Flower Moon Rising (Lupine Hollow Academy Book 1)

by Quinn Arthurs

  The children sent up a rousing chorus of “Yes, Borris,” all nodding eagerly. It’d been years since I’d sat and listened to a story, but a spark of excitement lit up inside me, and I leaned forward in my chair to catch every word.

  “Many years ago, before werewolves began to roam this earth, the Moon watched the growth of the world below her comforting gaze,” he began, waving his hands in a dramatic motion. “The Moon was lonely at first, with only the waves of the sea to keep her company, but soon animals and humans began to move under her quiet regard. At first, she seemed to have found friends amongst the humans, who watched her soft light in the night sky. As they aged, however, they turned their attention to the earth upon which they lived and the pleasures they found amongst each other, most forgetting the calming pull of their mother Moon. As time passed and the humans continued to wish on her siblings, the stars, the Moon grew to care deeply for the wolves who sang their songs to her in haunting, heartbreaking tones.” Borris’s deep voice was nearly hypnotic as he leaned into his story, his words painting gorgeous pictures as his hands sketched them through the air.

  “Night and day, the Moon watched the packs, seeing the way they cared for one another, the way they raised their pups. But a few didn’t belong to packs, left to wander on their own, as lonely as she, something inside of them stirring as surely as the waves she influenced. Wanting to look closer, the Moon came down to the earth, enriching our lives as she walked amongst the first wolf packs, her coat as luminous as her light in the sky—shades of white, silver, and gold.” He reached down, tugging on a strand of Luna’s hair and she giggled, though she ran a protective hand over the blonde locks. She was the first blonde wolf I’d seen, I realized with a jolt. “Her name, she said, was Selene. Over and over again, she would visit us when her light was fullest in the sky, gifting her the power to join us. She walked among the first pack, and amongst the wanderers—the lost of our kind. From her place in the heavens, she watched a young wolf, one who had no pack but sang so beautifully to her that, in time, he earned her special favor. She loved him dearly, though she had never met him. When she walked the world in her wolf form, she searched for him, until one day, she found him. He was grievously injured, bleeding out in the cave he called home with no pack to offer him comfort. He had been watching the humans and, when discovered, they had driven him from their lands, riddling his body with wounds in their fear.”

  The children gasped in horror, their eyes widened in fear, one or two glancing my way and scooting closer to the soothing Zelda. “She attempted to give him aid, but he was far too injured for her paws to grant him relief. In her desperation, she transformed, shifting into a human. Her human hands were able to stem the flow of blood, but not the flow of his life as he slipped away. He drew comfort from her presence, assuring her that he was happy just to meet her and to have her there with him. She pulled him out underneath the night sky, light flooding through her, as she asked him what he wanted. She could save him, she promised, but there would be a great cost.” Borris paused his story there, sighing as he rubbed his fingers across his lips. “Remember that, pups, if Selene ever visits you. All magic has a cost. And it may not be until after the magic is worked that you are able to see what the cost is. So tread carefully, choose wisely. For once the magic is enacted, it cannot be reversed.” He looked at each of us, his dark eyes serious as they met my own.

  “The wolf’s name was Faron, and as her light washed over him, a desperation to live—no matter the cost—seized him. Yes, he said. Yes, I’ll accept the cost. Anything to stay with you, he swore to her. She pledged her own devotion to him, spilling a drop of her blood onto his fur and the magic took hold. Pain racked his body, Selene’s light sliding into him, fusing itself with his very soul. When the pain subsided and Faron opened his eyes, he found himself alone, his wolf’s fur gone and a human skin in its place. Faron waited, day after day, for his mate to descend again from the heavens, but it wasn’t until the next full moon that she could reach down from the sky to be with him. The magic had cost them both, you see, for Selene performed the spell out of need and love for Faron, just as Faron had to live for her. Faron bore a high cost, becoming the first werewolf, but it would take time for the pair to realize the other cost of the oath they swore. Selene could never again walk the earth in the same form as Faron—for if she was human, he became a wolf and vice versa. The magic that created him caused as much polarization as magnets, keeping the pair always at a distance.” Tears filled my eyes as I listened to the heartbreaking tale, and I brushed them away, hoping I didn’t interrupt the flow of the story.

