Mina POV
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The silence and peace of her bedroom was welcomed after her birthday party. Despite asking the Luna to cancel it, it went ahead, and her attendance was mandatory. Though it was a small affair, the private celebratory dinner dragged. Its atmosphere was far from joyous. A stiffness hung in the air, centering on the newly mated pair forced together at the head of the table. Alastor hadn’t spoken a word to her the entire evening, but no one addressed the chill between them. The reason was as obvious as the Luna’s attempt to pretend it wasn’t there. Though, Mina wondered if his behaviour was much different from usual.
The elder Hayre sibling didn’t often speak to her or spend much time in her presence. They only mingled when he was working, or when she spent time at Owen’s house. She wasn’t sure she had even been alone with the man. There had never been a reason to. He had always just been Owen’s older brother. He had never invited anything beyond that to form between them, not even a friendship, and neither had she. He wasn’t one of the wolves she trusted, to him she was the next Luna and nothing more. She had to fulfil that expectation. Not like Owen, who saw her for her, yet the Moon Goddess considered Alastor to be a better mate?
Her heart was still heavy for her friend. She hadn’t seen him since he had stormed out of the packhouse. When Sam had returned, she had bombarded him with questions, but all he did was reassure her that Owen was as okay as he could be. He had decided not to come to her party and had asked for her to give him space. Mina agreed, but couldn’t help but notice his absence at the celebration. He was the one she usually stayed with to get through such events, but she had had to soldier through it alone. Chloe and Sam had tried to keep her in good spirits, but their efforts were in vain.
Not even eating some of Chloe’s cupcakes earlier, while she weaved her black mane into an elegant design, could touch the edges of her sadness. If anything, it made it worse. Mina watched Chloe in the mirror, a gleam in her eyes as she showed off her skills. She was sweet and warm, and far better with other wolves than Mina ever was. If it wasn’t for her, Chloe would’ve already been the Clear Blue Luna. As the mate to the Luna’s son, the position would’ve been hers if Mina hadn’t been born. A spike of jealousy willed her to force the title onto Chloe, but she wouldn’t wish that pressure on anyone. Especially not her friend.
Instead, she had shared some of the burden of her position, spilling everything that had happened in her mother’s office to her brother and his mate.
Mina flopped onto her bed, and looked at her bare wrist, stretching towards the ceiling. Gone was the party dress, make-up and accessories, but the largest weight off her shoulders was the heirloom. There was something about it that didn’t sit right with her. She hadn’t been able to convince Sam to let her forget to wear it to the party, but he had promised to hold onto it for a few days while her emotions settled. They could excuse its absence to their mother, explaining she was waiting for the Luna ceremony to wear it.
Mina didn’t want that either, but she hardly had a choice. It was their pack’s heirloom, a bracelet every past Legacy Luna had worn, she couldn’t be different.
Sam had questioned what their mother had meant about it channelling power, but she couldn’t answer. When Chloe had asked her if she felt her Legacy Luna power now she was twenty-five, Mina had frowned. There had been something different within her that morning, a buzz, a glow, that she didn’t usually feel. She had put it down to the excitement of the day, but that was long gone yet the feeling still remained. She felt it now, stirring beneath the skin. Though it felt no different whether she was wearing the heirloom or not.
Mina’s arm flopped back to the covers. Exhaustion pulled at her, but her mind was too alive to sleep. It ran away with thoughts of the next few days and the years to come. Could she really be the Clear Blue Luna without Owen?
Suddenly a mindlink burst threw them all.
‘Williamina!’
Mina jerked upright, her mother’s scream sending her blood cold. Its panic bled into her, forcing her to her feet and out the door. She had never heard such pure fear in her mother’s voice before, the sound ricocheting in her mind with each pound of her feet down the corridor. She didn’t bother calling for help. The mindlink had been pack wide, and the warriors would one their way, but she wouldn’t wait for them.
She burst into the office, following her mother’s scent. Immediately, a metallic tang pooled around her, turning her stomach, making her retch. Only a single candle glowed on the Luna’s desk, its light spilling onto two figures on the floor. Mina’s eyes flew wide. She took a step forward. Another. Then, a clatter behind the desk jerked her attention. There, crouched in the window frame, a man was silhouetted against the night sky, the candle’s flickers barely reaching him. She froze, terror gripping her in its claws. Her eyes were locked to the man. He was her only focus as she was his. She couldn’t see his face, but felt his scrutiny, before he dropped from the ledge and out of sight.
