A Luna's Power

Chapter 7: Changing The Old Ways

-James-

I glanced over at Chris and Kate, who were sitting together with their child. Kate had given birth just over a week ago, and everything had gone beautifully. Yet, despite my happiness for them, I couldn’t shake the feeling of being cheated in some way.

They had welcomed a son, while I was reminded of what I had lost. It felt as if the Goddess was being especially cruel. Next to them sat Rider and Selene with the twins, their faces glowing with happiness.

I took a sip from the drink in front of me. The dinner had started off awkwardly, but at least it had warmed up, filled with laughter and conversation. Selene’s sister, Lara, had barely made it through the first course. She had stormed out as if something were chasing her.

She was probably eager to get to work, but I knew any still believed in the old ways, where a luna needed an alpha to rule, and a female certainly didn’t belong on the council. That made Lara a target.

Sh*t, just the thought tightened my grip around the glass. It didn’t shatter, but I noticed the long lines spreading across its clear surface and heard it protest under my harsh hold. I had forgotten how strong I had become.

I let go of the glass, hoping no one had noticed. I looked around, and luckily, no one had, except for one person.

“Are you okay?” Damian asked in a low voice beside me.

I gave him a small smile and nodded. “Just fine.”

The truth was… I wasn’t. I was worse than ever. I rubbed my tired eyes and stood up from my chair, silencing the entire dining room. I didn’t look at anyone as I walked away. I just needed some air. If I stayed there any longer, my thoughts would spiral even further out of control.

As I walked through the hallways, I heard a small tapping sound beside me. I looked down to find the orange furball running alongside me, clearly determined to make me her new plaything now that Evan wasn’t around.

“Don’t you have something better to do?” I inquired.

She glanced up at me before continuing to focus on her path.

“I’m not that lonely that I need you beside me!” I insisted.

Despite my words, I held the door open for the little cat as I stepped into the fresh spring evening air and walked across the expansive grassy area leading to the forest.

“Okay, you can go back now. As you can see, I’m not having a mental breakdown,” I said, stopping to look down at her.

She simply gazed up at me before sitting down on the grass.

“You’re a strange cat, you know that?” I remarked.

She continued to stare at me with her yellow eyes.

“You must really miss Evan if you’re seeking out someone who reminds you of his dark mood…” I sighed.

“Meow!” she replied.

Without warning, she suddenly jumped up from the ground, forcing me to catch her as she settled comfortably in my arms. I tried to put her down, but she refused to let go. It was exactly like Evan!

“Hey!” I said. “Let go!”

But she wouldn’t budge. Even as I lowered myself slightly, shaking my arms in an attempt to dislodge her, it didn’t work. She dug her claws into me, climbing higher until she rested over my shoulders, purring loudly, clearly satisfied with her new place.

“I told you to let go!” I insisted.

She ignored me, purring even louder.

“You’ve got to be kidding me!”

Her purring intensified as she rubbed her face against my neck. I sneered in annoyance and tried to move away.

“I really hope Evan comes back to take you away…”

She didn’t seem to care about my rudeness. She had decided I was her new companion, and I had no say in the matter.

“Fine…” I finally relented, reaching behind me and grabbing her by the scruff of her neck, pulling her off unexpectedly and placing her on the ground. “But you’re not being carried by me. I’m sure you can use the walk.”

“Meow!”

She clearly didn’t appreciate my insinuation, but I didn’t care. At least I had accepted her presence. I walked a little ways back to the castle but had no intention of going inside. I found some stairs leading up to the castle and sat down.

Little Diva climbed the steps and nestled herself beside me, getting as close as possible before demanding that I pet her. I obliged, running my hand over her soft fur. She purred contentedly.

“I don’t know what to do,” I whispered.

Little Diva looked up at me briefly before I stroked her back again.

“I will never love anyone else…”

She then curled up on my lap, rolling into a little ball. Clearly, she found this position much more comfortable.

I sighed and leaned my head back, staring up at the darkening sky. For some reason, the encroaching darkness filled me with fear. It had been a dark night when Jane was killed, and that memory haunted me. But the shadows also stirred other recollections—fragments from when I had been a wolf. I didn’t remember much, but a few things had resurfaced.

I recalled killing animals and eating them. While the taste still lingered, making my stomach flip, what terrified me were the memories of the people I had killed. Other wolves I had encountered who hadn’t understood my warnings to stay away.

I tried to push those thoughts away. I had enough to deal with, like remembering Jane and her death. I didn’t need to relive the deaths I had caused.

“I’m not a very pleasant person,” I confessed to the little cat.

She lifted her head and looked at me, her yellow eyes fixed on me with an intensity that almost made it seem like she understood.

“I’m actually worse than Evan,” I continued.

She kept staring, clearly waiting for me to elaborate.

“It’s true. He might have had darkness in him from Elena, but I… I gave in to my darkness. Completely.”

“Meow!”

“It’s true!” I insisted. “Jane was the one who saved me and reminded me what it was like to be human. She brought me back to life. Without her… I’m just that—an animal.”

Suddenly, the little cat sat up and jumped off my lap, looking almost offended by my words. She walked toward the house, then stopped in front of the door, glancing back at me as if demanding I open it for her.

I sighed but got up and walked over, holding the door for her before closing it behind her. I returned to my seat and looked back up at the sky.

“I’m not sure how much longer I can keep going,” I whispered. “I… I miss you too much. I need you…”

-Lara-

I stood in front of the mirror, pulling my red hair back into a ponytail while my eyes locked onto my reflection. I was determined not to let my nerves get the best of me.

