Moonlight Wolves Box Set

by Sarah J. Stone

  Kato looked over to see Annie’s head in her hands, and Kato could feel his own hands still shaking from everything that was happening. He needed to get to Thea. He needed her in his arms. He needed to make sure that she was okay.

  “Annie, I want you to tell me everything,” Kato said, referencing her mother and the way that Thea kept on bringing her up in the letter than she left Hann. “Everything about your mother.”

  Annie looked over at Kato, fear in her eyes as she nodded and launched into the story that his alpha had been keeping to himself for decades. As Kato sped to Annie and Thea’s house, his mind was reeling with the pain that Hann had probably felt from the day that his wife left to protect him and their child.

  The pain in Kato’s chest made him realize that he felt that same pain. That same desperate feeling of being strong, yet not being able to do anything but watch as the woman he loved left him. All to protect him.

  Chapter 29

  Thea started walking into the woods, taking a short cut to the closest bus stop that would then take her to the train station. She wanted to leave her car behind, so as to not worry anyone immediately. She only had a backpack with her, and she knew that she would regret leaving certain things behind, but she just had to leave. No one was home when she got there. She didn’t know when she’d get another opportunity without people finding out.

  As she walked through the woods, she sniffled as the tears continued to fall from her eyes. She had left notes for both Kato and Annie, and she hoped they wouldn’t be too upset with her. She hoped that they would be able to realize the decision that she made was for the best. She hadn’t stopped crying as she left her house, though. And as she walked through the woods, she knew that she wouldn’t be able to stop crying for a while.

  “Where the hell do you think you’re going?” a female voice asked her. Thea looked up sharply, her eyes meeting ones that held her gaze steadily. The woman in front of her was dressed in all black, and Thea found herself envying the black knee-high boots that she wore. She had jet-black hair that was tied up into a high ponytail, and her dark-blue eyes were bright against her pale skin and dark hair. She was beautiful.

  Thea could swear she’d seen this woman before, and as she saw that the woman was wearing a short-sleeved shirt with no jacket in the cold, she realized that this must be a shifter from Kato’s pack. Thea felt herself shiver, and she wondered what the hell this woman was doing talking to her. And why did she want to know where she was going?

  “Um, who the hell are you?” Thea asked, still sniffling but trying to put some type of command and strength into her voice, even though she was seconds away from feeling like she was falling apart.

  “Oh, sorry,” the woman laughed, shaking her head as if she could’t believe she forgot to introduce herself before attacking Thea with questions of where she’s heading. “My name is Britta. I’m friends with Annie and Kato.”

  “Oh, Britta,” Thea murmured, finally having a face to put to the name. She knew exactly who Britta was, but she didn’t know why Britta was in the forest with her. And why was she asking her these questions about where she was going? And how did she even know about Thea to begin with? “What are you . . .? What are you doing here?”

  “Oh, I’m just . . .,” Britta broke off and sighed, crossing her arms before meeting Thea’s eyes again. “Listen, I’m just gonna be honest with you because I don’t know you, and there’s no reason for me to lie to you. I know who you are. Or, more specifically, who you are to Kato. And I know that you know about shifters, about me, about the Elders–about everything. Hann asked that I, and a few others, watch the house and make sure that nothing happens when you’re here alone, as a safety measure.”

  “What?” Thea exclaimed in disbelief. She couldn’t believe that Hann, Annie, Kato–everyone–had been watching her every movement. She knew that they were just taking an extra precaution, but she didn’t like it.

  “We were just making sure that you were safe at all times,” Britta told her, her hands up slightly as if in defense. “It’s not like we put cameras in your bedroom or bathroom or anything. Cause that would be weird.”

  “Yeah,” Thea said, eyeing her up and down. She didn’t know how she was going to get Britta to leave her alone. After all, she came upon Thea walking in the forest. She was gonna have some questions.

  “Listen,” Britta began, not letting Thea say anything else. “Kato has talked to me about how lovey-dovey he is for you, and I think that’s great. Even if you are a human.”

