Wonderful Luna

We were tracking the King Rogue’s escort. These were the most dangerous of all, his best warriors, his elite fighters, his personal guard. The pack had been fighting against the King Rogue for more than ten years. It was in one of those battles, against his strongest forces, that my parents—and our former Alpha—lost their lives. My father, who was the Beta of the pack, sacrificed his life in the fight, and my mother, also an elite warrior of the pack, followed him to the same fate I was only thirteen when my brother, Connor, came home with the news. He was just a boy who had recently received his wolf, but as the future Beta of the pack, he was already fighting in the battles. That very day, Connor became the Beta, and his best friend, Lucian, inherited his father’s place and became our Alpha. It was a hard day for everyone. The rogues have only grown in numbers since then. They’re outcasts, exiles, pariahs who were cast out from their packs for serious crimes against the social order. At first, these criminals killed each other; their sense of anarchy and dissociation made it impossible for them to tolerate one another, much less form any kind of society with hierarchies and laws. But with the appearance of this self-proclaimed King Rogue, they’ve managed to coordinate, and now they’re dangerous. Since taking command, Alpha Lucian has proven himself to be a strong, organized, and respected leader. Within weeks, he dealt so many defeats to the King Rogue that he nearly avenged his father’s death, and, like today, forced him to flee and hide in his own territory. Lucian brought us peace for a few years—enough time for Connor to finish his training as Beta and become a match for our Alpha. But perhaps most importantly, I was able to receive my wolf as well. That very night of my first transformation, I discovered that Lucian was my mate. It was wonderful. Lucian had received his wolf six years earlier, and although he had traveled to other villages, attended countless mating balls, and even welcomed delegations of foreign suitors, he had never found his mate. So, when I received my wolf and, in that very celebration, he scented his mate for the first time, the joy that overwhelmed him was infinite and genuine. I was lucky too, because I could already picture myself spending years searching for something that some never even find. For our kind, finding one’s mate is the best thing that can happen in life, surpassing any other experience. Since that moment, we’ve lived the most wonderful and exciting months of our lives—and we haven’t even mated yet. That is, we haven’t slept together. But it’s not for lack of desire or opportunity… No, there’s plenty of that, and we’ve been tempted many times. But we decided to wait until our wedding night. I’m a virgin. Now, I can’t say the same about Lucian, because on those long nights spent lying on the shore of the lagoon, gazing up at the stars, I managed to get him to admit that he hadn’t missed a chance to be with other she-wolves, who, despite not being his mate, still found their way into his bed. In any case, we would already be married if it weren’t for the sudden return of the King Rogue to our lands. He hasn’t come to attack us—not yet. He’s still licking the wounds that my parents and the former Alpha inflicted on him five years ago. But he crossed into our territory, and a patrol spotted him. They notified my brother and Lucian, who wasn’t going to miss the opportunity to hunt down the man who killed his father. He assembled a hunting party, and I wanted to be a part of it, because I am a warrior, one of the best, and the future Luna of our pack. “Careful, lioness, they’re close, and the wind’s against us,” Lucian warned me as he spotted me. His eyes shone with intensity, as they did every time he looked at me after just five minutes apart. That was the effect of being mates; I knew it because I felt the same way whenever I saw him. So handsome, tall, masculine, and strong. Goddess, how I desired him! “I used scentless spray; don’t take me for a novice,” I said with a smile, fighting the urge to kiss him. “I know. I just like teasing you.” “And I love it when you do, lion.” We would have kept flirting if my brother hadn’t approached. “The ambush is set, my friend,” Connor said to Lucian. He and I were the only ones in the entire pack allowed to address the Alpha with such familiarity. “The King Rogue won’t escape this time.” Lucian nodded. “Perfect, brother,” he replied, calling Connor by the title they used for each other. Though they weren’t related by blood, they treated each other as if they were. “Make sure the healer is ready, and not just for our men. I want that scoundrel alive.” Connor nodded and went off to relay Lucian’s orders. The healer was with us as well—that’s how important this hunt was to Lucian. But I knew that the thing that most excited him was having me by his side, that his mate, and future Luna, was part of the hunt. “Are you ready, lioness?” “I was born ready, lion. Let’s get that bastard.” We moved swiftly, our scent concealed, the faint glow of a waning moon casting shadows on us as dawn approached. This