Chapter 14

The pack had been very busy over the next couple of days, we had patrols hunting for food, patrols watching the shores, patrols fortifying the buildings. It seemed the pack was very comfortable living on the island. The mainland had stopped burning yesterday, but there were still small billows of smoke here and there. On the top balcony of the alpha house on the island you used to be able to see Ajax's old mansion, but all that was left now was a pile of ash and dust. Lupus retired as Beta he knew Lucian was in good hands with Arthur at his side. He had told me he planned on stepping down when Lucian took over, but he wasn't expecting it this soon. Lucian kept him on the war council so he still had a say in what happens in the pack and to help revise our plans for taking out the vampires and how to go about Blood Moon. We sent Mary and Arthur last night to their territory to request help and tell them the plan. They have yet to return and I was getting very worried. I was in the war room pacing back and forth lost in my own head chewing on the tip of my fingers, a nervous habit I had. I was either biting the tips of my fingers or chewing my bottom lip. I haven't left this room since last night after Mary and Arthur left. Lucian had left to send out patrols and make sure everything else was going smoothly.

"They should've been back by now!" I half-shout to myself something was wrong, I could feel it. Sprinting out of the house I spot Lucian sending out the last afternoon patrol and I head toward him.

"Something's wrong. I don't know what, but I can feel it. Mary and Arthur aren't back yet and I just know something happened. I don't think Marcus agreed." as I was speaking I was frantically looking around desperate to see Mary and Arthur walking up perfectly fine.

"Hey, hey it's okay," Lucian takes my hand in his, his touch automatically relaxing me a little bit, "They're going to be fine I pro-." before he could finish his sentence Arthur comes racing at us. Alone.

"Arthur??? Where's Mary!?" I yell now fully worried and panicking as Arthur got closer I noticed he returned not in the condition he left in. He was bruised and bloody and a nasty black eye was still healing. Marcus said no.

"She…they kept her. Said they wouldn't let her go until either Marcus was dead or our pack was wiped out by vampires. They heard our alpha was dead and wouldn't help an alpha-less pack." Arthur's rage came through clearer and clearer the more he spoke, by the end of his explanation a crowd had formed around us. Angry cries erupted all around us and more than one piped out "But we have an alpha!" and a lot of other things along those same lines.

"Quiet!" Lucian howled out alpha aura oozing out of his words causing everyone to go silent, so silent you could hear a pin drop.

"We already have a plan B in case Marcus didn't agree to help us. He may not think we don't have an alpha, but now we're going to prove him very, very wrong." Lucian's eyes flashed black and I knew his wolf was in control now, and he was bloodthirsty. "Arthur Ella and I will be taking a small warrior party with us. The rest of you continue the patrols but keep a constant eye on the shore closest to the Blood Moon's territory, if he was smart he'd send a party to finish what the vampires started. Have at least four wolves on the shore at all times, keep a runner close by in case you need to get more warriors to help." Lucian shouted waving his hand to disperse the crowd. There were seven warriors left with us by the time the crowd disappeared to do their jobs I saw Lupus taking control over arranging the patrols and the watch duty. I knew why Lucian didn't have Arthur stay and do his job as Lucian's Beta, but if I was the one left on enemy territory Lucian wouldn't let anyone else, but himself come after me. The protectiveness a mate feels for the other would rival anything else on the planet. When you see wolves out in the wild, the female then pretends to be scared and moves her muzzle in front of her mate's throat. It's not a fear tactic it's a protection tactic, she's covering his most vulnerable spot to keep an attack away. That instinct is ten times stronger for a werewolf, it's just our genetics. Arthur wouldn't let us go without him at least not without a fight. Lucian explained a plan to the warriors and they nodded their heads in agreement. With that, we headed off. Either we were going to gain another pack, or my mate was going to die today and I didn't even get to complete the mate bond with him. Letting the others walk ahead of me, I grabbed Lucian's arm and pulled him back with me.

"What's wrong?" he looks down on me, worry and concern swimming in his sky blue eyes.

"I couldn't let you potentially die without doing this first." he opens his mouth to speak but I wrap my hand around the back of his neck and pull his face to mine. The moment our lips touched sparks flew everywhere and it felt like fireworks were going off all around us. Right now everything was perfect, I was with my other half and nothing in the world would ruin it. I knew at this moment I would accept him whether I succeed as Luna or fail. I would accept this man as my mate and stand by his side through anything. I wanted time to stop, to keep us in this moment, not the one where Lucian might die in an alpha challenge, not the one where the vampires might attack again at any time. Just this one where Lucian and I were one, where we could take over the world if we are together. A new link in my mind opened up and I could physically feel Lucian's emotions. His adoration for me, his worry, his sadness over losing his dad, his confidence about the fight about to happen, and the one that surprised me the most. His love for me. Our mate bond had begun to form.