The Shadow Moon Pack

I woke up in the morning to the same person who plagued my dreams. He shook me awake with his muzzle, licking my cheek every now and then. After about the third lick, I opened my eyes, stood up, and stretched.

“Morning,” I greeted sleepily.

“Morning Acacia, we’re going into town if you want to come,” Aiden responded.

“Sure,” I answered.

Once the whole pack woke up, everyone, excluding Nathan and the pups, left the cave and began our journey to town. It was a four hour walk, and once we got there everyone went their separate ways. I stuck with Aiden, relying on him to show me around.

We walked around for a while until it was time for lunch. The whole pack met up at a restaurant that Aiden told me was owned by the beta wolf of the Scar Forest pack.

“Hello, would you like a booth or table?” a waiter greeted us at the door.

Sam immediately latched on to Robert’s arm upon seeing the man, making it apparent that the two were together. The waiter’s eyes skipped over the men and Sam, locking on to the first female he saw, Kathrine. I recognized the look in his eyes, and narrowed my own.

“Booth please,” I answered with a fake smile adorning my face. The male smiled back at me before leading us to our booth.

Once his back was turned, I pulled Aiden over to Kathrine and draped his arm over her shoulders. The two of them looked at me curiously, wondering what I was up to. I just smiled softly and winked at Kat.

At the booth, I let Kathrine and Aiden sit down before I slid in on the other side of the alpha. Sam and Robert sat across from us, Robert making sure that he was on the end.

Aiden had dropped his arm from Kat’s shoulder, so I caught his eye and pointedly looked from his right arm to Kathrine. He complied once he saw the waiter look at her, and glared at him warningly.

“So, what can I get you?” the waiter asked.

The others answered and I waited until the end so I would be able to catch his attention and hopefully keep it off of the other two girls in the pack.

“Water please,” I smiled charmingly up at the man.

“Sure thing sweets,” he winked, turning and going to get our drinks. I glared at his back, the scowl staying on my face as I picked up the menu.

“Okay, what are you up to Acacia?” Aiden asked, taking his arm from Kat’s shoulders once again and staring at me.

“Put your arm back,” I whispered quickly, seeing the waiter making his way back with a tray of drinks. Aiden saw where I was looking and realization crossed his face as he put his arm back and left it there.

“There ya go babe,” the waiter said as he sat my drink down after the others. I sent another smiled his way and said a sweet ‘thank you’.

“Are you ready to order?” he looked at me as he asked us.

“Yeah,” Aiden replied after looking at everyone for confirmation.

Everyone ordered and the man left us to ourselves. A relieved sigh escaped my lungs as I laid my head on my left hand that was propped up on the table. The pack looked at me sadly, knowing that I was getting the man’s attention to keep it off of the girls. I could have easily wrapped my arm around Aiden’s waist when we walked in, but that would have left Kathrine to fend for herself.

I suppose that isn’t the only reason I didn’t do that though. I know as an alpha of the pack, that Aiden and I are expected to be mates, but I just don’t think I’m ready for that. I was the sole alpha of my old pack, I don’t know how to be someone’s mate.

I heard the bell above the door ring, but I thought nothing of it, knowing that I wouldn’t
know who it was anyway. I was curious, though, when the whole pack stared in that direction and their backs stiffened.

Looking over there, I saw five people waiting to be seated. The one standing in front of the rest of them was a male that had short black hair and dark blue eyes. Next to him was a female with curly blonde hair in a ponytail and light blue eyes. One of the males behind them had medium-length wavy brown hair and light blue eyes. The other had medium-length curly red hair and dark blue eyes. The female at the back had wavy shoulder-length light brown hair with bangs and golden-brown eyes.

“Scar Forest pack?” I asked, noticing the golden hue in the last female’s eyes. The rest of my pack nodded in unison.

I watched as a waitress escorted them pack us to their table. The males in their pack wolf whistled as she walked away to get their drinks. I wrinkled my nose in disgust at their behavior, and in that moment I caught a familiar scent.

“Lillian,” I whispered, drawing the attention of both of our tables. She looked at me with the same blue eyes that I’d stared at so many times before and I felt all of the hope I had drain from my soul.

Recognition dawned on her and we both stood up at the same time. I walked to the bathroom with her following, just as I knew she would. Once we were both inside, I checked the stalls to make sure we were alone and locked the door. I faced her and stared directly into her eyes before speaking in the most authorative voice I’d ever used.

“They’re mine.”

Two simple words that would have made absolutely no sense to anyone else, but we both knew what I was talking about. She wasn’t going to get her pups back, not after she left them. She didn’t deserve to have them call her mother.

“They’ll never be yours, not fully,” she reminded me before turning to walk out the door, not even trying to fight for her pups.

“You never even tried to find us,” I stated, a growl rising in my throat, “Did you ever even love them, care about them in the slightest?”

“No,” she replied simply, going back to her pack.

I just stared at her back as she walked away from me for the second time. Everything I thought I knew about her was a lie, she never even cared for her own pups! I shook my head before going back to my pack.

When the waiter turned up with our food, I didn’t even acknowledge him, too angry at the wolf I thought was my friend. Aiden thanked the man pointedly, letting him know it was his time to leave. He eventually did, but not before casting a fleeting glance at me.

No one spoke for the rest of lunch, we just ate our meals in silence.

When we finished, the brunette boy from the Scar Forest pack came over. He noticed the silence and attempted to dispel it by greeting us. It worked, the rest of the pack smiled at him and told him that the food was delicious.

“Kat, Acacia, this is Matt. He owns the restaurant. Sorry you didn’t meet him sooner Kathrine, you’ve been off doing your own thing the last few times we ran into him,” Aiden introduced.

“Hello,” Kathrine smiled at him, causing a barely noticeable blush to arise on Matt’s cheeks. Aww, he’s got a crush on her. I smiled slightly at the thought and nodded to him in greeting.

“So,” Matt cleared his throat, “Who’s the new girl?”

“I’m the new alpha, nice to meet you matt. The place is amazing by the way,” I smiled kindly at him, noticing how he didn’t blush this time. Good, he doesn’t like me like that.

“Hah! I already like her,” Matt laughed, encouraging the rest of the pack to join him.

We talked to him until the sun began to set. Eventually, we left the restaurant and made the four hour walk back home, where we promptly fell asleep after telling Nathan what happened.