Tangled In Moonlight (Starlight Trilogy Book 1)

Chapter 3: "Happy Birthday To Me" (Pt. 2)

Adrian.

Being in Red Bone, even as a guest, made me uneasy to say the least. I felt like Alpha Stone was hiding something that he didn't want me to know about. I mean, I'm here to help him with his financial situation, but if he was hiding things from me then now would be the time to tell me so we can work together to find a solution. Admittedly, nothing has happened since I've been here. I was supposed to have a meeting this today with Alpha Stone but so far I've heard nothing from him.

My thoughts stray to my mate. I hadn't expected to find her while I was here, but I had and now I could finally answer my mother's question.

Something about her seemed to make not just me, but also my wolf, uneasy. I couldn't figure it out but it seemed like she was trying to distance herself from those around her. And that bruise around her eye was fresh, that much I could tell. Was Red Bone abusing her?

I hope not or their going to pay. Dearly. My wolf's angry words rang in my head. We'd been looking for our mate since we turned eighteen and finally we'd done just that. We finally felt complete.

I suddenly had the urge to go off into the woods. But instead, I looked out the window to see that the moon had risen and was almost a full moon.

Mate's eighteenth moon. My wolf whispered in my head. With how high the moon was and how it was almost full, it would explain why I felt so uneasy about this pack.

Turning away from the window, I made my way out into the spot that Alpha Stone had designated for the night's event. Many of red Bone's children were turning eighteen tonight. I hoped to see my mate.

It's said that when a werewolf turns eighteen, they know exactly who their mate is. I didn't know who my mate was until yesterday when I bumped into Ellie by accident.

She had no idea who I was to her. It was like she'd been sheltered all her life from the world. It was like she never went to school to learn of our kind, to learn about what mates are. Considering that I'd just found her, there was lots that I didn't know about my mate. That being said, I wanted to know everything about her.

On my way to the eighteenth ceremony, I spotted my mate. She had her head cast down and she was being told off by Alpha Stone. I know that I shouldn't have, but did anyway, I used my wolf hearing to listen in on their conversation. I couldn't hear much because he spoke so lowly that not even with my wolf's hearing could I hear what he was saying to my mate. Out of all of that, all I could pick up on was 'yes Alpha' from my mate.

I personally, have never seen another wolf be so submissive to their Alpha before, until now. Why is she so submissive to him? My wolf's question mirrored my own.

Alpha Stone looked around to make sure no one was looking before he punched our mate in the face. The force of it made he fall to the floor and sent my wolf and myself into a fit of rage. Before I even knew what was going, I'd picked Alpha Stone up and tossed him against a thick tree, knocking him out.

My attention turned to Ellie, who had blood dripping from her face. Scooping her up to take her for medical attention, I passed by two of my men on the way.

"Alpha Stone's hurt Golden Moon's new Luna, lock him up." I said.

Abuse and slavery were illegal in our society, and for a very good reason too. But while I'd been here, I'd witnessed her slaving herself away for a pack who clearly hated her and just now been physically harmed by the leader of the pack. Alphas are supposed to protect their pack, it's what they vowed to do when the Alpha titled was passed down to them. Being an Alpha didn't give us the right to go around abusing our pack member for no reason.

I found the doctor in his office. He was doing some paperwork but when he saw that I was carrying Ellie, he pushed it aside and pointed to table in the corner of the room.

"Not again." He said. It was more to himself then to me.

"This has happened before?" I asked.

The doctor, having realized that he'd said that allowed, turned and focused on Ellie. He was trying to think of what to say.

"I'm not supposed to say anything, but yes, it's happened many times beforehand." He said.

He lifted Ellie's shirt and the sight of all the scars was horrifying. Her bones were visible, telling me that she'd been starved. What have Red Bone done to my mate? My wolf was beyond angry, he was peed off.

"She's been abused since she was seven years old, since the Alpha Stone made forced her into slavery then told her that with slavery it was the Alpha's job to keep her in line. Only, he made it a rule of the pack that everyone had to physically smack her around." He said.

Seven years old? That's ten years.

"What do her parents do about it?" I said.

"Nothing, her family died in fire when she was five years old. Their bodies were never found, neither was the cause of the fire. Those who don't hate her, who actually care for her, like myself, suspect that the Alpha and Luna have something to do with it. I'm Dorian by the way." He said.

My poor Ellie, she's been through so much. I bent down to her and kissed her forehead.

"I promise to protect you with my life." I whispered to her. She couldn't hear me, that much I knew, but I said it any way.

"She's your mate, isn't she." Dorian said.

"She is, and as soon as I can, I'm getting her out of this... place." I said.

"Oh thank the moon goddess." He said. Knowing that Ellie was my mate, Dorian got to work. "That infection's gotten worse." he said. I looked to what he was looking at.

Her entire back was infected badly. How long have... my thoughts were cut off when I notice the lines on her back, they all looked the same.

"Has she been whipped?" I asked. Dorian nodded. He set up an IV line to administer antibiotics to Ellie.

"Abused, tortured... you name it and she's been a victim of it. Medically, she hasn't had it easy either. She's been in her more times than I can count, her medical record is so thick that it has it's own box." He said. "She's in here every week with a new injury and as much as tell Alpha Stone to lay off her or that she needs time to hell, he tell me that he's the Alpha and he can do whatever the hell he wants." He added. So from what I'm being told, Alpha Stone is a very cruel man. Got it.

I couldn't believe that someone would stoop so low as to treat their pack member like this, an Alpha especially. I knew what had to be done. I had to tell my brother, the king, that Alpha Stone broke the law. My brother purposely made it illegal to abuse another wolf for a reason.

I remembered the eighteen moon celebrations going on outside. Alpha Stone was locked up and the celebration needed to officiated by an Alpha.

"Alpha Stone should be along soon to start the eighteen moon celebration." Dorian said.

"I asked my men to lock him up. I suppose I'll have to do it." I said. I didn't want to leave my mate, not after seeing and hearing what Alpha Stone has done to her.

"She's safe here, I won't let anything happen to her. I'll be here the whole time." He said. With his assurance, I left to to start the celebration for everyone.

It was difficult for me to stand before Red Bone in the place of Alpha Stone. His mate stepped forward.

"Where's my mate?" She asked.

"Alpha Stone has some... urgent matters to attend so I'll be officiating tonight's celebration." I said.

I didn't miss the confusion on her face. Obviously she didn't believe me but I didn't care.

"We are here tonight to celebrate those who have reached a milestone, their eighteenth moon. Welcome to the world of adulthood, enjoy your night." I said.

With that said and done, I made my way back to my mate. It was her birthday too and I planned to spend it with her.