Chapter Seventeen

Luna wasn’t sure how much more of this she could take. Each night, the waiting was getting harder and harder, and she was having trouble sleeping. She would toss and turn in her bed, visions and dreams of not only her pack but Keiran’s pack getting viciously hurt by Robert’s men…or worse, killed.

There was so much to think about that she couldn’t get her mind to calm down for two seconds. Growling in frustration, she sat up in her bed and pulled her pillow into her arms, holding it close. She tried to focus her mind on just one thing, and the first thing that came to her mind was what Larentia had told her and Keiran the other day. The packs would join.

How was that even going to work out? A pack couldn’t have two alphas and two betas. Where would they stay? She wasn’t about to ask Keiran to pack up all of his stuff and move here, and she didn’t think he would ask that of her either. Rolling her eyes at herself, she ran her hand through her hair and exhaled harshly.

Looking around her room for something to keep her mind occupied so that it wouldn’t run a mile a minute, she groaned as she couldn’t come up with anything. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, holding the air in her lungs.

She needed Keiran. She needed his arm around her; she needed to breath in his masculine scent. It always made her feel protected, like everything really would be okay.

Putting her pillow back down on the bed, she slipped off and moved toward the door. As she stopped and checked herself in the mirror, she quickly realized what she was doing and scoffed at herself.

"Get a hold of yourself,” she scolded.

Exhaling her breath, she opened her door and looked down each side of the hallway. From what she could hear, everyone had gone to bed for the night. Thank Larentia…

With a smile on her face, she tip-toed across the floor to Keiran’s room. She didn’t want to knock on the door. That would only wake up the others. Slowly and carefully, she twisted the door knob and slid inside the room, shutting the 

door even quieter than she opened it. “Keiran,” she whispered. A snore was all she got for a response.

Covering the small laughter bubbling from her lips, she moved over to the bed.

Not wanting to seem like a weird stalker, she gripped his shoulder and shook him hard. “Wake up,” she said a little louder.

He grumbled and slowly opened his eyes. Recognition crossed his irises and he sat up quickly. “Luna…what’s wrong?”

She placed her forefinger over her lips. “Shh,” she moved to sit on the edge of the bed.

“What’s going on?”

“Nothing, I just couldn’t sleep.”

He sat there and examined her, as if he was making sure she was truly okay. The thought made her heart leap in her chest. He let out a visible breath and sat back against the headboard, opening his arm for her to lie against his chest…which was bare.

Curling her lower lip beneath her teeth, she moved into his arm and rested her head back against his shoulder. “I’m sorry to wake you,” she looked up at his face. “I just…I can’t get my mind to relax enough to get some sleep, and when I’m with you, I know I can find rest.”

He grinned at her, a wide, genuine grin that she just knew only a few people got to see.

“You don’t have to worry about a thing, Luna. I promise I’ll take care of you.”

She tilted her head back a little more and stared into his deep, dark eyes. They were full of such history, and it was then that she realized there was something new in them. His brown irises used to be full of fear. Now, they were full of confidence, strength…and she could have sworn she saw love.

To her, that was crazy to think about since, really, they had just met. But she was done with expecting the normal in her life. She wasn’t normal, and she would take whatever happened with open arms.

“Keiran,” she whispered. “I know I said I’d never ask anything of you, but…”

“You don’t even have to ask.” He didn’t even give her a chance to finish what she was saying. He knew. He knew right away what she was going to ask him.

In the moonlight that was flooding the room, his lips found hers. He kissed her softly, pulling her body around so that their chests pressed against one another’s. The heat of his body seeped into hers, warming her in every possible way. She sucked in a breath as she slipped her hands up the side of his neck until her fingers fisted in her hair.

When they were officially breathless, the kiss finally broke. They both gasped for air and she closed her eyes, re-living the last few seconds in her mind.

Together, as one, she and her wolf claimed him. “You’re mine, Keiran Marrok, my wolf.”

