Embrace My Rogue Luna

Chapter II

“Yes! We found you!” Rica yelled, reaching out to pat the growling wolf on the back. He flinched, looking slightly toward Rica while keeping his body between me and Rica still growling at me. How sweet. I chewed a nail while I waited for them to decide whether to let me live or not.

One of the wolves ran out of sight but returned seconds later wearing a pair of shorts. He was big with shaggy brown hair and a tattoo of some kind of crest on his chest.

“Found us! Rica, we have been looking for you for hours. What is going on?! Why are you with this rogue?! Did she take you?!”

“She saved me!” I couldn’t help the slight smile as Rica jumped to my defense. “I snuck out last night to watch the wolves run but I got lost and ended up in this clearing with some hunters with really big guns” She held her arms way apart showing these guns were probably the size of a small car.

The man rolled his eyes. “Rica, what were you thinking.” He pulled her into his arms. “Mom and Dad are freaking out and Lycus will probably kill you this time.”

“Well, Mom said no, Phelan. What was I supposed to do?”

“You were supposed to stay in your damn room. You weren’t supposed to run off alone and get yourself shot or worse by some hunters, that’s what.” He ran his hand down his face in frustration before glancing over to me. “Thank you so much for helping her. Do you need anything for your trouble?” His meaning was clear ‘It’s time for you to leave.’

I shook her head. It was time to move on. “No, it was no trouble. I’m just glad she is okay.” I turned to walk away from the growing reunion. There were currently four more entering this part of the forest. Two in wolf form and two humans. The humans were older. Probably her parents.

“Wait!” Rica yelled.

I paused, great, and turned to face the sweet girl.

“Please don’t leave yet! You haven’t even met anyone, and you can come have breakfast with my family. Maybe you could even stay!” Rica was getting herself excited as the woman who had just come into view ran to pull Rica into her arms. I glanced at the crowd of strangers and, granted most of them were wolves, but still I didn’t see a single welcoming face. They clearly saw me for exactly who I am. A rogue. An outsider. Someone unworthy of a pack.

“No, Rica, really. I am just going to move on. It was wonderful getting to know you.” I continued walking away letting the gathering fall out of sight trying, unsuccessfully, not to hear the conversation going on behind me.

“I’m so glad you’re safe Rica!”

“Hi mom.” Rica said in a typical annoyed teen fashion.

“What happened?”

“Fae saved my life and now I want her to come eat with us but she’s leaving. Dad,” Just as I should be I’m sure they are thinking.

“Please stop her.”

There was a long silence during which I kept walking. No pack animals want a flea ridden rogue in their cozy packhouse.

We don’t have fleas!

Are you sure?

Well, probably not anyway.

Uh huh

“Fae!” I heard someone running behind me. “Wait up.”

I stopped to wait for him. Dreading this conversation.

“Rica wants you to come to breakfast with our family.”

I was already shaking my head before he even finished speaking. “That’s really okay. I ate this morning.” I didn’t mention it was a deer Adeline had caught hours ago. “I can just move on. Just tell Rica you didn’t catch me.”

He laughed “Yeah, one I’m not about to tell my daughter that her 6 ft 5 inch 300 lb father couldn’t catch a barely 5 ft twig of a thing.”

“5’4”!” I immediately corrected.

He laughed at my defensive response raising his hands in surrender “5’4” then. And two I would like to know the details of what happened. My son mentioned hunters in his mind-link but that was about all. I would like to know more if you don’t mind. It would really be helpful.”

I weighed his words for a moment.

What do you think?

Well, if there were hunters this close to my pack, I would want to know details too.

Yeah, I guess that makes sense. Alright fine.

“So, what does she say?”

“Excuse me?”

“I assume you just asked your wolf her opinion. So, what does she say?”

“She thinks breakfast sounds fine. We’ll leave after that.”

“Perfect!” He smiled, slinging an arm across my shoulders like old friends and turning back to follow Rica’s entourage. “I told them to head back to the packhouse since I caught up with you. We can chat along the way.”

