Love and Fear

12-History

They stayed at the Mountain Moon pack for a few hours, reading and discussing what they found—checking in with Ellen to see if Lanie had improved at all. She had not. Axel made everyone dinner. He was a master chef like his foster dad Kade. He could make anything out of nothing. He created a tremendous oven-baked pasta with a creamy sauce and vegetables from the garden. He even made fresh buns. The smell of the fresh-baked buns came wafting into the library. It made Lucy's stomach growl.

"I know that sound." Killian laughed. "Let's get you fed, my future Luna!"

Everyone retreated from the library to the kitchen. Liza began setting the table with her grandmother's lovely china.

"We have not had a reason to use these in almost two decades." She shed one single tear. The only shred of emotion Lucy had seen from Liza since they met.

"Just more dishes wash," Benjamin grunted.

"Oh, you hush, like you ever washed a dish in your life." Liza teased

Dinner conversation hung around all the things they read when Axel pipped up.

"Are we going to talk about the rogue King? How Lucy Killed 20 rogues without batting an eye and how this guy wants Lucy as his queen?"

Killian and Maddox exchanged looks but said nothing.

"That was quite something. You did well, my sweet child. You focused. You didn't let fear control you. I was very proud. I would have stepped in to help you, but I knew what you could do. There will be many that try to come for you. I assume that is why the moon goddess mated you to the most cunning Alpha of our time. He will protect you when you can not protect yourself. The alliance I have formed with Beta Montgomery will also keep Lanie protected, not that Axel can't protect her, but we never know what the moon goddess has in store for us. We just have to be open to new lessons, whether easy or hard. I believe how you handled the rogue King was to prove to Alpha Killian where your loyalties lie. Even if you haven't accepted him as your mate fully yet."

Lucy didn't know what to say. In a matter of months, her entire world has gone from zero to crazy. Becoming Luna was utterly terrifying, finding out she had all these abilities and was destined for greatness. Why her? Why not Lanie? Lanie is so carefree and jubilant. She would make a great Luna. As she thought it, she laughed and remembered, oh ya, she will be Luna of Mountain Moon pack. Killian broke her thoughts when he cleared his throat to explain about his cousin.

"Alexi is.... troubled. He lost his parents in the same rogue attack that killed my parents and half my pack. He never mourned their death, he let anger and resentment cloud his mind, and he went and killed thousands of rogues. Then he somehow started a pack of Rogues and started claiming territory, and they have a rogue empire now. It it's very strange, and he seems to think he can have whatever he wants. However, the rogues hold loyalties to no one. Unusually rogues are not pack animals. They don't like hierarchy and rules. They submit to no one unless forced to by violence. Alexi may be completely delusional, but we still need to be on alert. His delusions make him dangerous. He may try and come for you again, this time more forcefully, and we can't risk him overpowering you, marking you against your will."

Lucy choked on her bread, "mark me against my will. That happens?"

"It does, and it can be lethal, depending on the bond. If you are already mated and not marked, the bond is already in place, just not sealed. If you are bonded to your fated Mate, and the bond is not sealed, it could kill Alpha Killian..." Liza explained, and Lucy gasped. Well, that's a pleasant surprise that my death would mean that much to her. Killian thought to himself.

They finished dinner and cleaned up, and headed home. They packed up some of the scrolls and books that Liza was letting them borrow into a backpack. Shifted and Astrid grabbed the bag and took off into the woods toward Deathmoon. Axel couldn't help but notice that Astrid was bigger, not majorly but definitely bigger. Almost as big as Liam. They ran together playing in leaves. It had been a while since Astrid and Liam got to just run freely. Killian watched how their wolves interacted and wondered if she'd ever trust him that way. Maddox mind linked Killian.

"Killian, they are like brother and sister, fiercely protective of one and other but family. Just like you and Treena. Remember that."

"noted"

A few hours later, they crossed the death moon pack border. Astrid ran straight to the hospital, shifted out front snd grabbed her clothes out of her bag. Stilling running as she threw on her clothes. She needed to get to Lanie.

"Hello, Luna! There is still no change in your sister." Dr. Mullens informed her, not looking up from his clipboard behind the ICU desk.

Lucy walked into Lanie's room. Dragged the chair across the floor and got comfortable. She grabbed Lanie's right hand and cleared her mind. She focused on every cell in Lanie's body. Her mind, her wolf. She listened to the beeping of her medical machines, the tick, tick, tick of the clock. She moved her hands to either side of Lanie's head, then down to her heart, then where she was injected with wolfsbane. The machines started beeping like crazy. Dr. Mullens ran in with Axel, Ellen and Maddox right behind him.

"how? What? She is waking up?" Dr. Mullens couldn't believe what he was seeing.

"Mom.....Dad...." Lanie's voice came out barely above a whisper.

"No, Lanie, it's Lucy, and Axel is here too!" Lucy explained, not totally believing it worked and that she had healed her sister.

"what happened?" Lanie asked, looking around at everyone in the room.

"Anna freaked out, and someone shot you with Wolfsbane after you'd been poisoned for so long at the facility. Your wolf wasn't strong enough to heal you, so Dr. Mullens put you in a coma to try and help your body rest and heal." Lucy didn't want to tell her she had healed her just yet. She thought that might be information overload.

"I think we should all give Lanie some time to process everything and rest some more. You can come back and visit tomorrow after she's eaten breakfast. Axel, I've had a cot brought in for you. That chair must have been killing your back."

"Thanks, Doc! That's really great. Good night Lucy, I'll talk to you tomorrow." He silently mouthed thank you, and everyone left the room.

Everyone went to their rooms. Lucy heard a knock at her door.

"Alpha Killian, what are you doing here?" Lucy was surprised to see him. He held two bowls in his hand.

"Please, just Killian, I thought you'd like a midnight snack, and we could talk some more?"

"Ya, I would really like that! Is this?? No way!"

"Axel," they both say in unison.

"haha, he does know you very well. I had to send one of my guys all the way to Portland to find this. But Axel said it was your comfort food. I have to admit I have never had Nutella flavour ice cream before. It's pretty good." Killian laughed

“Axel and discovered it one summer, when I had run away from some awful foster parents,” Lucy admitted while seeming lost in the memory. "When Axel finally found me in Portland, I was in this cafe. The owner let me bus tables for my lunch. I wasn't even 12 years old. Axel always knew me. It's funny and perfect that he ended up being mated to my sister. Because it's like I've always had a brother."

"So you two never...."

"haha, never, it honestly never was even a possibility for either of us. We just were friends, fated besties, if you will. Hahaha," Lucy laughed at her own joke while Killian tried to read her expression. It was hard for him to believe that a girl this incredible never ever had a boyfriend and that her guy best friend never tried to make a move. Killian could watch Lucy laugh all day. It was the greatest sound he'd ever heard.

They talked almost all night again and fell asleep opposite ends of the giant king-sized bed in her guest room. Lucy woke up to use the washroom, and when she climbed back into bed, she wiggled her way into Killian's arms. He opened just one eye at the movement and had to keep the excitement in that she is wanted to be in his arms. Killian loved it more than he wanted to admit. He was already in love with this little wolf.