, but his voice was nonchalant, "Well, since you'll be making me an heir this moon, I decided you might make an appearance at the party beforehand."

I hesitated. I was not planning on attending the party, and I would have to consider how this would affect my plan. The full moon was only eight days away and my time was almost up - a change like this could be devastating if I wasn't careful. I quickly turned my eyes to MaryAnn to disguise the uncertainty.

"Well, I am looking forward to seeing your work."

"Do whatever you need to do to get the dress done before I return. I would like to see it before the party begins," he sneered at her.

"Yes Alpha," she said in reply, bowing her head to him, "I will need daily fittings. I will probably need at least two, maybe three hours with the Luna each day."

I could see Kane's eyes glaze over, mind linking my guards I was sure.

"Fine. She will come after lunch," he said firmly, before turning on his heel to leave the room.

He reached the door and gestured for the two women to leave, Sarah sneaking a glance at me before they both escaped his scrutiny. The latter fell on me.

"I think the full moon will be a good time to put on a show for the pack, show them that we are a united front, don't you think?" he asked coldly.

The unease in my stomach rose. He had some ulterior motive for this presentation in front of the pack, but I couldn't worry about it. As long as I could steal away, I would be okay.

"I'm sure, my Alpha," I almost whispered.

With that, he turned to leave, slamming the door behind him.

I breathed a sigh of relief when he left. I was eager for the fitting after lunch - only so that I could see Sarah really. We needed to use the time wisely. I finished getting ready and headed down the hall to the office. I saw Byron stationed outside, and I c****d my head, smiling at him in surprise.

"You're not usually here on Tuesdays Byron, what did you do to get stuck with me?" I teased.

Byron met my eyes with his good one, and gave me a sly smile, "Oh Luna, Jerome just got tired of your useless chatter."

I couldn't help but laugh. Byron had come alive in our time together, and it brought me joy that he could feel like he had a friend.

"Really though, Kane took most of the warriors with him, only me and a few others are guarding the house, and the rest are on territory," he smiled reassuringly.

"Ah, that's a relief," I smiled, before stepping past him.

As I did, he reached his fist out in front of me, and I looked up at him, confused. He smiled and looked at his hand.

"A message for you," he whispered, "Alpha Verity."

My eyes widened, and I couldn't help the huge smile that stretched across my face. Maybe, I had friends in high places too. His hand opened and there was a small scroll of paper in his fist. I quickly took it, and nodded him thanks, before stepping to my desk. I sat down behind it and eagerly unfurled the paper.

MaryAnn hes boy. She is a friend.

MaryAnn had the boy.

MaryAnn has the boy.

We found him.

-------

After the message from Sarah, in her misspelled, crooked script, I was elated. I tried to tone it down as I floated past the others in the house because I didn't want to seem too happy that the Alpha was gone. However, the whole house seemed to breathe a sigh of relief at him and the Beta's absence. Omegas dared smile, and even warriors that I didn't know gave me a subtle nod or a smile. After lunch, Byron appeared to collect me.

"Luna, I'm here to escort you to the seamstress house," he said calmly, apparently a good actor as well.

"Well, then we should go," I smiled brightly.

I quickly followed him down a corridor on the left of the packhouse. It turned out to be almost maze-like, a myriad of twists and turns through what I could tell was the Omega's wing. I realized as we approached a door with a window that we were going outside. A part of me was elated - I hadn't felt the true sun on my skin in months - but I knew I would never be able to find the door myself.

"Byron," I said softly, as we approached it, "What is the fastest way to get outside from my room?"

I knew that it was a risky question, but after this morning I didn't doubt that Byron was a friend. Sarah would never have given him the message if she didn't trust him. He opened the door and allowed me outside. I took a few steps into the cloudy, humid afternoon, and almost jumped for joy. I hated the heat, much preferring the cold, but the deep lungfuls of fresh air were worth it nonetheless.

He let me have my moment, but spoke quietly anyways, "Through the Alpha corridor. The Alpha bedroom is cattycorner to yours, and there is a staircase inside somewhere."

I lifted my eyes to look at him, furrowing my brow, and he smiled apologetically, "I don't know where it is, just that it's in his room. There's a staircase that leads down somewhere. It's meant for quick escapes."

"Thank you, Byron," I smiled softly, and then I looked around us, "Now where are we off to?"

MaryAnn's house was not far. There was a small, ramshackle cottage just about a mile from the packhouse, and my mind was filled with questions. Had the boy been here the whole time? How had no one noticed? The house was small, with a crumbling red-bricked foundation, and a thin-looking wood door. Byron rapped lightly on it a few times.

The door opened, and MaryAnn stood there, her white hair pulled into a tight bun, the frizzy strands escaping around her face.

"Please, Luna, come in," she bowed slightly.

Byron took up next to the door, and I stepped inside the cottage. The brick extended inside. We were standing in what could only be taken as a seamstress studio where a living room should be. I could see several swathes of fabric laying around, and there was a pedestal in front of a rusted mirror in the center. There was a sewing machine in the corner and a small kitchen to my left. I could see two doors to the right, and I assumed they went to the bedroom and the bathroom.

Inside, on a small bench sat Sarah, and she jumped up as the door closed, bounding over to me excitedly. I took her hands in mine as she approached, laughing softly.

"You've been busy Sarah, Byron, and MaryAnn too?" I questioned.

I noticed that she blushed, nodding softly.

"She and Byron seem to have an early connection," MaryAnn said, stepping up next to me, and I noticed for the first time that she had a heavy accent that sounded similar to the ones in the eastern territories, "Her wolf has called to his."

"Mates?" I asked her, eyebrows raising in surprise.

MaryAnn shrugged, "It could be, some wolves can scent their mates before they are of age, especially if there are..."

Her trail off was plenty. In trouble. A wolf's plea to save its human counterpart. The poor girl.

"Don't worry, I already told the lad he had to wait until her 18th birthday to make sure," MaryAnn winked.

I simply smiled, breathing an inward sigh of relief. They would be a good match. However, my mind drifted quickly from my friend's potential mating, to the boy. To the matter at hand. I opened my mouth to speak, but the old woman held her hand up to me, walking over to the worn fabric chaise along one wall.

"Come, sit," she said, "I won't tell you anything until you've heard the story - and you tell me yours."

I was wary, but I gave in quickly. If this is what I had to do, I would do it. And for the first time, I told the story of Kane and I from start to finish. I cried more than once, silent tears running down my cheeks. Saying it out loud made me feel weak. I was raised to be an Alpha, and I had let this man manipulate me using that damned mate bond for too long.

"No dear," MaryAnn said softly, "He didn't use the mate bond to manipulate you. Sadly, he had just gone insane before you met him. He was long gone, and the mate bond was a crutch, a means to an end. Don't lose faith in the goddess."

I didn't say anything. I understood what she was trying to say, but Kane was almost five years older than me. The Moon Goddess could've paired me with someone good, someone who didn't maim and abuse, rape, and kill. I still had faith in her, but I also believed that maybe the mate bond was flawed.

"Well," she finally said, "Now it is time to tell you the story of Maxis."