The Quiet Luna

Chapter 1. Torin

“Just set the meeting with Alpha Drake,” I said, resigned. I tried rolling my shoulders to dislodge some of the tension that felt like was consuming me whole, but I had to admit that until I found my mate, things would only get worse. At twenty-seven years old, I was one of the oldest Alphas without a Luna to balance me out. I was getting more and more demanding and my wolf was even worse. I hadn’t even slept with anyone in over a year because it felt like a waste of time. Both my wolf and I needed our mate. Soon.

My Beta and best friend, Wynne, let out a long-suffering sigh, but tapped into his computer. Neither of us wanted to be in Alpha Drake’s territory. He was a blustering, untrustworthy, egotistical, pain in the ass. I had zero respect for him, which would have made this meeting difficult a few months ago, but at the moment, with my control on my emotions slipping away, it was going to be next to impossible not to challenge the i***t to a fight. Wynne and I had been trying to get Alpha Drake to agree to a telephone call, where at least I could mute the call and scream obscenities as much as I needed to, but the jack-ass insisted we make a formal appearance- complete with eating a meal with the elite members of his pack. For appearances sake, I should take my Beta, Gamma, and lead warrior, but I was only taking Wynne with me. I didn’t want Alpha Drake to get the impression that I gave two sh*ts about him or saw him as any kind of threat.

“Ok, he’s agreed to next Wednesday,” Wynne sighed. “Do you really think you can get through an entire afternoon and dinner without killing that pompous jerk?”

“Doubtful,” I growled between clenched teeth.

The next few days dragged on, and dread settled deep inside me. Every time I thought about this meeting, I became enraged. I’d destroyed my gym several times, and had resorted to sparring with Wynne, my Gamma, Zade, and my lead warrior, Ricktor all at once. I was debating adding a few more of my top warriors to increase the challenge. Maybe if it’s six against one, I could burn some of this anger out of my system.

Wednesday morning, after an early workout that included a fight that lasted nearly an hour, I got ready and headed downstairs to the car. Wynne was already there, waiting for me, watching me with wary eyes while I stalked up to the passenger side. “Torin,” he said quietly. He waited until my eyes met his before saying, “Maybe you should take a dose of wolfsbane.”

I growled at him, but I could see his point. Wolfsbane would hurt, and might give me something to focus on other than Alpha Drake and his f*cked-up attitudes, but I couldn’t become dependent on anything else to keep me under control. I’m a f*cking Alpha for f*ck’s sake! I can do this. I slid into the car and slammed the door shut.

We drove in silence, the closer we got to Alpha Drake’s territory, the more my wolf whined and paced in my head. “What is up with you? Knock it off!” I admonished him. He refused to answer, and kept pacing and whining.

“Torin?” Wynne finally broke our silence. “What’s going on?”

“I don’t know,” I sighed. “Hunter is driving me crazy whining and pacing but he won’t tell me what’s wrong.”

Wynne looked thoughtful. “Maybe it’s your mate?” he suggested.

I snorted. “If it was my mate, he’d be excited.” Wynne shrugged but didn’t say anything.

 I blocked my link to my wolf as we crossed the border to Alpha Drake’s territory, nodding to the guards as we passed. When the packhouse came in sight, I linked Wynne. “Does he have no pride?” Wynne simply snorted in response. The house was huge and sprawling, but it looked like no one had bothered with the upkeep in quite some time. The extensive gardens were choked by weeds, and even they looked to be struggling for sustenance. The paint on the outside of the house was faded and peeling, and the grime on the windows was thick enough that I assumed every room must be dimly lit and grungy.

Alpha Drake, his Beta, Gamma, lead warrior, and three other ranked members stood on the front porch smirking at us. “Alpha Torin,” Alpha Drake smiled a slimy impression of a grin, his thin lips peeling away from his teeth. I took a deep breath and willed myself to follow my training and not rip him to shreds right there and then. “So glad you could finally make it.”

“Thank you for your hospitality, Alpha Drake,” I growled out. Ok, the tone wasn’t the most congenial, but at least I’d said the right words.

Alpha Drake’s eyes hardened, but he quickly looked away, glancing down the drive the way we’d come. “Are your other men joining us later?”

I shook my head. “No, it’s just Beta Wynne and I today,” I told him. I knew I should make some excuse, apologize for the lack of protocol, but being in his presence was so sickening I felt bad for subjecting Wynne to it, let alone anyone else. “Shall we get started?” So I can leave? I added silently.

