Chapter 18 - Luna
Alyssa's POV:
Brent and I climbed into the back of the SUV awaiting us and Anderson slid into the front passenger seat. I was anxious as hell, but I knew this needed to happen. Brent was silent, looking out the window with his eyebrows drawn together. He was in a dark navy suit with a light blue button-up and a matching tie. I know he hated suits, but he looked incredible.
I reached out and grabbed his hand. I knew he was upset about, but I had to do this. I had to do this for not only myself but for my daughter. This had to be done, but I wasn't sure how to bring this up to him, especially under such a small time constraint.
'Um, I don't know. Maybe the truth for starters?' My wolf chimed in.
'Oh please' I snapped back, 'there's hardly any time to hash this all out. I fully planned to tell him everything back in the room before he exploded, this is not all on me,' I shot back.
'True, but you both need to get better at communicating,' she huffed before laying down in the back of my mind. I couldn't really argue with her on that so I didn't even bother to respond.
I was jolted from my thoughts when Brent suddenly broke the tension by speaking, "why do you want to see him?" he
solemnly asked me. My poor mate looked as if he were fighting between jealousy and sadness .
I turned sideways in my seat to face him, "Brent, this has nothing to do with wanting to see him because I love him or still have some sort of connection to him. I need him to see that he didn't win. I need to face him, while I have the chance to show him that he holds no power over me anymore. I need to do this for myself, besides I will have you right there beside me." I pressed all the love I could through the bond, pleading for him to understand.
I took a deep breath, I needed to clue him in, " I also have to tell - " I was suddenly cut off by the driver announcing our arrival.
Great, once again, I didn't get to finish, but Brent looked like he felt much better, the bond humming with love and contentment. I was given further proof of his enhanced mood when he grabbed my hand and lifted it to his mouth, kissing the palm of my hand.
"I get it. Thank you for explaining, now let's get this over with," he said as he hopped out of the car and rounded to my side to open the door. He gripped my hand and helped me step out of the large SUV. He released my hand but quickly wrapped his arm around my waist. Pulling me tightly into his side, our Beta coming to shadow us both. This level of protection was going to take some getting used to, but I'd be lying if I said it didn't offer me a sense of peace I hadn't felt in years.
We made our way up the steps and into the building. The cells were daunting. More so than I thought they would be. The eerie silence was intense. The only sound was the buzz of the bright lights that hung overhead. After several security checkpoints, we finally arrived at my ex-mate's cell door. I took in a deep, heavy breath which caught the attention of my mate.
"Are you okay? You can leave right now, you do not have to do this. I know you think you have something to prove to him, but you don't. You can leave right now." His tone was hopeful that I would decide I was ready to leave. I hated to break it to him, but I was not leaving without doing this. I told him this and he begrudgingly nodded at the guard to press the numbers. I couldn't help but giggle internally at the fact that a guard was now placed directly outside of the door after Brent's rampage.
I stepped into the room first, wolf law always had the highest-ranked female, followed by the highest-ranked male enter a room first. The bond coursed with Brent hating that I was entering first. His need to protect me and place me behind him was at war with the fact that his wolf would never allow such disrespect by having me enter second.
I stepped through the doorway, Brent closely flanking me on my left followed by Anderson on my right. The loud click of the cell door shutting simultaneously caused me to jump and Dalton to lift his head. The bruises and cuts that littered his face were alarming. Wolves healed very quickly due to our enhanced metabolism, but there were still signs of what he had endured at the hands of my mate. I couldn't help but feel vindicated.
Dalton glared at me, "oh, has my slut of a mate come to ask for my forgiveness?" The hatred he had for me spewed like a venomous poison from his mouth.
My hand flew up instinctively to Brent's chest to keep him from charging. We had agreed to keep the bond open, no matter what, so I was even more in tune with him than usual.
I silently pulled the neck of my dress to the side so that Dalton could see the white, shiny mark my mate had left just above my collarbone. I brushed my fingertips lightly across it as I put my dress back in place, earning me a growl of appreciation from the devilishly handsome man beside me.
Dalton's eyes narrowed at me. For a man that thought so highly of himself, he sure was stupid. Could he not smell that our scents had been entangled into a mate bond? Was he truthfully this delusional?
He shifted his gaze to Brent, unable to hold eye contact with a higher rank, but this did not stop him from speaking, "looks like she has you fooled, too. Oh well, she's not my problem anymore, nor is that child you kept trying to pass off as mine," He sneered as he brought his attention back to me.
