Luna Princess (Alyssa Grey Book 1)

by Wylow Moon

  "What if I don't want to be this Luna Princess everyone keeps calling me? I just want my old life back. It may not have been much but it wasn't complicated or as unpredictable. I may have not known were I was headed but I know that being this Alpha Princess isn't as peaches and cream as one might believe."

  'It is far more than you can imagine. But you're not in this alone. You have so many people ready to stand beside you, Alyssa. People you haven't even had the chance to meet yet. We all are here for you to lean on. Be brave and just take it one step at a time. No one is trying to push you... Ok, maybe your brother is just a little. He does care for you though. He just doesn't understand what you are going through. He was born into this life. Now are you ready to try again?'

  "I don’t' know. I really don’t. I am kind of just being thrown into all of this with no time to process it all. Will it hurt? What is a Luna princess anyway? How many kinds of Shifters are there? Does Shifting hurt? And will I be a panther like Jimmy is?" I asked the questions most on my mind.

  The wolf looked at me with eyes that seemed for more intelligent than the creature it actually was. He appeared to be thinking about all of my questions before answering me.

  " I am not sure what you will shift into Alyssa. There are some theories but nothing concrete. The first time does hurt yes, But only the first time. As for what your role as the Luna Princess is... Well, it is kind of complicated. I would rather we get back to The Den before trying to explain that to you. I have some things for you that might help explain it all. But Alyssa, ready or not. You are the new alpha, the true alpha. You can't run from that. I know it is all overwhelming but I also know that you are strong enough to get through it. You are alpha for a reason and so I know you can do this."

  I looked into the wolf's eyes and smiled. He was right. I needed to stop being a coward. I could do this. I think I could anyway. I looked around me and realized it was already dusk out and the woods were getting pretty dark. The air had cooled considerably but I was not chilled. There was no one around but the wolf and I either.

  "I am surprised my brother or Trish haven't tried to come bring me back." I said as I stood up and stretched.

  'I told them to stay away. If they didn't they knew I would have taken a nice chunk out of them.' I heard his rich laughter in my headed as we started back towards The Den. Then I stopped in my tracks as I realized something.

  "Jeremy?" I asked.

  Chapter 7

  Jeremy had shifted back to human and changed into some human clothes he had stashed in a nearby tree. We had walked in a surprisingly companionable silence most of the way back to The Den.

  "Alyssa, I know this is kind of overwhelming but just know I am here to help. And I will be taking care of things until your ready to take over the reigns. I will be your temporary Beta until you choose to replace me. "

  "Beta? What is that?" I asked confused. I have heard Alpha a lot. And I knew from school Alpha was the top dog of a pack but I didn't know what the hell a Beta was.

  "The Beta, is more or less, the second in command. He or she would be the one who helps make decisions or take care of the lesser problems of the Clan, and in your case, also teach about the Shifter laws and help run The Den. "

  "There are laws for shifters? I am guessing these are not normal laws?"

  Jeremy gave a manly chuckle and glanced my way as we kept walking. Wowza was that sexy. His laugh was like his voice, deep and rough. It kind of reminded me of Scotty McCreery, that country singer from one of those singing shows, but way sexier. I blushed realizing where my train of thought was going. I looked to see if he had noticed but I don’t think he did.

  "The Shifter laws are not like the government laws. We have our own system in place."

  I sighed and looked at Jeremy as we walked. I was so behind on everything. I don’t know if I will be able to learn it all. And there was still so much we needed to discuss. I decided to ask what was most on my mind.

  "I am glad I don’t have to take over right away believe me." I started. " But at the same time. I do need to start understanding what is going on. There is obviously more to this then your letting on. What is with this Luna Princess thing? Am I really a princess? And does that make Jimmy the Prince? Why didn't I change before if I am a shifter too? And what is with this mark?" I asked as I looked at my right arm.

  Jeremy let us walk for a few minutes before answering. I know I just kind of hit him with a lot of hard questions.

