The Luna

Prologue

"But I don't see why I have to have a baby brother." Alex Arrowwood complained, waiting in the lobby room of the Half Moon hospital.

The black haired girl beside her laughed. "You'll love him one day, Alex. I promise. It's the same thing that happened with my brother and I." She turned her honey colored eyes to the small three-year old beside her. Alex was already very mature for her age, and could already talk fluently. Those were the perks of being the firstborn of a pure alpha blood.

Alex's short red hair framed her face as she looked up to her older cousin. Tessa Arrowwood was fifteen years old, and her sixteenth birthday was the next day. They were preparing for her big day when Evelyn Arrowwood went into labor with Alex's baby brother. They'd been at the hospital for over four hours, and the three-year-old was getting bored. Finally, Derek Arrowwood, the alpha of the pack and Alex's father, came out to retrieve them. "Come, hurry." Tessa and Alex quickly made their way after him, following Derek into a nearby hospital room.

On the bed lay her mother, holding a small bundle of blankets in her arms. Evelyn smiled at the two girls, gesturing them over to her. Tessa picked Alex up so she could see the newborn. He was so small, yet bigger than the normal werewolf pup. His eyes were open, but he wasn't crying. He seemed to be looking around in wonder. He had beautiful hazel eyes, shifting from brown to green to somewhere in between. "His name is Christopher. Chris for short."

"He's beautiful." Tessa breathed. Alex had a small smile on her face as she gazed at the baby. He was so innocent, so helpless. Alex was overcome with the urge to take him from her mother's arms and shield him from the rest of the world. In that moment, she made a vow. She would love this helpless baby no matter what.

****

"Awex!" Two-year-old Christopher Arrowwood slowly made his way down the hallway towards his sister. The girl, Alex, turned and smiled at the toddler. He was just learning how to walk, and was quite clumsy.

"What are you doing? Where's momma?" She caught Chris just as he began to fall forward.

"Momma making snacks for youuu." Scooping the child into her arms, the five-year-old ran to the kitchen, where the snacks were.

Evelyn stood at the counter, making Alex a healthy snack. Her green eyes lit up when she saw her children. "Alex, honey, put your brother down." Evelyn laughed, placing a hand on her stomach. She had two kids already, and one more was on the way. "How was school?" They had sent Alex to kindergarten, as it got one of the kids out of the house.

"I made a new friend today!" She exclaimed. Her mother arched a brow.

"You did? What's their name?"

"Athena Blue!" Athena Blue was a girl with kaleidoscope eyes and ash blonde hair. She was a very kind girl, and Alex's first friend.

Though Alex had been going to school for two months, it was rare that she got a friend who stays. Alex liked reading books as opposed to talking to real people, so some of the people who tried to be her friend quickly got bored with her and left for other friends. "That's great, honey!"

"Momma? What happened to Tessa?" Alex missed her older cousin, who'd left a year earlier.

Evelyn smiled sadly, looking at her oldest child. "Tessa found her mate, Alex. She moved packs, remember? She's visiting next week." Alex looked a bit disappointed that Tessa had moved packs, but nodded her head and took her snack to the counter to eat. Her family around her, Alex felt at peace.

****

"Alex! What was that for?" Christopher Arrowwood splashed his sister back as he yelled out.

"Kids, play nice." Derek reminded them. The alpha family was having a day out. They were at a beautiful lake inside Half Moon territory, having a peaceful picnic.

Evelyn and Derek were at the blanket, watching their kids play in the water. They were accompanied by a small, six-year-old boy named Aidan, Alex and Chris's youngest sibling. The two older siblings splashed around in the crystalline water with their black-haired cousin, Tessa.

Chris tackled Alex, submerging the two of them. They fought playfully underwater for a while, as both of them could hold their breath for an exceptional amount of time. It was only when Tessa's hand grabbed the collars of their shirts and pulled upward did they surface.

Every person with them- Evelyn, Derek, Aidan, and Tessa- were deadly silent, staring off into the trees. A pair of eyes was the only thing visible, and they glowed red. More glowing red eyes appeared around it. Rogues. Derek stood, not breaking eye contact with the rogue werewolves. Evelyn stood slowly, following her husband's example, and picked up her youngest. She pressed a kiss to his cheek and made her way to Tessa and the other children. "Tessa, take them to the pack house. Please," She bent down to the children's level, "I love you, so much. Don't leave Tessa's side for anything." She kissed their foreheads and shifted, standing side-by-side with her husband.

Tessa watched for a moment, worry coloring her honey eyes. Then she seized Alex's wrist and pulled her away from her parents. Aidan was handed to Chris, and Tessa seized his wrist too. The rogues launched themselves at the alpha and luna, and Alex turned her head towards the battle that raged behind them.

Her father leapt forward, his claws sinking into the flesh of a rogue. Her mother's teeth hit home at a rogue's throat, immediately killing him. She was almost out of sight range of the fight, and confident that her parents would win. Then Alex saw the lead rogue barrel into her mother when she was not looking. The leader's teeth sank into her side, red coating his face almost instantly. A pained yelp escaped her mouth as she fell. Alex's father turned, momentarily distracted. A rogue's claws raked across his face and neck before the very same wolf who killed her mother bit her father's throat. Red leaked from the wounds, even after her father went still.

Alex saw the lifeless body hit the bloodstained ground.

WC: 1047