The Alpha's Desired Luna

Briar “Shhh, my sweet loves.” My mother whispers. I can feel the nervousness in her voice. That and sound of rain as we huddle together. My father returns to our hiding place in the forest. Fresh rain giving the woods a soothing scent. I can hear the drops of rain upon the leaves above. It’s funny how the weirdest things stick with you. In the distance, I can hear a bird flutter the trees. A rabbit a few meters away from us. I can hear everything. It's night time, but I can see it as clearly as my hands before me. Then I hear it… the heartbeat of others approaching. Suddenly, there is commotion. I hear angry voices. “Over there!” A male voice yells. “Grab them!” “Run.” My father’s voice comes as if a whisper in my head. I am lifted into his arms as I see my momma run just ahead. I hold on as we reach the river bank. The voices of the men are closing in. The sky seems to open up as more rain pours down. We cross as the waves intensify. My father loses his balance briefly. Then, my mom loses her footing. She falls into the current as I reach for her. “Momma!” I yell. My dad yells her name, placing me on a rock as he lunges for her. He falls in after. I jump in, trying to save them. Now, the ice-cold water pulls us deeper downstream. I try to find my parents, but I keep going under the water. I can hear my dad calling my name. Everything goes black. This is when I always wake up. Right when the darkness takes over. I awaken from my sleep as the bus pulls into a new town. I was seven years old when I lost both of my parents. It always feels like only yesterday and not twelve years ago. Living in Shore Falls the rain was beautiful to me. I had been living there working in a diner after I graduated high school. When once again an altercation led me to relocate. I was never one to start a fight but I had problem finishing it. So, another broken jaw meant I needed to take a bus to anywhere. I may be small in size but I pack a punch. I had a little money saved. I ran as fast as my feet could carry me. Before I knew it, I was on a bus headed down into northern California. “Stop here for Gasquet.” The bus driver announces as the doors open. I grab my backpack and step off into a picturesque log hotel with a green roof. A restaurant is connected with smells making my stomach growl. I followed a family that was near the door. A small gift shop was upon entry with a help wanted sign. I saw an older lady instantly look towards the door where I stood. She had dark curly hair pulled back away from her face. She smiled while greeting the family who wanted to dine in ahead of me. I walked around checking out the nick-knacks to figure out my next move. I saw a small snow globe with the forest and mountains. It was beautiful. Reminded me of another recurrent dream. A good dream. “Is there something I can help you with, dear?” A voice behind me startled me. How had I not heard her get this close? I was always very aware of my surroundings. “Hello, I’m here for the help- wanted sign in the window.” I pointed back towards the door. She looked me up and down, and then I swear she sniffed. Did she really just sniff me? There was a look of confusion on her face. She directed me towards the register as her hand touched my shoulder. Then, she removed it just as quickly. “How old are you?” She asked as she rubbed the hand that was just on my shoulder. Her reaction to me felt like that of shock. “Twenty-one ma’am” I replied quickly. “Bullshit.” “…In two years. I need a job, and I work really hard. I won’t be any trouble.” “If you want a job, I expect the truth when I ask a question. My name is Martha, and you are?” “Briar, ma’am.” “Well, Ms. Briar, call me Ms. Martha. Everyone here does. This here is my lodge. I will give you a shot. See how you work. Can you cook? Clean rooms?” “Yes, Ms. Martha. I have been doing that most of my life.” “Okay, you got a place to stay?” “No, but I can make arrangements.” I didn’t want to lie to her again. I did see a park as we arrived in town. I was sure I could sleep there and stay under the radar. I was pretty sure this small town didn’t have the capacity for a homeless shelter. “Well, first things first. All employees that clean the rooms I like to keep them on the grounds. I have room for the position. This also includes three meals at the diner. How does that sound?” Was she kidding me? This was a dream come true. I had to fight back a tear, wanting to escape. “Yes, ma’am… I mean Ms. Martha, that sounds amazing. I promise you won’t regret this.” “Okay, child. Let’s get you fed, and then we can get you all settled.” She said as I followed her. I was going to make this work. I would work as hard as I possibly could. I was here for a reason, and I had to stick this out. I didn’t care that I got a lot of stares from the people in her establishment. I was used to it always being the new girl. It sucked but I would never let anyone make me feel any less of a person. I could hear whispers and conversations of people asking who the new girl was. I exhaled, rolling my eyes as Ms. Martha looked back at me. “You okay, girlie?” Ms. Martha asked as she sat me at a booth near the kitchen. “Yes, just… I’m really appreciative of you giving me a chance here.” “I’m sure you will like this town. I think you could be a really good fit.” Smiling as she handed me a menu. I smiled back at her. My life had never “fit” anywhere. I was just hoping to keep my head down. Work my butt off and find my own place in this world. So far, all I knew was that I liked this spunky Ms. Martha. That and maybe, just maybe, I was going to find a good place to live.