One Luna Two Alphas Three Gifts

Smoke rose in the distance adding to the chaos that was surrounding ten-year-old Addie. She sobbed, clinging to her older sister. Sounds of fighting and screaming echoed around the walls of the courtyard causing her to shake. Her mother, Luna Ana, bent down and looked Addie in the face.

"Listen to your sister. She'll keep you safe."

Addie nodded. Ana stood up and looked at her oldest daughter. She reached over and caressed her face. "Remember what I told you. Practice. And don't tell anyone." Beatrice nodded, starting to cry.

"None of that." Her mom smiled sadly. "Don't forget to prepare Addie." Beatrice nodded again, not hiding her tears.

Her dad came out of the packhouse leading Helena, the cranky omega cook. He handed her a bunch of money and a bag. Using his alpha voice he ordered her "Take care of my girls. Keep them safe."

Helena turned and offered him her neck, submitting. "Yes, Alpha."

Alpha James turned to his daughters and kissed them each on the forehead. "Take the tunnels out as far as you can go. Then run. Don't look back."

Sounds of fighting had reached the other side of the walls. Warriors joined their Alpha and Luna in the yard, facing the gate. James turned to Helena. "Go!". His alpha command echoed around the yard. Addie looked back and saw her parents shift, their large wolves foreboding and ferocious. Helena turned and started running back into the packhouse, heading for the basement. Beatrice grabbed Addie's hand and followed.

Keeping up with Helena was hard but Beatrice knew where they were going. She led Addie to the farthest point of the basement and helped Helena move an old, dusty shelf stacked heavy with dusty jars and vases. One fell to the ground and shattered. The shelf shuttered but slid out from the wall with a groan. Helena led the way into the tunnels, shining a light ahead of her. It was prohibited to be in the tunnels. They were wet and caving in with age. A hundred years ago the Agate Rock Pack was the most influential pack in the area and Alphas from all over would use the tunnels to have clandestine meetings with the leaders of Agate Rock. After today, Agate Rock Pack would be no more than a page in the history books.

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Addie was hanging on to Beatrice, following her as best she could while tripping over roots. The sounds of the fighting had gradually lessened the farther away they managed to escape. All of a sudden Beatrice gasped and fell to her knees, holding her head and groaning.

"What's wrong, Bea!" Addie skidded to a stop beside her sister and tried to raise her to her feet.

Bea gritted her teeth, tears streaming down her face. "Mom's dead." She choked back her sobs and continued to hold her head.

Addie shook her head. "How do you know?"

Bea took a deep, shaky breath and climbed to her feet. She glanced over at Helena who had stopped, murderous look on her face but still bound by the Alpha command. "I'll tell you later."

The next few weeks were a nightmare for Addie. They had escaped the tunnels and ran across the pack territory into neutral territory. They continued to push north, following Helena. Every few days Helena would sneak into a town and buy enough food to last until the next town. Addie was tired and dirty and she wanted to go home. She tried talking to her sister as much as she could, but Bea didn't want to talk. She looked as exhausted as Addie felt and Addie felt like she might be on the verge of collapse. That terrified her because eighteen-year-old Bea was the strongest person she knew, besides her parents.

Two weeks after escaping the pack, Helena found a cave up in the mountains. It was close enough to a town that they could get supplies, but far enough off the main road that they wouldn't be found. It was shelter and it would do for the time being, allowing the girls to rest and recover. Bea had spoken to Helena, asking her to make a run into the town and giving her a list of things to purchase. Helena was as sullen and resentful as ever, but the Alpha command still held her. She left, hopefully to do as Bea asked.

"Come here, little pup." Bea smiled at Addie and Addie came willingly and happily, cuddling up to Bea. She was slightly annoyed at the nickname but the annoyance was just a prickly feeling in the back of her brain.

"I have to tell you something important and I need you to listen." Addie nodded, looking up at her big sister's face.

