The Runaway Luna (Book One)

We reach the front gates of Lunar Eclipse just as the sun is breaking over the horizon. Much to everyone’s surprise, we don’t run into any opposition. I guess they were right in moving me early. Dad and I talk for most of the trip back once I calm down. He reassures me that everything is going to be okay, and we will get justice for Dixie. He also says that my mate is anxiously waiting for me, which I can’t help but smile at.

Slowing to a stop, Alpha Xavier rolls his window down and talks to the fighters stationed at the entrance. I see Peter glancing down towards my jeep, relief evident on his face. He makes his way towards me, shaking his head.

“Hello, Peter,” I greet as I roll down the window.

“Well, hello there runaway Luna. Decided to grace us with your presence?” he teases.

I roll my eyes, “Sooner than expected, but yes.”

“You know, I thought you were going to get me into some deep shit. I half expected to be killed, exiled or worse,” he scolds me.

“What’s worse than that?” I laugh.

He smirks, “You do know who I’m mated to, right?”

We all start busting out laughing. “No comment,” I remark.

“In all seriousness, I’m really glad you’re back. We have been on edge since we got the message you were heading home. Though, I didn’t realize that was going to be with the Alpha. We didn’t even know he had left,” he says, glancing towards the SUV.

“It’s a long story. I’m sure you guys will be filled in soon,” I explain.

He nods, “Fair enough. It also explains why he said we were to take orders from Ben for the time being. Most of us just assumed he wasn’t feeling well or something."

“How was that?” I ask curiously.

“It was fine. I know Ben’s worried, but he is going to be a great Alpha, especially with you at his side,” he smiles at me sincerely.

I laugh nervously, “I think you guys give me too much credit.”

He shakes his head, “On the contrary. I don’t think you get enough. For someone to be so kind and giving, but then, in the same breath, can kick so much rogue ass and protect others by herself, sounds like a pretty incredible person to me. I don’t know what Ben did to deserve someone like you as his Luna, but he better thank the Goddess everyday that you are.”

I feel my face flush as I clear my throat, “Oh…uh, thank you, Peter.”

“Anytime, Luna,” he teases with a wink, glancing back towards that gate. “Looks like they are ready to move now. Let’s get you back where you belong, shall we?”

I nod, “Yes, please.”

He smiles before backing away and jogging back up to the gate as the procession starts moving. The fighters quickly close the gates behind us and reassume their posts.

Driving down the pavement, I glance around the territory, taking it in as if it’s the first time I’m seeing it. Dad watches me curiously, raising an eyebrow in question. I smile at him before turning back to the road, “Sorry. It just…feels different, or maybe I’m just different."

He nods in understanding, “You are different. A lot has happened, some things I had hoped never would. You aren’t the same young lady that left here angry and scared. You are back even more strong and wise than you already were, ready to walk your path.”

I sigh, “I’m assuming Michael, or maybe even Ben, told you that I’m going to give this bond a shot.”

Dad smirks, “Ben, huh?”

A light blush graces my cheeks, “Yes, Ben. Don’t act like you weren’t there for that conversation.”

He chuckles, “I just didn’t think you guys would actually use them, you especially. You’ve been snarling ‘Benjamin’ for so long, but I see these phone calls have been progressing things along.”

“Yeah, I guess. Anyway, you’re getting me off track. What I was gonna say was that I’m going to give it a shot, but I need you to be aware that I may still end up rejecting this,” I say, glancing his way.

Dad regards me a moment, “Rejecting the position or rejecting the bond?”

I raise an eyebrow, “Isn’t that one in the same?”

“Technically, no. You can be mates and not accept Luna responsibilities. It’s not ideal, but an Alpha can choose to rule alone,” he explains, gauging my reaction.

“What? No. I wouldn’t do that to him, Dad. I’m either all in or all out. I’d rather him be with someone who can help him with the burden of leading than for him to hold it all on his own because of me,” I scoff, shaking my head.