“Oh, wonderful.” I responded, feigning enthusiasm.

He started laughing hard. “Not much for chatting, huh?”

“Just out of practice, I suppose.”

He nodded understandingly. “How long have you been out there on your own?”

“Oh…um…about four years I guess. I’m not really sure. It’s hard to keep up. What is the date?”

“Well, it’s March 15, 2023.”

“Oh...wow. Well then five, I guess.” I couldn’t believe how much time had passed. I hadn’t even known 2022 was over. “I missed my birthday.”

“Oh? Well, how old are you?”

“21.”

“Ahh.” There was an awkward silence that I for one had no interest in filling. “Well, I just realized I never introduced myself. I’m Alec Nowling, current Alpha of the New Moon pack.”

I jumped a bit and stopped walking. Crap

“You’re an Alpha?” I don’t trust Alpha’s at all.

Alec stopped and turned to look back at her. “Yes.”

“Oh,” I was so nervous I realized I was wringing my hands. I stuck them behind my back to stop, grasping my wrists tightly. How was I going to play this off.

“Am I supposed to bow or something?”

Alec laughed loudly. “Goddess, no. One you are not in my pack, so I am not YOUR Alpha and two I really don’t stand to heavily on formality as long as everyone is appropriately respectful.”

“Alright then.” I nodded and we continued walking for a few minutes.

“So, how did you end up out there?” Alec asked.

I had to really consider how much I wanted to share with this stranger. However approachable his happy demeanor may seem. “It seemed better than any alternative I saw.” Fae said. Neither lying nor giving much information.

“I see.”

No, he really doesn’t

Lycus POV

It’s just like Rica to freak everyone out like this.

I am worried!

I sighed. Me too, Baron.

As I continued searching, I let Baron take the lead and thought about the conversation dad and I had had yesterday. I will never understand dad’s hesitance with passing on the title of Alpha to me. His only reasoning was that I hadn’t found my mate yet. ‘You need a Luna’ he kept saying.

I don’t need a LUNA! I know how to manage the pack. I want a mate, but I refuse to choose one yet. I want MY mate not a chosen mate. Just think, if I ever do find her I could either celebrate with her and start our lives together or I could have to explain that I didn’t trust the moon goddess enough. I was impatient and didn’t wait for her. No thank you!

While Lycus was thinking Baron had continued running further west of the pack land nearly making it to the human town.

I’m not sure we should go there, Baron. Remember the massive panic that was caused last time a couple of our younger scouts ended up there?

But what if Rica is there!

I sighed. He had a point, but what were the chances?

Thankfully, before I could decide whether panicking a few hundred humans was really worth it I heard my mother’s relieved voice in my head “We found her!”

“What! Oh, thank the Goddess. Where was she?”

“She was with a rogue.”

“A rogue!” I started racing back towards the pack land at a breakneck speed. “I’ll kill them! What was a rogue doing with my sister?!”

No. No, she was lost. A rogue was helping her find her way back. We’re heading back to the packhouse for breakfast. You can ask

all the questions you want then.

Wait. Why is the rogue coming to breakfast?

You know your sister. She insisted.

I rolled my eyes. Being the youngest of five children and the only girl meant that Rica had everyone wrapped around her little finger.

Baron, you ready to see Rica?

YES!!

Even Baron.

We started running even faster stopping at the small room at the edge of the forest to shift and throw on some clothes.

‘I can’t believe Rica went and brought a rogue home. I swear it was only a matter of time. First cats, seriously! What kind of wolf brings home stray cats! And now a freaking rogue.’

I was thinking about some of the crazy antics Rica has pulled over the years on my way into the pack house.

As I walked toward the crowded dining room I picked up the most amazing scent. Maybe they had made waffles because it almost smelled like maple syrup. I opened the door to the dining room walking in without breaking stride.

“Lycus!” I heard my sister’s enthusiastic greeting when the smell completely overwhelmed me and I froze.

"MATE!!"