"You know how everyone loved Mama, and everyone did what she wanted them to do?" Addie nodded again, wiggling and getting as comfortable as she could in her sister's arms. "Mama had a special gift. It's called Shawishi. Do you know what that is?"

Addie crinkled her nose, thinking. "Maybe. Is it one of the five gifts?" She vaguely remembered being taught about the sacred gifts but she thought that they had died out.

Bea nodded. "Yes. There are five gifts from the Moon Goddess. There's Harakati, the gift to move things with your mind; Wakati, the gift to slow time down; Somaji, the gift to read minds; Mahubiri, the gift to see the future and Shawishi, the gift of persuasion."

Addie looked at Bea. "But no one has those gifts anymore, right? But mama did?" She was confused.

Bea shrugged. "I don't know about the rest of the gifts, but I think that there might be wolves out there with the other gifts, too. The gifts are fickle. They follow a bloodline. The gift is given to the oldest direct descent of that bloodline. Mama had the gift. When she died, it went to me. If I have kids, the gift will skip you and go to my oldest child when I die. If I die without kids, it goes to you."

Addie pushed back. "You? You have Shawishi? Is that why I don't mind it when you call me little pup?"

Bea chuckled. "Yes. I've been practicing on you and Helena. Mom couldn't teach me how to use it because only one wolf alive can have the gift. She tried telling me about it but, really, it's not as easy as she made it seem. Sometimes I can get it right. Sometimes I can't. And it hurts to use it."

Addie realized Bea didn't just look tired, she looked sick. Her eyes were bloodshot and there were dark circles under them. She reached up and stroked her neck. "I'm sorry, Bea."

She shrugged. "Mom warned me. She said it gets better and easier." She shifted, looking directly at Addie. "You have to keep it a secret. I will be hunted if anyone knows I have it. That's what mom thinks happened to the other gifts. The keeper of the gift was hunted until their bloodline ran out and it had no one to pass along to."

Addie nodded solemnly. "I promise not to tell anyone."

SIX MONTHS LATER

Winter had come and gone and Addie, Bea and Helena had spent the season in the cave. Helena had turned even more disagreeable, if that was possible, but she was still bound by the Alpha command. Alpha James was so powerful that his command followed his pack members even when they left the land.

Bea had taken private time to instruct her little sister in the things she was learning about the gift. Both girls tried to continue the warrior training, finding a little spot in the back of the cave that was covered in sand that they could spar with each other. Addie didn't have a wolf yet, she had just turned eleven in December. Bea shifted a few times, practicing and trying to keep strong. Helena mostly sat by the fire sulking, doing the bare minimum to take care of the girls. She would occasionally bundle up and go into town to purchase more supplies. The money was dwindling low but Bea had a plan to go into town and start working when the snow melted.

One deliciously warm day in March, Helena curtly stated she was going to town. Bea looked at her curiously. Something had changed and both girls could feel it but neither knew what it was.

"Let's go wash our clothes," Bea suggested to Addie. "They'll dry really fast in the sun."

Addie nodded, happy to leave the cave. They trekked down to a fast-flowing creek next to a meadow, carrying their dirty clothing. Addie skipped about, happy to be in the sunshine and happy to stretch her legs. Bea laughed at her energy and reached over and took Addie's bundle.

"Run ahead, little pup," she laughed. "Go enjoy the sunshine!"

Addie ran ahead, reaching the river. A large tree that had already begun sprouting leaves beckoned her. The branches were wide and thick and the top of the tree seemed so high. Addie ran over and began climbing the tree, not stopping until she was almost at the top. She sat still, waiting for her sister to arrive so she could jump down and scare her.

Her sister arrived and looked up, finding her immediately. She laughed and then, startled, looked over her shoulder. She looked back up at Addie, frightened. "Be quiet and don't move," she said. Addie could tell she was using her gift because she wanted to comply immediately.

Three large men came walking across the clearing. Addie could smell their wolves on them.

"Where is your sister?" the largest man barked at Bea.