This time I had to raise both arms to keep both men from charging. Brent and Anderson were not enjoying their Luna and heir being spoken of so lowly. I really needed to get this done and over with. I wasn't sure how much longer I could keep them at bay.
With feigned emotion, I asked, "why is it that you hate me so much? I am the mother of your child, could you at least respect me from that vantage point?" I already knew the answers to the questions, he's hurled them at me so many times, but I needed him to say them out loud.
A hideously patronizing laugh left his throat causing both men to growl, "I deny that pup is mine. I have no bond with her. I have already told you that my bloodline only makes males, you stupid bitch, she cannot possibly be mine. We haven't had a female in our line in over 70 years." There it is, keep going, I thought. And keep going he did.
"And you're an omega! A nothing! I am in the Gamma bloodline! I deserved a mate of a higher rank and I wish you had died!" He shouted.
Anderson wrapped his arms around Brent's neck as he attempted to charge at the man. I allowed Anderson to get him under control for a moment before continuing .
My wolf was growling. Fighting me for control. My wolf had taken to being a Luna very well. It was our birthright after all.
"I am a Luna and you will respect me," a low growl vibrating from my chest.
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Brent's POV:
"I am a Luna and you will respect me," my mate growled at the man sitting in front of us, my wolf practically purring at the powerful aura that radiated off of her. I was in awe of her.
"Watch how you speak to her!" I glared at him. She was handling herself fine, but that sack of shit needed to know he wasn't in control here. I shoved Anderson's arms from my neck.
Alyssa glanced at me with a look of appreciation and turned back toward Dalton, "let me tell you a story..." she said as she perched on the edge of the table. My nerves rose to heights I didn't know existed, even though she was hardly in reach of him due to his chains. Regardless I didn't like this proximity and laid my hand on her shoulder. She reached up to place her hand over mine but made no move to get up.
She stunned the room with her revelation, "I am the daughter of the late Alpha Walsh." I squeezed her shoulder at the announcement and she made eye contact with me. I was shocked but I silently nodded for her to continue.
"I was very young when my father was killed during an invasion. There had been word of rogues and my father sent us here to Wolf Moon for protection. No one was to know who we were for our safety. Everyone except Alpha Jacobs of course, as he had to accept the temporary transfer. While we were gone there was an infiltration and during that time my father was killed. My uncle, who is mated to an oracle, came to me and my mother to not only tell us the news of my father's passing but of what the Moon Goddess had revealed to my Aunt. I would mate with an Alpha and our son would be the next leader of the Reign Moon pack."
She stopped speaking for a moment, and leveled her gaze at Dalton, "so imagine my shock to have been mated to a Gamma, but unlike you, I tried to make the best of the situation. Hoping to understand why the course had changed."
Anderson and I exchanged looks. The revelation caused the entire room to fall into a contentious hush, Dalton's face becoming redder by the second with unspoken words.
However, I couldn't focus on anything but what she had said about a male heir. Dread filled me, the possibility that I could give her a son was slim to none. She would leave me. There was no way around this. My heartbeat was like a roar in my ears as anxiety took over.
As if he could read my mind, a nasty grin spread across Dalton's face, "there's just one problem sweetheart, your Alpha shoots blanks, but don't worry, if you're a good girl I'll take you back, and will give you a son if you ask nicely." Of course, he knew, he was a ranked wolf, and the status of heirs was shared between pack officials.
I roared and stepped in front of Alyssa, "SHE'S MINE!"
I felt my mate pulling on me so I turned around to look at her, placing her hands on either side of my face, she soothed my fury, "give me just one moment. Please. I am almost done and then I will leave, I promise."
"Make it fast," I said through gritted teeth. I was doing everything I could to keep from shifting, Anderson coming to flank me in the event he needed to intervene.
Alyssa turned back to face Dalton, "you will not disrespect my mate! I am his and he is mine!" Using her Luna authority for the first time and for my benefit,made my heart swell to new levels. Fuck, I loved this woman.
Despite every effort, Dalton succumbed to the authority and bent his neck into submission, his wolf not allowing him to disrespect her ruling.
"Now, if all of you men will let me finish so that I may get back to packing, I would appreciate it," she announced to the room. None of us dared to go against her.
