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After the day Keir lost his sister, he never once told me no or questioned anything I said. Rakkon had sat him down and explained why the decisions and choices he made caused a lot of pack members to become endangered, including the loss of the unborn pup. He was so young then, but Rakkon reminded me that Keir will succeed him one day and that he has to understand that everything he does not only reflects upon himself but that of the pack.

It was a hard lesson to be learned, but Keir doesn't stray far from any adults. He's by Rakkon's side for the most part, unless he's helping out with me or playing within boundaries of Zeta with the other pups. Keir still enjoys himself as a pup should, but he's wary of his actions and surroundings more so now than before.

I blame myself for the loss of her little life...because I shifted, I knew the consequences of my actions with how close to term I was with her. Rakkon won't allow me to take this blame, telling me that if I hadn't acted how instinctively and quickly that I had, then Fern, Knox...Keir...they would have been killed by the rogue wolf.

It was the hardest choice I've had to make...but it didn't feel like it at the time.

The years have gone by, watching my son grow and come to understand much about those who will look to him one day as they do with Rakkon. It's the summer before we visit the Death Stalkers Pack for the ten-year truce renewal...

Keir's eight now, Coen quickly trying to keep up with him at the age of six. Though Coen will not come with us, Rakkon wanting to limit the members visiting this year, he'll remain with Ilyas and Tamra as they watch over the pack.

It doesn't settle well with me, but I haven't said anything to Rakkon in regards to why he didn't say anything about me staying behind. To my knowledge...the luna stays behind when the alpha is away, helping oversee the pack with the beta...but that's not the case. I don't understand why I'd be going with him to the one place I wanted to get furthest away from.

It's been a rather odd summer, to say the least, catching Rakkon in his office with Narkis while they both stare down at the desk. They hover over documents, Narkis shaking his head while Rakkon rubs his forehead, pointing at something specifically that I cannot see. What I do find odd, the way bottles of wine are being prepared, set aside in a separate storage area with a lock and key that only Rakkon has access to.

"Keir, can you help me put away the laundry?" I ask my young son, seeing him lift his gaze from one of the couches in the game room.

He sets down what he's playing with, replying, "Yes, mamma."

He picks up the laundry basket, climbing the steps with me until we reach the third level. We start in his room, setting the basket on his bed before he goes to put away his socks, underwear, and shirts. As I set his jeans on hangers, Keir asks me, "Mamma, why are you afraid?"

Furrowing my brows with confusion, I halt my actions and ask him, "Why would you think that?"

Keir shrugs his shoulders and says, "Daddy said I'm coming to the pack we're meeting, but you didn't seem to like it...and you do that thing with your hands."

Great...even my son has caught on to how much I fidget when I'm uneasy.

"Keir, I-"

"Ash," Rakkon's voice interrupts me from Keir's bedroom door, both Keir and I glancing to see him standing in the open frame. Rakkon glances at Keir before he asks me, "Can we talk for a moment?"

Releasing a short breath, I nod and ask Keir, "Can you please finishing putting your clothes away?"

Keir nods and replies, "Yes, mamma."

Leaving behind Keir, I follow Rakkon to our bedroom door. He allows for me to move inside ahead of him, closing the door a moment later while I run a hand through my hair. Turning around, I bring my gaze to meet with his, tears filling my eyes as I ask him, "How could you think bringing me...bringing Keir to be within striking distance of Alpha Zenon is possibly a good idea?"

I don't understand what his thought process is, and it's setting me on edge, my muscles tense while my mind races over the different outcomes of the visit.

Rakkon walks toward me, his hands resting on my shoulders as I hiccup back the tears that want to fall. When he brings his hands to my face, cupping my cheeks, his touch eases and calms me slightly. He tells me in that soothing voice, "Ash...breathe."

"I trust you...I do..." I steady my breathing and tell him, "...but that doesn't stop the way I feel about how Alpha Zenon will react...to everything."

"I know," Rakkon brushes the stray tears that fall from my eyes, kissing me gently as I regulate my breathing. When he pulls away, his eyes search mine before he says, "I know you didn't want me to...but I couldn't set aside my intuition. There's something that just doesn't add up and make sense in regards to the Death Stalkers Pack."

My eyes flicker back and forth as I ask, "What did you do?"

"I thought back to the first time I'd visited the Death Stalkers Pack," Rakkon begins to tell me, the pads of his thumbs caressing my cheeks, "I was eighteen at the time and had been forced into the position of Alpha after my mother and father had split the pack in half. They did this to create a stronger presence as we rebuilt everything...though our enemies didn't know this, they just believed my parents had stayed behind when I came to visit with Alpha Zenon."

My voice is barely above a whisper when I say, "I remember when you came that day...I was fifteen at the time." Now it makes sense as to why the mate pull wasn't in effect yet, the age of me not reaching sixteen sent me into another ten years of living the life I had.

Rakkon sees the alter in my features and he says, "I wish I'd known then..." as his voice trails off, he then begins to explain, "Alpha Zenon was the one who'd requested the truce as he'd never been able to gain anything against my mother and father, but figured it better to keep enemies closer and keep his position." He remains silent for a few moments before he says, "I'd never known much about the Death Stalkers Pack and neither did my parents...it's like they'd suddenly brought themselves into the light showing power and wanting recognition..."

"Why is that odd?" I'd never known much, except that Alpha Zenon was hell-bent on being recognized as one of the strongest Alphas. This isn't news to me, but Rakkon thinks differently.

