Her Mates: Three and Some

LUNA AVERY AND THE MOON PEAK PACK

The menacing Lycan King hadn’t lied.

I could smell the Pack, the scent of so many wolves wafting into my nostrils all at once lifting the part of my inner consciousness that yearned to be in a group.

But what at all did I know about these people?

For all I knew, I could be jumping from the frying pan right into the fire, but you know, for some reason, I just knew that I would be fine.

Perhaps it had something to do with the terrifying Alpha King I‘d just met… had something to do with that weird gut feeling I had in my belly that assured me that there was no way he would have led me right to danger when he could have just killed me instead.

Right?

It was crazy, but despite our frightening encounter, I couldn’t seem to get the beast out of my mind as I walked to safety.

A part of me wanted to desperately see how he looked like in his human form, but with his frightening Lycan form, I didn’t really think he had any hope in the being attractive department.

I must have been too caught up in my thoughts; too deep in it to remember that there was a necessary due process to follow when one stumbled into another pack, but it was already too late.

A bunch of men seized me out of nowhere, tackling me to the ground and holding me still.

“Who are you, and what are you doing on Moon Peak Pack territory?” One gruffly asked, but before I could even reply, another got a good whiff of me and called out in disgust, “She’s a rogue, let’s kill her!”

Chatters arose as they deliberated my fate, and even if I wanted to speak, I couldn’t, for someone had decided that my mouth should be covered as well.

I did the only thing I could think of. I bit him. Hard.

“f**k, the b***h bit me!”

“I mean no harm! Please, just listen to me.” I spoke out loudly, rushedly when he let go of my mouth… recognizing how much of a real-life paradox the whole situation was.

Here I was, proclaiming to not want to harm anyone, and then I’d turned right back and bitten someone’s hand.

I clearly had to diffuse the situation.

“Please. Hear me out, I beg you. I am just a teenager, an Omega who hasn’t even gotten her wolf yet. I would have stayed in the woods, but a kind stranger informed me that it is not safe to be out there tonight, and advised me to seek refuge here, at least till the full moon passes. That is all I ask for, please. And then I’ll be on my way.”

Perhaps, it must have had something to do with my earnestness, or perhaps the fact that I had allowed them to completely see how truly vulnerable I was, but before I knew it, I was being lifted back to my feet, and the airtight security that surrounded me earlier drastically reduced to just a mere two guards.

One guard, I’m assuming he was their leader, stared at me for a while, his dark eyes glowing with promise, “I’m giving you the benefit of the doubt, Kid… but try anything funny, and my men will not hesitate to kill you in a second. Are we clear?”

I nodded eagerly, swallowing uncomfortably at his threat.

“Good. Guys, take her to see the Luna.” He commanded, and then I was being carried off.

For some reason, rather than fear or panic, a strange calm washed over me. Getting past a group of super strict guards after stumbling into their territory ought to be a good sign after all, right?

If they had wanted to kill me, they would have long done it meaning I still had hope.

Right?

Who knew?

Perhaps, I would finally find a place where I can finally belong after all, find a people who would finally be my people, a place I can finally call home.

Wait what the f**k was I doing?

Why was I trying to hope for something that was only going to leave me heartbroken?

They were never going to accept me?

Matter of fact, I’d be very lucky if they even agreed to let me stay till the full moon passed.

I was a rogue, and rogue wolves were seldom accepted into new packs.

I had to start getting used to that.

As I was being led through the winding paths of the Moon Peak Pack, it struck me completely just how different and organized this Pack was as compared to my old one.

Even though it was night time, the Pack was still bustling with activity, wolves of all ages and sizes running around, playing, laughing, training.

Somehow, all of that momentarily ceased when they caught a glimpse of me, the rogue wolf being led by a couple of guards, but they quickly went back to their activities, as though they couldn’t see me,

As though I didn’t exist.

The Pack house was located right at the heart of the Pack, unlike ours which was the first thing you would see when you stumbled into our territory.

Wait, why was I saying our territory again?

I no longer belonged with them; I was rogue for crying out loud. I tried to focus on other things instead.

The Pack house was huge.

Grand and breathtaking with a wonderful garden and many beautiful flowers, I just couldn’t help but be awestruck by the sheer attractiveness of it all.

