Powers of the Moon Bearer

Luna Rivers narrowed her glare at the heavens, observing as dark clouds obscured the last semblance of the dying sun. The light faded quickly, throwing long veins of exploring shadows through the dense forest that flanked her new home. In her current surroundings, she had yet to see another living soul, which felt remarkably jarring, though also oddly... right.

The old cabin sat at the end of a forgotten road and was entombed somewhere deep in the mountains; it was some... five miles from the nearest town. The cabin was bequeathed to her by her parents; even as they were alive they had not once brought the property to her attention. Luna only discovered the deed after their untimely passing and it was buried in the drawers of her mother's desk as though it was a family secret taken to the grave.

And here I am, in front of the cabin with my suitcase at my feet, both apprehensive and hopeful. Luna's life had gone through a rough patch of unfortunate events. She had lost her parents in a freak accident, lost her job, and what seemed appropriate, lost the last semblance of a normal life.

This cabin was crumbling and overgrown, but was her last remnant connecting her and the past-one she found to be exquisitely mysterious.

"Well," she said to herself, "guess I will find out what's inside."

In opening the cabin door with a slow creak of wood, she breathed in through her nose, the distinctly smell of slightly rotten wood, dust and pine filling her senses. Inside the home was old furniture, but looked carefully preserved-frozen in time to indulge in memory-laden nostalgia. A very heavy stone fireplace sat on one wall, kind of intimidating. Shelves lay strewn with antique books and curiosities she did not recall from childhood; many items she simply did not recognize at all.

Luna set her baggage down and ran her fingers along the edge of the mantelpiece. In the center sat a photo of her parents-far younger, far happier-framed. Picking it up, she traced her thumb along the edge of her mother's bright smile. What were they hiding from her? Why had they never shared this idea with her before?

A cool breeze swept in through the door, and she shivered. Nightfall was rapid now, and with nightfall came the emotion of fear. The forest beyond the cabin, once so calm, now felt startlingly alive, and she sensed ocular surveillance dwelling in the shadows.

Luna shook this sense off and shut the door. It was probably just her imagination-the classic narrative feel! After all, she was up here all alone... completely alone.

Or so she thought.

*****

Later that evening, Luna cupped up tightly on the old sofa, with a thick, warm blanket wrapped around her shoulders. She had spent the last several hours exploring the cabin, concluding it had nothing odd about it-except those strange symbols carved into the wooden forms of the ceiling beams. They were intricate-they looked almost like mystical runes-but they really had no meaning for her.

Her eyes wandered to the window-the full moon was glowing now, casting its silver light on the trees. The trees glistened from this casting glow, and suddenly, she had a strange and uncontainable order-the compulsion to go outside now gripped her.

No, she shook her head and the urge departed. She was exhausted as been a long day up here north, fresh air, and all-let's go with that! She let her attention return to the fire she had started in the fireplace. The flames swayed and danced around-sparks lifted up and swirled about in the chimney. She felt comforted, aside from the looming uncertainty still pulling her mind.

She attempted to calm herself, assuring that she was merely suffering from nerves. She had, after all, never lived alone, let alone lived alone in the woods. It was normal enough to feel anxious. Even as she closed her eyes, the strange feeling did not ease.

Then, a howl pierced the stagnant air.

Luna sat straight up, her heart racing. The sound was distant but recognizable-it was a wolf howling somewhere in the depths of the forest. Luna had heard wolves before, but this was somehow different, closer, and with more force. The howl reverberated in her bones, delivering a shiver down her spine.

Then another howl called, joined by another. Soon, their cries filled the night air as though an entire pack had gathered on her doorstep.

Luna stood, her breath accelerating, moving to the window. The moon illuminated the clearing in front of the cabin, but the nearby forest lay steeped in darkness. Bruising her squinty eyes, she observed the movement in the trees. And then she saw them.

Near the treeline, at the edge of darkness, and right in the shadows, stood a cluster of shapes. Their eyes glowed, catching the moonlight, as the dark creatures gathered in the shadows hypostatically like eerily wild beasts. They looked like wolves-Luna thought at first,-but then a new sense of horror put the fear in her belly and jolted her to the cold reality that they were not wolves. They were men. At least partially men.

Her pulse beat loudly in her ears as she laid eyes on them. They were too distant to depict exhaustively, but they were unmistakably human, albeit broad-shouldered, tall, and a strange predatory weightlessness. Their eyes glowed in the night while they observed her.

Luna moved away from the window, breathless, with quick and panicked breaths. She did not know what she had seen, but every instinct told her to run, to hide. But before she could move, she heard a loud knock at the door. She froze.

The knock came again, hard. Whoever - or whatever - was out there wanted to come in.

"No." She whispered, backing further into the cabin. Her mind raced. What should she do? Could she get out through the back door unseen? Was there anyone around to help her?

