Scarred Luna

KARA

As I listen to the other teenagers jabbering on about mates this and mates ~that~, I can’t help but feel sorry for myself that I have to have anything to do with this function.

A bloody three-day function.

Day One: The packs arrive from all across the country and begin mingling with each other. This is when most mates find each other, and the mingling goes on for the whole three days.

Day Two: Those who have found their mates are encouraged to go into the forest to allow their wolves to run together.

Day Three: The mating ceremony takes place. Those who have found their mates officially accept each other before their packs.

Three days of hormones going into overdrive; three days of horniness; three days of people humping each other everywhere you look. Wonderful.

Still, it could be worse. I’ve been assigned to the kitchen, which is a huge relief. I need not worry about people giving me weird looks because of my scar, and I can avoid most social interactions.

It’s like a safe haven where I can focus on my tasks and just be left alone.

But I hide away all the time, and when I’m given my first job to collect the used Champagne flutes after the initial welcome is over, I make a point to do it as fast as possible.

Too fast!

Out of nowhere, two girls crash right into me.

“Watch where you’re walking, Freddy Kreuger!”

From down on the ground, surrounded by shattered glass, I don’t recognize the girls looking down at me; they must be from a different pack.

One of them covers her mouth, and the other gives me a look of disgust.

“Oh, my goddess, the boys didn’t tell the full story. You look so much worse! Jeez, what the hell was your alpha thinking to let you serve us?”

I roll my eyes at them and start tidying the mess around me.

A voice sounds above me: “He probably thought no one would dare to break the laws of Mating Day.”

I glance upward and catch sight of a remarkably tall, blond man. He has hazel eyes that make me think of my mother.

“Uncle Jacob?” I whisper.

His face is expressionless as he gazes at the girls. “Did you realize that breaking the laws of Mating Day is punishable by banishment?”

I feel a twinge of satisfaction when the girls’ smiles fade, replaced with a sudden expression of fear that gradually overtakes their widening eyes.

“Now, I suggest you get the hell out of my face before I do something I won’t regret.”

He remains perfectly stationary as he tracks the girls scurrying away. Once they are gone, he redirects his attention by greeting me with a warm smile.

“Oh, Kara! You’ve grown up so much!” He pulls away, holding my shoulders. “I can’t believe it! You look just like Kiana!”

“Uncle Jacob! I almost didn’t recognize you. It’s been so long.”

He bursts into laughter and pulls me into another warm embrace. “Oh, sweet pea! You remember me! How are you?”

“I’m good. I’m a lot better now. How about you? I mean, I thought Pop-Pop was still the alpha?”

Uncle Jacob frowns and just opens and closes his mouth for a moment before he finally speaks again. “Little one, has no one told you what happened?”

I snort. “Why would anyone tell me anything?”

He takes a deep breath and grabs my hand. “I don’t know how to say this to you, but your grandfather was killed in a rogue attack.”

A shiver shoots up my spine, and my breath catches in my throat. “What do you mean he was killed?”

“While he was hunting for rogues, he was ambushed and killed.”

I look down at my hands. “I don’t understand. How can that have happened? Why was I never told?”

Although Jacob is the alpha of the Blue Moon Pack, the only place I have any blood relatives left after my parents died, Alpha Black decided it was better I stay here, at Crescent Moon.

Fortunately, Lana and Richard took me in and raised me as their own. I couldn’t have wished for better adoptive parents. And their son, Keith, is like a brother to me.

My uncle frowns. “There’s a lot that I’ve tried to tell you that hasn’t got through to you, I think. I’ll be speaking to Alpha Black while I’m here.”

My uncle nudges my shoulder. “Come on now, let’s not get down and gloomy. It’s supposed to be a happy day. We can talk about all of this later.”

He smiles at me and squeezes my fingers. “Maybe you can help me find your future aunt?”

I dry my eyes as I chuckle. “I would love to but, unfortunately, I have to help with the festivities or my alpha will have my head.”

I start to get up, but my uncle stops me.

“Kara, you don’t have to stay here, you know? You can come back with me.”

I am touched he wants me after all this time—he said as much back when my parents were murdered—but I assume whatever stopped Alpha Black from releasing me to the Blue Crescent Pack is still relevant.

Plus, I can’t do that to Keith and his family.

“I appreciate the offer, Uncle Jacob, but I’ve built a life here. I can’t leave it.”

He pats my hand. “Well, I’ll let you go then. You probably have work to do.”

I stand up and give him a hug. “Come see me before you leave?”

He kisses my forehead. “Of course.”

JACOB

“Alpha Black, Beta Dane.”

They both bow their heads slightly.

“Alpha Kane,” Alpha Black says, “it’s wonderful to see you here after so many years.”

“Thank you for hosting this year’s Mating Day. Your hospitality is immeasurable.”

I smile at the Crescent Moon Pack’s alpha. “Alpha Black, I was hoping I could have a few minutes of your time?”

Something mysterious dances in the depths of his eyes. “I wish I could, Alpha Kane, but I must manage the festivities, especially as they’ve only just begun. Can you understand?”

