Luna Revealed

Chapter Eight

I feel faint. It feels as though my breathing stops when Caine's words finally register in my head. My father is here. He is only 50 feet and a wall away and he's here. And to think I was enjoying my life just moments ago, as if I was free of him. Memories of my brother and Viktor abusing me crash through my mind and I sag against Phoenix. His warm hands grip me, feeling my skin turn cold in fright. He looks at me with confusion written on his features.

My wolf bursts into my head, screaming. Run! Run, run, run! Run as far away as you can! I shake her away, trying to grasp what's happening. My father is here, in the same house as Phoenix. He can't be here. My father is strong – stronger when he's angry, which I'm sure he is. He will slaughter Phoenix on sight.

Phoenix's voice breaks through my foggy thoughts. "We should greet him and explain what happened on Friday. I'm sure he's worried about you."

I desperately push my horrible thoughts to the back of my mind. I'm sure he's worried about you. I inwardly scoff at the idea. My father, worried about me? Maybe on a cold day in hell. He's here to take me back to the house. Who knows what kind of torture awaits me in that place.

Then, I realize: what can he possibly do in this house? I am the Luna of this pack. The people here would kill for me, no questions asked. If he attacks me or Phoenix, Caine and anyone else in the house will kill him and put his head on a spike in the front yard. I'm sure of that. The Luna of my father's pack is fiercely protected by the other members. Surely, the same can be said here.

I suck in a breath, hoping courage will come with it. I grasp Phoenix's hand tighter and nod, agreeing to greet my father. He seems confused about what I am feeling, but follows me when I walk towards the front room. Caine follows so closely behind that I can feel his nervous breath against the back of my head.

I feel my father's presence before I enter the room. He is standing in the far corner near the fireplace, his orange-yellow eyes alert. His discomfort is palpable; he hates being in another pack's territory. Other high-ranking Artem officers, including Mikhail, are stationed around the room. When my father spots me entering the room, his eyes narrow and he steps towards me, anger coursing through him.

"Where the hell have you been?" His wolf's growl slips in with his voice, making him sound every bit of the Beta he is. My confidence quickly disappears and I whimper, my head dropping into a bow. Even my wolf retreats back into her mental dungeon.

Phoenix's grip on my hand tightens, and then disappears completely. I panic for a second as he approaches my father. Outwardly, he appears calm, but I know better. The anger comes off of him in waves at my father's behavior.

My father's eyes widen fractionally at the sight of the tall, young Alpha standing in front of him, disarmed by his approach. He stands taller, as if to appear larger, but it fails miserably. He is but a lone puppy compared to Phoenix.

Phoenix calmly extends his hand out between them. "I'm Alpha Phoenix. And you are?"

My father's eyes narrow once again as they shoot towards me. "I'm that little bi-" He stops his sentence short, restraining himself. When he starts speaking again, he sounds much more relaxed. "I'm that girl's father. Beta Magnus Hemming. I'm here to bring my daughter home."

Phoenix pulls his hand back before my father gets a chance to shake it, startling him. "A Beta?" He shakes his head. "Then where have you been? When a high ranking pack member goes missing, a search is started immediately. It's been two days."

My father coughs, not expecting the questioning. "We've had trouble finding her."

"Her scent should've led you straight here. She's been right under your nose for two days, and you couldn't find her?" Phoenix seems upset at my father's lack of concern for me. He continues his line of questioning. "And where is your back-up? You enter enemy territory in search of the Beta's daughter with no back-up? And what about your Alpha? He should be here to retrieve his subordinate, not you." The temperature in the room rises, the tension thick enough to cut. I quickly walk towards Phoenix and touch his back, silently asking him to back down. Phoenix barely glances back at me, his body stiff with anger.

My father notices this brief exchange and his fury returns with a growl. His eyes shoot to me, fire turning them from cold amber to the bright, liquid gold of his wolf. "So you did find your mate. What did I tell you, Dahlia?" I flinch at the harshness in his voice. He has never been this outwardly angry before. His voice has always been cold and emotionless, just like his face.

Beta Magnus's voice forces its way into my head through our pack bond, freezing me in place. Reject him, you little bitch! Do it now, or you will face the consequences!

Suddenly, chaos erupts in the house. I hear voices shout as my father is restrained by Caine. My eyes cloud over and I can barely breathe as I feel the command from the Beta echo through me. Even though he isn't my Alpha, his command still forces my weakened wolf into submission. His voice screams the same command over and over again in my head, then out loud as he fights against the wolves holding him back.

My body turns to look at Phoenix without my permission. He is standing in front of me, shouting commands to his men. His features are harsh, soft blue eyes turned electric blue. Tears begin dripping down my face, darkening the high collar of my dress. My breath catches in my throat, my wolf desperately fighting against the command raking at my soul. The words are on the tip of my tongue. I reject our mating. I reject you. My wolf howls in frustration, moments from bursting to the surface.

Phoenix' catches my gaze, noticing the fierce amber of my wolf. I'm trembling and he reaches for me as I stagger forward. Just as I open my mouth to speak the words that will truly kill me, a figure comes barreling into the hectic room and pulls me away from Phoenix. His hand shoots out to cover my mouth, muffling the words escaping from my lips. My wolf instantly quiets and I try to focus on the person now in front of me. As the world comes back into focus, I see the stout figure of my Alpha, huffing as if he had just run a marathon.

"Please don't do that." His words confuse me. Do what? His forest green eyes entrance me and I feel him nudge gently into my mind. "Do not reject him." His command strikes me, overtaking my father's. I slump, the tight grip on my soul loosening at his words. He nods and removes his hand from my mouth slowly, making sure I don't say anything. I nod back, only vaguely understanding what is happening.

My father's growl could be heard miles away. The air around him is vibrating, showing that he is on the cusp of shifting. He flails in the arms of the two men holding him. "I swear; I will kill all of you!" His molten eyes rest on me, the fury in them boring holes in mine. "And I will make you suffer for what you did to my mate!" With that, he breaks free from his restraints and bolts for the door, shifting violently as soon as he hits the porch. His white figure retreats quickly down the central road and into the distance, a trail of tattered clothes marking his path.

The room is utterly silent as everyone attempts to grasp the events that just took place. Once everyone feels that Magnus is far enough away from the pack house, they finally relax. Even I feel his presence disappear from the fringes of my mind as he reaches the far ends of the territory.

I look over at Phoenix, who is staring at me in shock. I see my Alpha behind him, watching me with cautious eyes. The silence begins to bother me. Isn't anyone going to say anything?