"I don't have a sister." She looked him straight in the eye and didn't back down. Addie knew she was using her gift on him.

"Helena said there were two of you." The big guy looked around, confused.

Addie knew what had happened. Her father was dead. That was the only way the Alpha command would have been lifted. She knew that Helena hated them and the job she was given but she didn't realize Helena would have betrayed them. Addie chewed on her knuckle and prayed for her sister.

"It's just me. I don't have a sister." Bea was firm, looking them in the eyes.

It happened so fast that Addie couldn't react. Bea stood tall, proud. The three men shifted at the same time Bea did. She leaped but it was three against one. Bea lay lifeless on the ground after just a minute. She didn't have a chance.

Addie had no time to react to Bea's death. She clung to the tree, stifling a gasp as forceful waves hit her from all directions. She had an immediate, intense headache and the world spun. She struggled to keep the contents of her stomach down. She could hear the men down below talking about Helena being crazy. Bea had protected her. It was the last thing she had done. And the gift had found a new host.

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Ten years later

Addie pushed her long golden hair back behind her shoulders and smiled at the man on the street. "Will you please give me $20? I am hungry." The man's pupils swelled slightly, an effect on those who Addie used her gift on. He reached into his billfold and handed her $20. Addie thanked him and went into the diner to get something hot to eat.

She sat at a booth and looked at the placemat. Looked like she was in Joshton, Idaho. According to the cartoon map on the placemat, she was about forty miles south of Coeur D'Alene, near the Washington border. Good enough spot as any to hang out for awhile, get a job and find a place to stay for a few months. The weather was turning cold and sleeping in trees was getting old.

She ordered a coffee and a plate of pancakes. The coffee was served and she held the mug in her hand, cradling it to warm the chill. She leaned back in the booth, relaxed and let her mind wander.

The past ten years had some rough patches. The first few years after losing her sister were the worst. The hardest thing she had done was pull herself out of the tree and walk past her sister's wolf. She knew if she buried her they would know that there was another and keep hunting. She took her sister's coat out of the bag of laundry, put it on and kicked the rest of the bag into the river. She watched it swirl on the water, being carried away by the current before she turned and walked in the opposite direction.

She survived. Some days she wished she hadn't. She had to learn how to use her gift with just the little bit of information she had gotten from her sister. She tried many times and was pelted with stones by little boys and shunned by women. The first time she successfully used her gift she was asking for bread at a home. She was surprised when the woman's pupils flared slightly, and then she handed over the sandwich she had obviously just made for herself. Addie tried to remember what she had done differently and then she tried to replicate it. Initially, using the gift would give her a migraine. Now it barely fazed her when she used it for little things, like asking someone for money. Larger things still caused her a headache.

She was pretty sure she was still being hunted. She had made the mistake of stopping in a large city, thinking she could be anonymous there. She had forgotten that it was harder to disappear in a place that had more people looking for you. She had to leave her job at a gym and the studio apartment she had procured after only a few weeks there, stealing out in the dead of night.

Her first shift happened the day she turned eighteen. It was also the night of a full moon and it happened near the top of a mountain in Utah somewhere. It was agonizing. No one was there to help her through it and the breaking and rebreaking of her bones caused her screams to bounce off the valley floor. After hours of excruciating pain, she finally shifted. Exhausted by the effort and saddened by the lack of family to celebrate her first shift, she lay down beside a mountain lake and cried herself to sleep.

The pancakes arrive and Addie smiled and thanked the waitress. She drowned her pancakes in maple syrup and dug into them. They were amazingly good. Addie had discovered that small town diners had the best food. It wasn't often that she frequented large, upscale restaurants, but the few times that she had she was disappointed in the food. Small town diners were the best.

When the waitress came around again, Addie flagged her down. "Are you guys hiring, by chance?" She refrained from using her gift. Addie discovered it became too complicated when she created lasting opportunities for herself, like jobs or housing, using her gift. She had to keep using her gift and that was draining.