  "Lets get back to The Den and I will explain as much of it as I can. I am starving and I am sure you are too. I will have Paul bring us some food."

  "Sounds like a plan, but I am going to have to add coffee to that. It looks like it is going to be a long night."

  It didn't look like we were going to get that meal though. As soon as we walked into the clearing of houses a man I hadn't seen yet ran up to us and bared his neck to me. I don't know why but something inside me was pleased he had addressed me first, barred his neck to me in submission.

  "I am sorry my Luna I tried to tell them that you were not receiving yet but they wouldn't listen." "Who's here David?" Asked Jeremy with a stony expression on his face.

  "Dominic and Jasmine sir."

  I heard a low growl come from low in Jeremy's chest and David whimpered. Whatever was going on obviously wasn't good.

  "Where are they at right now?"

  "In the office sir, I am sorry I tried to send them away." I could smell the fear on rolling off of David in waves. Where the hell did that that come from? Since when could I smell emotions?

  "It isn't your fault David. I do not blame you. Go collect Trish, Matthew, Jimmy and Aria. I want you to scout the perimeter. Make sure Dominic doesn’t have anyone else here hiding in the woods. Then send Trish and Aria to check on the rest of the clan and make sure everyone is alright."

  David looked at me as if asking if these orders where ok. It took me only a moment to remember that I was the new Alpha. Meaning I was the one in charge now not Jeremy. I nodded my head in consent and he turned away to run off. He got a few feet away before I thought to call to him.

  "If you do find anyone that shouldn't be here, bring them straight to us." I said. He nodded in understanding and headed towards the main door of The Den. I hoped they would be ok. I may not know these people but I already felt for them. As if they were mine to care for. And I realized they were. They were mine. I then looked to Jimmy only to see a smile on his face.

  "Your going to make a good Alpha Alyssa. Now let's go see what our uninvited guests want."

  I followed Jeremy through the house to a room on the main floor with another oak door, sans that intricate carvings. As soon as he opened it the smell hit me. The only way I could describe it was to say it smelled like burnt wood. Not the pleasant kind either. It was more like the chemically treated wood you might find to build homes and the house burned down. I wrinkled my nose as Jeremy moved to the side and revealed a woman and a man who looked the like he jumped out of the Lost Boys movie. For a moment I thought he might be a human but the smell told me he was Shifter, just a bad one.

  The man sat on the chair behind the desk with his feet propped up on it in a relaxed position and a smirk on his face. The woman had taken one of the two chairs in front of the desk and was preening her nails like being here was above her. Oh how I wanted to claw them both in their pretty little faces. Wait? Did I really just think about clawing them? Where the hell did that come from?

  I pushed that thought aside for the moment as the brunette haired woman looked up from her nails and glared in my direction.

  "Oh look honey they finally managed to grace us with their presence." She said in an annoyed manner and turned to look at Dominic, whose feet still rested on what I realized was my office desk. A growl escaped my throat before I knew it and faster than humanly possible I was at Dominic's side. I knocked his feet off of my desk, grabbed him by the cuff of his neck and threw him off of my chair to about five feet away. He landed against a
bookshelf, with books landing on top of him as he slid to the floor. I could smell the anger coming off of him.

  All of this happened in the span of seconds but felt so much longer. I looked to Jeremy a little startled by what I had just done. Jeremy had a look of pride on his face as he looked at me from across the room. I guess I did something right. I shrugged at him and looked back to our uninvited guests.

  Jasmine was standing up and looked ready to pounce, while staring daggers in my direction, and Dominic stood up trying to compose himself. Jeremy finally decided to step in before everything got really out of hand.

  "What are you doing here Dominic. You know your Clan isn't welcome in our territory. Bryan made that clear to you years ago." Jeremy said.

  Dominic straightened his collar and gave me a once over before looking at Jeremy to answer. "I heard the Luna had returned. I wanted to see it for myself. And Bryan is dead. He can't keep me away anymore."