  “Though the pair wept for their loss at first, they came to accept it. Over time, Faron learned to control his shift on his own, becoming wolf or man as the need suited him, but his nightly song echoed with an even deeper loneliness than before. So that her mate would not need to face his life alone, Selene searched the earth for other wanderers—lost wolves with no pack song in their heart. Many accepted the gift she offered, and as she saw her mate’s happiness increase in the song of the pack she helped him create, she searched harder and harder, never revealing the strength it cost her to perform the spell. Until, one day, the light of the full moon shone upon Faron, but she did not descend in its beams. Realization hit him then, as he understood what the family they had created together had truly cost her. From that day forward, Faron refused to shift again into his wolf form, unable to bear the heartbroken song that he now sang in his heart. Part of him longed to merely let go, knowing his soul would join hers as she had marked him as her own. His pack needed him, however, to guide them and their new pups through this new world he had created for them. So, instead of giving in, of letting himself be with the love that plucked at his insides like harp strings, he fought back, pouring his energy and his strength into his pack, and forming an entirely new way of life for them.

  “His pack expanded over the years, the pups growing to maturity and finding mates of their own as he told them stories of their female alpha, the Goddess Selene—the mate whom he would never forget, or replace, whom he stared at night after night, bathing in her beauty. When he knew he was close to death, his pack gathered close around him, offering their strength to him as he finally shifted into his wolf form to breathe his final breath as a hopeful song as he finally joined his beloved, as a shadow across her surface as he wrapped her in his arms.” I was unable to stop the flow of tears down my face now, my sobs quiet as I listened to the tale he spun.

  “His pack honored the life he had created, living their lives out under the glow of the Moon, never forgetting the great sacrifices of their alphas that had allowed for them to live. It is said that every few generations, Selene will reach down and mark a young pup in the womb, one whose song will help hold their pack together, gifting them the same moonlit fur that she herself wore.” He tugged again on Luna’s blonde curl and the girl sent him a watery smile. “We still honor Selene, in our words and our deeds, and remember the strength of Faron in keeping his pack together, even as his own heart broke, and when we find a moon-marked child, we know that change is imminent for our pack, and we must rally our hearts with Faron’s strength to keep the pack song going.”

  Silence echoed through the room for a moment as Borris finished his story, before the children sighed in contentment. “Am I really moon-marked, Borris?” Luna asked eagerly, her golden eyes wide.

  “Indeed you are, dear,” he assured her.

  She sent a cautious glance at her fellow pups before she quietly added, “I’m not too human?”

  Borris scowled for a moment, though the expression was so fast I almost missed it. He raised his voice slightly, I assumed to impress upon the other pups what he was about to say as he stated, “No, dear, of course not. You’re blessed by Selene and Faron, a notice to our kind that we must rally together.” He turned twinkling eyes to me as he said, “Besides, now that we have a human in the pack, I shouldn’t think the idea would be quite so bad. Now you’ll be abl
e to get used to humans, rather than fear them.” He sent me an encouraging look and I nodded.

  “I think your curls are far prettier than any human’s I’ve seen,” I assured her softly, hoping I wouldn’t offend her. She giggled, and with a quick, reassuring glance at Zelda, she scampered over.

  “I like your colors. No wolf has colored hair,” she explained, hesitant fingers tugging at the strands of my hair. Before I could say anything, she had climbed right into my lap, her fear forgotten as she thoroughly inspected my hair. “Your fur would be very pretty! I like colors.”

  “She’s so little though!” Owein piped up, lisping around his letters as the gap in his teeth was exposed. “She’d be as useless as one of us pups, she couldn’t run with the pack.” At a stern look from Zelda, he shrugged a shoulder, ducking his head as a blush worked over his cheeks. “It’s what my sister said,” he muttered obstinately.