was going to be my first battle, and the prey could not have been better. Finally, after five years, we were all going to avenge our parents. As I moved through the mist that was starting to rise, my eyes met Morgana’s. She looked at me like she wanted to make a dress out of my skin. Morgana had grown up believing she would be Lucian’s mate, but when she received her wolf, just a few days after our Alpha did, it became clear that she had been living in a fantasy. The blow was devastating for her, but it was even worse when, after six years of enjoying Lucian almost exclusively, I arrived to claim the role the Goddess had given me with our Alpha. “I thought you weren’t coming. That you’d chickened out,” she said with that smile of hers that could freeze hell. “And miss the moment you piss your new pants?” I replied, gesturing for the other girls to gather. “No, never.” Morgana looked at me without saying anything. I had truly angered her. She stepped closer, her lips brushing against my ear. “Enjoy your fifteen minutes of fame, b***h, because the day will come—maybe sooner than you think—when I’ll be the one in your place. Then, oh yes, you’ll see me piss, but it’ll be on your grave.” If it had been any other female in the pack, I would have grabbed her by the throat right then and there, in front of the others, and choked her. But Morgana knew she could get away with saying things like that because Lucian and Connor protected her. She had been their friend since childhood; they went to school together, to college, and through every pack training session. She was their friend—and sometimes, their lover. With me, she had always been indifferent, even condescending, until the day I received my wolf and it became clear that I was the Alpha’s mate. From that moment, her hatred for me became systematic. “To your positions,” I said loudly, with the authority of a Luna in the making. It wasn’t worth wasting energy on Morgana. The Goddess had already spoken; I was the Alpha’s mate, and there was nothing she could do to change that. If she actually managed to kill me, Lucian would personally tear her head off. Morgana slipped away and took her place as lieutenant of the unit. “Alpha Lucian expects the best from us,” I began my rallying speech. “This is a unique opportunity to end, once and for all, this war that has dragged on for more than a decade. The King Rogue is currently protected by his best warriors, men and women who are ready to give their lives for him, so I expect no less from us. As sharpshooters, our duty is to guard the flanks of our advance, led by our Alpha and our Beta. Let’s prove that we are worthy of what our pack expects of us.” The women cheered, excited. Several of them were mothers, wives, and sisters of some of those who had fallen in this war that seemed endless. The idea of ending this slaughter fueled them with the same fire that drove me to avenge my parents. My eyes landed on Morgana to give her the order to move. “Now. To our positions.” Covered by the mist, which grew thicker by the minute, we took our assigned positions for the ambush. “I can smell them already,” Morgana said beside me. “Or is that your stench?” “We’ll settle this when we return to the pack,” I replied, unfazed by her words, which was exactly what she wanted to disrupt. “I won’t tolerate your insults or snide comments anymore. In a few days, I’ll be your Luna, and you’ll have to respect me—or face exile.” “Don’t be so sure of yourself, b***h. Things can change at any moment.” I wanted to respond to Morgana’s last words, but then we heard the beginning of the battle. I had to focus on what really mattered at that moment. “Now!” I ordered. We burst out of the mist, transforming as we charged toward our enemies. Freidis, my wolf, roared fiercely. She was as excited as I was for what we were about to achieve. How long I had longed for this moment, ever since Connor came home with the news of our parents’ deaths, five years ago. Now it was happening; revenge was within reach of my claws, and all thanks to Lucian’s dedication and planning, who had never rested until this ambush was a reality. Amidst the confusion of clashing bodies, I caught sight of the unit led by Lucian, who fought alongside Connor. The two of them were killing machines. I looked toward the direction of their charge, and then I recognized him, among the men and women protecting him. It was the King Rogue. His presence was unmistakable. I didn’t expect him to be so young—he must have been around the same age as Lucian and Connor. And he was handsome. The King Rogue’s gaze, filled with desperation, turned toward me. We looked at each other for just a second, but it was enough to freeze me. Then I realized what he was about to do. He was starting to slip away, ready to flee, taking advantage of his warriors forming a wall in front of Lucian and Connor. The King Rogue was about to escape, and it was through the flank I was attacking. I was going to need someone else to cut him off, and I couldn’t call on any of the other warriors who were busy holding the line. Morgana! Where was she? Where had that fool gone when I needed her the most?