The Chronicles of Moon

Moonbeam

Colin and Ben stay outside talking for a few minutes and also calling Alpha David. Colin isn’t looking forward to explaining to David why they need his help. Having to confess the truth he hid from him is going to be tents. David might be a lot of things, but forgiving isn’t always one of them.

Moon returns to her room, looking at a few more of gramps journals, but she just feels restless. The sky is getting darker and darker, but they don’t dare venture to the lake yet. Falling into another trap is not something anyone has in mind for the evening.

She finds herself wandering back to her grandfather’s room. She isn’t really sure what she is doing there, but she finds herself looking at the photos lining the dresser. There are so many of him and Sarah smiling at each other. So much love and happiness radiating from them.

As she looks at all the pictures, she starts to notice something. Several of them are taken out at Moon Lake and in the same place. There are even several pictures of her as a toddler and small child, and they are all in the same spot.

That’s it, Kiara! Moon exclaims, a smile spreading across her face. He had been telling her all along, just not with words. Kiara, I know that spot. It was his favorite place at the lake. He took me there all the time when I was little. That has to be it.

Leave it to Mark to leave clues, I guess. He still could have just told you. Kiara is less impressed but can’t hide her excitement from Moon.

She picks up one of the pictures of Sarah looking at her smiling face and gentle eyes. Every story Moon has ever heard of the Luna has been nothing but how perfect she was in every way. She was always something Moon never thought she could live up to. Moon was named for her, but that is where the similarity ended. Sarah was poised and graceful, a calm elegance. She seemed to have all the answers and never made a mess of anything.

“How were you so perfect?” Moon whispers quietly, putting the picture back.

“She wasn’t,” Ben answers from the door. Moon jumps a little surprised he is there. She didn’t notice him there. She was so lost in thought.

“My grandad told me plenty of stories about her when she was younger. She laughed louder than any of the other girls, and she climbed trees, played baseball with the boys, and got in fights. She hated getting dressed up and set the school on fire by accident. She ruined a school dance by punching the Alpha’s son in the face when he tried to grab her butt. A fight broke out after that. She was far from perfect. But she was perfect to Mark. She grew up and ended up being mated to that Alpha’s son, and they left to start their own pack when the Alpha told his son to reject his mate because she was not fit to be Luna.”

“Why didn’t you tell me any of this before?” Moon gasps.

“I thought you knew.” Ben shrugs and smiles sheepishly. “I didn’t know you thought she was perfect. No one is Moon. But people tend to remember people differently when they are gone. They just remember all the good things, and she was kind and smart too, just not perfect.”

“Then why did everyone insist on calling me Moon and not by her name?” Moon shoots back, still trying to hold on to the fact that people thought she could never compare to the Luna.

“Easy, Mark called you Moonbeam all the time, and people just started calling you Moon. Grandad said he always called you his little Moonbeam. He never used your name, so people just called you Moon. It was convenient, seeing as it is your last name.” Again, he just shrugs like it is common knowledge. She suddenly has the realization that everything she thought was wrong.

“Am I interrupting?” Colin is standing behind Ben now, a curious look on his face.

“No, you’re not, not really anyway. I’m just learning some more things I never knew. Oh, and guess what? I do know the spot you and I need to be at tonight.” Moon is smiling brightly.

“Good because David and his men will be here in about half an hour. He wants to talk in person.” Colin looks less than happy about it.

“You sure we can trust him?” Ben questions, furrowing his brows and crossing his arms.

“No, I am not, but we don’t have time to get more of our pack here, and we need more wolves here in case Caleb and Maddox show up.” Colin may sound calm, but his mind is racing, thinking about everything that can go wrong.

“Well, Moon can just order everyone to obey her right so-“Ben starts thinking for a moment he solved all their problems.

“I am not just ordering David to mind me like a dog.” Moon shoots back cutting him off and crossing her arms glaring.

“It was just a thought. It would work on Caleb and Maddox, though, wouldn’t it?” He poses the question, and Moon thinks for a moment.

“Well, I have to get to the lake first, and I still don’t know what is supposed to happen when I get there. But until I free Kiara from the binding spell, she can only take over completely when I’m asleep. So, I’m going to say no, not going to work yet.” Moon says sarcastically.

“Okay, okay, I get it, sorry,” Ben says, putting his hands up in surrender. “But what is the plan then?”

“The plan is to survive and hope Caleb doesn’t get here before David,” Colin answers honestly.

“That is not a plan,” Ben says, furrowing his brow and slumping a bit.

“No, but it is the best we got at the moment. Also, I am sorry about Jake. I know you must want to call home and check on your family, but I can’t let you do that just yet. Jake mentioned he was only one of several people helping Caleb, and I don’t know who the other traitors could be and how close they are.” Colin is as gentle as he can be, but the worry of too much information passing back to his own pack just to be fed to his brother is very real.

“I know. I hope you don’t think it was my family or me. I would swear allegiance now to you and Moon. If it would help, I would join the pack willingly right now.” Ben is more than sure as he stands up taller.

“That might be a good idea.” Colin is clearly considering it as his jaw clenches and his brow furrows as he thinks.

“I trust Ben and Emily. I know they would never do anything to hurt me or endanger the pack.” Moon says softly. “Let’s get through tonight, and then when we get home, we can see who is with us and who isn’t” Moon looks out the window to see the moon rising in the sky. “We have a date out at the lake anyway. Chris and Ben can see to David and his men all right. I feel like we need to go now.”

“What do you mean?” Colin is concerned the thought of going out to the lake without reinforcements was not what he had in mind at all.

“I mean, Kiara is telling me we need to go, and I think I need to listen to her.” Moon stares at Colin and then looks back out at the moon. “It’s like it’s calling me. Don’t you hear it?” She nearly sounds like she’s lost in a dream as she turns back. Her eyes shift to that of Kiara’s, and Colin moves closer as she heads to the door. He thought of stopping her but quickly reconsiders when Kiara growls softly.

“It is time to go, and you won’t stop me, Colin, but you need to come with me. I can hear her calling.” Kiara says firmly.

“Who?” Colin is more than shocked, trying to figure out what in the hell is happening now.

“The moon. She is calling, and I have to listen.” Kiara sounds strange now as well, and when she walks past the men, they look at each other confused. When Ben goes to follow them as well, Kiara is quick to put him in his place.

“No, Ben, not you, just Colin and I. No one else can be there.” She orders, and poor Ben has no choice but to obey the order.

“But what if you are ambushed again.” He tries.

She says nothing and only leaves the room, and Colin follows at a distance. The strange looks from Jess and Chris seem unnoticed to Kiara as she walks right out the door, still being followed by Colin.

He mind-links Chris and Jess, quickly telling them what is happening and to have David and his men patrol the area but apparently, no one but them is to be near the lake. Chris tries to argue, but it does little good.

“Kiara.” Colin starts wanting to question her further.

“Trust me and trust Farrell; he can hear her too. I know he can.” Is all she says, never looking back at him, still seeming transfixed on the moon.

Farrell had been acting strangely, but Colin just assumed it was everything that had happened. His wolf had stopped talking but was trying to push forward and take control. Colin had been working at suppressing him, but clearly, he is meant to let him. Colin is unwilling to give up control he is to worried that they are only finding themselves in a trap once again. He can’t let her go on her own, so he follows her.

Please don’t let me regret this. Colin thinks to himself, dreading what might come next.