My smile fades, and I move closer, determined for him to feel my fiery anger. “Of course, but this is regarding my niece. I’d like to know why she hasn’t received my letters?”

Alpha Black’s expression falls and he lifts his hand to direct me outside of the tent. “Care to take a walk?”

I lower my head respectfully and accompany Alpha Black away from the stage.

The air between us is heavy with silence, and I can’t help but feel the weight of anticipation building within me.

“I heard your father was killed. I regret that I could not attend the funeral, as a fellow alpha, I hope you understand that the demands here meant I could not attend.”

As we walk, I keep my gaze fixed straight ahead. “Of course, but I’d like to know why someone isn’t passing on my letters to my niece? How long has this been going on for?

“And that’s not to mention that every time I’ve requested a visit, I have been denied.”

Alpha Black stops and turns toward me. “Really? I will investigate at once. There must be some confusion following on from a previous order.”

I grind my teeth as I try to keep my anger from boiling over. “What previous order?”

“You must understand, after the girl lost her parents, we thought it would aggravate her despair if she read too many letters or received visits from your pack. She may have drowned in the grief.”

There is something he isn’t telling me, but if I probe anymore, I might push him away. I give him a slight nod, hoping it’s enough for him to believe I understand his reasons.

“I see. Well, perhaps you can find out who has been interrupting our correspondence and put a stop to it.

“And another thing, the loss of her parents. I was checking over the reports you provided at the time, but some of the details don’t correspond with what some of your pack members said.”

He raises an eyebrow. “You spoke to members of my pack?”

I shrug. “Naturally. You must understand, the daughter of a powerful alpha was killed, and we wanted answers. So, I was just hoping you could clarify some things?

“Your report states that you ordered your beta, my brother-in-law at the time, to protect your mate and children, but one witness claimed your mate and children weren’t on the pack’s land at the time.

“In fact, this same witness said they left for your mate’s pack’s territory a few days before the attack.”

Alpha Black’s gaze shifts away, and his footsteps take us down a dimly lit path. I can’t help but notice the somber nature of his demeanor is reflected in the path we are now treading.

“I didn’t take you or your father for fools, and yet, that’s what you have been made to appear.”

His flippancy enrages me further, but I control my temper. “What do you mean?”

“Well,” he says with a shrug, “the rogues will do anything to break the peace between the packs.

“I don’t know who this so-called witness is, but it seems they’ve given misinformation in the hope of breaking our alliance.”

I feel one of my eyebrows rise. Is he playing some kind of game? I must navigate this carefully.

“The information came from a member of this pack.”

He squares his shoulders with me and looks me in the eye. “They were mistaken.”

With him looking at me so keenly, I take the opportunity to observe Alpha Black’s every move, every line in his expression, desperately trying to decipher the thoughts swirling in his mind.

My father’s discoveries following my sister’s death have left me perplexed. They don’t align with the narrative we were told, and the pieces of the puzzle just don’t fit together.

If only Father had shared this information with me sooner, I could have done something before now.

I can’t shake this feeling of unease, this nagging sense, that there’s more to the story.

KARA

After sweeping up the broken glass, I make my way back to the kitchen.

Just as I’m nearing the swinging door, a path starts to form through the crowd, parting like the Red Sea, as guests and pack members, alike, make way for a group of hefty men.

But it is the one in the middle who is stealing the show. His hair, white as freshly fallen snow, catches my eye first, then his emerald-green eyes, which shimmer with an otherworldly light.

Towering over everyone around him, he must be over six feet and a half, and he commands the space around him, casting an enchanting spell over all who lay eyes on him.

Even I can’t tear my eyes away from the gigantic man.

For a moment, it feels like time has been frozen, then the mystery around the stranger becomes clear when I hear whispering voices saying that he is the high alpha.

Every ten years, a high alpha is chosen not only because of the strength of their pack but, also, for their strength and power as an alpha.

Typically, this is done via competition at the Lycan Games, held on neutral ground, in which alphas from all over the world put their strength, agility, powers, and leadership skills to the test.

The physical demands of the games mean high alphas tend to be young, but I didn’t realize how young our high alpha was; he looked to be in his twenties.

But despite the man’s incredible looks, you don’t win the games by being nice, and the whispers around me remind each other that he is a ruthless being, with no patience for mistakes.

Fear grips everyone in his presence as much as awe and admiration, all while he and his entourage tread through the crowd.

I’m about to unleash a sigh of relief as the men pass by when the high alpha comes to an abrupt halt.

Lifting his eyes, he begins to sniff the air, his senses attuned to something beyond my comprehension.

He closes his captivating green eyes and moves his lips soundlessly, as if invoking a powerful incantation. My ears strain to catch a word or two, but they elude me.

And then, I can see his glinting emeralds again, glinting in the sunlight as they pierce through the sea of bodies around him and lock onto me.

He speaks one word—a word that resonates deep within my soul—causing my heart to still and my world to come to a halt.

“Mate.”