He smiles softly, “That’s a very mature and considerate answer, but I hope you know that he would put the world on his shoulders before he would allow himself to lose you.”

I take a deep breath, “That doesn’t mean he should. He, and our pack, deserve to have a Luna. Besides the fact that this is about more than just the responsibilities. There are still things we need to work through. Yes, I’ve been speaking with him and plan on giving him a chance, but that doesn’t mean I’m not scared to trust him. That there’s not a voice in the back of my head making me question everything he says and does, telling me to reject him and run before I get hurt again. I mean, the man’s been giving me whiplash since I was thirteen.”

He sighs, “I know, baby girl. Those are things he will have to atone for, and no matter what anyone says, myself included, only you get to decide if he succeeds. I just wanted you to know that it was an option, should you decide to be with him but not want the position.”

“Thanks, Daddy, but I can’t do that. Like I said, either all in or all out,” I smile at him.

“Fair enough. Also, if you don’t mind me asking, how are you with the whole Jonathan situation?” he asks, looking at me in concern.

I think to myself for a minute before I respond, “I’m…getting there, accepting it more and more every day. If I’m being honest, they were absolutely made for each other. I have no desire to get in between them, not when the Goddess matched them so perfectly. He will always be an important person to me and a great part of my life. He’s my best friend, and he always will be. Now, he will just be family in a way I least expected.”

Dad softly smiles, “You still manage to amaze me, even after all this time. You were always far more mature than those your age, even some that are older than you, too.”

I chuckle with a small shrug, “Well, it’s the truth. It’s how I feel.”

We finally arrive outside of the pack house. I find myself unconsciously looking for Benjamin as the Alpha and the fighters begin getting out of the vehicles. Dad catches my eyes and gives me a knowing look. Blushing in response, I quickly look away and find Jonathan walking up behind the jeep. Rolling the window down, I greet him.

“Hey,” I smile at him.

“Hey. Glad to finally be home?” he asks with a smile of his own.

I nod, “Yes.”

“Good,” he replies, “Alpha wanted me to tell you to go on to your house. He will have patrols monitoring around the property, and to please bring someone with you if you feel the need to go exploring.”

I chuckle, “Got it.”

“Oh, and no more running away. We have permission to tase you on sight if you try to cross the border,” he laughs.

I roll my eyes, “Yeah, yeah. So funny.”

His face turns serious, “Annie, we are okay, right?”

“Of course we are. You’re my best friend. Nothing will change that. Besides, I promised Hope I would keep your ass in line,” I tease.

He smirks, “As if you ever could.”

I stick my tongue out as he walks away.

“Come on, let’s go. I hope you know your mother is going to tackle you to the ground when she sees you,” Dad chuckles as I break off from the line to head home, Alpha Xavier waving as I pass.

I can feel his mind-link immediately after, and I let him speak without resistance.

“Annabeth, please stop by my office later once you are settled back home. There’s some things we need to discuss,” he says before closing the connection.

“Well, that’s not ominous,” Leah remarks.

“It’s probably about the plan to deal with the rogue,” I respond.

Leah smirks, “Or Ben.”

I roll my eyes as we approach the house. I suddenly feel nervous. Dad senses this and tries to reassure me.

“Annie, it’s okay. We understand, and we’re not mad at you,” he says, squeezing my shoulder.

All I can do is simply nod. Pulling in front of the house, I put the jeep in park and take a steadying breath. Before I can exit the vehicle, the front door of the house flies open as Mom and Michael run out. I quickly exit, my feet barely touching the ground before Mom wraps me in a hug.

“Oh, my baby. You’re back. You’re finally back,” she weeps.

I blink my eyes, trying to hold the tears back, “Yeah, Mama. I’m back.”

She pulls away, grabbing my face, “Let me take a look at you.”

I laugh, “I’ve only been gone for like three weeks.”

