The Luna's Protection

One: When the past just can't stay behind

NATALIA

I stared at the raging body of water before me, its surface reflecting the sun that warmed my pale skin. It's been seven years since that night. Seven painful years. I bit my lower lip as memories came back full force and opened an unforgiving reminder in my head. I pressed my legs down further on the rocky cliff edge and held on to it as tightly as I could- shaking the memories off and pondering whether I should do it or not.

The wind blew slightly stronger as the waves crashed through the rocks sprinkling me with ocean spray. I felt my wolf push me to do it. It's been so long since we've been in water. What am I scared of anyway? The deep blue that seemed to have no end? The jagged rocks that lined the shore? Those were trivial.

'Do it.' The wind howled. Holding my breath and counting to three, I brought my feet up against the edge of the cliff, pushed myself forward using my hands  and jumped feet first into the water. 

It was amazing.

The cold hit me first but as the water surrounded me, all I could feel was calm and serenity. I knew I had an affinity for water but I didn't know how to do anything except breathe in it. I opened my eyes- still underwater, my body now in a supine position and just stared at the world above me. The sun was no longer warming my skin but it looked beautiful mixed with the blue hue of the ocean. Small fish swam above me as the water softly caressed me and brought me further away from the shore. The sky was clear blue splattered with clouds that formed different figures; a heart, a leprechaun dancing before a dolphin and wolf mates- mate, I wonder if I will ever meet mine. I should have met my mate four years ago- when I turned eighteen but I was a rogue; I never had interaction with anyone and even though things have changed; I was still part of the Stone family. I was still my mother's daughter. Some wolves still wanted me dead.

I felt the water slowly start to constrict my system alerting me that oxygen has fully left me and my life is now at the mercy of the water. I let the loneliness sink in, as the clouds took on another shape, this time a family. I continued to stare as my brown hair flowed wildly around me when a huge current flowed in obscuring some of my vision but I didn't mind. My mind was barely there anyway, my mind was miles away reminiscing; how my father woke me up, how I ran with my mother, how I ran away to inform my grandfather and how they were all brutally murdered in a span of three hours. The memories were starting to drown me but I let it.

I deserved it.

I deserved it because I ran.

I left.

Slowly, my eyes started to close as the ocean current rocked my body gently. Like when I was a baby in a crib again- like when I still had a family. Is it too much to ask for a mate? To be part of a pack again? Moon Goddess am I really in your favor? These were the moments when I wished my wolf could talk to me. That it actually had a voice that would pester and fight my thoughts but my wolf could only let me feel what she feels. I sighed in my head and felt my eyelids grow heavier with each passing second; The last thing I saw was a big blue Whale swim above me as I let the water take me to wherever it wanted.

~.~

My peaceful slumber was interrupted when a large hand roughly pulled me up out from the water making me gasp out loud from startle. I brought my hands up to my face to wipe the water and hair away as I blinked and shielded my eyes from the bright rays of the sun. What is happening?

I blinked slowly and squinted my eyes to get a better view of the man in front of me. He loomed over me effectively blocking the rays of the sun as I got my bearings. I bent my head to look at him properly; his blond hair was dripping wet making some strand stick to the side of his  face he was handsome. Very much so. He looked like a blonde Hercules with his bulky form and angular features.   His blue eyes stared at me in confusion and anger before he masked it into a blank stare.

"Rogue, you are trespassing in the boundary of the silver moon pack. Give me one reason why I shouldn't kill you right now." He gripped my upper arm and dragged me towards the shore line- a very different looking shore from where I had jumped. I noticed he was alone and realized that he radiated power.

"I didn't mean to trespass. I was just sleeping in the water and-"

"You're an elemental." He stated letting go of my arm as I started to shiver from the wind. I curled my toes and started unconsciously playing with the sand. It felt so good under my toes.

"Yes I am." I answered wrapping my arms around myself and rubbing it up and down trying to create warmth. His eyes suddenly took on a hard look as he clenched his jaw.

I felt my wolf start pacing in a circle. She was uncomfortable and she didn't like men with power. After the Beta killed my family, we both just wanted to get away and avoid men in high positions. She was pushing to be known but I couldn't let that happen. This man needs to know we mean no harm and I felt so drained from using my affinity for so long.

"What happens now?" I ask in a tiny voice shifting from foot to foot. It's really cold and my wet clothes really weren't helping. The man threw a shirt over my head which I thankfully took and immediately stripped off my torn white shirt and placed replaced it with his gray shirt that smelled of him, lemons and grass.

He stared at me for a few seconds before finally answering me. "You're coming with me. I'll let the alpha deal with you." He started walking away but not before grabbing my hand. If an alpha had to deal with me that mean he is probably a beta. Either way I would probably be able to break free in two days time when I get my energy back.

After what seemed like a 20 minute walk, Hercules- that's what i decided to call him- half- dragged me to a cement building that had moss and vines crawling on it's walls. I felt rocks dig into my feet as he stood to a halt and gestured for a lanky man to open the red iron gate the served as a door. I pulled his shirt closer to me as we entered the building.

The smell of metal mixed with blood and something I could not pin point overwhelmed us as we passed through silver gated cells. The hairs of the nape of my neck stood up when we passed some prisoners who lay down and stared blankly at me. It was haunting. They weren't aggressive but they have just given up on life. They had nothing to live for they were broken souls stuck inside a shell that could still fight.

I know how frustrating that felt- feels.

Hercules stopped at the end of the hallway and opened  another cell, it was smaller and no light reached the tiny cell, he then threw me roughly inside and didn't say a word as he locked the gate with a chain and walked away.