As if his gaze had bound her, she rushed forward upon freedom, tumbling to her knees. Sam. Mother. They both laid still, the scent of blood hanging over them. Her hands gravitated to her brother. He was on his front, his face turned away, towards the desk. He was still wearing his clothes from the party, but there wasn’t a single speck of red on his white shirt. She pressed a palm to his back, a rush of relief blowing past her lips. Not only was he warm, but his body rose and fell with soft breaths. He was alive.
‘Mina. Where are you?’
Another mindlink pushed into her thoughts. Oliver, Owen’s dad and head of the Hayre family.
‘The Luna’s office. Hurry.’
Though she managed to respond, there was no urgency to her voice. She barely focused on what she was saying as her eyes fell to her mother. If the blood wasn’t coming from Sam... Mina found it. The source of the iron tang filling her senses. A knife she recognised was buried deep into the Luna’s chest, red pooling around it.
Mina stared. It wasn’t real. How could it be?
She leaned forward, her eyes narrowing to catch the trick of the light, but the knife remained in place. A cold shiver traced her spine, the chilled night air brushing over her skin. She reached forward, watching her hand stretch out as if it wasn’t her own. It shook as it touched her mother's, her fingers barely feeling her skin before the Luna coughed.
She jerked, then Mina crawled through the growing pool of blood, drawing to her mother’s side. The hesitation vanished, replaced by an urgency that had her fretting over the wound. Her hands hovered around the knife, until she settled on applying pressure around it. Once the others got there, they could take out the knife and save her.
A hand slammed against her arm, its force shocking through her. “M-M-M-Mi.”
“I’m here, Luna.” Mina spoke around the lump in her throat, willing her body to stop shaking as she smiled down at her. Her eyes widened at the red stain on her mother’s lips, the dazed cloud covering her expression.
“S-S-Sam...” The Luna forced his name out around a gurgle of blood.
“He’s okay.” She spoke just to keep her mother quiet. “I think he’s just knocked out. He’s still breathing, and I couldn’t see any wounds. The warriors are on their way. They’ll catch the bastard who did this.”
Hot tears stung her eyes as she glared at the window, its pane blown shut with the wind. She sniffed, but there were no scents in the office she didn’t recognise. They must’ve used a scent blocker.
The hand on her arm loosened, falling to the floor. Mina tore her attention back to her mother. She stopped. The Luna’s eyes were wide, unfocused, staring through her. Her lips were parted but their only movement was a thick drop of blood sliding its way to her chin. Mina’s brow furrowed. Her hands clamped tighter around the blade, her flesh hot and sticky with blood, but there was no push against them. No breath rising to meet her palm.
Her mouth dried, her breath catching in her throat. “Mum?”
Mina POV - The office door slammed open, feet thundering into the room, but one look at the scene had the warriors hanging back. Only three stepped forward, but their approach didn’t move Mina’s fixed stare. She looked at the intricate handle of the blade, sticking out of her mother’s chest. Its pale blue shone proud in the candle light, as it stole the Luna’s life. It was the ornamental blade she had often admired in the office, but she had never been allowed to remove it from its glass case on the wall. In fact, she had never seen it removed, but could see now how well it had been cared for. There wasn't a speck of dust on its surface, only flecks of red marring its perfect sheen. She was certain its silver blade would have been polished to perfection too. A warm hand cupped her cheek, gently guiding her focus away from the weapon. The noise around her suddenly grew. There was movement beside her brother’s body, another warrior opposite her at the Luna’s side, more behind her at
Mina POV - Dread pooled within her gut. Mina turned to Owen, desperately taking a step towards her friend. He took a step back. “Owen?” Her voice cracked, her hand reaching for him, but he jerked away. He was pale, a sickly colour, his eyes flitting to his father. Oliver must’ve mindlinked him the contents of the letter while she had read it. “It isn’t true. You have to believe me.” She went to take another step towards her friend, but his father blocked her path. “Yet the only wolves who could verify that are either dead or unconscious.” He stepped towards her. There weren’t many wolves that Mina would retreat from, but the head of the Hayre family was one of them. “You got here before everyone else.” He stated, stepping forward again. “I couldn’t sleep.” “You’re covered in the Luna’s blood.” At the mere mention, her fists clenched, her stomach turning at the sticky heat of her mother’s blood coating them. “I was trying to save her.” Mina’s voice shook. “She s
Alastor POV - If it wasn’t for her scream, Alastor would’ve walked right by Mina. She was curled tight on the muddy floor, her body muffling her weak sobs. Though he knew she was running, he hadn’t been able to envision her as anything but her usual composed perfection. He had been searching for the woman who had attended the Luna court only a few days ago. The woman who had managed to wrangle the tidal of feelings attached to their new bond, when it had him wanting to carry her away from prying eyes and claim every inch of her body. The woman at his feet was neither. She was broken, she was a mess, she needed help. Mina only roused when he covered her with a blanket. Something in his chest unwound when she spoke his name, but the tension returned when her eyelids fluttered shut. She slumped against the cold ground, and he moved quickly to pull her to his kneeling form, her head coming to rest on his lap. He had to move her, to get her to somewhere safe. Before he could conside