“Might as well have been a lifetime!” she exclaims, looking me up and down as if she’s checking for injuries.

“Hannah, let the girl breathe and hug her brother,” Dad sighs, rounding the front of the jeep with my bag on his shoulder. She nods, wiping the tears away as she takes a step back.

Michael immediately scoops me up and spins me, “Goddess, I missed you.”

I squeal, hugging him tight, “I missed you, too.”

He sets me down, his eyes misty, “Welcome back, little sis.”

“Thanks, big bro,” I smile, bumping his shoulder.

“Come on. Let’s get inside. I’ll cook us some breakfast,” Mom announces as she grabs my hand. I nod, letting her drag me towards the house.

Once inside, she has us sit at the island while she cooks. We quickly fall into our old routine, laughing and talking over pancakes and eggs. They ask about Crescent Moon while I ask about the latest around Lunar Eclipse. All too soon, Michael has to say goodbye and leave for morning patrol. He gives me a quick rundown of the protective measures the Alpha implemented, then wraps me up in another hug before heading out. Dad kisses me on the forehead shortly after, saying he is going to take a nap before his midday patrol. Mom and I decide to take our coffees outside, sitting on the back porch steps, so we don’t disturb Dad.

I briefly close my eyes and sigh as a cool breeze blows through my hair, “It’s so good to be home.”

Mom smiles, “It’s good to have you back home.”

Guilt rises up in me, “Mama, I’m sorry.”

“For what, baby?” she asks.

I swallow, looking down at my coffee cup, “For reacting how I did. For leaving without telling you, any of you.”

Her fingers lightly grab my chin and lift my face up to meet her eyes, “You have nothing to apologize for. Do I wish you would have talked to us before leaving? At first, yes, but now that I think about it, I don’t know if we would have allowed you to leave. We probably would have tried to convince you to stay, and that would have been the wrong decision. You needed to leave, honey, so don’t say sorry for trying to figure yourself out. I knew you would come back when you were ready. You just needed time.”

“That seems to be the theme with me,” I chuckle.

A smile spreads across her face, “So it would seem.”

“Have they told you my plan? About being back and with Ben?” I ask, taking a sip of my coffee.

She nods, doing the same, “Yes. I’m happy that you are trying, but I hope you know that it doesn’t mean you have to accept him.”

I look at her a little shocked, “Yeah, I know. Kinda surprised to hear you say that.”

“Of course I want this to work out, but you’ve been through a lot of shit because of him. The bond can only do so much, so you two are going to have to work through all of those negative feelings for this relationship to even have a chance. Do I think you can be happy with him and as Luna? Absolutely, but he’s got to earn it as far as I’m concerned,” she scoffs.

I chuckle, “Mama, did you just say ‘shit?’”

She gives me a look, “Oh, don’t act all surprised. I can cuss from time to time. Ask your father.”

I shake my head at her, laughing. She just smirks at me before asking, “So, when are you going to see Ben?”

Placing my now empty cup on the step behind me, I shrug, “I’m not really sure. I admit I half expected him to be at the gate or here waiting. Leah’s been anxious since I got here, so I can imagine how Felix is.”

“I think he wanted to, but he’s letting you decide what happens. You might have to go to him,” she suggests.

“Yeah, I might have to…Mama?” I ask curiously, noticing her eyes glazed over.

When she comes back, she’s smirking, “Or not.”

I look at her confused as she grabs my coffee cup and kisses my forehead, “Remember, have an open mind, but make him work for it.”

My eyes widen slightly at her implication, “Leah, he’s coming, isn’t he?”

“Yes, he is. Annie, are you ready?” Leah asks excitedly as she jumps up and down.

“As ready as I’ll ever be,” I admit, swallowing nervously.

“Hey,” Mom softly whispers as she cups my cheek. “It’s okay. Relax. Everything will work out exactly how it’s supposed to. I’ll be inside if you need me.”

I nod silently as she stands up and walks back inside.

