Warriors of Blue moon

Florence POV:

We pulled up to the main gates, it’s been six weeks since I’ve been home, I looked to mum and dad who were smiling just as happily as I was, excited to be home. One of the pack guards came over to greet us as we drove in ”Welcome back Sir Alpha Madam Luna and Lady Florence it is so nice to have you home safe and sound”

“Oh were just fine” my mother replies ”were so happy to be home though”

“that’s great, I’ll open the gates for you now” he walked back to the gate and called for it to be opened from the inside.. we nodded our heads in thanks, and our driver took us through our little city. When we left six weeks ago I had never seen it, so although it only took ten minutes to drive through the narrow roads, I still took it all in, with my face practically pressed up against the window, I couldn’t wait to explore it properly and get to know the people here.

We came out of the city and reached the village, but I noticed it seemed different today, although I had never been in the car with my parents before when they’d returned from previous trips, but from the Palace, the top floor window was high enough to have a clear view of the village and I would always be able to see and hear the people cheering and clapping at the return of their Alpha and Luna but this time, there’s no cheering, no crowding, no excitement.

They’re waving but their smiles are only half smiles and there seems to be something gloomy in the air. I turned to face my parents who also seemed to look concerned.

"um mum, dad, why is no one cheering like they used to, they don’t seem overly happy about our return”

“I noticed that too my dear" my dad said as he looked to me “maybe were expecting too much from them, too much of a welcome”

I nodded in doubt and looked out of the window again until we pulled up to the Palace. I absolutely loved travelling with my parents and being able to see part of the world, seeing so much for the first time in my life but I couldn’t wait to be back in my home comforts again and take walks through the village and finally get to know everyone and allow them to get to know me too, After all they haven’t seen me since I was 10 and I’m 19 now so that’s a long time to not see one of your rulers.

As we pulled up another guard came over and opened our door ”welcome home” he bowed his head “I’m so glad you had safe travels and to have you all home again”

"thank you Angelo" my dad said with a smile as he got out of the car, with my mum and me following behind him. ”Can I ask Angelo, why did everyone look so gloomy in the village just now?”

“oh umm, I. uhh" he started fidgeting on the spot as he closed our car door and started to look around as if he was hoping for a distraction or for someone to help him.

"Angelo dear is there something wrong?” my mum asked

“Uh yes Luna, well there has been a lot of commotion over the last few weeks but, it’s just… well I don’t think it’s really my place to discuss it”.

"don’t worry Angelo”. my dad reassured him as he put his hand on Angelo’s shoulder ”we’ll be seeing Layton as soon as we get inside anyway so we’ll ask him”

"Thank you, Sir,” he bowed his head and went back to guard the Palace entry.

We got into the Palace and greeted everyone as we passed, our palace staff were overjoyed to see us, and I forgot how homely they made this huge place feel. After a few short greetings and conversations with staff we finally reached Layton’s office, dad did a light knock as he opened the door “hello my son” he beamed as he opened his arms wide.

“DAD, MUM” Layton quickly got up from his desk and rushed over and swung his arms around them as he hugged them tightly ”damn I’ve missed you” he then looked to me and grabbed my arms and started inspecting me

“What are you doing?” I asked, puzzled

“Making sure you’re ok Flo, you are ok, aren’t you? you’re feeling well? you’ve not been ill? too tired?”

I laughed at his worry ”I’m perfectly fine brother… look” I said as I twirled “I’ve been great, and the places we saw... they were just incredible brother I can’t wait to tell you all about it, and Sam... wait where is Sam?”

“he’s uh, he’s out helping with training, guard rotation and a few other pack duties”

"Wow, it’s not like him to not be stuck by your side in the office!” I remarked with a grin as he turned and went back to sit at his desk, the joy on his face vanished as he turned white and sullen.

Mum and dad sat down at the two chairs in front of the desk, I followed and sat on the long couch to the left of them.

“So has everything been ok Son? has everything been running smoothly?” my dad asked curiously… It was clear something had happened while we were away.

He sighed as he rubbed his face with his hands “actually yes something did happen and to someone we all really care about...... mum, dad I wish you were here, I was way in over my head and I had no idea how to handle it all, or what was expected of me. I just.... I just buckled under the pressure and now… now I can’t sleep, I can’t eat, I don’t know what the fuck to do!”