  “Well, thanks,” Thea drawled, rolling her eyes. At least she wasn’t crying anymore.

  “I think that Kato is going to be a great alpha,” Britta continued talking, playing with her ponytail absentmindedly. “And if Kato says that you’re going to be his mate, then you’re going to be his mate. The pack will stand behind him, through thick and thin. And now, because of his love for you, the pack is standing behind you.”

  “Well, that’s nice to know,” Thea told her quietly. If this was any other situation, she would take those words to heart and be happy. But she was currently trying to find a way out of this situation and away from Britta before she caught on.

  “Alright, so now that we got that out of the way, are you gonna tell me why you’re crying and walking in the middle of the woods?” Britta asked her, crossing her arms again. Thea couldn’t seem to look into her blue eyes for long.

  “I’m just going for a walk,” Thea told her, smiling slightly to try to throw her off somewhat. From the way Britta was staring at her, she knew that she wasn’t buying it.

  “Is everything okay, Thea?” Britta asked, concern in her voice. She then seemed to shiver, and Thea looked at her questioningly. She didn’t think that shifters felt the cold.

  “Are you okay?” she asked, taking a step towards Britta as her eyes went wide.

  Before Britta could say anything, she shifted in front of Thea’s eyes into a wolf. Britta’s fur was jet black, and her blue eyes still stood out because of the contrast of her fur and her eye color. She yipped slightly and seemed to push Thea back by nudging her legs with her nose softly.

  Before Thea could even realize what was going on, people in capes and hoods began to walk out of the dense, dark forest, their faces obscured from their low hoods. Thea knew exactly who they were, and she knew why Britta had shifted into a wolf. Thea felt her heart break as she realized that she wouldn’t be able to get away from the Elders. Because they were already here to take her away.

  The Elder in the middle of the group, right in front of Thea, lifted his scarred arms up to unveil his face. His pale, scarred face stared back at Thea, and she could see his white eyes staring at her with curiosity. His bald head just showed more scars that lined his skull. He smiled, pleased at her fear, and Thea knew exactly who he was. He was the Elder from before. The Elder that had haunted her dreams every night since they first came for her.

  Britta pushed Thea back even more, on the defensive as she put some distance between them and the Elders. The Elder laughed, gazing at Thea in a way that made her skin crawl.

  “Hello, my child,” the Elder seemed to whisper, though she heard it loud and clear in her head.

  This was it. Thea knew this was it. This was the end.

  Chapter 30

  Kato felt like his heart was breaking with every step he took into the house. He raced up to Thea’s room, praying that he would walk in and see her there. When he burst through the door to find the bedroom empty, he almost stopped breathing. He raced downstairs, his eyes wide, sweat beading his forehead, to find that Annie was shaking her head, her own eyes wide with fright. Kato could literally feel pain in his heart and stomach as he doubled over, trying to catch his breath.

  “She left you a letter,” Annie whispered to him. She held out a folded piece of paper that she clutched in her hand, Thea’s handwriting spelling out his name on one side. She held another piece of paper with her own name on it in her other hand.

  Kato took
the piece of paper from Annie, noticing that his hands were trembling slightly. His mind was reeling, and he couldn’t seem to keep up with the pace. His life had drastically changed in the last few minutes, and now he couldn’t even find the woman that he loved.

  He felt like all of this was his fault, and as he opened the letter that Thea wrote for him, his heartbeat quickening with every word he read, he felt completely useless.

  To my darling Kato,

  I know you must be confused and hurt about what I’ve done, but I hope that one day you’ll be able to understand why I had to do this. This wasn’t an easy decision, but when I realized that I could protect you and everyone I love by leaving, I knew that I had to do it. Even if it meant never seeing you again.

  I know that you’re beating yourself up over this. Don’t. There’s nothing you, Annie, Lukas, or Hann could’ve done to stop me. I refuse to let the Elders take control of my life or your life. And I refuse to let anyone die over trying to protect me.