Alpha Drake escorted us inside, and I managed to stifle my growl as his men flanked us. The instant we walked inside, Hunter pushed through our link whining loudly.

“She’s here!” He linked me.

“Who’s here? What is wrong with you?” I linked him back. He just started whining again. I grumbled, stupid wolf, and blocked him again. Wynne looked at me out of the corner of his eye. “It’s fine,” I linked him, “I can do this.”

“You cannot kill anyone,” Wynne reminded me. “We are here for the alliance, just keep it together!”

“I know!” I growled at him through our link. Did he really think I’d forgotten why we were here? If it weren’t for the alliance, I would’ve stayed as far away from Alpha Drake and his minions as I could.

Alpha Drake led the way to a sleek looking conference room. I had no doubt in my mind that he only spent money on the things he thought would bring the greatest return. The conference room would be seen by every wolf when we had meetings over the computer, so he wanted it to look as modern and sophisticated as possible. I would be willing to bet his office would be just as slick and polished. And, given his reputation, I could imagine that his dungeons would also be impressive.

“Dungeons!” Hunter broke through our link again. “We MUST see the dungeons!”

What the hell had gotten into him? He could be as ruthless and vicious as any other Alpha, but he never enjoyed hurting people. Why the sudden interest in seeing the torture rooms of the Alpha with the worst reputation for enjoying inflicting suffering?

“Seriously, if you don’t start paying attention, I’m going to slap you,” Wynne linked me.

 “Sorry, Hunter is making it impossible to concentrate,” I linked him back. “Now he’s yipping about touring the dungeons!”

“What? Why?” Wynne responded sounding just as confused as I was. “That doesn’t sound like him.”  

“Tell me about it,” I rolled my eyes and tried blocking the link between my wolf and I again.

“Well, I just don’t know how I feel about some of these packs,” Alpha Drake was saying as he reviewed the proposal Wynne had handed him. “Some of them are quite weak, I don’t think I want to have an allegiance with them. What’s in it for me?”

I controlled my irritation, barely. “None of the packs listed in the proposal are considered weak, Alpha Drake,” I told him. “Some are younger Alphas who are learning the ropes still, true, but they are all from strong families and their packs are battle proven.”

“Hmmm… still, a few of these pups I have had personal interactions with and I don’t hold much respect for,” he flipped a few pages and huffed. I wanted to launch myself across the desk and throttle him. Assh*le.

“I can understand the difficulty of dealing with Alphas you have no respect for in a civil way,” I agreed, it was my own personal hell at that moment, “but I would remind you that your territory here is surrounded by packs who have already joined the accord.” The threat was implied, not stated outright, that would be my defense.

His minions growled lowly and I glared at them, daring them to challenge me. They all backed down, and Alpha Drake narrowed his eyes at me. “Duly noted,” he said in a quiet tone.

Tension pervaded the air as we all studied each other. I’m sure if we had all been in our wolf forms, all our hackles would have been raised.

“Can we get a tour of your dungeons?” Wynne said suddenly.

We all blinked at him in surprise. “What are you doing?” I asked him.

“I have a theory,” he grinned back.

“I must say, I’m surprised, Beta Wynne,” Alpha Drake slid a glance at his Beta. “I didn’t think your pack put much faith in… alternative ways to obtain information.”

Wynne gagged in our link, but his face remained neutral. “We’ve been thinking it’s past time to upgrade our facilities,” he said smoothly. “Who better to get ideas for what to include than you?”

I was impressed. Even if it was hard to keep a straight face with the sound effects Wynne was linking to me.

“Hmmm… yes, well…” Alpha Drake seemed to be hesitant to show us what he had. I cringed internally, not sure I really wanted to find out.

“There is only the one prisoner at the moment,” his Beta, Castor, said in a flat voice.

Alpha Drake seemed to consider his options for a moment. It would be rude to not show potential allies his dungeons. Besides, I could tell he wanted to show off. “Very well,” he finally smirked. “Gentlemen, if you’d follow me.”

 We followed him back down stairs. With each step my tension grew, knotting my stomach painfully. By the time we reached the stairs to the basement levels, I was practically pushing Alpha Drake to go faster.

 “Dude, chill,” Wynne linked me. I ignored him.

Alpha Drake showed us to rooms that looked more like a modern surgery facility than a torture chamber. The walls, ceilings, and floors were all stark white with bright fluorescent lighting that was harsh in the sterile spaces. I couldn’t follow the conversation, however. My entire body felt like it was vibrating, and I needed to walk further into the dungeons. Hunter was pushing forward, trying to take control.