That grin showed up on his face again and he drifted small kisses up the length of her jaw bone till his lips tickled her ear. His breath was warm against her skin as he spoke. “As you are mine, Luna.”

Her mind, which had been at unease, became relaxed and she snuggled into his arms with the widest smile on her face. Somehow…things would work out. Even if they didn’t, she trusted that she would have Keiran by her side to help her through, as would she be by his side.

Thank you, Larentia, she thought as sleep finally took her underneath.

~

The night had finally come. Keiran’s constant reminders and reassurances had done wonders for her, but there was still the occasional butterfly in her stomach.

As the members of the packs gathered in the living room, she walked out of her bedroom and right into Keiran’s chest. Tilting her head back, she looked up at him and was greeted by that grin she was coming to love. “Hey, I was coming to find you. Everyone’s gathering and waiting for us.”

“Well, you found me.” She reached down and took him by the hand. They had been doing it openly now - holding each other’s hands. No one in the pack asked them about what was going to happen, if there was going to be a mating or not. Their pack members understood that they didn’t want to be pressured. She knew the both of them were thankful for it.

Taking a deep breath, she squeezed his hand. “Okay, let’s do this.”

Together, they walked into the living room and stood in the middle of the assembly they had going on.

Raul was pacing on his feet, as well as Blaez. Seth kept running his hand through his hair, that ever constant look of anger making an appearance on his face. Rafe was standing next to Tala, and Jaclyn was leaning against the back door. Embry was sitting on the edge of the couch.

Keiran spoke first. “This is it, guys. We’ve been waiting for this night and planning for a week now. Everyone needs to be on their highest guard; eyes need to be everywhere. If you see something, you let the rest of us know right away. Got it?”

There was a collective set of nods.

Luna took another breath before taking her turn. “I know this is an emotional night, but please, do your best to make sure that your emotions do not get the best of you and your judgment. Don’t hesitate to call out for help should you need it.”

“Don’t forget, Raul gets the main kill and Rafe will be his back-up. Everyone else will be watching out and taking care of the other hunters.” Keiran reminded them.

“We have Larentia on our side with this. She will be helping us.” She let out the breath she had been holding. “Is everyone ready?”

Everyone either nodded again or made some sound of acknowledgement.

“Alright…let’s go.”

~

The packs ran through the forest fast and their paws hitting the ground sounded like thunder. As Luna looked back at everyone and over at Keiran by her side, she was reminded of her very first run again. She was in her father’s place now, and she was doing what he would have done.

A sense of pride ran through her. She lifted her head and let out a loud howl. She would have been grinning if she could. Running faster, she felt Keiran mimicking her moves and realized that she did the same to him. They were two pieces of a whole, the perfect team.

Blaez and Rafe caught up to their sides and followed on their hind legs. They were getting close to the point that Blaez had told the hunters where they could find the packs.

She kept praying this would work. It had to.

Keiran howled an order, one that told everyone in the packs to pay attention and that they were getting close. Once they were sure they were being followed, they would lead the hunters to Wolf’s Cavern and then split up. She kept running through the plan over and over in her head. It seemed fool proof enough.

Her ears perked up when she heard more footsteps from behind them. They definitely weren’t the sounds of wolf paws hitting the leaves that had fallen on the ground. They were feet, and yelling voices accompanied them. She and Keiran howled together and as one entire group, the packs sped up. It was time to lead the hunters into their trap.

They dipped through trees and jumped over bushes. When Wolf’s Cavern was in sight, she ran to the right side of the cliff and was followed by Rafe, Raul, and Tala. Keiran went to the left side. Em, Blaez, Seth, and Jaclyn went with him. She rounded the corner as fast as she could, keeping her eye over the edge of the cliff.

She watched as the hunter’s ran right into the cavern, with Robert at their lead. It was working…

A growl began to rumble in her chest as she thought of all the damage Robert had done to the packs. With her upper lip curling up over her teeth, she jumped off the edge of the cavern with Keiran at her side again, and the packs following close behind.

Robert jumped back in surprise as all nine wolves crouched down and growled at him.

The time had come…