  Kato, I love you. I’m sorry I never got the chance to tell you that. But I do. Maybe, in a different life, we don’t have these obstacles against us. But now, we do. I will always love you, and I will always do anything I can to protect you.

  I’m sorry,

  Thea

  Kato sat on the couch, almost falling into it as he lightly placed the note on the coffee table. Annie sat next to him, not saying a word. Both of them stared at nothing, unable to believe how everything had fallen apart so quickly.

  Kato wasn’t mad at Thea. He was mad at himself. If she’d felt protected, actually protected, she wouldn’t have left.

  “This isn’t your fault, Kato,” Annie told him, almost reading his mind.

  “It is, though,” Kato replied, his voice breaking slightly. “This never should’ve happened. None of this ever should’ve happened. I should’ve protected her more. I should’ve done something. Anything to make her feel like she would be okay.”

  “She did this because she thinks that she’s protecting us,” Annie told him softly. “My mom did it, and no harm came to me or my father after she left, even though they said she died. She thinks that this is a way for everyone to be okay. But you can’t blame yourself. You know Thea, she’s always trying to protect others before herself. Even if it means sacrificing her happiness and her chance at a somewhat normal life.”

  “I could’ve done something,” he repeated, shaking his head.

  He couldn’t describe how he was feeling or the thoughts that were swirling around in his head to Annie. He didn’t know if she would understand. He felt helpless and useless, something he’d never truly felt in his entire life. He wanted to go and find Thea, wherever she was, as he knew that she couldn’t have gotten far. But his uselessness made him almost glued to the couch he was sitting on. He couldn’t move an inch.

  He realized that this was what true fear felt like. It left him incapacitated.

  Both Annie and Kato felt a sudden shift in the air, and Kato lifted his head slightly, wondering where the chill that they both seemed to feel came from. When they both heard a wolf howl that they distinctly recognized as Britta’s, they leapt to their feet, running towards the front door.

  Something was going on, and from the urgency in Britta’s howl, they knew that it wasn’t going to be good.

  Chapter 31

  “And how have you been, my child?” the Elder asked Thea, smiling like he was winning a game. Well, technically, he was.

  Britta slightly growled again, pushing Thea back and standing in front of her as the Elder took a step closer. When Britta pushed her back, the Elder laughed, staring down at Britta like she was a toy that he could crush with his pinky. Thea shivered from fear, and she knew that the Elder could tell she was beyond frightened. He wouldn’t be staring at her with that joyful look in his eye if he didn’t sense her fear.

  He lived off of fear from others, and Thea tried her hardest to not be afraid. She couldn’t fake it, though. She knew the Elder could tell.

  “No one has to get hurt,” she somehow managed to say, willing herself to look in the Elder’s white, lifeless eyes. He cocked his head, as if in confusion. When Thea nodded her head down to Britta, who still was in front of Thea growling at the Elder, the Elder gained a huge smile on his face. He knew what she was suggesting.

  “Yes, my child,” the Elder nodded at her. “No one has to get hurt. As long as you come to us and follow the rules, then everything will be fine. And no blood has to be shed.”

  “You’re not going anywhere, Thea,” she heard a voice behind her say. She looked behind her to see Hann walk up right next to her, smiling and nodding at Britta in front of them. When he reached her side, he squeezed her shoulder.

  Thea immediately grew more nervous by Hann’s presence, despite how confident and assured he felt. This was the kind of situation she wanted to avoid, which was why she was leaving. Now, it seemed that her plan was failing one step at a time, and she didn’t know what to do other than stare at Hann and the Elder in fear.

  Suddenly, Thea felt another shift in the air, and she felt cold fill her veins as another person stepped up beside her on her other side. Another Elder was near her, his hood completely drawn over his face so that she couldn’t see his face at all. Fear and nerves made her shake from his presence, and Hann steadied her as she bumped into him, unstable.

