Curse of the Luna #STARYWRITINGACADEMYV

Part 2 HIS POV

/HIS POV/

"Did you find your mate, Ares?"

"Yes, dad and I'm hiding her from you and the village." I rolled my eyes, head bent down as I kept my focus on cleaning the jacket. The dried blood was impossible to get out of the fur coats.

My father was seated on his usual rocking chair in the common living area, heaps of books placed in front of him, his mouth set in a thin line.

I heard the sound of pen clicking before he put it down and made a sound, akin to disdain. "Don't be a smartass. How long?"

My shoulders sagged. It's the question I have been hounded with ever since forever. Of course, it did not help that the son of Pack Alpha was without a mate at the age of twenty-eight. By now the members expected me to have at least two litters.

"I don't know."

"That's not an answer now, is it?" My father clicked his tongue. "The pack is tired of having no Luna. We cannot keep going like this."

At the mention of Luna, I looked away. My mother passed away while delivering me, something about it being premature and her body not handling the stress. I have never not thought about it. Even if I forget the members talked about it in hushed whispers like I cannot hear.

"Beth is handling..."

At the mention of my aunt, my father's elder sister he let out a loud sigh, "Beth is not getting younger. She is tired and wants to retire. I can see it on her face but she will never tell me that."

Beth's mate rejected her and ever since then, she has not bother finding anyone, content to stay back in her hometown. When my mother passed away, she fulfilled all the duties of a Luna for the pack. Unfortunately never claimed the official position.

"I'll try to..."

"No" He cut me off, visible lines on his temple. Suddenly he appeared older than he already is. "I am done listening to your excuses, Ares. If you are going to take over as Pack Alpha start acting like one."

"You make it sound as if..."

"Enough. You have one week. Or else we are accepting the offer from the Crescent Pack."

The offer being marrying an omega of their pack to strengthen our alliance. They have been pestering my father for last six months but he managed to hold them somehow.

I opened my mouth to argue but my father stood up and simply walked to his room.

***

At night, I decided to go alone for the patrolling to let out the pent up frustration. My father expected me to find a mate and immediately fall in love and have future lineage secured too. How can it happen so quickly?

As I stepped out of my cabin, a sort of uneasiness settled in pits of my stomach. I ignored it. The deeper I went into territory, the quieter the woods appeared. Somehow all I could hear was the sound of leaves whispering under the wind and the soft crunch of dirt beneath my paws. My heartbeat started to increase, a visible hitch in my breathing as I moved with purpose– nose tilted slightly to the air, scenting.

It was only patrolling. I reminded myself, body surging forward, unrestrained and wild.

The wind was loud, but I kept moving.

Branches whipped past as I moved like a shadow through the trees, muscles burning and breath sharp in my lungs.

And then– I froze.

My pulse quickening, a strange thrumming sensation going through as I pick up the first dregs of the scent. A mixture of—vanilla, jasmine and coconut, all thing delicate with promise of sweetness.

My paws stuttered, opening my jaw wider as I inhaled again. And again.

One long string of drool connected my tongue with teeth and I licked absentmindedly, wondering just how the promises of such a scent might bloom on my tongue.

Follow the scent. My inner voice echoed, deep and sharp.

I didn't expect to find anyone, much less the trembling figure slumped at the edge of our pack border– small, and half-hidden under the roots of an old tree. It curled beneath and was barely visible through the fog that settled over the iron linings.

Injured.

My teeth bared, instinct surging to the surface like a reflex.

There were two men, tall and bulky towering over, one of them busy digging while the other paced from one end to the other. Who are these strange men?

A single swipe, a bite, and they're gone.

I looked at the creature and then it moved.

As the fog started to dissipate, I could see properly, I realised this wasn't just any creature but a human being. A girl. My mate.

Mate. My wolf aggressively echoed.

As I inched closer I took a good look at the figure. Her hair clung to her skin in damp, golden waves, catching the dim flashes of the moonlight casting across. Her limbs were long and slender, her expression soft even in pain, twitching that made her look heartbreakingly weak.

