Moon Rising

Eighteen

The clearing, the same spot where Craven first saw and proclaimed me his, was in an uproar. A bunch of pack voices were loud in excitement and laughs with some high pitched screams and playful yelps. The crowd was big, but I saw some familiar faces. Nixon saw me pass and winked playfully, his hair a messy disarray that could either be of his own doing or form shifting. Collin was whooping and running from Tilly who was laughing and yelling at him; she waved at me and kept darting in between all the people. 

    "Everyone seems in a good mood," I commented and smiled, feeling a sudden shot of warmth. These were my people now, mine and Craven's pack. 

   Craven smirked down at me, keeping a possessive arm around my shoulders tight. "What did you think? They would be angry to meet their new future Luna?" 

  I opened my mouth to comment but a sudden loud voice interrupted. "There you are Ash! I've been looking for the new Queen Bitch all night!" Chase's eyes were a bit gold and bright, he just shifted back or his wolf was close to the surface. 

   My dad cleared his throat loudly behind me. "My, have you grown Chase, what the hell is with your hair?" He asked, there was an undercurrent of anger in his voice. 

 Chase sighed. "You know it was a joke Uncle Andrew, Ash is Queen Bitch now, Luna girl," He grinned and mussed my hair. "And it is called a Mohawk, the ladies love it." Just then Paige and a few girls were walking by and rolled their eyes at him. Paige's cheeks turned pink and she quickly looked away from him. 

 My mom hugged him. "It’s nice seeing you, how are your parents?" She asked. Johnny and Leslie had already wondered off into the crowd, probably looking for some of Johnny's old friends.

 "Craven, Ash, it is time. Come to the center," Derek's voice spoke into our heads and I felt my eyes widen. Couldn't quite get used to people talking straight into your mind right away. 

Craven gave me a reassuring smile and nodded with meaning towards my dad who returned it with a proud smile towards me. I noticed his face looked a little strained. 

Before I could ask what was wrong Craven tugged me after him through the crowd. I felt dozens of eyes on me and felt my cheeks warm up. 

"It’s from being around two other Alpha's, it’s hard for your father but don't worry because there's no threat so his wolf won't break out." Craven rubbed his thumb against my hand reassuringly. 

I frowned at him. "You felt my emotions, didn't you?"

He grinned down at me. "Always baby."

A wide opening was just ahead, and I could faintly make out the large figure of Derek and the slim slight figure of Marisol beside him. I heard a few murmurs throughout the crowd as if they sensed Derek were about to begin, and were talking about me; I blocked it all out and took a deep breath as Craven and I approached nearer to Derek and Marisol. 

They both smiled at us warmly before Derek turned to address the large crowd. "Everyone, it has been known that your future Alpha has found his mate, your Luna, in the daughter of Andrew and Clarissa Thompson. I would be glad to present Ashlyn Rose Thompson to you!" Everyone broke into a loud cheer and whistles. Craven stepped forward and raised our intertwined hands into the air with a howl. 

I gasped and noticed his eyes were gold, his wolf close to the surface and wondered if mine were as well. I smiled and squeezed his hand before facing the crowd again. "I'd like to make something clear to all of you," Craven stated loudly after we brought our hands back down. "There has been talk about Ash's role as Luna because of her hybrid blood. It does not matter how much human genes runs in her veins, you will accept and protect your Luna. If you don't like it, you can leave the pack." I didn't like his declaration; nobody should have to leave their pack over me. 

"Nobody is stupid enough to do that Craven," Chase hollered out and got a few chuckles out of the crowd. A flash of dark hair caught my attention and my eyes found Raven, at the front of the crowd fisting her hands and looking at me with fury. Just to piss her off, I shot her a smug smile and stepped closer to Craven possessively. 

"Another announcement!" Derek stepped forward, holding Marisol's hand tenderly and smiling. "I think now it is time to let my son claim his place with his mate. I am stepping down as Alpha and forfeit any control that comes with being Alpha." Craven's parents bowed their heads and Craven looked at them shocked. You could feel the entire power shift, everything just sucked into Craven’s profile. When he looked at me with those wild golden eyes I felt myself squirm with want.

My heart was racing a mile a minute. Me and Craven were now in charge of all these people, I hadn't even shifted yet to be the full Luna these people needed. Craven nodded and Derek returned the nod, smiling like a little mischievous child. 

"I also have an announcement!" A bronze head broke from the crowd and strode forward. "I challenge Craven for Alpha title!" Jax smirked evilly, his eyes already golden. 

Growl erupted all around the crowd of pack members, but the loudest was coming from beside me. Craven pushed me back just as Jax shifted and lunged for my mate's throat. A scream tore up from my own throat just as Craven leaped into his black wolf and met Jax head on. The black and reddish brown wolf snarled and ripped at each other in a dark rage, knocking over some pack members in their fight. Other pack members, mostly males, shifted into form and let out slight snarls.

"Ash!" Chase's hands came down on my shoulders and dragged me further back, barely I heard my mom talking to me in a worried voice as my dad moved to stand in front of me. "Make sure she stays, she's crafty at getting her way!" Chase snarled his voice a deep growl that signaled his soon change into his own wolf. He raced over and edged into the brawl of wolves. 

I heard a loud yelp and felt a sob tore through me; my chest felt like it was on fire. I gripped it and cried out, looking around my dad's legs to see Jax on top of Craven's wolf. 

"Craven!" I called out and tried to go to him. I felt weird, my head was heavy and my heart was sprinting faster; my skin felt heated. 

"Drew, she's struggling," My mom called over the wolves snarls and growls a few feet away from us. I felt my own growl slip between my clenched teeth. 

My dad shifted down to the ground to me and put a strong viselike grip at the tops of my arms. Craven flipped over fast and pinned Jax down before taking a mean bite out of his side. Jax howled in pain and struck up fast as a snake and bit at his throat. Jax's wolf was bigger than average wolf but not as big as Craven's or Derek's black wolf. The silvery patches in Craven's fur were red with blood and made me whimper. 

Everything in me wanted to go to him, wanted to make sure he was okay and then rip Jax's throat out for harming my mate. I wanted to make him suffer and burn, to show him what it feels like to surprise attack him. Something built up inside of me and my body only kept getting hotter and hotter with rage and I trembled from the force of it. 

Two major things seemed to happen at once in that clearing. A ripping, snapped pain exploded inside me that made me release an ear splitting shriek just as Craven's muzzle tore into Jax's throat with a snarl of fury.