Luna Rhea

RHEA
Trisha went down on her knees and I stared at her bewildered. Was she being sincere? Or was this a trick?
She'd just acknowledged me as Luna. I took a long breath and exhaled slowly.
"Fine, I forgive you. We're all good, now" I said. She rose to her feet and embraced me. I wondered if she was happy or if her face had just been twisted into an unpleasant scowl because I couldn't see her. When we pulled away, there was a smile on her face. "Thank you so much, Rhea" she said and I forced out a smile.
Jaden's scent wafted into my nostrils and my smile widened.
"Looks like Jaden is back" Trisha commented. I stepped out from the back of the main building and went towards the gates to welcome my mate. The moment he saw me, his eyes twinkled. He approached me, not taking his eyes off me.
"Here you are" he said and kissed me. Our pack members cheered and my cheeks burned. I followed him to his quarters, his arm still secured around my waist.
"So, how was it?" I asked and he shrugged.
"It wasn't challenging" he responded and I grinned. I hoped that there would be no situation where Jaden would feel challenged.
"When is round two taking place? In three months? In a few hours?" I asked and he shook his head. He was drinking water from a water bottle.
He lowered the bottle, flexing the fingers of his free hand. "In two days" he told me. I bit my lower lip, my arms folded across my chest.
"Do you have any idea what the next competition would entail?" I asked and he shrugged.
"No one knows. Only the king does" he responded, lowering himself onto the chair in his room.
"When does the tournament end?" I probed, watching him as he leaned back on his seat. "In three days" he replied. He stared at me for a moment, his gaze unwavering.
"You never told me about your third vision. What did you see?" He asked and I stiffened, uneasiness turning my stomach to lead. I lowered my gaze, unable to look into his eyes.
"Rhea, look at me" he said and I hesitated.
"Rhea" he growled and I slowly looked into his eyes. The frown that had appeared on his face vanished as quickly as it had come, his gaze softening.
"Tell me. I want to know" he rasped.
I shook my head slowly.
"You don't have to know. It's not important" I muttered.
Jaden's brows were furrowed once more, a look of confusion in his eyes.
"What are you hiding from me, Rhea? Do not keep me in the dark" he stated. My heart sank. I knew he wasn't going to let it go. He was going to do all he could to figure it out or force it out of me if he could. It wasn't much of a big deal, but I had a feeling that he would be bothered by it, if I ended up telling him what I'd seen.
"I was pregnant" I blurted out and his eyebrows rose, his lips parted in surprise.
"You were there....in wolf form" I continued. I swallowed hard when I recalled the details. The way my stomach had been round and large, the red marks around my wrists that indicated that I'd once been bound by either chains or ropes and the tear tracks on my cheeks. The distinctive metallic smell of blood and the pungent smile of urine and something else I couldn't recognize. The bleak gray walls that looked damp.
"You were in a cage and I was standing in front of the cage, pleading for you to come back to me, to snap out of it" I said, my hands trembling.
Jaden had gone stiff.
"Zaden and a few men were by the window, watching us with taunting smiles on their faces. I kept crying and calling your name and you kept... growling at me" I breathed and Jaden lowered his gaze, clenching his fists hard enough for his knuckles to turn white.
"Suddenly, the door to the cage opened and you launched yourself at me. I didn't get to see what happened next" I muttered.
He quietly rose to his feet and walked towards the window.
"I didn't want to tell you because I was afraid that it was going to bother you " I said. He turned to look at me, an unreadable look in his eyes.
"Come, come here" he said and I rose to his feet. When I got to him, he pressed a kiss to my forehead.
"If that ever happens, please.... don't hesitate to cast a spell on me. Your magic works on me. So, don't let me hurt you.... and our child" he said, embracing me. I closed my eyes, basking in the warmth of his embrace.
...
At night, the pack members were gathered around a bonfire. Jaden was standing by my side, the fire illuminating his face, making his eyes twinkle. He handed me a knife and I took a deep breath. It was time to officially become Jaden's Luna. He gave me an encouraging nod. Then, I looked at the pack members sitting on the field. They gazed at me with encouraging smiles. Haru blew me a kiss and Dana gave me a nod.
I made a cut across the inside of my palm and placed my hand on a seal which had the shape of the crescent moon on it.