After a moment of silence, she continued, "when I had been mated to a Gamma I immediately called my Aunt in confusion. She told me that there are many paths to get to the destination, but one always ends up where they are supposed to be. Meaning that my mate, regardless of the previous status, was to be an Alpha, which fulfilled her vision. She also shared that she had assumed the gender of my heir due to males being the chosen leaders. However, my father was targeted for his progressive views and for the treaty he had put in place. He wanted to make me the rightful heir as the firstborn, but the elders would not allow that, so he found a compromise they would agree to. Before his untimely passing, he was able to get the elders to agree, and sign off, that once I mated, I would become Luna of Reign Moon, and my mate would become Alpha." She glanced at me again, realizing the fact that I now had another pack under me settled well with my wolf.
"Now, as for the heir. Under the new treaty, If my mate and I were to bare a daughter before a son, our daughter would become the Luna of Reign Moon and her mate would become the Alpha as a line of succession. Once you showed me how power hungry you were, just days after Tenley's birth, I asked my uncle to continue as interim Alpha in order to protect my pack from someone like you," she spat.
The tension in my chest subsided. Tenley would be the heir with no pressure on us to bare a son. The weight lifted from my shoulders in an instant but was replaced with the outburst of the chained man in front of me.
"YOU WILL NOT TAKE MY DAUGHTER FROM ME! YOU WILL NEVER LEAVE THIS PACK AND YOU WILL NEVER LEAVE ME, REMEMBER I STILL BARE YOUR MARK! I AM THE RIGHTFUL ALPHA TO REIGN MOON! YOU BITCH! YOU FUCKING BITCH. YOU ARE TRYING TO STEAL MINE AND MY DAUGHTER'S TITLE! I WILL NOT STAND FOR THIS!" Dalton maniacally screamed, pulling on his chains as if he had any chance at removing them.
I lunged at him, my fist connecting with his face so hard blood splattered on my shirt and he was knocked from his chair. He was delusional if he thought he was going to prevent my mate and pup from leaving this pack. It was clear he did not care for them in any meaningful way. Anderson and the guards pulled me from him before I could do any more damage, but the blood pouring from his nose was sufficient for the time being.
My mate, ever full of surprises, dug a recorder from her cleavage and pressed a button. The Gamma's words from earlier filled the room, "I deny that pup is mine. I have no bond with her. I have already told you that my bloodline only makes males, she cannot possibly be mine. We haven't had a female in our line in over 70 years. And you're an omega! A nothing! I am in the Gamma bloodline! I deserved a mate of a higher rank and I wish you had died!"
"I DID NOT CONSENT TO BEING RECORDED! I WAS UNDER FALSE PRETENSES! YOU LIED TO ME!" Dalton was damn near hysterics at this point .
"Oh shut the fuck up before I rip your damn tongue out and shove it down your fucking throat!" My Beta growled at him. I couldn't help but laugh, it took a lot to piss Anderson off, but once you did...
Alyssa turned to me, placing the small device in my hand, "I do believe this, along with the fact that he never marked me, denies him access to the future Luna, and the title of Alpha to Reign Moon, am I right about that, Mr. Alpha." The last part rolled off her tongue in a way that sent shivers down my spine.
A grumble left my chest, damn it I loved when she spoke to me like that, and judging by the hint of mischief in her grin, she knew it.
"Yes, Luna, that is plenty sufficient," I said as I tucked the recorder in my suit pocket, "you, Reign Moon, and our daughter are completely protected."
My beautiful, brilliant mate had just about squared this investigation away in a matter of half an hour, only a few more details to unearth. I was in awe of her.
Her tone softened and unshed tears coated her eyes, "I am so sorry I didn't tell you any of this. I have tried a few times and each time something prevents it. I promise I planned to tell you before now," she said, looking at me for reassurance that I wasn't angry with her.
"I'll admit I am shocked but never angry," I said, kissing her forehead.
With the shouts of Dalton beginning to ramp up again my mate tilted her head further up at me, silently letting me know she wanted a kiss and I was more than happy to oblige.
"Get your fucking mouth off of her!" Dalton demanded, but it fell on deaf ears.
"Alrighty. I have gone so far past your 20 minute mark, so I will leave you, boys, to it." She said as she pecked my cheek once more before turning around and walking toward the cell door. Damn her ass was magnificent in that dress. I couldn't wait to christen our bed later this evening. The slam of the door pulled me from my thoughts as I turned back toward the manically shackled man, Anderson already laying out our usual interrogation tools.
I cracked my knuckles and loosened my tie, followed by the removal of my jacket. Let the games begin.