The Alpha and His Blessed Luna

Tragic Truth

We emerged from the trees and I stopped dead. The sight before me was so magnificent that I gasped. I felt the others stop beside me. Before stood a long brick bridge over a wide river. It led to the most amazing castle I'd ever seen. The roofs were red and pointed, just like a princess castle. I counted seven of them. The castle itself was gray brick, with lush green vines crawling the walls in certain areas. It was huge, and it reminded me of the medieval castles I'd read about. I looked at the lawn and noticed dozens of benches for sitting, surrounded by gardens full of various bushes and flowers. People were walking amongst them, or sitting together, enjoying the sun. Trees were scattered around, and some of them had bright red apples ready for picking. Others provided shade over the sitting areas.

Luke leaned down to whisper in my ear.

"Welcome home."

He placed his hand on my shoulder and gently guided me across the bridge. I peeked over the side of the brick wall and noticed the river was quite calm. I could even see fish swimming with the current. My gaze wandered back to the castle as we stepped onto grass. It was even bigger up close. Then I heard whispering and looked around me. People around us had stopped whatever they were doing and were staring at us. Well, staring at me. I instinctively stepped closer to Luke who squeezed my shoulder gently. He led our group up to the door and opened it. Dom and Leo walked inside, but I held back. I was suddenly very nervous, and unsure about what I had agreed to.

"Ava?" Luke was looking at me, concern etched into his face.

"I-I'm nervous..." I mumbled.

"Nobody is going to hurt you. I promise." He held out his hand and I took it shakily. He pulled me inside beside him and I gasped again. Damn, this place was a f*****g fortress. The first thing I noticed was the grand staircase. It was solid wood with gold rails. The floor was white tile, polished, and reflected them many lights that hung from the ceiling. There were doors on either side of me, some with gold plaques on them. I read a couple and realized they were offices. Luke took my hand and led me through the room, pointing out different rooms, and paintings that hung on the walls.

"The stairs lead to the second floor where all ranked members stay. The third floor is for the cooks and maids, and the fourth floor is for guests. We also have an elevator for the disabled, or pregnant members."

I nodded and gazed around me.

"And through here-" He opened a door for us, "-Is the kitchen. It's available twenty four seven for those who live here or stay here."

The kitchen was the epitome of amazing. I didn't even try to count the cupboards and drawers, there were so many. They were all solid wood as well, and the counters were a nice granite finish. I counted five refrigerators, three deep freezers, and six ovens, two of which were being used by, I assumed, the cooks. Two long islands stood in the middle parallel to each other, and they had been set with plates, forks, knives, and glasses. It was incredible.

"Damn." I said. Luke chuckled.

"Are you hungry?" He asked.

I hesitated. The thought of eating with so many people had my jitters coming back. But I'd be lying if I said I wasn't hungry. Actually, I was starving.

As if he could read my mind, Luke said, "Don't worry it's just you, me, Dom, and Leo. Everyone else already ate." I relaxed at that, and nodded. He gestured to a seat and I gratefully sat. My legs and feet were killing me.

"Technically, everyone had lunch. Dinner will be in a few hours. But we figured you'd be hungry." Leo said with a smile. I gave him a small smile back.

The cooks started loading dishes onto the island in front of us. Mashed potatoes, sausages, peas and corn, a vegetable platter, and a big bowl of salad. The guys started loading their plates, and I was amazed at the serving sizes. But then again, they were big guys, and werewolves to boot.

Luke took my plate and loaded a little bit if everything before setting down in front of me again. I gave him a question mark look.

"There's no need to be shy. Eat as much as you want." He said.

A cook brought a big jug if ice water, and I filled my glass, and dug in. Everything was beyond amazing. I cleaned my plate in no time. I noticed all the guys staring at me.

"What?"

"Nothing, I've just never seen a girl eat that quickly before." Dom said. Leo and Luke nodded in agreement.

"Oh."

"What are you used to eating?" Leo asked.

"Fish and deer mostly. Rabbits too. And there were some raspberry bushes I planted. But not much in the way of vegetables." He raised his eyebrows at me, and shrugged.

