The Lunar Queen

Lyric POV

My alarm goes off at 5am sharp as usual. I groan before rolling over and turning it off. “You’re so cranky in the mornings” my wolf Nova snickers in my mind.

I climb out of my bed and make my way to the shower. “I hope you’re ready for a week of chaos” my best friend Winter links me. Winter is the youngest pup of our Alpha and Luna. “What do you mean?” I link back. “Seriously Lyric besides the fact that the pack will be crawling with visiting packs soon for the ball on Saturday” she links. How could I forgot our future alpha Mason Lane who is Winter’s older brother and my Older brother Hunter who is the future beta both turn 18 this week. Hunter’s birthday is on Thursday and Mason’s birthday is Today, and even though the mating ball is Saturday he can scent his mate today even if she isn’t 18.

“Don’t remind me, but what does that have to do with me?” I link as I climb in the shower.

“Well Summer already walks around the pack like she is our future Luna and now today we will find out” She links back.

Summer is my twin sister and I say twin loosely because we are on two opposite ends of the genetics spectrum. I’m 5’0 tall with caramel skin curvy and thick no matter how much I train, with copper red hair and green eyes and Summer she has olive skin like my mother with pale blue eyes and she is also 5’7 and slim. Total opposites I know.

That makes me an easy target for the pack’s so called “future Luna”. In public she’s sweet and perfect but behind closed doors where there’s no eyes on her she finds anyway to make my life hell. No matter how many times I tried to fight back it always ended up worse for me. I tried telling my parents once. I even told Alpha Liam. Summer cried, denied everything and without anyone actually seeing her do anything it became my word against hers. After that somebody else always seemed to get hurt whenever I spoke up or fought back. Summer made sure I understood exactly what would happen if I kept trying.

“Please tell me you’re almost ready training starts in 15 minutes” Winter links me.

“Getting dressed now” I link her back as I put on my leggings and sneakers. I just throw on a sports bra and cropped tank. My hair does what it wants so I put it in the best version of a bun.

“You’re trying too hard” Nova says in amusement.

I ignore and walk out my room.

“Meet me in the dining room” I link Winter.

I head downstairs to the dining hall from the beta floor as I walk into the kitchen I spot Mason sitting at a table with Hunter, Lucas and Micah the future gamma and delta. His eyes are locked on me the moment I step into the dining hall. My stomach flips and I walk away before I think too much of what it means.

“Good morning Mary” I say to the head omega.

“Good morning sweet heart, how are you today?” she asks checking me over.

“I’m fine, need help with anything?” I ask.

“No sweet girl, I will see you after training” she says.

I walk out and find Winter waiting by the door.

“Finally, we are already late” she says as soon as she sees me.

“I’m sorry, let’s go” I say.

When we get to the training grounds I get a link from delta Sam.

“The Alpha and I would like to use you for a demonstration today” he says.

“Why me?” I link back.

“Because you are the only one who knows how to do the move properly” he links back.

“Fine” I say.

“What was that about?” Winter asks.

“I’m being used for a demonstration” I say annoyed.

“It’s going to be okay” Nova says.

“I would rather stay in the back where I belong until I can get out of here” I say to her.

“You are not meant to be in the back Lyric” she says softly.

“Tell that to Summer” I murmur.

If I did anything in retaliation she would hurt an Omega, that taught me quickly to keep my head down. Summer was never the person I was scared to fight. I knew I could take her. It was what she did afterward that kept me from putting my hands on her. The last time I pushed back, somebody who had nothing to do with our problems paid for it. I wasn’t giving her another person to use against me.

“Good morning everyone” Delta Sam says getting everyone’s attention.

“Today we will be practicing offensive moves that can be useful while fighting a wolf in human or wolf form” he adds. “We will have a demonstration before we pair off to practice. Our gamma will be demonstrating with Lyric,” he says, and all eyes turn to me—including Mason’s and Summer’s.

Great.

I walk over to where Delta Sam and Gamma Jake stand.

“Okay, Lyric will be on offense, and Gamma Jake will be on defense. He’ll attack you in his human form first, then his wolf form.”

My heart pounds in my chest. I know I can handle this, but all this attention? Not my favorite thing.

He yells, “Begin!” and I drop into a fighting stance, waiting for Jake to make the first move.

He swings out, aiming for my ribs. I sidestep and land my own punch right there, solid against his side. He staggers back and tries a leg sweep. I hop back just in time, avoiding the trip.

Then he lunges, grabbing me around the waist. I twist with his momentum, wrapping my legs around his hips and my arms around his neck. In a quick spin, I’m on his back like a backpack from hell.

Before he can shake me off, I drive my elbow into the back of his head.

Delta Sam calls, “Time!”

I leap down from Jake’s back, breathing hard, a huge grin splitting my face. Taking down a grown Gamma had never been the problem. Fighting was easy when the only person who could get hurt was me.

When I look up, Mason’s eyes are locked on me, intense with some emotion I can’t quite read—but it sends chills racing down my spine.