The Unwanted Luna

-POV

Ayame-

I stared out at the group already planning the best way to fight off Donna's impending approach against her family. They all seemed so excited, but I....I only heard the ringing again and the startling voices of the demons of my past. No...no not now. Usually I would snuggle with one of my mates, but I feel more and more like a bother as the days go on. Why can't I get over this?!

They've been so helpful...so supportive and I still can't fight this?! "I want to hear her scream! Beg for me to let her warm my bed! Until then, you will continue!" "Ayame." I heard my wolf's voice, but it was muffled over the...others.

"Nope, but this one will hit her." A shiver ran down my spine and the room started to darken while I backed away from the hype Kyle and Amber were instigating. "Then you shouldn't throw away my friends for something so dirty." The shrill of Malerie's voice increased the shadows in my mind while my wolf still tried to get to me. "All because of some damaged child?!" My breath hitched as a new voice joined the club. Donna. I squeezed my eyes shut and continued to back away towards the patio.

"No, she isn't as fun as you. I spent too long grooming you to perfection. You are my pet! I decide when I get rid of you! That is not your choice!" My breath hitched and I still couldn't hear anything over my thoughts, but my eyes were glued to the floor, staring at my brown boots and black skinny jeans peaking out of the fluffy cuffs. "Awwwh...such a good little slave."

I felt it. The last nail in the coffin and made a run for it.

Richard, Tanya, Malerie, Adolpha, Chaz,...D...Donna. So many people who thought they were responsible for the well being - or lack thereof of my life and I let this happen. Now...now there is a war coming because of me. Donna is coming because of me. I felt my chest tighten at the blinding speed I took through the forest, but I didn't want to stop. Not even long enough to shift.

"Such a good little slave." Raddled in my head over an over again. I was living in a fantasy. I don't get the right to live like this. At the end of it all, I'm just a slave. A slave who is weak and easy to manipulate. To torture.... I'm the reason why this family has suffered so much. I'm the reason why Emily's baby is fighting for its life. I'm the reason why Zelena was dragged into helping Malerie and Adolpha. I am a curse! I am nothing. I am a slave.

The audacity. Someone like me...thinking anything else was all a lie. It was always a lie. Now these new people that seem to be close to the guys are going to step in to help. Why?! Why does another group of people get to put their life on the line for me? Why?!

I found myself staring at the beautiful lake the pack and I ran around when I became the Luna as the weight consumed me. I stepped onto the smaller rocks, leading up to a boulder resting just above the waterline. I looked around at the setting sun and the small waterfalls following the fish jumping in and out of the subtle waves. I breathed heavily as the voices kept coming. "Beg for me to let her warm my bed!"

No.

"All because of some damaged child?!"

No.

"Such a good little slave." I squatted down and gripped my black hair in between my fingers as I pulled the shorter hair out of my pig tails and sucked in a breath before a scream raddled through the silent trees.

A scream that had come from me.

I could hear nothing else. All I could hear was my choked-on tears and screams for mercy. Make it stop...make it stop. I stared at the dark water in front of me and let my shadows continue to constrict my airflow. Continue to swallow me whole.

I should have done this a long time ago. I was too greedy. I wanted to feel love again. I wanted to remember what I missed. But to what extent?! To what sacrifice?! I heaved more and more while I decided if I should finish off what I started while I was huddled in the corner of that frozen storage space many months ago. This might be much more painful but at least the stress, worry, pain...voices will all stop.

It'll all stop.

I slowly stood to my feet, no longer remembering anything good in my life. Consumed with the realization that I didn't deserve it. It wasn't for me. The good in my life only causes pain in others. A pain that won't go away, unless I go away. I walked to the edge and closed my eyes, blocking my wolf, my mind...everything. Then, I jumped. -POV Vil-

I shoved my hands in my pockets and glanced around the room while the smiles became overwhelming. Woooo we have the stupid cats' help. Psshh we could get this done on our own. "This is a great idea! If we get four other packs to stage outside the parameter, she won't have an in and we just flood her with sheer numbers." Vince proposed. "It is, but that is a big ask." Edon chimed in and Charlie scoffed.

"Big ask?! Our pack overrules theirs any day of the week! We have been asked to fly all around the world for these people. This is our last thorn Edon. We need to get it contained now. I won't pass up this opportunity. We all know she is the reason all hell broke loose at the Luna Ceremony and now the woman has incriminated herself. You know she won't be stupid enough to make the same mistake twice if we let this go." Charlie countered.

"Charlie does have a point." Ivy added while Amber continued to get riled up.

I rubbed my eyes and decided it'd be better to entertain the conversation. "I agree." I chimed in. I agree, Charlie wasn't wrong.

"But something else is." My wolf huffed and I shook him off.

"Quiet." I growled back.

"No! Something is wrong! Listen to me!" He bellowed but I blocked him out. Of course something is wrong. We are about to stage an attack on my psychotic mother. What can be more of an issue than that? "Same." Conri continued, bringing me back to the issue at hand.