"Good thing you're here now. You can put some meat on them bones." Dom chuckled and I scowled. Luke just shook his head.

"Did you want more?" Luke asked.

"I'm actually full." I replied.

"Come on. I'll show you where you're sleeping."

We stood up and I gave a small wave to the guys. I followed Luke out of the kitchen, and up the stairs. Good thing I kept in shape, there were a f**k ton of stairs. At the top, he made a right. He led me down a long hallway with red carpet, wood tables with expensive looking vases on them, and lots of paintings hanging on the walls. One particular one of the ocean caught my attention, and I was so busy admiring it I ran into Luke.

He gave me an amused expression and eyed the painting.

"You like the ocean?" He asked.

"Yeah. I've always wanted to see it."

"You've never seen the ocean?"

I shrugged. "I didn't have much time for sight seeing these last three years."

"Right. Sorry."

He unlocked the door. I followed him into a spacious bedroom. I do mean spacious. The King size bed in the middle didn't even take up half the space. The carpet in here was white instead of red. The bed was decorated in soft looking gold linens. Two dark brown bedroom tables were on either side of the bed, with brass looking lamps. Blackout curtains hung on the windows, and a ginormous flat screen t.v. opposite the bed. I walked forward and noticed a mini-fridge off to the side.

I saw three doors on the left side of the room. One was ajar, and I could tell it ked to a bathroom. The other I had to assume was a closet.

"What's the third door for?" I asked Luke.

"That's the door to my room." He said nonchalantly. I spun around to face him, eyes wide.

"This room has been unused for a while. I figured you'd feel safer knowing I, Dom, and Leo were close by."

"Where do they stay?"

"Doms room is right across the hall. Leo is two doors down from him, on the left."

He was right about one thing. Having the guys so close did make me feel better. I had more questions though.

"Will I have to come down for dinner?"

"Not if you don't want to. I can have someone bring it up. But you will eventually have to eat with other people Ava. I didn't bring you here so you could hide in your room."

"I know. Just... not right now. I'm still... taking it all in. I mean, you ordered my death today, and now I'm in your house." "Castle" I mentally corrected myself.

"I'm truly sorry about that. Had I known who you were... either way. I'm sorry."

"Do you always kill anyone who comes on your territory?"

"No, I don't. Rogues are different because they almost always attack. Other supernaturals sometimes pass through, but it's rare. Nine times out of ten, anyone on my territory who wasn't invited are here to start problems or attack the pack. But I always try to ask questions first, and kill later." I could tell he was being sincere.

"I'll leave you be. I'll send someone up with dinner for you." He turned towards the door.

"Wait! I have one more question."

"Yes?"

"Can...can you... enter my room... whenever you want?" God. My tone gave the impression that I wanted him to. My cheeks reddened in embarrassment.

Luke raised his eyebrows. "Yes, I can." His voice was lower than normal. I bit my lip. An awkward silence fell, him just standing and staring at me.

"Why?" He asked. Was there an edge to his voice? I had to recover from this. I took a deep breath.

"You won't though right? I don't have to worry about you coming in unannounced?" My voice still weak, but at least it didn't sound like I wanted him to ravish me in the middle of the night anymore. Not an altogether unpleasant idea, admittedly.

"You don't need to worry about that Ava. I would never intrude on you without warning, unless it was a real emergency. Okay?"

"Okay."

"See you later."

"Bye."

And I was alone. f**k, that was awkward. I shook off the conversation with Luke and headed to the bathroom. I could really use a hot shower.

Opening the door all the way, I gasped for the third time today. Had a died and gone to heaven? There was a shower head on the ceiling, and two more on either side. And no walls. I'd never seen an open shower before. A tiled bench stood out from the wall for sitting. To the right there was a jacuzzi tub with all the fixings. And to the left there was a wall length vanity with two sinks and a wall length mirror. A medium sized closet was built into the wall, and upon opening it I found clean towels, a hair dryer, a hair straightener, a curler, and various sprays and lotions. I was indeed in Heaven. I immediately stripped and started the shower. Water poured from all directions and I used my hand to test the temperature. When I stepped in, I couldn't hold back the moan.