  “Doesn’t mean she’s not strong.” A dark chuckle broke over us. Alarick had evidently come in some time during the story, sitting casually on a chair near the door. Murmurs of excitement arose from the pups, with a few scurrying over to greet him as he clasped hands and rubbed heads.

  My brows shot up, my mouth dropping open as I watched the easy way he dealt with them. Luna snuggled closer to me, leaning in to whisper, “He’s real nice. He doesn’t let the others be mean. He won’t let them be mean about your hair color either.” She gave me an adorably shy smile and a pat on the hand.

  “I saw her lay out a few blows in a fight. Don’t think her size will stop her. She’s filled to the brim with spirit,” he commented, his blue eyes meeting mine. A blush crept over my cheeks at the compliment. “It looks like all of you are getting on well, but I’ve come to steal her away. Raff wants her to join the meal with the older students, though I’m sure she’d rather stay and play with you.”

  “I really would,” I admitted easily, hugging Luna softly before settling her into Borris’s waiting arms. “It was nice to meet all of you. Thank you for letting me hear your stories.”

  “You come back ‘morrow?” a small voice piped up. The little red-haired boy named Lyall appeared to be the youngest of them, his speech still slightly stilted.

  “Of course,” I replied, hesitantly touching his shoulder though he made no move to pull away, merely gifting me with a brilliant baby grin.

  “Come on, we’ll be late,” Alarick told me, patting the gathered pups on the head again before standing up. “I’ll return her to you, don’t you worry.”

  “Bye!” I called over my shoulder, as they all spoke over each other, hurrying to say their goodbyes to me before I was towed from the room.

  “Alright, now who’s ready for cookies?” Borris asked, wicked glee flowing into his words, the responding cheers cut off when the door slammed shut behind us.

  Chapter Fourteen

  “Do we really have to go to lunch?” I couldn’t resist the pleading tone that entered my voice. “Raff said that a lot of the students don’t take lunch, and it’s not like I’m that hungry,” I implored. Of course my stomach immediately rumbled like a pissed off badger, emphasizing my lie with dramatic aplomb. At his disdainful look, I grumbled, “Well, I did say that.”

  “You’re going to have to face the rest of us at some point. It’s better to do it now or you’re going to keep dreading it.”

  “I’m going to dread it even after I do it,” I muttered. “Nothing like having to constantly watch your back even when you’re sleeping.” A shudder danced down my spine and I gritted my teeth. “Speaking of, what other superpowers do I have to watch out for? I mean, it’s not like I’m not already breakable enough and subject to your super speed, super strength, and stupidly good looks.”

  “Stupidly good looks?” Alarick’s voice was dry, but I thought I caught a hint of amusement twinkling in his blue eyes.

  “You all have mirrors, you don’t need me to tell you what you already know.” I attempted flippancy, though I wasn’t sure I managed to pull it off. “Focus on the question I asked, not the random commentary my fear is creating.”

  Alarick arched a brow, though a corner of his lip twisted. “You’re very odd, you’re aware of this, correct?”

  “Pfft.” I wrinkled my nose at him. “Even among humans I was odd. It’s like you and mirrors—I already know this one.”

  “Certifiable,” he whispered with a shake of his head, his brown hair flopping across his eyes. “I swear you’re as bad as the twins.”

  “And if only I could be as useful,” I added, completing his thought and shaking my head in dismay.

  “You’re useful in your own way,” he replied, though his blue eyes didn’t meet mine.

  “Pretty lie. Now, focus. And you claim I’m easily distractible. Superpowers, remember? I know about healing and manipulation.”

  “Command—that’s the power I use,” he explained. “It’s similar to manipulation. Although I don’t need to rely on a thought already in someone’s head, or plant an opening. I merely direct an order and those lower than me must obey.” He waved a hand as though it was nothing of importance, though I eyed him even more warily.

  “So, that protection thing you promised, that means protection from you too, right?” I clarified, my mouth suddenly dry at the realization of what he could do.

