Descendants of the Moon Goddess

Jovita's POV

"He's here!" Maddie screamed in a shrill voice.

My head snapped toward the entrance door along with many others.

There had been a rumour earlier this week that there was a new Alpha in Foxtown. He relocated from Alaska due to a clash with the cold ones; he had killed one of their royals and was suspended from his pack for two moons to maintain peace.

According to the rumour, he was going to be staying in Foxtown for a while, which was my little humble town. Today was our town's annual youth meet and greet. Every young werewolf came to the town hall to meet, dine, and chat with everyone else. It was a tradition that had been upheld for years. My besties and I usually found it very boring, but not today.

"God, he is so hot!" Anna screamed.

"Cut it out!" Betty snapped at me and my two best friends, Maddie and Anna.

Betty was Maddie's distant cousin, and the Luna of the most powerful werewolf pack in Foxtown; her family was what you call royalty in the human world.

The rumour says that Betty shifted during spring break, and this had Alphas lining up and waiting, hoping the moon goddess would favour them with such a powerful Luna.

I drew my besties backwards as Betty walked forward to meet the new Alpha; the smile on her face showed that she had claimed him already.

I sighed and pulled at my friends. "Let's get back to our business already,".

Anna grumbled, making a face.

"What? You know we stand no chance next to Queen Betty", I said.

"But he hasn't chosen her, and no one said anything about him choosing her," Anna said while Maddie nodded in agreement.

"Come on, guys, it's a match ordained by the moon goddess herself. Can you ask yourself why the Alpha of a powerful pack relocates to Foxtown just when an equally powerful and stunning Luna shifts after the long wait?

"It could be just a coincidence, Jovita. Why don't you see the bright side of things?" Maddie asked with a pout.

"I guess I see the reality," I said, pushing my reluctant friends toward our classroom. "You guys stand a chance anyway, but look at me -I haven't even shifted yet". What would he want with me?"

"Everything, Jovita. Maybe he wouldn't want anything with us, but you're the most beautiful werewolf I've ever seen," Maddie said.

"Stop trying to make me feel good, Maddie.

My friends shifted last summer, the month we turned 18. Coincidentally, our birthdays fell in the same month.

According to tradition, a female werewolf shifts and also finds a mate at 18. But I was 19 already, and nothing!

Anna found her mate the month after our birthdays, while Maddie found hers three months after, and I was left alone, the unlucky and lonely werewolf.

"Jovie move", Anna said, pulling me out of the way. I turned to stare at what or who I was obstructing, and my gaze came to a lock with the new Alpha.

For a moment, I was stunned, and then a wave of excitement hit me as I realized something. I could hear his heartbeat! When a werewolf hears another werewolf's heartbeat, it means two things: they are either mates, or they are related. And in my case, the latter was the only logical explanation.

Eric, the new alpha, turned to stare at me; the look of surprise on his face showed that he could hear my heartbeat too, but then he turned back to Betty, continuing his walk like I never existed.

My besties noticed the exchange and turned to me for an explanation.

"What?" Anna said, curiosity boldly written on her face.

"I don't know; I think I heard his heartbeat.

"Woow, Anna, does that mean Jovie has found her mate? But how can that be possible? She hasn't even shifted yet.

"It happens sometimes," Maddie said. "Sometimes a werewolf fails to shift until they meet their mate, though on rare occasions. It said that the couples become an unbeatable pair.

"That's not happening, Maddie," I said. "Yeah, he probably heard my heartbeat too, but he looked away uninterested. Who wouldn't with a Luna like Betty on their arm?

"We don't choose our mates; the moon goddess does," Maddie said.

"Well, I definitely won't want a mate that won't want me, no matter how good-looking he is. Let's go back to the games, guys", I say to my friends.

During lunch, my besties and I sat around our table, talking about the latest gossip-worthy events that occurred during the summer.

I felt someone watching me, and I turned to see who it was. It was Eric. For a moment, I was flustered. I was used to guys staring at me, but this was different. Why was he staring at me now? He ignored me just a moment ago, I thought.

I tried to steady my breathing, knowing fully well that he could hear my racing heart.

Just then his gaze flickered to something else, and mine followed.

A stunning, hot, handsome guy walked towards him, and he stood up to meet him.

"OMG! Who the fuck is this hottie!" Maddie screamed. "How many surprises do we get in one day?"

All heads turned to stare at the newcomer. He was dazzling, I mean, literally dazzling. He was tall and well-built, with a shock of long ebony-black hair that fell across his shoulders, complimenting his tanned skin. The air around him spoke of authority and power.

Eric said something to him, and he turned toward my table, a slow smile spreading on his face.

"What were they talking about?" I mumbled, trying to stop my racing heartbeat.

Jovita's POV

"Hi, Mimoh," I said to my grandma as I entered our family's pottery store.

"Jovie," she said with a bright smile, hugging me.

My Mimoh was my best friend after Anna and Maddie. She knew all of my secrets.

When she was younger, she ruled the Grey pack and fought many battles for our clan. It's said that she was fearless as a lion and sly as a wolf.