  "Bryan may not be around anymore but our Luna is. She is stronger than Bryan ever was. You are still not welcome here. I suggest you leave. " Jeremy said putting power behind his words. I actually felt the power. It was like a push on my mind demanding obedience. It felt like he was powerful but I'm guessing I was as strong as he had said because it felt like a fly you could swat away.

  It looked as if Dominic was fighting the command, cringing for a second, before standing up straight and looking at Jeremy with a deadly expression. Dominic was about to open his mouth to say something when there was a knock on the office door. I hadn't realized Jeremy had closed it.

  "Enter" I called. I figured it was David to let us know what they found, if anything. The door opened and two men were pushed onto the floor in front of my desk.

  "Found these men prowling around in the woods near the main road Luna. Matthew and Jimmy are still making sure there aren't any others." Said David, stepping into the room behind his captives. I know that I am suppose to be this Luna Princess person but really? I needed to talk to my Clan about calling me by my name. Not Alpha and not Luna. I sighed as I looked down at the two men on the floor in front of me.

  "Don't say a word." Dominic said to them. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes, but only just.

  " Stand up." I told them, in the most authoritative voice I could muster. I think I might have put too much power behind it though because they both shot up like rockets blasting off and everyone else in the room seemed to try and stand ramrod straight. I took a deep breath before I addressed the intruders, still trying to look like I was in control and in the know.

  "I do not appreciate your unannounced arrival and I sure as hell do not appreciate your pompous attitude." I said as I looked at Dominic. "I also don’t appreciate you leaving your.. friends here snooping around my property. Now I am going to be nice and not make an example of you. But you will leave my property and you will not come back unless my Beta or myself summon you. If for some reason you need to see me you can call first and ask if we deem it worthy of a visit. Do I make myself clear?"

  It looked like Dominic was trying to fight off my orders as his body shook from refusing to answer.

  "I asked you if you understood my orders Dominic." I said putting a little more force in to it. He fell down on his hands and knees and choked on his breath before answering me. Okay I think I definitely over did it that time. I didn't want him coming back though. Even without Jeremy saying it, I knew this guy was bad news and I didn't want him anywhere around what was mine.

  "Yes. Luna." He choked out staring at the floor. If I thought he was angry before It was nothing to what he was now. The smell of it got hackles rising. I was ready to fight. At that, my inner Shifter seemed to finally come into being. I don't know how but I just knew. I wasn't going to keep my shift from happening for much longer. I still had a few things to take care of though.

  I looked at the two men David had brought in from outside and gave them a once over. The smell of fear coming off of them, but I could tell it wasn't just fear of me. No they were afraid of Dominic. I decided right there and then they didn't need to go with him.

  "What are your names?" I asked them. The first man was on the short side and a bit thin. He had red hair and freckles to match. His eyes were averted to the floor so I couldn't see the color but I was betting on green. He looked to be about 17. He was just a poor kid.

  "Luis." He whispered.

  "And you?" I asked the other one. He was the complete opposite of Luis. He had an athletic body and long brown hair that cut off just below his shoulders. He also seemed to carry himself as if he were bigger than he really was.

  " Joe, ma'am." He rasped.

  "Well, Joe. Luis. I want you to tell me honestly, if I let you leave with Dominic, would you be ok or would you be punished for being caught?"

  Luis' head shot up in surprise. I don't think he expected me to care.

  "We would be punished ma'am." Said Joe.

  "Now wait a damn.." Dominic started but I cut him off.

  "You will shut the fuck up right now before I rip your throat out." I snarled at him. Holy shit I really needed to hurry this up. I swallowed some air and saw Jeremy move as if to come towards me but stopped himself. I could see in his eyes he realized I was barely hanging on. I just hope no one else did.

  "Boys I will give you an offer, but it is a one time thing. If you say no I will never make this offer again." I paused to make sure they understood. "You do not have to leave with him. I am giving you a chance to stay here and join my Clan. But, if you stay here you will no longer be allowed to have contact with Dominic or anyone of his clan. If you have any loved ones in his clan you wish to bring with you they must take the same oath as you. They will not endanger anyone here and they will not contact anyone associated with Dominic. What do you say?"