Her gown was spread across, the threads of gold and intricate detailed patterns on the fabric making me halt. The hair on my neck stood up. A royal attire.

As if she could sense my presence, her frame shivered, knees pulled into her. She looked like she didn't belong here– too fragile for the savage forest, too soft for a place full of teeth.

But even through the mud and blood, she was beautiful– ethereal.

I had always prided myself on being untouchable, unshaken– stopped cold.

My claws slowly retracted, posture eased. For a minute, the need to attack and tear off their heads dissolved into something heavier, something unfamiliar. I blinked once, as if my wolf was trying to make sense of what was happening.

They must have taken her.

Before I could think, my wolf moved on its own. My paws sank into the wet forest as I stepped forward, slow and cautious, like a human might spook at any moment.

But she didn't move–just lay there, curled up, trembling. Her breath came in shallow gasps, skin flushed with cold, and for a moment, I could hear the faintest whimper break through the sound of the wind.

"H-Hey look behind!" One of the two guys yelled, his eyes turning wide as I came to stand in front.

At the voice, I watched as the human slowly fluttered her eyes open, her features turning pale at the sight. Did she not feel it? The bond? I thought with my eyes fully trained on her.

She opened her mouth to scream but swallowed, tears forming in her eyes as she looked helplessly at the men in front.

"W-We should drop her and run."

"From a wolf?!" The other who was standing close to the tree, busy digging, laughed, far too carelessly. "A mutt. Don't worry about it."

"Shoo b***h!" That was when he abandoned the shovel and sprang forward, a knife in his hand, taking a poorly aimed swipe. I easily ducked the blade before darting forward and clamping my jaws down on the man's shoulder. Blood oozed out and the taste of sour blood filled my mouth, metallic and warm. His scream was cut off as he struck a tree with a sickening crunch, staggering in pain.

The two men might have come to this side to harm the human, not fight a werewolf, and their weapons showed that as the second man rushed forward holding an axe. He appeared much more skilled than his friend had been, alternating between swinging his weapon and ducking attacks.

"What do you want?!" He cried in between attacks.

Distracted I stared at my mate and felt the blade nick under my jaw, making me wince more in surprise than in pain. A sharp gasp from the human made me angrier than the small wound itself and I swiped my claws forward, managing to slice three deep gashes through the man's right leg. The man stumbled back, giving me enough time to ignore the sting under my jaw.

I raised my paw, ready to launch at his neck, when a pained cry made me freeze in my tracks.

My head slowly turned towards the source only to see the injured hunter kneeling by my mate, his hands wrapping around her throat. I should have killed him when I had the chance. I felt as if someone had physically wrapped their hands around my throat, the breaths coming out in gasps.

"Well isn't that great?" The injured guy huffed, his grip tightening as he forced her to her knees, blood trickling down her neck. "This is who you are fighting for."

"Shift," He snarled, his eyes moving towards the axe his friend dropped, "Or I'll smash her head on the axe."

"U-Unhand me!" She struggled in his grip, tears flowing down her face.

"Shut up you filthy curseborn! You have caused enough trouble for the night."

A whimper of pain made it past her lips, despite clamping her teeth down on the plush of her bottom lip to muffle the sound.

I rumbled. As my eyes locked with my mate I could feel my wolf step back, letting me take back control- it was what I needed to do to protect her.

My bones crackled as I took a step back, cold nipping at my skin as I stood back on my feet. I quietly pulled on my thick fur jacket, tightening it before facing the man.

"Let. Her. Go." I ground out, straining to hold back from springing at the man. But I couldn't, not when my mate wasn't safe.

His words were cut off as the human whipped her head back sharply, crushing it against the man's face. He staggered back with a pained cry at the impact, his broken nose gushing blood down.

I didn't hesitate as I sprang forward and tackled him to the ground, my hand inching towards the axe. With my gaze fixated, I plunged it into his throat. He stared at me with wide eyes, trying to gasp as blood squelched out of him and splattered on my face.

"Stay away from my mate."

***