The True Luna Part One

“I’m not going out with you unless you change.”
Yeah, my clothes were still covered in dust.
“I’ll be changed in a few minutes.”
“Great! Meet us outside the castle gate in ten.” Ash said.
“Uh, how are we getting to town? You don’t expect us to walk right?”
“Don’t worry, I’ll borrow my brother’s car.”
I parted with the gang and darted through the house. Lyle and Bane were back from wherever it is they went. Gabe was with them as well in the kitchen.
I stood outside my bedroom door. I was fully intended on giving my mate the cold shoulder until I came home drunk at three in the morning. He wouldn’t like that. I knew it was immature but I didn’t have that many options when it came to getting back at him.
I marched into the room and aimed for the closet. Dean didn’t move. He was sprawled on the bed, his feet dangling off the edge and his cheek pressed on the mattress. I sighed, so much for my plan he was sound asleep.
I sat on the edge of bed and stared at his face. He was pretty harmless in his sleep. I stroked a strand of hair away from his forehead.
“Hardhead,” I muttered.
I kissed his forehead and dashed off to change. I dressed in leather shorts, thigh-high boots and a long shirt I tucked into the front of my shorts. I let my hair down and applied nude lipstick. I tiptoed out of the bathroom. If he caught me he would insist on coming with me. Though Dean was still passed out. I breathed a sigh of relief when the door clicked shut.
Evading the guards and the betas was cake. I didn’t catch Gabe or Kenzie anywhere either. I took that as a good sign. I may have taken more than ten minutes to meet my friends.
“There you are!” Ginger groaned.
“Fucking hot,” Ash gawked at my legs. I blushed I wasn’t used to this kind of attention. I got used to wearing long flowy skirts in my old pack.
Ginger bunched him, by the way, Ash shifted that was a true beta punch.
“Excuse you!”
“It was a compliment. Didn’t I say the same thing to you?”
Ginger lifted her nose and snorted. She climbed into the front seat.
“Boys can be such idiots!”
“Don’t mind her she’s just jealous. But you do look hot Layla,” Sam said sheepishly.
“Thanks Sam,” I smiled.
“Come on before someone finds out we’re gone.” Ginger yelled.
“Aren’t we allowed to leave?” I asked.
“Not exactly—” Ash started.
“We’re not allowed to go clubbing when the Dare pack’s still around. Necessary movement only.” Sam snapped. I see he wasn’t on board for this trip.
“This my friend is necessary movement,” Ash grinned.
“Stop your whining if didn’t want to come you should have stayed behind.” Ginger barked.
Sam crossed his arms and slumped into the seat. He shut his eyes and grumbled something I didn’t catch. I wanted to ask him why he came along but it wasn’t the right time.
We arrived outside a building with exposed red bricks. The tall building vibrated from the music coming from below. At first glance, I wasn’t sure I wanted to go in. Two large men spotting black sunglasses guarded the door that was protected by a velvet rope.
“Are we going to get in?” I asked nervously.
“Of course. It pays to know people.” Ginger smiled.
I wanted to ask like who then I remembered Ash and Ginger’s siblings were the alpha’s betas. We got inside without a hassle. We descended stairs that seemed to go on for miles. We emerged into a dark room with purple flashing lights and women dancing on thick black poles. My eyes went wide. The women wore crime scene tape over their private areas. I nearly cupped my eyes.
Ash directed us to the bar. A bartender with feline eyes as golden as the sun. He winked at me and grinned at Ginger. He was a gorgeous man I almost couldn’t take my eyes off him not just because I’d never seen a being with cat eyes but even his skin shimmered and this place had no source of sun.
“Careful Layla,” Sam hissed.
“What?” I shook my head.
Ginger dragged Ash to the dance floor. She pulled him close and crashed their lips together. Seeing them made me miss my mate. But I couldn’t shake my fury yet.
“Two vodkas with coke on ice.” The bartender nodded and became busy.
“Vodka?” I asked.
Sam smirked, “Yeah, some would say it’s a little like sunset blossom but this stuff is way bitter.”
I frowned, “Oh. Don’t they have it here?”
Sam frowned, “It’s kind of illegal.”
I cringed. The bartender came back with two short glasses with two ice cubes each. Sam grabbed my elbow and dragged me from the bar before the bartender could trap me in his eyes again. I wanted to ask him so many things. He lifted his fingers and waved.
“What was that about?”
“Don’t trust him. He’s a soul eater. His mission would be to sleep with you.” Sam said as he brought the glass up to his lips.
“Crap.”