Staring at her little form right now made me laugh, from a wolf to a puppy, I thought with a chuckle.

Thump!!!

"Mimoh!" I screamed as a firm, old hand hit my back.

"Oh, so you're making fun of me in your head, forgetting that I can hear your thoughts. I'm going to break that tiny back of yours, turnover."

I twisted out of her arm and fled the store; the old woman could be a lion again when she was offended.

"I'll go see if Mrs. Brittany is done with the jar; I'll be back soon," I screamed.

"You better not return today."

"I will, ma. Bye, Mimoh."

I started down the road that led to Mrs. Brittany's store, then changed my mind and headed for Maddie's house. She lived only a few miles from me, in the finer part of Foxtown.

The wind blew languidly, causing the tree I was walking underneath to shed its pretty leaves. I bent down to pick one when my eyes caught something impossibly fast. I turned to see what it was but it was gone in the twinkle of an eye. Curiosity hit me, and I headed in the direction it had gone.

It was a cold spring day, and the air was heavy with the scent of the coming rain, but that didn't stop me as I headed deeper into the woods.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhh," I screamed a thousand times in my head as I felt a warm hand on the back of my neck, my heart palpitating wildly.

"I'm about to die, I'm about to die," my inner voice whispered repeatedly.

"If you're that scared, why did you follow me? What a pity, I thought I had found a brave girl, but you're curious and scared-pathetic," he said, releasing my neck.

I slowly turned to see who it was. It was the new guy I had seen with Eric earlier. What was he doing here? And why was he... Shit! I muttered covering my eyes with my fingers.

"Oh, sorry about the no-shirt-on, I didn't realize it would make you uncomfortable," he said with a grin, clearly enjoying himself.

"You can open your eyes now; my shirt is back on."

I opened my eyes slowly, expecting to see a half-naked young man, but his shirt was truly back on. How fast did he wear it? It was barely a second. Yeah, I knew werewolves were fast, but this was incredibly fast, even for a werewolf. Who the hell is this dude?

"Jayden," he replied, staring at me intently.

"Uh?" who asked for your name, I thought to myself.

"You did, or do you have memory issues or something?" He replied.

"What? When?" I asked, surprised. He heard my question; how?

"Who the hell is this dude, remember?" Jayden said.

I looked at him shocked. "How did you hear that?"

"Oh, I see that rings a bell, maybe you're not that hopeless after all," he said with a chuckle.

"I'm quite sure I didn't say those words out loud."

"Yeah, you didn't."

I stared at him puzzled.

"How did you hear them, if I didn't say them out loud?"

"How else?"

"Wait, you can hear my thoughts? How is that possible?"

"You can't hear mine?" he asked, looking perplexed.

"No."

"Hmm."

"What were you doing here by the way... Shirtless?"

"Running," he said simply.

"Running?"

"Yeah", he replied, staring at the branch of a large oak tree. The setting sun fell on his face, and his hazel eyes burned brightly. He looked gorgeous.

"I do it sometimes to clear out my thoughts," he said, a slow grin spreading on his face. "I guess I'm that attractive."

My cheeks burned as I realized he had heard my thoughts. How embarrassing, I can't even have my private thoughts.

"Yeah, I know right."

"Are you mocking me right now?"

"Am I?"

"Hmm, forget that I said you looked gorgeous, you're annoying as well. Now if you don't mind, I'll be on my way."

"Hmm," was all he said.

I turned to stare at him but he was gone. The grasses growing by the path he had taken were bent slightly by the wind.

Who was this guy?" I thought.

...

"Hmm, he's probably a vampire, they're the only ones known to be super fast," Maddie said.

We were sitting on her king-size bed, talking about what had happened between Jayden and me earlier in the woods.

"How can the Beta of such a powerful pack be a vampire? Vampires and werewolves don't co-exist."

"Okay, the only logical explanation about what he is, if he's not a vampire, would be that he's a great white, but then he's Eric's Beta, a great white is usually an Alpha."

"So you're saying?"

"Umm, he's a ...vampire, Jovie, that's my conclusion."

"If he was a vampire, he would have killed me."

"Maybe he likes you," Maddie said grinning widely. "Think, Jovie, he could hear your thoughts, and probably your heartbeat too, but you couldn't hear his. He's most likely a vampire, and he likes you."

I stared at my bestie, wondering if she was going crazy.

"Are you trying to say the moon goddess mated a vampire and a werewolf? Does that even make any sense?" I asked.

"Probably not, but what is he? He has to be something."

"I don't care; I have to get going. My Mimoh would be worried already," I said, rising from the bed.

"Maybe he's a wolf-vampire," Maddie said as we reached her gate.

"Okay, Maddie," I replied uninterested.

Or, or, or... Maybe... He's a...

I looked around at the strange faces as I drove into Foxtown. I was meant to come a day earlier with my cousin and best friend Eric, but I had a few issues to sort out, so I asked him to go before me.

Instead of going home from the airport, I decided to drive straight to their annual youth meet and greet to see him.