"This is why we work so well together. And to think our parents wanted us to get married." Ivy scoffed. The girl is a good strategist. I'll give her that. It is great to know that the treaty our parents held is still under their daughter, but I was actually for that union. Now...now I have Ayame and to even think I wanted someone else other than our angel made the bile rise in my throat. How stupid could I have been? Either way, this treaty really saved our asses this time around. We may not need their strength, but I cannot think of us going to that summit ill prepared. Because of them, we won't be.

Over the last few months, it has been a challenge, but I wouldn't have changed it for the world. For so many years, all we did was ride anything that was willing and slaughter rogues and packs when asked. I wasn't as bad as my brothers, but it was fun. However, it was also mindless and hollow more than anything else. It was...unrewarding. Now that we have this fight ahead of us, I can feel the difference. She may have been weak before, but I've seen our little angel shine. I'm sure she can hold her own and we can choose to fight for her instead of just fighting to exist.

I mean, I did train her myself.

"Yeah.... No." Conri said shortly, and Ivy started laughing along with Amber and Emily. My wolf yipped as he tried to push through the barrier and I pushed back harder. "Shut it! I'll let you out later!" I shouted back.

"Danger!!!" He bellowed and it made my brain almost explode. He is really fighting me. The hell?!

All of a sudden, the shatter of glass shot all the volume out of the room when we turned to address the threat.

There wasn't one, but Ayame was missing. "Yeah dumbass! That is what I've been trying to tell you!" My wolf shouted.

Sh*t. "Ayame!" I called, running towards the open door. I made it down the lawn to see her father standing at the tree line. "Jasper!" I called, running up to him.

He turned around and looked at me with absolute rage. "What did you do?!" He bellowed. Why does everyone always think it's me?! There are three of us for goddess sake! "Wait...what?" I asked, confused to a point where I stopped short in my tracks. What is he talking about? I did ignore my wolf, but I didn't do anything directly to her.

He rushed up to me and his fist connected with my face faster than I could think. "The hell is going on out here?!" Edon shouted, getting in between the two of us.

"Ayame flew past me in tears! She was so distraught her eyes didn't even look my way! I couldn't even catch up with her!" Jasper shouted. "Why is it that you three can't notice when she is hurting?! You have to notice this shit! You are her mates, dammit!" "The fuck does that have to do with us?! The hell is wrong with you?!" I shouted, while Edon easily held me back. I may be able to hold my own in a fight against a werebear, but I promise you, brute strength will win and that's not on my side of the fight. "Hey!" Conri shouted from behind us and the pull to put Ayame's dad on his ass completely faded when the three of us turned to look at him. "What is going on?"

"Ayame is in pain and you three didn't even notice?!" Jasper roared again, twisting the knife.

"See!" My wolf added, dumping salt on the wound.

"I'm sorry!" Zelena whimpered and we shot our eyes at her. Even Charlie looked confused, but Emily was also avoiding our eyes.

"Talk." Conri said, going into his alpha mode. Not good.

"Ayame, Emily, and I were talking about how you all met, and it may have triggered something. I've also noticed a darker shift in her aura lately, but I thought you three were already handling it so...I didn't think it was my business to pry. But I didn't mean anything by it. It was an accident." Zelena rushed out.

"An accident?" Conri questioned.

"Well, if you think about it from Ayame's perspective, she hasn't really had the easiest transition over the months. Every time she thinks something good is happening, something else comes in to remind her that darkness isn't far behind." Emily whimpered. "My friend is in pain but she is doing her best to make it a 'her problem' not a 'we problem' yet again."

Jasper sighed heavily. "I knew it!" He shouted.

"Knew what?" Conri asked, keeping the conversation calm while I just wanted to follow after my little angel.

"You don't get to call her that. I thought you three had learned, but apparently you all still have some growing up to do." Then, my wolf went dark. He completely blocked me out. He had better get over himself because the minute this nonsense is over, I'm running. "I knew this would be too much for her. She has been off ever since her Luna Ceremony." Jasper huffed and started pacing while he roughly ran his hands through his hair. He isn't wrong.

"We have been with her every day and night since. We have been making sure she is okay! Talking with her.... Trying to get her to open up. She has not been doing this alone." I growled in protest while my face healed. I've been trying so hard not to be the triplet that just leaves when things get difficult. That won't be conducive to our relationship and I'm not that stupid to continue to let that happen. This whole time, I thought we were making progress with her.

"Those who tend to sit in the dark often find ways of hiding it from those glowing in the light. No matter how much you try." We spun around to reveal the Doc walking up to us with a package.

"Doc?!" We all shouted while the werecats enjoyed the show. Stupid cats. Yeah...they were right, that whole chosen mate thing would never have worked.

He chuckled and looked around at all of us. "Oh, and I came by just to give Emily her serum and the whole house is in an uproar again. Obviously, I had to put in my two cents."

"Doc, stay focused. We want to know what you were talking about earlier." Conri growled shortly.

Doc sighed and opened his mouth to respond before a blood-curdling scream echoed through the trees.

Before I could think, my feet pivoted, and I was in my wolf form in seconds. "Ayame!"