"When packs emerge onto the scene to be known like the way Alpha Zenon asserts himself, it's rarely done because you'd still want to make allies instead of destroying everything in your path," Rakkon begins to enlighten me, "there's just one thing though; he's too cautious to want to attack our pack due to our reputation. It's not out of respect and he doesn't want to take chances of us going after him, so why not create a truce between one another?"

Tilting my head to the side, I ask him, "Rakkon...you are bringing fewer pack members to this truce renewal, you're bringing Keir and me..." searching his eyes, I ask him, "...are you not worried about how Alpha Zenon will react? We'll be on his territory...at a disadvantage."

"Assurance...should anything deviate from the way I see the outcome, our pack will be safe, I promise you this," Rakkon tells me with earnest and sincerity.

I feel the worse is yet to come, but I trust him and he's always lived up to his promises and how he takes care of the pack.

One of his hands moves back into my hair, his voice lowering as a pleasurable shiver travels down my spine, "All I ask of you is to show them your strength," his lips brush closer to mine as he reminds me, "Ashling Wood...you are the Luna of the Nightshade Prowlers Pack...don't you ever forget that."

The air hitches in my lungs when his lips claim mine in a demanding way, his teeth nipping at my lower lip before I so easily allow him entry, falling into his touch as his grip remains on the back of my head.

A moment later, there is a knock on our bedroom door, Ilyas asking, "Alpha? Luna?"

Rakkon separates from me, kissing me once more before he calls, "Ilyas?"

"Alpha Victor, Luna Lucinda, and members from his pack have arrived per your request," Ilyas informs him. Rakkon's eyes flicker from the door and back to mine. It's been awhile since we'd had a visit with him...though he'd come to recognize Keir a few weeks after being born.

He'd found his beloved?

Time has gone by and I've hardly realized any of what goes on outside of pack territory.

"Well then," Rakkon murmurs to me softly, "how about we greet our guests?"

Nodding, the two of us head toward the bedroom door. After Rakkon and I are in the hallway, moving near the end of it while Ilyas goes on ahead, I stop for a moment in front of Keir's room. He's just finishing putting everything away before I call him, "Let's go, Keir."

His gaze flickers off the pants he's hanging up and to me, nodding his head before he moves out the bedroom door and follows us. We're down the stairs and at the main level, making our way out to the porch while there are those greeting members of the Imperial Stars Pack.

My eyes widen when I see Alpha Victor and a very beautiful woman who stands alongside him. Alpha Victor's features are soft when he regards me, turning his attention next to Rakkon before he introduces, "This is my mate, Luna Lucinda Regan."

"Alpha Rakkon Wood," Rakkon greets Luna Lucinda and then introduces me, "Luna Ashling Wood."

Luna Lucinda outstretches her hand, greeting me with a perplexed demeanor, but she's not rude or making any snide remarks. I'd assume Alpha Victor informed her of me, but she probably didn't believe him until she just now met me. She's kind though and says, "It's really nice to meet you."

"It's nice to meet you too," a small smile spreads across my lips.

Rakkon then introduces, "This is our son, Keir Wood," he has his hands on Keir's shoulders, seeing the way Keir looks to both our guests.

"I remember when you were just a little thing," Alpha Victor chuckles and Keir smiles back.

"You're so precious," Luna Lucinda smiles widely at him, Keir grinning now as he's gathering all the attention. I can't help but stifle a giggle, seeing how he's enjoying being part of what he'll one day lead.

Ilyas and Tamra are charged with watching over Keir with Coen while Rakkon and I speak with Alpha Victor and Luna Lucinda in his office. It's quiet at first, but Rakkon informs Alpha Victor, "There's a reason I requested your presence."

"Yes?" Alpha Victor asks, his features set evenly.

"We are to make our way to the Death Stalkers Pack territory in a few months to renew our ten-year truce," Rakkon begins to explain to him, "though I can see the many foreseeable outcomes this time around, I'm requesting that half your warriors remain in Nightshade Prowlers Pack territory."

Luna Lucinda glances to Alpha Victor, waiting for his response to Rakkon's request. After a few minutes of silence, Alpha Victor replies, "Of course."

"What about Silent S-"

"Lucinda...they're not our sister pack," Alpha Victor cuts her off and I furrow my brows.

Rakkon notices this also and asks, "What were you going to say?" He directs this to Luna Lucinda, watching the way she glances at her Alpha uneasily.

Luna Lucinda breathes out and then looks to Rakkon before explaining, "The Silent Stars pack...my brother, Alpha Carter Tomes, his oracle mate, the late Luna Dahlia Tomes, passed away after giving birth to their daughter and they've had nothing but attacks from surrounding packs, including the Primordial Snare Pack."

Rakkon glances away from Luna Lucinda to regard Alpha Victor, "Your warriors are helping with the Silent Stars Pack I presume?"

Alpha Victor's jaw clenches as he nods and replies, "As Alpha Carter is Luna Lucinda's brother..." his voice trails off as he returns with confidence, "...we couldn't say no in helping them."

Luna Lucinda says with some relief, "The late Luna Dahlia's sister, Laurel Akess, has taken on the motherly role for Alpha Carter's daughter...Laura, but this doesn't ease the attacks."

Rakkon grows quiet for a moment before he replies, "I would not ask this of you, knowingly endangering another pack that is blood to you," he pauses a moment before he then tells them of his next terms, "so I will ask that you, Alpha Victor, will accompany us to the Death Stalkers Pack."

Luna Lucinda's eyes widen and she goes to say something, but Alpha Victor never allows her to disagree, replying with, "Yes, I will go with you."

•To Be Continued•