"Ahhhhhh..." I could stay in here forever. I noticed shampoo and conditioner on the floor, with a new bar of Dove soap. I squeezed some of the shampoo into my hair and lathered. It smelled like strawberries. Then I rinsed and put in the conditioner. I threw my hair into a bun to let it soak in, and started to wash my body. A shower had never felt so amazing.

I watched the suds run down my body and into the drain, then I rinsed my hair. I stayed in for a few extra minutes just enjoying the pressure of the water on my aching muscles, and the warmth. Once I felt better, I turned off the shower and grabbed a towel from the closet. Luke said clothes would be provided for me, and I didn't really want to put my dirty clothes back on. I exited the bathroom and opened the closet. It was a nice size, with a lovely medium sized dresser on one side and, thankfully, clothes hung up on the other. I dug through the dresser and found socks, underwear, and bras, all with the tags still on. I also found a black t-shirt and light blue jeans. I dressed quickly and wandered out to my room. My room.

I plopped down on the bed, and oh my God, it was the most comfy bed I had ever been on. I'd focus on that later though. Now that I had a minute to myself, I took in the events of today. In one day I went from being nearly killed by a wolf pack, to living under the same roof as them. Crazy. If I was being honest too, I half expected them to kill me on the way here. But they didn't. Leo even tried to get to know me. He definitely was the more outgoing of the twins. Dom was nice too though. And Luke had even stuck up for me.

Thinking of Luke brought the blush back to my face. I couldn't believe how idiotic I felt around him. Yes, he was intimidating and possibly the hottest guy on Earth. But I was never the shy type. Apprehensive, yes. Hesitant, definitely. I obviously didn't trust easily. Being around Luke made me feel different though. Like my tongue was too big for my mouth, my chest was tight, and my whole body was tingly. It wasn't really unpleasant, just different. But I was acting like a horny teenager. I shook those thoughts away. Maybe I could find it in myself to trust them, at least Luke, Dom, and Leo. It wouldn't be easy.

I was so engrossed in my thoughts about my trust issues, that I jumped a foot off the bed when there was a loud knocking at my door. Composing myself, I went to answer it. In the hall stood a short girl with brown hair and chocolate brown eyes. She had a big smile on her face, and a tray of food in her hands. Was it dinnertime already? I must have been in the shower longer than I thought. I gave her a small smile, but before I could say anything, she exploded into excited babble.

"Oh wow, you really are pretty! Probably feel better after a shower though, huh? I put the stuff in the bathroom for you. It's all brand new, don't worry." She walked past me and set the tray on the bed.

"I'm Evelyn. I'm Doms wife." She took my hand and shook it. I tried again.

"Hi Ev-"

"Do you like the clothes? Dom sent me a text earlier with a guesstimate on your size. Thankfully, the girls offered the clothes they were going to return, and I brought it up right away."

"Yes, thank-"

"So what's the story anyways? It's been a long time since we had a new pack member. And if you don't mind, why are you staying in the packhouse? Especially in the connecting room to the Alphas? Oh, Taylor is going to be pissed-"

"EVELYN!" I had to raise my voice slightly to get her attention. "First, thank you for the bathroom stuff. Second, thank you for the clothes. Third, thank you for bringing me dinner. I truly appreciate all of it." I smiled at her. "And I honestly don't know why I'm here. This is where Lu....ah... the Alpha put me. I assume it's temporary."

"I'm so glad you like everything! About dinner, why are you eating up here instead of down in the kitchen?"

"The Alpha said I could. I'm just... not really ready to eat with so many new people."

"Oh. I understand that. This is a really big pack." I nodded at her.

"Well!" she clapped her hands, "Dom and the Alpha said you could use a friend. If you want, I can bring my dinner up here and eat with you?" She looked so hopeful. How could I say no? So I smiled and nodded again.