  “He’s a friend,” Hann whispered, and Thea tried to calm down, but all of her nightmares seemed to be in replay as she stood next to the Elder. She assumed this was Michael, the friendly Elder that everyone had talked about. The one who had saved Annie and given Lukas the ability to join the pack. She knew that she shouldn’t be so scared of him, but she couldn’t help it. The Elder seemed to have an aura of ice and coldness around him, and Thea shivered from being so close to him.

  “Hello, Michael,” said the Elder from her dreams, the menacing shadow that now had a face that she knew would always haunt her dreams. He was smiling, almost laughing, as he gazed at Michael standing with her and Hann, not at all affected by this show of strength. Thea did notice some of the Elders surrounding him shifted a bit uncomfortably when Michael showed up, though.

  “Hello, Gabriel,” Michael said, his voice a whisper that almost had a unique drawl to it. Gabriel. The monster from her dreams finally had a name.

  “Now is your time to leave, Michael,” Gabriel laughed at him, clasping his hands together and shaking his head, as if in disbelief that Michael would dare show up and challenge him. “Things will not be pretty if you stay. I’m warning you. You should protect yourself and follow the rules and regulations that we, both you and I, have put in place. These rules were meant to be followed. I’m only sorry that you seem to want to run a lawless society now.”

  “Gabriel, I believe now is the time for you to see how you have erred,” Michael told him, his whispered voice not giving away any emotion. “You preach about regulations and rules, but those regulations and rules are outdated and destructive. We, as Elders, must lead by extraordinary example. Now is the time to change what has never worked for shifters. Now is the time to bring about acceptance into our world.”

  “Now is the time for you to leave,” Gabriel said again, his laugh and smile gone. The anger on his face made Thea shiver with fear. Again, Thea saw the Elders surrounding Gabriel shift as if uncertain about the things that were playing out in front of them.

  “I’m afraid not,” was all Michael would say, standing his ground. Thea looked over to see Hann staring at Gabriel, strength and confidence brewing in his eyes. It was almost infectious. Almost.

  “You are too old for this battle that will come, Michael,” Gabriel told him, a smirk finding a home on his pale, disfigured face again. “This will only end one way.”

  “If you are so certain about the outcome, then I should not scare you,” Michael replied, no emotion in his voice again. “In fact, you should be confident. This whole thing should be over. If you were so certain that I couldn’t hold my ground,
that I was nothing but a babbling lunatic, you would be finished with this situation. Instead, you’re standing there talking to me, trying to get me to leave while your followers are regretting following you and looking for the first chance to change sides.”

  Gabriel glared at Michael, his fists clenched and his white eyes bulging in his head. Thea shivered with fear again, despite the confidence and strength she was trying to show. Michael, noticing Thea for the first time since he stood next to her, looked over at her. She couldn’t see his face, but she could sense a different feeling radiating off of him compared to the other Elders. It was almost like he was trying to comfort her.

  “Don’t worry, my child,” Michael told her, and Thea found his use of the word ‘child’ to be much more comforting than when Gabriel used it. “I’ll protect you.”

  Thea got a glimpse of his eyes for a quick second, and she swore she saw him wink.

  Chapter 32

  Kato and Annie shifted as they ran to where they sensed Britta, not even bothering to take off their clothes, meaning they would lose them in the shift as they shredded apart. As they ran through the forest together, Kato felt his mind still reeling and his heartbeat quickening as he anticipated what would be waiting for him at the end of Britta’s howl. As they neared closer, both Kato and Annie could sense Hann and others with Britta. When they finally broke free of the forest and found what was on the other side, they saw who else was with them.

  The Elders.

  Kato cursed in his head as he took in Thea’s frightened face, but when she locked eyes with Kato, he saw her loosen up slightly. Kato and Annie quickly trotted to where they all stood together, taking sides on each side of Britta, so that Annie was in front of Thea and her father, and Kato was in front of Thea and Michael. Kato felt slightly better that Michael was there, though when he took in all the Elders on the other side of the clearing, he felt a quick sliver of fear course through his heart.