“Sam… why did you come along? You obviously didn’t want to.”
He chuckled and nodded at the dance floor where Ginger wrapped her body around Ash. “I wanted to make sure she’s safe.”
“Don’t you trust Ash?”
He traced his finger on the rim of the glass. “I think he can be a bit irresponsible.”
“It’s getting harder isn’t it? To resist the bond?”
He nodded and sighed. No sign of that beautiful smile he always had.
“I don’t know how she does it. I can’t… stand not having her. I don’t like seeing them together. Rejection isn’t in the cards.”
“Sam, Ash’s a nice guy what if you tell him Ginger’s your fated mate.”
“She’d kill me! You’ve met her, right?”
I rolled my eyes and stood. I needed to find a bathroom and call my fated mate. “Think about it. I’ll be right back.”
“Layla… our friends are coming…”
“What?” I looked at Sam.
His brows knitted together. “What?”
“Didn’t you say something?”
Sam shook his head.
“You won’t escape us this time darling,” A feminine voice whispered in my ear.
I hurried to the bathroom. It was the same voice before the locus lake appeared. There was no way a lake would appear in a club, right? I washed my face to clear my head. I dialled Dean’s number. It rang several times until the phone went to voicemail. I did it several times before I gave up and left him a voicemail and asked him to call back. The blood pumping music in the background would give away my location.
I stumbled into Ginger on my way out. She grabbed hold of the wall and my arm. She threw her head back and laughed.
“Are you having as much time as I am?”
“I wish I was.”
“Lighten up Layla! Let’s go dance and get another drink. I’m buying!”
“Yeah we came here to relax.”
“Layla!”
Ginger and I jumped. More like she stumbled into my arms.
“You shouldn’t be here! Get the fuck away from here.”
“Eight?” I asked.
He threw back his hoodie. What was he doing here?
“Who is he?” Ginger squeaked.
“Grab your friends and get lost.”
“Why?” I snapped.
“I’m trying to protect you.”
“Looks like you’re following me. You still won’t tell me who you are and how you know me.”
He ran a hand down his face and cursed. “You need to get out to here before it’s too late.”
“What do you mean?”
Screams erupted followed by glass simultaneously hitting the ground.
“It’s too late to explain now. The Dare pack’s here. Save yourselves.” Eight’s eyes held a heavy burden.
“What about everyone else?”
“You can’t save them all Layla! I’ll help you get to the damn door.”
I couldn’t save my pack. This was my pack now. I couldn’t let it die too. I draped Ginger’s arm around my shoulder and dragged her into the dance floor.
“Ash! Sam!” I screamed, but the cries of panic and bottles bursting into flames shadowed me.
The Dare pack snapped any neck that came into view. There were massive creatures that looked like ordinary men expect their eyes held sinister sin and their actions were monstrous.
I lost sight of Eight until I saw him boot a Dare wolf six feet away. He barked at me to go. He shifted into a black wolf and leapt over my head onto a hybrid targeting us.
“What’s going on?” Ginger trembled.
“Keep walking.” I yelled on top of the chaos.
We got into the dark street. Damn it I didn’t have the car keys.
“Layla!” Sam cried. He lay a few feet from the entrance blood oozing out of his stomach.
No. I set Ginger on the side of the car. She curled into a ball and whimpered. Everything was falling apart. I touched the wound but I had nothing to stop the bleeding.
“Find Ash and get out of here,” he grunted and more blood poured out of him.
“I’m not leaving you.”
He grabbed my hand with his bloody palm and squeezed.
“Save my mate. With me gone she’ll finally be happy.”
“Ash!” Ginger screamed.
My head snapped in her direction. Ash blocked Ginger from a dare hybrid. Ash threw a punch and missed. The hybrid grabbed his arm and twisted. The hybrid slashed his claws across Ash’s chest. I trembled as Ash hit the ground. Ginger screamed as blood splattered across the street. The hybrid pounced on Ash and ripped into his neck.
“Something’s happening,” Sam said.
The wound was closing. I left him, tossed my bag and raced to help Ash. I shifted and pounced on the wolf’s back, sinking my teeth into his neck to get him to release Ash.
I roared in his face to show him I was every bit a monster as he was. He whimpered and scurried off into the dark streets. Ash convulsed and gasped as blood spluttered out of his neck. No, he couldn’t die. I stood near him. I tried to touch him. Hoping what happened with Sam would work this time but nothing did. I watched as life left Ash’s body and his blue eyes went still. He was gone.
Hybrid growled and the screams of their victims caught my attention. They would pay for this.