Alastor POV - The late hour made it difficult to find a safe place to stay, so Alastor didn’t take Mina far. Though they were now rogues, he knew the territory around the Clear Blue pack and chose to stay close. On first look, the flat land didn’t leave many places to take cover, especially when he wanted to stay hidden from the pack and the wilderness alike. However, he knew every divot and weave of the land and found a slight hill that would cover their position and give him a wide view of the open space. It wasn’t perfect, but it would have to do until morning. Thankfully, the rest of the evening was quiet, but Alastor moved at first light. Mina was still sleeping, so he carried her again, taking her far away from the place that broke her. As an accomplished member of the Hayre family, he had travelled more than most, accompanying the Luna and his father on trips from the territory. He had made friends in other packs, building his own connections to wolves over the nation. A fe
Mina POV - As a Legacy Luna, Mina was used to finery; her pillows were always plumped, her mattress soft, the warmth of home surrounded her each morning. However, she had never woken up so comfortable in her entire life. The bed beneath her was warm and cradled her like it was personally built for her body. It moved with her breath and purred as she nuzzled further into its comfort. It was heavenly, and she enjoyed every second as she was lulled from her deep sleep. Her stirrings awakened something around her, blooming a fresh scent that coaxed at her consciousness. It drew her from the dark, so light and clear. Her eyes fluttered open as she inhaled the breath of fresh air. Her nose chased it, pushing into her pillow. It tickled against her cheek, soft, teasing, drawing a smile. Light brown fur swayed in her vision, dancing in a breeze she was too warm to feel. Mina spread her hand wide in the fur, humming as it played through her fingertips. A rumble answered her, deep and low,
Mina POV - Despite promising to answer her questions after breakfast, Alastor inhaled his food and set about working on their camp before she had even finished her first bite. When she stood, ready to talk, he fired instructions at her, one after another. The rest of the day followed suit. When she had done whatever job he had asked, another one was already lined up, stealing her attention off the impending conversation. It was frustrating, but as their campsite began to take form, she decided they could talk after they were done working. It didn’t look like much when they had finished, but it was the first shelter she had ever built. Mina smiled, wiping the sheen of her efforts from her brow. They had found enough fallen trees and branches to create a shed of sorts, with three walls and one open side, overlooking the lake. They had cleared the ground inside but hadn’t bothered to find anything to form beds. The dirt was soft enough for them and, if it got cold, they could simpl
Mina POV - There was peace in the night. As much as Mina loved the warmth of the sun, and the bright colours it spread through the nation, the night brought its own calm. She was certain most wolves felt a deep connection to the moon, finding comfort in its light as if it held the Moon Goddess' love, but it was slightly different for her. Back home, the night had meant a time to rest. A time when she was alone. A time when she was nobody and nothing more than Williamina. The responsibilities of her future title slipped away and she basked in having nothing to do, no orders to follow. Spending the day building the shelter had brought her that same peace, but with Alastor at her side, she hadn’t been able to fully calm. He was asleep now. His steady swells of breath broke the crisp air. She felt them as much as she heard them, pushing her body to rise and fall in a rhythm that tried to lull her to sleep. Mina resisted. She had told him she would be the one to stay awake, to keep wat
Mina POV - The night didn’t seem as peaceful anymore. Each sound jerked through Mina in a violent pull that snatched her attention and held it for a heart stopping moment. She tried to soothe herself, knowing the nightlife returning was another sign that the enemy had gone, but she was on high alert. Her heart stuttered at each snapped twig, adrenaline slicing hot through her veins at each rustled leaf. Each one made her breath freeze sharp in her chest. She waited. She listened. When she was certain there was nothing lurking in the darkness, she continued. Mina had never appreciated how heavy a body could be before. She hadn’t lugged another wolf around since she was a young pup. Playing was unbecoming of a Luna after all. Or so her mother had often scolded her, when her and Sam escaped the packhouse to play with the other pups. Alastor was a big man, taller than her, bulkier, heavier, weighed down with muscles that were easier to appreciate than carry. It wasn’t simple to move h