“My dear, honey we’re here now tell us what’s happened” my mum interrupted him as her and my dad exchanged worried glances

"Someone we care about. Who are you talking about Layton?” I asked feeling alarmed

He leant forward on his desk keeping his eyes low. staring at his hands ”well five weeks ago, I was at the field with Lelanna… you know the one we all used to play in as kids” he looked to us all and I nodded for him to continue, and his voice began to shake ”well everything was fine, we were fine, then all of a sudden Sam came rushing onto the field and said we had to come back to the Palace, he said that we both had to, which at the time I did think it was weird, anyway when rushed back and there was just chaos outside, shouting and screaming, arguing.

Half of the screaming I realised was coming from the Melvic family, they were arguing with a dozen others from the pack. As soon as Ericson Melvic saw me with Lelanna, he just got... so irate and started pointing at her yelling for the guards to arrest her, he just kept saying it over and over then Tina Melvic started calling her a mad woman, evil and unhinged, she started screaming too then for Lelanna to be arrested. I tried calming them down asking them why they were so angry toward Lelanna, then Zara came out from behind her parents with long claw marks all over her face and chest with bruises on her eye and mouth and blood all over her”

Layton paused for a moment and rubbed his face with his hands

“Son what happened then?” my dad urged him to continue, although we were all on the edge of our seats anxious to hear the rest of what transpired.

“Zara claimed that Lelanna had attacked her that morning down by the lake, she kept pointing at Lelanna screaming ‘she did it… she did this to me, she attacked me, she tried to kill me… she left me for dead’. then Lelanna freaked and was adamant she didn’t do it but Zara wouldn’t stop blaming her and her parents kept shouting how Zara barely made it home alive and had to pretty much drag herself there after Lelanna tried to kill her. They were saying she would murder Zara if she got the chance and shouldn’t be allowed loose amongst our people and how Zara fears for her life, they were demanding her fucking head....so I... I….I fucking ordered for the guards to arrest Lelanna”

“WHAT” we all exclaimed at the same time

"Son... you had Lelanna put in those nasty cells?” my dad asked with shock in his voice

“yes… FUCK!!” He yelled angrily

“honey.. we can sort this ok, now tell me is she still in the cell?” my mum asked, calmly, trying to diffuse the situation

“no.. no she’s not, it’s worse actually” he shook as he shot up from his chair and started to pace around the room

“WORSE?” My dad looked at him wide eyed “what the hell do you mean by worse Layton?”

"We discussed, well actually the whole entire Melvic family argued and shouted for Lelanna to be executed so she couldn’t harm Zara or anyone else again saying they’d feared she’d gone mad and couldn’t be trusted... it was like that for two whole days, it was fucking crazy, there were over 30 of them shouting for her to be punished”

“SON” my dad said rather loudly, as he shifted to the edge of his chair in angst ”PLEASE DO NOT TELL ME YOU HAD HER FUCKING EXECUTED?”

"no.. no I didn’t”

I saw relief quickly wash over my parents faces and I realized my body had tensed up, and I was so scared, just as they were on where this was headed.

“but they wanted a severe punishment” Layton continued, “they kept saying I was going too easy on her cause she was in my favour and that I was being biased and having double standards so in the end I...I.. I gave her the sentence of two years banishment”

“WHAT?” we all shouted again at the same time as we rose from our seats

“You’ve banished Lelanna... our Lelanna?” I asked in shock as my hands flew to my mouth a ”but Layton she never would hurt any of our people she was one of our protectors, you know that!”

"I KNOW! of course I fucking know, but I didn’t know what else to do... they said if she wasn’t going to be put to death, the only punishment they’d accept is for her to be banished, what was I supposed to do? ” he asked as he looked to my parents.

"Honey” my mum looked at him with a sad face as she held his hand ”A proper judging and enquiries should have been carried out.. find witnesses, evidence, did you even get Lelanna’s side of the story?”

“fuck.. no I fucking didn’t... I didn’t see her until I gave her the sentence” his brows frowned as he ripped his hand away from mums grasp and flopped in his chair as his eyes began to water

"How long has she been gone for?” she asked him

“Four weeks” he said in merely a whisper

“Son” my dad intervened as he stepped toward Layton ”a full inspection should have been done at the so called scene of the attack, Zara’s wounds should have been checked to determine if it was done by someone in anger… surely someone in the village would have noticed a bloody girl practically crawling from the lake all the way to her house! Did you find any of this out?”

