Heart of the Moon

Kieran’s POV ~

We all decided to head back home to White Satin. Alec and Peter stayed at Dark Woods to go over all the transfers they had accepted over the past twenty years. It worries all of us that we have been accepting potential traitors into our packs over the years.

Arriving home, we immediately went to my office. Calista worked on settling the twins down for a nap, while Cole was working on decryption of the doctor’s files.

Axel pulled the book of Legends from the shelf and said “We need to find what is written about you. There has to be a clue that will help us figure out the players in this whole thing!” I nod.. saying hopefully!

Calista was coming through the door, just as we heard a phone ringing. Looking around, we realized it was Valerie’s phone.. in a drawer of my desk. She grabbed it and hit ignore. She immediately sent a text to the number.

C: Can’t talk. Am with the Alpha.

Within minutes, a response came in. As we read it, I realized she is much more complicit than I realized. I am assuming this is where my naïveté is most obvious!

U: have you made progress in that department? We need him to CHOOSE you asap. A lot hinges on the Luna ceremony!

Calista looks up from the text.. “That bitch knows a helluva lot more than she’s saying! I underestimated her! Time to pay her another little visit!”

Axel looks at me and says “Let me have a go at her! I will make her talk! Give me an hour… I am going to speak to her mother.. time for a little deception!”

He walked out and Calista asks “What is he planning? I don’t want the mother hurt.. she may be completely innocent!” I said “Valerie had the money put in an account in her mother’s name. I’m not so sure she IS innocent. We will wait for Axel to come back, before we decide how to proceed.”

Cole looked up from his computer screen.. “Umm.. guys? The doctor forwarded all Callie’s medical files.. all but the last record about what her blood can do.. to a man named Emory Cassius.”

I sat up straight and asked “Why did he not send the blood results? That would be the most important information, seems to me. And we need to run down this Cassius guy! He’s most likely a major player!”

Calista asks “Do I respond to this guy? What do I tell him?” I smile and tell her “Reply something innocuous.. at least until we see what we can get out of Valerie!” She responds..

C: working on it!

We left it at that and opened the book of Legends, until we found the history of our pack. It began in the time of my second great grandparents. We read about my ancestors being the Kingdom archivists until my great grandfather was tasked with the protection of the historical library. He had the vault constructed and protected by Fae magic… when the kingdom fell, the actual library was destroyed. Burned to the ground.. and the entire royal family executed. By rogues! They outnumbered the warriors of the kingdom by three to one. Destroying and annihilating everything and everyone in their path.

Calista asked “Why though? I find it hard to believe your family would have stood behind a corrupt regime.. so why would the rogues attack?” I smile sadly and tell her “It was a different time.. a different mindset. Wolves who didn’t conform to the rules.. who balked at tradition.. were immediately ordered executed. They weren’t banished or excommunicated. They were killed… for questioning the laws that had been in place for hundreds of years. Instead of hearing the people.. revising laws.. the King did what every King before had done. He ordered them put down. People rebelled.. Left packs.. left the kingdom.. and became rogue. And what was known of rogues back then, everyone believed they were feral.. monsters.. killing machines. Instead of realizing they just wanted to be acknowledged! Once the coup was over.. and a council established.. the laws were all revisited and rewritten. Allowing rogues a choice of either becoming lone wolves with a pack affiliation.. or the ones who refused that, were simply outlaws. The Kill on Sight order remained intact. This… thing.. we are facing now.. I believe to be the result of that order.. still in place, to this day. It is why we vet anyone seeking refuge in our packs. But, make no mistake! Only our pack.. and your home pack allow that. Everyone else, still kill rogues! No questions asked!”

Calista asks “WHY though? If we are the only two packs accepting rogues.. why are WE being attacked? It seems ignorant.. like biting the hand that feeds you!”

Cole chuckled “It’s simple, really.. they are attacking us to stop the rogues from seeking asylum! If they have nowhere to go.. they remain under the control of this Rogue King! He wants the heart.. and that’s the why we have to figure out!”

Calista replied “Oh! That! Yeah.. the Goddess said he wants to force mark me. He doesn’t know it will kill him. My blood has nothing but negative effects on anyone not closely affiliated with me.. Like our packs. Once Kieran and I are marked.. and I am accepted by the pack at my ceremony, they will all be immune to silver.. live longer.. and be stronger.”

I softly said “Baby… did you not think that important enough to let us know, in the meeting at Alec’s?” She shrugged and grinned “I would have! But someone kissed me and I forgot my own damned name!” I laughed! This minx!

Calista continued reading the book of Legends.. when she squealed “Here it is! Here’s the passage about us! The Devil will be mated to the Heart.. by the will of the Moon. Their mating will bring about changes never before seen. Rogues will become a thing of the past. Acceptance is key. Interspecies mating will once again become possible.. the Devil and the Heart will bring about a new era of love and prosperity.. Allowing equal rights to all aspects of the coming generations of wolves, hybrids and individual species. This will only come to pass, if the self-proclaimed Rogue King is eliminated. He believes he holds the right to become King of Wolves.”

I sat, for a long while, before finally saying “Cole… find the name of the man who lead the rogues against the monarchy! I believe this Rogue King may have ties to him!”

Axel comes back from speaking to Valerie’s mother. He grins, saying “The mother didn’t know about the bank account. She hasn’t been off pack territory since her mate died. And He was a rogue.. before they mated. He joined her pack.. Summer Sky.. but they were constantly harassed and persecuted.. to the point, she convinced him to transfer packs when she was pregnant with Valerie.”

Calista asked “What’s Valerie’s last name? The rogue who contacted her, may have done so, because of her father?”

I grinned at her and pulled her into my lap “You are really very smart! My clever girl!”