After weeks of avoiding this, here it is. Goddess, the anticipation is killing me, and my stomach is in knots. I bring my knees to my chest, wrapping my arms around them tightly. Burying my face into my knees, I try to take deep breaths to calm my racing heart.

Leah senses him right before I do and begins whining and pacing in the back of my mind. The smell of citrus and vanilla hits me like a ton of bricks, just like it did the night of the party. My whole body tenses as I try to find the courage to look up.

Footsteps slowly approach me, almost as if he’s walking up on a timid animal. He probably thinks I’m going to run again, but I couldn’t even if I wanted to. I’m locked in place.

He slowly kneels in front of me, “Annie?”

“Hi, Ben,” I manage to choke out, my name on his lips sending shivers down my spine.

“Are you okay?” He asks worriedly.

I nod, my head still down, “Uh huh. Just…nervous.”

“Just nervous?” he questions, knowing the answer.

“Okay. Maybe a little scared,” I admit. “I’m sorry. I thought I’d be better about this, braver than this.”

His voice gets stern, “Annabeth, don’t you dare apologize. This is my fault. I should have known better and called first, but Felix and I were so desperate to see you, I couldn’t wait anymore. I’m sorry for making you uncomfortable. I will go and call you later, okay?”

Ben goes to stand, and I don’t know if it was me or Leah, but suddenly my arm shoots out and grabs his wrist. Sparks run up and down my arm, causing me to tremble. Our breathing becomes shaky as we sit there in silence for a second.

“N…no. Please. Don’t go,” I plead in a tiny voice.

“I’m not going anywhere. I am right here,” he says softly as he slowly lowers back down to kneel again, his fingers from his free hand gently pulling down my ponytail and letting my hair loose. They then slowly run through the curls, soothing me, and I can’t help the contented sigh that comes out.

I know what he’s doing. This was something he used to do when we were little. Unfortunately, I was prone to having nightmares, especially right after my Grandfather died. He would hear me cry when I stayed over and come lay with me, playing with my hair until I fell back asleep. Of course, that all changed once we got older.

“Annie, don’t push yourself, okay? As much as I want to, this is about you,” he whispers, removing his hand from my hair.

My hand tightens on his wrist, “Sit with me?”

He doesn’t say anything as he takes a seat where Mom had been sitting minutes earlier. He lightly removes my hand from his wrist and starts playing with and tracing along my fingers.

Gathering all my strength, I slowly lift my head. Ben is looking down at my hand, too distracted by his own thoughts to realize I’m looking at him. I take the moment to study his features. He’s still the same handsome man I’ve known all my life, just with a softer attitude and gentler touch.

Ben finally realizes after a minute there are eyes on him. I watch him swallow in nervousness. He wants so desperately to look, but he’s fighting himself, wanting me to call the shots.

My heart is beating so hard that I’m certain he can hear it. My free hand moves on its own, lightly cupping his cheek as more sparks shoot throughout my body.

“Ann…Annie?” his voice trembles at the contact.

The effect I have on him makes me brave for a split second. Slowly turning his face, I give in to the moment that should have happened weeks ago. Our eyes connect, and I stare into intense, hypnotizing emerald eyes that are effortlessly seeing past the walls I have kept up for so long.

The bond snaps in place, causing our wolves to howl in happiness. Our eyes flash, signaling that Leah and Felix are close to the surface, experiencing this moment with us. Ben’s grip tightens while his free hand mimics mine, cupping my cheek gently. We instinctively lean forward to rest our foreheads against each other.

This feeling of pure bliss spreads across my body. The world around us slowly melts away, making it seem as if we are the only two in existence. All I see is him. All that matters is him. My life, my world, begins and ends with Benjamin. I want nothing more than to stay by his side forever, and for the moment, the thought doesn’t scare me. In fact, I welcome it.

Softly and happily, we smile and both whisper the one word that I would have never in a million years expected to say to him.

“Mate.”