When we got to the entrance, the two guards left me in the care of an older female wolf who ushered me into the huge house. “Come with me child,” She said, “The Luna has been informed of your presence and is expecting you.”

I anticipated to find the Luna in some magnificent throne room, sitting down in a regal looking ensemble while she looked down at me, the weak, rogue wolf who had dared stumble into her pack, but instead, I was led to a kitchen, where the famous Luna of the Moon Peak Pack stood, kneading dough, her hair tied up in a messy bun, her slender body clad in a white t-shirt and jeans, with the entire ensemble being covered by a Hello-Kitty apron, a little smudge of flour on her jaw…

Totally not what I expected for sure.

But let me tell you, that did not take away from her grace or her elegance.

Not at all.

If anything at all, it made her look even more regal, like the perfect Queen who wanted to help by being right in the helm of affairs, by getting her hands dirty.

And just like that, she won my respect.

“Welcome to the Moon Peak Pack, child,” The Luna spoke in a voice that sounded like the gentle rustling of leaves in the wind, her back still to me as she finished up what she was doing, “I apologise for meeting you like this, but I guess even you can understand the oddness of the situation given that you stumbled into our pack under the guise of nightfall…” She turned to face me, a smile on her lips, but her words trailed off suddenly, getting stuck in her throat, “Rhys—Rhysette?!” She looked at me in shock, a shock that I returned with just as much measure if not more.

SHE KNEW ME?

She knew me!

But how?

“Oh, gods, it’s really you, look just how much you’ve grown,” She closed the distance between us, embracing me in a tight, long hug that almost had me bursting into tears again.

Honestly, what was it with mothers and offering the best hugs?

I didn’t know her, but even if she didn’t have her own children, as a Luna, she was still mother of the Pack, so it was still the same thing.

I pulled away though, totally confused, “You—you know me?”

“Yes, child… I do. Your father, Jaxon, was a very dear friend of mine. You look so much like him that I’d recognize you anywhere anytime.” She explained, sweeping her shoulder-length auburn curls behind her right ear.

The Luna was tall, very tall, with a graceful aura and kind green eyes that simply commanded respect. Those same kind eyes had sadness in them, the very emotion my own eyes reflected at the mention of my father and all the memories it brought to me.

She knew.

She knew what had happened to my father. To my brother.

But ten years had passed already, and it was really a wonder that she had been able to recognize me that easily.

“What is this the night guards are saying about you being a rogue though, child? The last I heard, your mother had happily remarried and settled with her second chance mate, and now you’re here in my pack, smelling like a rogue. Please explain things to me, Rhysette.”

And so, I did.

I told her everything, from how Steffan used to physically abuse me and my mum, to finding out that he had plans of selling me off to pay his debts.

I told her what my mother had done to save my life, told her how I’d escaped and renounced the pack… I told her everything.

“I promise you, Luna, I mean no harm, I am just a rogue in need of safety just until the week of the full moon passes. I will be on my way right after.”

But she cut me off.

“Nonsense, Rhysette.” She said sternly, tears in her eyes, “You’re staying here child, this is your new home, your new sanctuary. You’re one of us now, end of story.”

“B—but if Steffan should find out that I am here, it’d put your entire pack in danger, Luna.” I weakly protested, not wanting to be an inconvenience.

“Look, Steffan might be powerful, but we’re far away from Windy Harbor, child… his influence surely does not extend into these parts,” She assured me, her brown eyes glowing in confidence, “But in the unlikely case that he dares cross over into these areas, Rhysette, be rest assured that he’d certainly have us all to contend with.” She promised, her eyes glazing over for a moment, tell-tale signs that she was communicating with someone through the mind link.

The old woman who had ushered me in appeared not long after, confirming my suspicions.

“Lucinda, please be a darling and show—

“Gayle.” I cut her off, my blue eyes wide, silently imploring her to understand what I was trying to do.

The thing is, I didn’t want anyone else knowing my first, and quite unique name.

If I was to live here, it had to be under my second name, Gayle. It was more common and less likely to make things that easy for Steffan if he eventually came to look for me.

The Luna was silent for a while, and then she finally nodded in acceptance. “Show Gayle to one of the guest rooms, Lucinda, please. She will be living with us from now on.”

Turning to me, she smiled fondly, “Go on child, go and freshen up and come back downstairs, dinner is almost ready.”