  Luis looked like he was going to cry. And Joe seemed to be thinking pretty hard about something.

  "I... I have a sister. Lily, she is only six." Said Luis. Trying not to look at Dominic, who was struggling desperately to say something. I nodded and looked at Joe expectantly. "It is just me. And I would like to join your Clan."

  "It is settled then. David I want you and Matthew to head back with Luis and collect his sister. Make sure no harm comes to her. Have Jimmy make sleeping arrangements for Joe here." "Yes Luna." David nodded and herded the boys out of the room. I turned back to Dominic and Jasmine.

  "As for you. Get the fuck off my land and take your bitch with you. You will not harm anyone one your way out nor say a word. NOW. GET. OUT." I screamed the last part. I watched them as the scrambled out of the office as fast as their legs could carry them. I heard Jeremy pick up the office phone. He told whoever was on the other end to follow them out and make sure they made it off without any other problems. He put the phone in the cradle and looked up at me. His beautiful blue eyes were shining with an intensity I had never seen before. I would have to analyze the way it made me feel later. I had a bigger problem right now.

  "Jeremy." I managed to say before the pain hit me. He ran and caught me before I collapsed onto the floor feeling as if I was just tossed into the biggest vat of ghost pepper juice. The Shift was coming.

  Chapter 8

  The pain was unimaginable. I hoped to whatever god there was that Jeremy was right. That it only hurt the first time. I fought to keep control. To keep the beast in. I don’t know how long it took but it felt like years before my body was not jostling in Jeremy's arms. Then I felt the cold, damp grass beneath me. I thought I heard a voice but it sounded distorted. Like I was trying to listen underwater.

  “Alyssa you need to stop fighting it. Let it go. Relax.” Jeremy’s voice finally broke through to me.

  Was he stroking my hair? I cried out as I felt every bone in my body crack simultaneously. A garish scream escaped my throat as I threw my head back in pain. My eyes looked to the heavens begging for relief that didn't come, the stars twinkling as if in laughter. Tears blurred my eyes as my bones started to rearrange themselves. I watched fur spr
out from my hands clutching the ground. My head felt like it was exploding. It grew in size and my mouth grew into a muzzle in front of my face.

  I felt my teeth elongating. Becoming pointed and sharp. A tooth stabbed my tongue and I tasted blood. My ribs expanded and snapped into place one by one. My knees and elbows bent backward with a sickening crunch and another scream tried to escape my throat, but the only sound I made was a gagging sound. I watched out of blurry eyes as my hands turned to paws and my nails turned to claws digging into the ground. I felt my tailbone extend into a tail and if I could of I would have laughed. I had a tail growing out of my freaking ass. And then it was over. The pain was gone and I took a few gulps of air, trying to get my bearings.

  My eyesight seemed to be sharper like the contrast was turned up to a hundred. I could see each individual leaf swaying in the trees standing in front of me. I watched a trail of ants making their way back to the mound one hundred yards away. I realized I was laying on my side, in my now shredded clothes, and moved to stand up. I was a little wobbly on four legs. I would need some practice to get used to this new body. I looked down at my paws and saw white fur coating my skin. It was actually kind of pretty. It reminded me of untouched snow.

  "You look beautiful."

  I jerked my head to my left and noticed for the first time I had an audience. Jeremy and Jimmy stood a few feet away from me. Behind them, Trish and another girl were trying to keep other Clan members from getting closer. Awesomesauce, they all got to see me at my weakest and most vulnerable moment. Not a great way to introduce myself as Alpha. I sat on my haunches and looked at Jeremy and Jimmy tilting my head to the side. As if to ask 'What now?'

  "Wow Sis, I was kind of hoping your true form would be a panther-like me. But a snow white Wolf? You're magnificent." Said Jimmy walking over to me. He walked around me taking a look at my new form. He stopped behind me and tugged on my tail a little.