The girl genuinely smiled back at Addie, looking her over. Addie knew what she saw. She was taller than average, very thin and had long, blonde hair pulled up in a messy bun. The jeans and hoodie she wore were clean, courtesy of the creek a few miles from here, but old and faded.

"As a matter of fact, yes. Finish your pancakes and you can start immediately. I'm cook, waitress and manager. I need some help."

Addie laughed. "Thank you! I'm not sure what kind of cook I am but I am willing to learn. I also have waitressing experience." She gave the girl a wide grin. "I'm Addie."

"Noel." She smiled and moved off to take another person's order.

Addie finished her pancakes quickly and cleared her dishes. She slipped into the back and put them into the large stainless-steel sink with the industrial sprayer over the top. Noel came back and quickly cracked two eggs on the steaming grill, smacking the yolks with the side of the spatula.

"Aprons over there," she pointed over her left shoulder. "Notepads under the register. You know how to work a credit card machine?" Addie nodded in affirmation.

Three weeks later Noel and Addie had a groove going. They worked six days a week from 8am to 3pm. Addie worked up front taking care of customers and Noel in the back doing the cooking. The girls had an easy relationship with each other, even though Noel was six years older than Addie.

Noel had even helped Addie find a place to stay, a room over a garage on the outskirts of town. The garage was owned by a bit of a busy body, but she was kind and Addie didn't mind her prying. She had gotten her story down over the last seven years and it easily rolled off her tongue. When she got tired of the prying, she would use her gift and suggest Eve head back to her own house. Eve always did.

"Double stack pancakes, bacon and taters!" Addie called back to Noel.

"Got it!" she chimed back. Addie grabbed the coffee carafe and made her circuit, refilling coffee, fetching the sugar and getting more syrup for the family of five that was traveling through.

"Yo, Addie!" Noel beckoned from the back. Addie sauntered over and saw that Noel had already started prepping for the change over from breakfast to lunch. "Hey, Ben screwed up the last delivery. I got a ton of pork chops that we need to use up so now it's today's special. Start pushing them."

"Will do!" Addie went back out front and greeted the couple that just walked through the door. She checked the clock above the cash register. 10:30. That was late enough for lunch.

Unfortunately, the pork chop special was not a hit. By noon, Addie had sold a grand total of zero pork chop dinners. Noel was frustrated and worried about the cost and the waste. Addie decided to up her game.

When the next group came in, Addie smiled at the two couples, using her gift. "Hi! I'm Addie. Our special today is the pork chop dinner. You will love it! You should order the special!"

Four pork chop specials! Noel was tickled. The next two hours, Addie continued to push the pork chop specials with her gift. When the rush died down, she checked with Noel. The surplus was almost gone.

"Girl! You are one hell of a saleswoman!" Noel was pumped. Addie was tired with a bit of a headache from overusing her gift, but she was glad she made Noel happy. The bell above the door chirped again and Addie headed out to push a few more pork chop dinners on unsuspecting diners.

The two men had already seated themselves in a corner booth, surveying the diner. It was almost empty, and Addie hurried over to take their order. She gave them the same spiel about the pork chops and took their order for the special. She noticed them watching her every move. It was creepy, especially since they were quite a bit older than she was.

When she brought them their meals, she leaned over the table to serve them and realized she could smell their wolves. She was surprised; she thought she was the only werewolf in Joshton. Perhaps they were just passing through. That also explained why they wouldn't stop looking at her. They could smell her wolf.

Making herself busy behind the counter, she watched them under her eyelashes. After her parents were killed, all of Addie's interactions with Shifters hadn't been kind. She shuddered remembering a rogue run in at a small town near the ocean. She barely escaped and it took her a long time to heal from her wounds because she hadn't gotten her wolf yet. If she hadn't kept up on her training, well, she didn't want to think about what might have happened.

The two men in the booth looked scary and she didn't want to mess with them. She made up her mind to stay as far away from them as possible.