“Keep them distracted,” I linked Wynne. He started asking question after question.

I snorted as he complimented Alpha Drake’s inventiveness while gagging through our link. “You so owe me for this,” he linked. I nodded- I owed him big time.

I slowly edged away from the group and allowed my feet to move in the direction they wanted to go. Away from the medical looking rooms, the dungeon began to look more like the medieval prison I had been expecting. The walls were made of heavy stone, with thick bars, no doubt made of a combination of silver and iron. The further back I wandered, the darker, damper, and more hopeless it felt.

Finally, I stopped in front of the last cell. It was so dark I could barely make out the small form huddled in the back corner. She was undernourished, naked, covered in grime and dried blood. Her long hair was greasy and hung in limp strands over her shoulders and concealed part of her face. A thick metal collar was fastened around her neck, a chain attached to the wall allowed for very little movement. She looked up and when her eyes met mine, I let out the breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding. Her eyes were a bright green, like two peridot stones shining out at me through the dimness of her surroundings.

She was the most beautiful creature I’d ever laid my eyes on.

“Mate,” I whispered.

She held my gaze, as though she were powerless to look away. As I watched, a single tear escaped her eye, carving a white line through the filth clinging to her cheek.

“Hey! I didn’t say you could go back there!” Alpha Drake’s angry voice cut through my stupor and I turned to face him, fury burning through me.

“That is my mate!” I bellowed at him, feeling the force of my words echo around the chamber as his men all shrank away from me. “Open the doors immediately!”

Alpha Drake squared his shoulders to me, but I saw the flash of fear in his eyes. “She can’t be your mate,” he blustered. “She doesn’t have a mate.”

My voice was low and deadly. “She is my mate. I’m not leaving without her.”

Alpha Drake glanced at the girl in the cell. “Reject her, Alpha Torin. If you know what’s good for you and your pack, reject her right now,” he said coldly.

Pain lanced through my chest at the thought of rejecting her. I had Alpha Drake pinned against the cell bars before anyone could make a move. The silver burned him, but I couldn’t care less. I let Hunter take control. “Release her now, or I will rip you to pieces,” I growled. I sensed movement to my left and reached out without looking, grabbing his Beta, who had been trying to sneak up on me, and threw him against the wall.

“She is nothing,” Alpha Drake croaked out. “Just a wolfless nobody worth nothing but trouble.”

 “Then you won’t mind handing her over,” I growled.

Alpha Drake sighed, but gave a slight nod. I dropped him and he crumpled to the ground. “You will regret this, Alpha Torin,” he said quietly. I glared at him until he motioned to two guards standing at the entrance. One slipped into a pair of leather gloves and opened the cell door. The other grabbed a cattle prod and held it close to the girl while the first one unlocked the collar around her neck. She never moved; her eyes stayed fixated on me the entire time.

“Out,” I ordered the two guards before going in the cell and crouching next to her. “Can you stand?” I asked softly. She shook her head, no. “I’m going to carry you out of here, ok? I’m taking you home now, understand?” Honestly, she looked half feral, but tears glistened in her eyes and she nodded her head. I stripped out of my shirt and wrapped it around her before gingerly picking her up and cradling her in my arms. I had no idea how hurt she was, and I was terrified I would add to her suffering, but I had to get her out of there.

 I walked out of the dirty cell, and passed Alpha Drake and his men without a glance. Wynne stood glaring at them, daring them to try to stop me.

“We can call this an act of good faith between allies,” Alpha Drake called out just before I reached the door.

 I stopped and turned to aim a withering glare at him. “The offer of joining the accord is put on hold until I find out what you did to my mate,” I rumbled before stalking up the stairs and out to our car without another word.

Wynne was right behind me. He jumped in the driver’s seat while I slid in the back with the girl, cradling her in my lap. He slammed the car into drive and took off a little faster than I would have preferred, but I knew he was worried Alpha Drake would order his men to do something to stop us if we hung around too long.

I pushed the hair out of her face, and brushed away tears that were silently falling, smearing the dirt and blood caked on her face. “You’re ok, now, sweetheart,” I murmured to her. “You’re safe now.”

She cuddled closer to my chest, taking deep breaths. Before long she was sound asleep in my arms. I met Wynne’s look in the mirror.

“Are we declaring war?” he asked tightly.

“Not yet,” I sighed. “I need to figure out what they did to her and why first.”

His eyes were hard in the mirror. We were both in agreement, nothing that had happened to her was good. I closed my eyes and listened to her breathing while Hunter purred in my head.