I turned to face Jaden, handing him the knife. He made a similar cut on his hand and repeated the action I'd made. Then, I held up my blood stained hand and brought it to his.
"I, Rhea Stone, accept to be your mate and the Luna of Silver Claw pack" I said.
"I, Jaden Blackwood, accept you, Rhea Stone, as my mate and the Luna of Silver Claw Pack" he said.
"I have no idea how this works. Heck, I'm still struggling to understand it all. But, I'm so grateful that you have all accepted me. I won't fail you. I'll keep you all close to my heart and I'll protect you the best way I can" I said to my pack members. They all started to cheer my name and Jaden kissed me.
"You're a bonafide member of the pack now" Jaden whispered. As soon as he said so, several emotions barrelled into me. I slowly turned to look at my pack members. I could..... I could feel them. I had a family now. A home. A mate who wanted me.
Tears of joy and gratitude filled my eyes and I embraced Jaden who stroked my hair.
"You have a home now, Rhea. You never have to feel lonely anymore" he whispered and I nodded in agreement. I was feeling so happy, so contented. I felt like I finally had a purpose. For once, I didn't feel powerless or helpless.
...
"Congratulations, Rhea. You make a perfect Luna" Hera said, embracing me. Dana embraced me too.
"Don't push yourself too hard, Rhea. You just have to take it slow. You're allowed to make mistakes. I know you can do this" she said, giving me an encouraging smile.
"The moon is finally out" Haru stated, a big smile on her face.
"It's perfect for a night run" Dana said and just like that, an idea popped into my head.
"Jaden? I want to go for a run and I want you to come with" those where the words I said to Jaden, few minutes after my soul bonding with the pack members. He raised a brow at me.
"That's a first. You're feeling excited, aren't you?" He chuckled and I smiled.
"My wolf actually feels restless. Hera told me tonight's going to be a full morning and it's nearly midnight" I said.
He looked at me carefully.
"You feel like you want to shift" he pointed out and I nodded.
A crooked smile tugged at his lips. "Alright, Rhea. Let's go for the run you wanted" he said. As we walked towards the gates, I could feel someone's gaze on me, the entire time. It made the hair on my neck rise. I was probably just being paranoid. But, the feeling of being watched didn't fade until we'd made it out of the gates. Jaden took off running and I followed. It didn't take long before I caught up with him, because he was merely jogging.
"How do you feel?" He asked me. I was right beside him and we were going at the same pace, the full moon illuminating our path.
"I feel great, to be honest" I responded.
"Sometimes, I feel like it's all a dream because all this feels too good to be true. But, it's not a dream. It's really happening, and that's what makes it even better" I added.
Jaden grinned.
"Race you to the river!" I exclaimed and took off, feeling the breeze ruffling my hair. My heart pounded in my chest as I ran, the feeling of nostalgia washing over me. When I got to the river, I grinned. I thought I'd beaten him.
"You look flustered" a familiar husky voice said from where he was hiding. I gaped at him, stunned.
"How did you get here so quickly? I was sure that you were far behind me"
He grimaced sheepishly.
"I might've cheated" he shrugged and I shoved at him, not liking the fact that he'd defeated me. He fell into the river and rose to his feet, his wet shirt plastered to his hard chest. He chuckled light heatedly.
"You're more competitive than I thought. I lied, you got here first. While you were still searching for me, I sneaked behind the trees and his there" he said as he stepped out of the river.
I glared at him and he raised a brow. "Are you ready to shift?" He asked, but I remained silent.
"Then, take off your clothes" he said and I rolled my eyes.
"Don't be a perv"
He snorted in amusement. "I'm not a pervert, Rhea Stone. Your body belongs to me. It is a fact" he stated.
Either way, I knew I had to take off my clothes or they would get torn. Jaden watched me with hooded eyes, his gaze heated. My wolf was ready to come out, I could feel it. I stood there naked, the full moon casting it's glow on my body, making my skin seem paler than it was. Jaden's eyes turned crimson and in a blink of an eye, he'd shifted. He sat on the ground, thumping his tail on the ground like he was waiting for me to shift.
My fangs emerged first, next came my claws. I felt my bone stretch, my body becoming distorted. It was agonizing at first and Jaden sooted me with his comforting words. I fell to all fours, the resounding crack coming from my reshaping bones echoing in the night. Then, my vision changed. The pain was gone and holy cow, I was a wolf.