On getting there, I was told they were having lunch already and directed to the food hall.

When I walked in, the whole room turned to stare at me, but I continued my search for Eric unbothered; I was used to people throwing admiring stares.

Just as my eyes fell on Eric, I smelt something familiar in the air other than Eric's scent, and I felt my body react with excitement. _She's here,_ the voice in my head whispered.

"Hey man," Eric said, coming to hug me; he must have perceived my scent.

"My flight was delayed, otherwise I'd have arrived earlier". How is your first day here going?"

"Not bad. I'm popular with the boys already, I got the girls drooling, and this pretty Luna by my side all day. What more can I ask for?"

I smiled; Eric was back to his player ways already; he had always had his way with women. It's no wonder the moon goddess hadn't granted him a mate yet.

"Whose she?" I asked, staring at the pretty girl seated a few meters from Eric's table.

"I don't know. I heard she's a member of the outcasts, the Grey pack.

"She's pretty stunning," I replied, still staring. The scent was getting stronger.

"She's an outcast, Jayden, a member of the Grey pack."

"It doesn't matter."

"It does, Jayden. Besides, I find her quite intriguing; earlier today, I heard her heartbeat. But then after that fraction, I didn't hear it again, plus I felt no attraction towards her. And I think Betty is my mate."

"The powerful Luna?" I asked.

"Yes."

"Hmm, according to tales, when a male werewolf hears the heartbeat of a female werewolf once, it means he has found the mate of a family member."

Eric turned to stare at me like I had gone nuts. "The pack won't approve of her, Jayden; the great whites would be furious."

"Isn't the moon goddess an interesting woman?" I said with a chuckle. "Let's see how it all turns out. In the meantime, would you be nice enough to show me around?"

We passed the rows of tables in the food hall, with Eric telling me a bit or two about each group. Eric had the power to pick people's brains and hear from far distances.

"This group is called the ancient pack; they belong to families of extremely old werewolves that have lived for thousands of years. It is said that Betty was to be the next Luna of the pack."

"The other group over there is called the brown ones; they're a pack of pretty ordinary werewolves. From the look of things, they're quite rebellious."

"The group on the right is called the great whites; they have accepted me already, as they earlier assumed I was the alpha of our clan. They come from families with great white wolves as the head, and their pack consists only of Alphas and Betas."

"The group at the end is called the black ones; they're second in command to the ancient ones."

"And finally, the last group over there are just three best friends. They didn't see it fit to move with the other groups. Maddie, the pretty dark head, belongs to the ancient ones; she's Betty's cousin and next in command after her. Phil, one of the great white Alphas, is her mate."

"Anna belongs to the black ones; her mate is Conan, the Alpha of the Black ones."

"Jovita belongs to the Grey ones; rumours have it that she was abandoned by her birth mother, while her father passed on a few months after her birth."

"Interesting," I said.

"Let's go meet the white ones," Eric said, pulling me forward.

They all stood up in reverence as we reached them. They seemed to sense my powers.

"Guys, meet Jayden, the... Alpha and the next great white of your pack?" An Alpha with flowing white hair, whom I later came to know as Seth, the head of the pack, intercepted Eric.

"How do you know?" I asked surprised.

"I read Eric's memories, and I think I might be related to you and Eric because I can hear your thoughts."

"We can hear yours too," Eric and I said in unison.

"Welcome, Alpha," Seth said with a deep bow, a sign that showed he recognized a greater power and was willing to let me take over.

"I have no intention of taking your position," I said quickly. "I'm on a mission here and will be leaving soon; I'd only need your help and cooperation."

"We are ready to help you in any way," Seth said with a genuine smile.

"We can trust them," I mumbled to Eric. "Now what's the next plan?"

Eric and I, in concert with the rumour, had been sent to hunt down one of the cold ones. His name was Uriel. He had broken the treaty and killed a human on our soil. When the pack got wind of it? He fled to Alaska for refuge.

The young males of the pack had been dispatched to different parts of Alaska to find him. But recently, I checked on his trail and found out that he had sneaked into Foxtown. Instead of informing the rest of the pack, Eric and I decided to discreetly hunt him down to prevent him from slipping away this time.

"He is currently taking refuge with a Coven in the far east of downtown," Eric replied.

"We begin our hunt tonight then," I said.

"We're running with you," Seth said, rising. I suddenly remembered that he had followed our conversation.

"I won't want to put any of you in danger, Seth; the cold ones are quite slippery, and we don't know how many of them belong to this coven or any of their abilities," I replied.

"We would run with you, brother," Phil, Maddie's mate, said. He was tall and handsome with flowing dark-brown hair. He was the second in command.

"Fine, brothers," Eric said. "We'll meet at 10 p.m. in the green woods."

"Can I ask a favour?" I said.

"Speak," Seth replied.

"The others believe Eric is my pack's Alpha, and I'm just an ordinary guy; I'd love it to stay that way."

"As you wish, brother," they replied.

"Good, don't forget to bring an extra pair of shoes," I said with a smile.