"Yay! I'll be back in a flash!" And she ran out the door. I sat down on the bed and waited. I was suddenly really nervous about spending time with another girl. It's not like I never have before, but once she figured out who I was, she'd probably avoid me like the plague.

Why do you always assume the worst of everyone? She seems like a really nice girl.

I scowled at myself. Maybe I was being overdramatic. I should give her a chance. Before I could think on it anymore than that, Evelyn came rushing back in with own tray. She hopped on the bed and starting talking at me again.

"Girl, seriously, eat something! You need all the fat and carbs you can get. No offense. Try the lasagne, it is to DIE for!"

We spent the next hour eating and talking. Well, I ate, and she talked. And it wasn't hard. I quickly got over my nerves and started to enjoy myself. Evelyn was full of spunk, and she seemed like a naturally upbeat person. I found myself laughing and smiling more in that hour than I had in the last three years.

"So, what are you anyways?" she suddenly asked.

Damnit. I was really hoping she wouldn't bring that up. I didnt want to lie to her.

She looked at me quizzically. "Well?"

"Uhm... I'm... uhm..."

"Is it a secret?" she asked.

"Not really. I mean, maybe? I don't know!" I sighed frustrated.

She raised her eyebrows. "Girl, you don't need to worry. I'm not a gossip like other girls here. If you don't want anyone to know, then no one will know. I promise." She sounded so sincere. But I just met her. A part of me was telling me to lie, or at least tell her I wasn't suppose to talk about it. But I didn't know if that was true or not. A bigger part of me wanted to tell her. Bad. I'd forgotten what it was like to have a friend, even I just met this girl. Maybe it was stupid of me, and maybe it would blow up in my face, but I just blurted it out, "I'm an Elemental."

Her eyebrows raised even more, and her eyes widened. "Seriously?"

"Yeah."

"And the Alpha brought you here?!"

"Uhm... yeah? Why wouldn't he?"

"The Alpha hates Elementals. Like, hates them. We don't have any in the pack."

"What? Why?" I asked.

"Because of what happened to that girl."

"What?" I knew she was talking about me, but I was so confused. If Luke hated my kind so much, why did he bring me here?

"I'm sure you know about the Elemental blessed with all four elements?" I scoffed. Blessed, yeah right. Evelyn continued though, ignoring me. "When the Alpha heard that she was escaped after what happened at her Clan, he made sure that people didn't buy too much into it. He and Dom and Leo made it very clear that a lot of it was total BS. Everyone was nervous that some evil Elemental was on the loose, but nothing ever happened. The Alpha was even hired to help find her and kill her, but he refused to take the job. And then last year, we heard that she was burnt to death in a fire that her own Clan and family started. The Alpha was furious. He made an announcement that the pack was no longer to help or take in their kind. And really, who can blame him? What kind of people do that to one of their own? It was really sad." She finished. I was barely paying attention to her though. My chest started to feel tight, and my thoughts were going so fast, I felt dizzy. I tried to gain air, but it felt like I was breathing through a straw. Tears pooled in my eyes and down my cheeks before I could stop them. I gasped for breath.

"Hey... hey! Are you okay? What happened? Are you hurt?" Evelyn was in my face, but she was a blur through my tears. I needed to get out. I needed air. I sprang up and ran out the door, and down the hallway. I almost collided with someone at the top of the stairs, but I didn't look to see who. I just rushed around them and flew down the stairs.

"Ava?!" I thought that was Luke, but I didn't stop. I flew through the door and out into the night. I stumbled my way to the gardens and collapsed on a bench. I was sobbing uncontrollably, and shaking so hard I thought I might break. Evelyn's words replayed in my head, over and over.

She was burnt to death in a fire that her own Clan and family started.

I don't think Evelyn knew it, but your Clan and your family were separate. It wasn't like a pack. Your Clan was just that your Clan. Your family was your family. And my family had tried to kill me. Their own daughter. They had tried to burn me alive. As much as I resented my Clan, I never stopped loving my family. I thought they still loved me. I assumed they were sad at my disappearance. But they were part of the reason for it. They tried to kill me!

I drew my knees up and hugged them, and I just cried. That's how Luke found me.