  “Yes, Penelope, it does.” His voice was nearly as dry as my mouth felt. “It’s a rare power, usually amongst an alpha line, so it’s not one you’ll need to worry much about. As for other powers, they differ just as much as the people who develop them.” He shrugged, the movement elegant rather than juvenile. “Some believe that the powers we develop are related to our personalities, our strengths—even our souls, if they’re being dramatic,” he scoffed. “Mimicry, teleportation, invisibility, tracking…” He trailed off and shook his head. “Not everyone shares what their skills are. Some develop at a later age than others and may not be public knowledge. Others may have a skill, but it’s so weak that it’s of very little use, especially in regard to others.”

  “So, anything and everything that could haunt my dreams, got it. Nothing I wanted more in my life than to die like a minor, pathetic, comic book character,” I quipped as we entered the dining hall. The silence seemed to echo in the large room, every face turning to take us in. Some students even went so far as too stand up or lean over others in order to see us more clearly. “Oh, yeah. Absolutely. Nothing like being sized up as the most recent chum to hit the water,” I grumbled.

  “What’s up, Tinkerbell?” The cheerful voice sounded in my ear before I was swooped off the ground. I squealed, clutching on to a soft sweater with one hand and trying desperately to keep my skirt down.

  “Will you stop that?” I cried, glaring at the laughing eyes looking down at me.

  “We just figured you could use some time off your feet, especially since you have Cole for the afternoon,” he snickered. “Brother, catch!”

  “No!” I shrieked, though I was already in the air. Strong arms caught me, and I wrapped my arms around his neck, burying my face in his throat. “Oh my God, if you do that again I’m going to kick every one of your butts.”

  “Oh, I’d love to see you try that,” he murmured, chuckling in my ear.

  “Put her down,” Alarick snapped, striding to a table near the front of the room. “You’re just encouraging her own ridiculous behavior.”

  “Pixie!” Shannon’s hug was soft, and I snickered at her hesitance, squeezing her tightly. “Heads, up they switched tops,” she whispered in my ear with a chuckle. “Did you like Borris and Zelda? I thought you would!”

  “They’re wonderful,” I admitted, settling into a seat beside her as she passed me a sandwich stuffed full of what appeared to be roast beef and provolone.

  “Eat well, but not too heavily,” Alarick advised, gathering his own food from the stack Shannon and the twins had gathered. “Mr. Cole will be putting you through your paces this afternoon.”

  I groaned, nibbling at the sandwich
I’d been offered and trying to ignore the pressure of all the eyes that were monitoring me, sizing me up. “So, what, gym class on steroids?”

  “More like you’re paying someone to attempt to kill you,” Chann grumbled. “He’s not going to go easy on you. He doesn’t go easy on anyone, from I’ve seen.”

  I cast a quick look around the room, taking in the number of faces that were currently glaring or scowling in my direction. “Not like any of them are actually going to go easy on me,” I muttered, gritting my teeth against the waves of hatred I could almost feel battering me.

  “Don’t think you’ll get away without a challenge,” a voice snapped, and I saw Rhiannon sitting with her minions a few tables away. Chann and Zev growled in unison, the low pitch thrumming through my body, though Alarick simply ignored them. Rhiannon didn’t appear to be the one who had spoken, since she was doing her best to pretend I didn’t even exist, eating as nonchalantly as Alarick was. A shudder worked over my body as Scarlett glared at me over Rhiannon’s shoulder.

  “Just ignore them,” Zev instructed, scowling over at the girls’ table.

  “Won’t help much,” I muttered, ignoring the shivers from their threats.

  “If they do attempt to challenge you, you can just surrender,” Chann told me. “They’ll mock you, but they can’t force you to fight if you surrender.”

  “I would highly advise that avenue,” Alarick advised coldly. “Otherwise, you’ll end up bleeding for far longer than I’d appreciate, considering I’ve been assigned to your protection.”

  “Thanks for the advice,” I replied sarcastically, my tone droll as I rolled my eyes. “I’ll make sure to remember how inconvenient it is for you if I start bleeding everywhere.”