Heart of the Moon

Kieran’s POV ~

Sitting in the office with Axel, I ask “What have you found on the rogues that attacked Dark Woods? And have we had any word on Peter Moore’s condition?” Axel shrugged, replying “I heard Alec has a healer coming in from Ireland to look him over. Supposedly, the best healer.. But, as of the latest update, Peter is critically wounded.. and not expected to make it.”

Fuck! I really like Peter. He’s a good man! Alec will be devastated! I wait for Axel to continue with the report on the rogues. He tells me “The rogues are amassing, under the order of a rogue Alpha.. calling himself King of Rogues. He believes if he takes you out, everyone else will fall in line. The rogue we captured said they attacked Dark Woods because it holds the heart of the Moon. We haven’t found what they meant by that.. they didn’t know.. but Cole is researching everything we have.”

I’m perplexed.. and now, curious “The Heart of the Moon? I have heard of that.. but it’s just a myth. A bedtime story! Nothing more!” Axel is shaking his head.. then he says “Every myth is based in facts.. they may get distorted.. embellished.. in the repeated tellings.. but the concept remains the same. What do you remember?”

Wracking my brain, I try to recall what my mom used to tell me.. It was just a bedtime story.. “I don’t know.. My mom used to tell me the story, before bed. It’s been awhile. I had forgotten about it completely.. until you said it! Something about, every hundred years, the Moon Goddess comes to earth and blesses a child.. The child then carries her blessing in their heart. They have the gifts of the Moon.. are exceptionally beautiful, and wise. They are always mated to a strong male.. because they are hunted for their hearts. Ignorant people believe if they eat the blessed one’s heart, they will receive the gifts.”

Axe shivers and remarks “That’s as creepy, as it is disgusting! So why Dark Moon? We know everyone over there. I don’t ever recall anyone talking about this blessed one!” I shrug and say “Yeah! I don’t know either! I will call Alec and let him know what we found out, but right now, I have a lunch date with Valerie! See ya later!”

Valerie and I have been seeing each other for a little over three months… I am considering taking her as my chosen. I regret I can’t be with my True Mate.. but she would be my weakness. If my enemies were to harm her.. kill her.. it would weaken me. My wolf wouldn’t recover.. and I can’t afford that. I like Valerie.. and I need an heir.. Just an idea I am kicking around.

I pick Valerie up, and we drive to town.. It’s just a lunch date, so we’re headed to Mellie’s diner. We walk in and find a booth. Beth brings water to the table, and drops off menus. I watch her walk back to the kitchen and I hear three female voices.. laughing and joking around.

Valerie asks “What are we ordering today, Baby? I’m just in the mood for a salad, I think. I gained four pounds this week and I can’t have that!” I smile and say “You are beautiful, and you know it! Stop fishing! But, I’m getting the bacon double cheeseburger! It is exactly what I need today!”

Beth took our orders, and had brought our drinks to the table, when I heard a voice say “I will stop by another time, Mellie! It was good catching up! Beth! Call me girl! There’s drinks and a dance floor calling our names at the Den, tonight!” And the scent of Vanilla and Rosemary hit me.

My eyes sought my mate.. and when I realized she was standing, frozen, by the counter.. my body tried to move instinctively towards her. She looked at Valerie.. then back at me.

Her eyes shuttered.. then she said “You have GOT to be shitting me right now! Although, why I’m surprised, at all, is beyond me! She suits you, Keiran! A vapid, shallow, conceited drama queen is EXactly the type you need!” She walked out, without me saying a word! Fuckkkkk!

Why didn’t I know she was back!? Why would she not come home? Her father is critically wounded! Of course, she would come back from wherever she’d been! I feel like a dumbass! Pretty much got caught with my pants around my ankles.. by my Mate! Damnit!

I sat back down and Valerie asked “Why, in the name of the Goddess, would you let that homely little bitch speak to you like that!? And insult me!? She has always been so jealous of me! And you just let her get away with talking shit about me! Way to be a man, Kieran!”

I said “Shut the fuck up! She has every right to say whatever she wants! She is my best friend’s sister.. an Alpha in her own right! As for what she said about you… I am venturing to guess it has something to do with the time you spent in school with her. Whatever beef you have with her, has nothing to do with me. If you ever speak to me like that again, we are done seeing each other.. and you can move out of the pack house.. back to the women’s quarters!”

I had lost my appetite.. so I dropped Valerie back at the boutique.. and headed back home. Walking in, I yelled “Axel! My office now! Bring Cole!” And went straight there.

They walked in and Axel asks “Lunch didn’t go well?” I glared at him and Cole.. I said “When were you going to inform me Calista had arrived home? I ran into her at the diner!” Axel grinned and Cole blurted “Callie’s back!!? Oh my Goddess! I have to go see her!”

Well, I’m confused! Why is he so excited!? I asked “Do you and Calista have history?” He laughed “I wish! No! She’s just always been one of my best friends! I would have flunked out of school, if not for that brainiac! I didn’t know she was back from Dunkirk, though!”

That caught my attention… “She was in Ireland? How did you know that?” He shrugged and told me “She texted me from time to time.. just checking in. Why?”

I sighed. “I may as well come clean.. She is my mate! A little over two years ago..at Alec’s ascension ceremony.. her wolf shifted early. Probably because she smelled me. We spent that whole night together. Then I snuck out the next morning and came home.”

Axel looked at me, like I had two heads.. then he yelled “What the fuck, man!? You slept with her.. Your mate!!?… then you rejected her? What is wrong with you!!?”

I growled “Enough! I didn’t fucking reject her! I just told her that having my mate makes us vulnerable.. and I can’t protect her, when I have the whole pack to defend!”

Cole said “Wow! Just wow! At least, now I know why she disappeared the day after Alec’s ceremony. I’m really mad at you, right now, Kieran! You have forsaken your true mate.. our rightful Luna.. because of your ego!? If you take a chosen mate… especially if it is Valerie, I will recuse myself from Gamma position! I will only ever protect our rightful Luna!”