A tear rolled down his cheek as he ran pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration

“No! I didn’t do a fucking thing for her... I didn’t! and now she’s gone”

“right” my mum sat down rigid as she tried to think rationally, wiping a stray tear from her cheek ”we will gather some warriors and start a search for her, she can’t be too far... at least let’s hope not! and let’s hope she is still.... still safe and ok”

"Yes, look this all sounds rather iffy to me, It’s hard to believe Lelanna would do anything like that, there’s something else going on here” my dad interrupted ”we shall also get one of our council men to start digging into this story of Zara’s and make enquiries, .however I think its best we do this without any of the Melvic family knowing… we’ll offer small payments to people who are questioned to keep it to themselves, of course we’ll have to let Sam know as he’s going to be your Beta, although I hope he doesn’t become too excited at the thought of finding her just in case we don’t! He’ll also have to help the councilman keep everything in check including all who’s questioned and aware of what going on”

“you’re serious" Layton asked with a flash of hope in his eyes ”we can seriously go and look for her and get to the bottom of this?”

“Well of course my dear" my mum said sweetly as she walked over to him and put a hand on his shoulder in reassurance ”I can’t say it’ll work or that we’ll find her, but we need to try, not only have we known her all her life and been so close with her family but she’s an important member of our pack, she was a very skilled warrior and as Flo said she was one of our protectors, I would have always without a doubt entrusted any of our lives in her hands”

Tears fell down my cheeks and I kept trying to wipe them away, but the thought of Lelanna being out there, all on her own, cut off and being torn away from everyone, left to fend for herself. All I could do was hope with all my heart she was still alive… ”please we have to find her and fast” I pleaded with my parents

“We will” father spoke sternly ”Layton call for a warrior meeting this evening, but only with the guards above thirty years of age… we need to keep this quiet from any of the other guards that Lelanna trained with and especially Lelanna’s friends please also instruct Sam that he’s not to tell his parents or anyone else about what’s happening, the last thing we can do right now is give them all false hope, I’m sure they’ll feel ten times worse If she’s not found”

“Yes father” he said as he jumped to his feet but his face was still sad ”I’m so sorry mum, dad, flo, I’m so sorry for letting you all down and not running things the way I should have... I’ve fucked up so badly”

"Oh honey!” My mum put a loving hand to his cheek “Yes this is a big matter but you’ve barely taken the reigns your still not officially the Alpha yet and you still have so much to learn and experience, but I promise me and your father will not leave again until you feel you are fully ready to take over... we shouldn’t have left for so long in the first place without you having full knowledge of how we run things and being properly equipped”

" She’s right, were sorry son” my dad agreed “we should have been here, and I regret we were out of reach for you to contact us, but like your mum said we won’t do it again until you’re ready...but for now we have to deal with the matter at hand and get things moving”

"I’ll prepare twenty men to leave first thing tomorrow, they can return at nightfall, and the following morning I’ll send out a second lot of twenty men to search and I’ll keep alternating them, sending them wider down the forest boarders” Layton said determinedly

“You do that now son and I’ll get in touch with Roman, my most trusted councilman, he has dealt with urgent matters in secret before, he always keeps things running smoothly”

Layton then mind linked for several guards to join him in the main meeting hall as he walked out, my dad left to go to his office to contact Roman which just left me and mum still in Layton’s office.

”Mum, I hope she’s ok… she’s always been so kind to me” I sniffled as I wiped my tears away “I had hoped I would see her once we got back”

“I know my dear" she tucked my hair behind my ear ”But our Lelanna is strong and remember who her father is… she’s just as skilled as he was”

“but mum” I interrupted “I can’t even imagine what it’s like out there, what if…”

“Sshh,” mum hugged me in comfort “Let’s not underestimate her and think positive, ok?.. come" she said as she held my hand ”let’s go and sit in on the meeting with Layton, Sam will be there so I can imagine Layton will need sound voices to keep Sam calm”

I nodded in agreement to her idea and knowing we were trying to do our bit, did make me feel a little better. As we headed down to the meeting hall with my hand still tucked into my mothers. We walked into the meeting room and sat at the long conference table as we waited for everyone else to come and put our plans in motion.