“Luna?” I heard a knock on my bedroom door and took one last look at myself. I wore my usual ripped jeans and boots, paired with a shirt that had the top three buttons undone. My guns were holstered on each side, and a knife rested in my boot. I slipped on my leather jacket and pulled on my gloves, which covered my fingers up to the middle. Then I walked over to the door.

“Jasper,” I said as I opened it. “Can I help you with something?”

Jasper was a tall, broad beta with strikingly unusual eyes. Not because of their color, but because they seemed to read your darkest secrets without you having to say a word. It often made it hard to look him in the eye, but I refused to bow to any alpha—so why would I bow to a beta?

“Should I come with you today?” he asked.

“You think I need someone to hold my hand?”

“I think you’ll be up against a lot of alphas today. Some backup wouldn’t hurt,” he replied.

I shook my head and started to walk past him, but he followed right behind me. “I don’t need any help. I’m going to handle this meeting on my own, showing them that I won’t be scared away and that I don’t need any support.”

“But, Luna—”

I paused on the stairs, glancing at Jasper, who was a few steps above me. “Just keep an eye on things. That’s all I ask. I don’t need you to come with me.”

“You don’t think they might try to hurt you?”

“With the king there? Selene is mated to his brother and is the mother of his niece and nephew. His protection extends to me as well,” I replied.

Jasper crossed his arms, his eyes growing more intense, making my skin crawl. While I probably should have listened to my sister, I refused to think I couldn’t handle him myself.

“I thought you said you didn’t need protection,” he said.

I narrowed my eyes and took a few steps up the stairs to meet his eyes. Even though he was strong for a beta, I was still a luna, and he couldn’t maintain our eye contact for long before slowly lowering his gaze.

“I don’t,” I said darkly.

I left him standing there on the stairs and made my way down to the garage, where I found my bike among the cars. I got on it and started the engine, then put on my helmet and leaned over the bike, driving out just as the garage door opened.

It wasn’t a long drive, and the building I arrived at looked like something from the early twentieth century. I almost laughed at the sight as I typed in the code for the gate and drove into the parking lot. I parked my bike and removed my helmet. The building’s dull dark brown exterior made me shake my head. I let the helmet hang on one of the handles as I got off the bike.

There were a lot of cars already parked, making it clear I was likely the last to arrive. Good—that had been my intention.

I smiled as I bounded up the steps to the building, taking two at a time. I pushed through the grand doors and entered a stunning entrance hall, complete with a sweeping staircase that curved gracefully to the next floor and a large chandelier hanging overhead. There was also a reception area where a young woman sat. Of course, I thought, we can’t possibly be anything but their secretaries, right?

She noticed me quickly, her eyes widening in surprise. I probably looked like I had come to rob the place.

“Can I help you?” she asked.

“Has the council meeting begun?” I inquired.

She nodded slowly.

“Great,” I replied with a small smile.

I made my way to the stairs and started ascending to where the meeting was being held.

“Wait!” the young woman called. “You can’t go up there.”

Ignoring her, I walked down the long, elegant hallway, its dark golden walls adorned with beautiful portraits and statues. Everything felt old, but I couldn’t care less about the impressive legacies of the men depicted in the artwork. Today, a female was going to make history.

I approached two large brown doors with golden handles, where two imposing males stood. They exchanged confused glances before one of them raised his hand.

“You can’t go inside,” he said.

“I have a seat,” I asserted.

Clearly, they didn’t believe me.

“You need to leave,” he insisted.

I sighed, then pulled one of my guns, aiming it at him, forcing him to back away.

“I have a seat,” I repeated. “I’m going in.”

I shot a hard look at the other guard, who promptly lowered his gaze. Good, now they knew what a luna could do. I holstered my gun and grabbed the handles of the doors, pushing them open with enough force to hit the walls on the other side, creating an echo that reverberated through the vast meeting room before they swung shut behind me.

Everyone turned to look at me. All the alphas were gathered around a massive, long table, with the king seated at the end. A few betas and other trusted men stood close to the walls, while the king’s most loyal guards stood right behind him, ready to protect him.

That meant James was here. While everyone else watched me, his eyes were the only ones I felt. I tried to maintain my composure, putting on a smug smile as I walked over to the chair at the opposite end of the table.

Really, only the queen should sit there, but since she wasn’t present, I pulled the chair out with a deliberate scrape against the floor that made an awful noise. I sat down, placing my arms on the table and folding my hands in front of me.

I scanned the faces of every alpha in the room. They all wore the same shocked expression, and I could see the same question in their eyes. It was the most satisfying sight I had ever experienced.

Only the king and Evan, another trusted member of the king’s council, remained unfazed. The king leaned back in his chair, a slight smile playing on his lips as he took in the scene I had created. I knew I probably wouldn’t be allowed to pull this off a second time, so I made sure to make it count.

“Sorry to keep you all waiting,” I said, clearly not meaning it.

“What the hell?” one of the alphas at the table exclaimed.

He turned to the king, looking for an explanation, and soon the others followed suit.

“We have a new member,” the king announced.

“What?” they all echoed in disbelief.

I smiled at them before leaning back in my chair and crossing my arms.

“She is the ruler of her father’s pack,” the king continued. “The seat is hers.”

“But she doesn’t have an alpha at her side,” another alpha pointed out.

“Well, no,” the king replied. “But there’s no law against a luna on the council.”

He met my gaze, and I knew he saw the gratitude in my eyes.

“My king, she needs an alpha.”

“Actually,” I interjected, drawing everyone’s attention. “I don’t.”

“But you do. That is our way.”

“I’m here to change that way.”

The room fell silent. Even the king looked surprised and confused about where I was going with this.

“I want you all to change the law that states that any male or alpha I choose will be given my power or my pack.”

“What?” they asked in unison.