Another knock, a voice came over the knock, deep and rough, undeniably human. "We know you're in there," said the voice.

Luna's blood ran cold, she was not opening that door.

"Please" he responded softer, almost euphoric "We won't hurt you."

Luna moved back again, the pounding of her heart still did not stop. The only thing was that the inside of the cabin creaked but outside, the howls had stopped, and it was quiet now.

"Luna."

Her breath stopped. The voice said her name.

"How did you know my name?"

"Because we've been waiting for you." The voice was much softer, almost maternal.

"Luna."

The awkward moment of the stranger going unheard, during the long silence, when she resumed breathing, everything slammed again.

"We can help you." The voice beyond the door was full of sorrow "But you have to trust us."

Trust them? Luna shook her head. She didn't even know what they were, let alone if they could be trusted.

The voice came again. This time it sounded more urgent. "You don't understand. You're in danger. If you don't come with us, they'll find you."

"Who?" Luna barely whispered.

Silence. Then, just one word, sent a new wave of fear through her: "Ronan."

Luna's heart raced as she stood frozen in the middle of the cabin. The name "Ronan" echoed in her mind like a bell, a chill of fear washed over her. She didn't know who or what Ronan was, but the fear in the man's voice was undeniable.

"Who is Ronan?" Luna asked, timidly.

Silence. The only sound came from the noise crackling in the fire. That warmth felt very far away from the danger she suspected was outside.

Another knock, softer this time, then the voice returned. "Open the door, Luna. We need to talk. We don't have a lot of time."

Her fingers tightened around the blankets around her shoulders, tightening all the fear swelling inside. All her instincts screamed for her to run, but she didn't know where to go. She didn't know the forest. The nearest town was miles away. These men or whatever they were seemed to know her, and if they knew her name, what else had they figured out?

Luna swallowed hard. Her mind raced through the options she had. Maybe she could get out the back and run away or... she could go to face whoever was on the other side of the door and trust they weren't lying.

"Luna, please." This voice was different this time: quieter. Calmer. "We're not going to hurt you. You simply have to trust us."

She flicked her eyes back to the window, where the glowing eyes of the men continued to watch from the other side of the room. She couldn't see their faces clearly enough, but something about them just unsteady-ed her in a way that she couldn't articulate. They seemed primal somehow, almost otherworldly.

Taking a breath, Luna moved toward the door, her feet soundless on the wooded floor. She hovered her hand over the knob, her fingers trembling slightly. She paused.

"Five minutes," she said back through the door, "I'll give you five minutes to tell me who you are and how you know my name."

There was a long pause on the other side of the door until the voice responded, "That's all we need."

Luna unclipped the lock and slowly opened the door, her heart hammering in her chest. The cool of the night air rushed in with the smell of pine and earth. There were three figures standing in the doorway, towering over her with the moonlight engulfing their silhouettes.

She stepped back, her breath catching in her throat as she fully comprehended how her sight would validate what she was sensing.

The man at the front had disheveled dark hair and piercing green eyes that were illuminated by the moonlight. His expression was hard but not unkind, he had a muscular frame with an air of tension about him, like a snake ready to bite at any moment. Behind him were two other men: one had golden-brown, almost tan hair (she thought of him as an adventurer man) with a rough jawline sharper than a cake knife and the other had jet black hair and the brooding, quiet thoughts of the other man revealed in deep blue eyes.

These men were not merely tall- they were enormous with bodies full of carefully creating strength and power. But there was something more, as if they were not just men and that a feral trait danced just below the surface. They exuded an aura of machiavellian peril and persuasive authority that made her skin tingle with fear and... something she would prefer not to call it.

Luna crossed her arms to combat the emergence of rising fear in her voice, "And who are you?"

The man with emerald green eyes took a step forward. His gaze was steady and unwavering. "I'm Alec," he introduced. His voice was low and calm, but there was a tension and urgency present. "These are my brothers, Jax and Kade."

Jax, the golden haired one, only gave Luna a brief nod, but she noted his hazel eyes flitted over her frame with childish curiosity. Kade, the dark-haired brother who loomed large, remained silent and still, his piercing gaze resting on her angle and never leaving Luna's face.

"And how do you know my name?" Luna asked, taking a step back rather than invite them inside. Whatever slate they presented, she did not wish to be intoxicated by it on her own doorstep. These strangers were standing at her door in the cold of night and have no business guessing to know more about her than they should.

Alec's narrowed eyes softened a fraction, but his composure remained resolute. "We have been watching over you...protecting you."

"What do you mean by watching over me?" Luna blinked in surprise. "And why?"

"That was my question as well," Alec replied. "From Ronan. He's searching for you." Alec's voice grew darker. "He knows what you are."

"What I am?" Luna repeated, the confusion swirling in her mind. "I'm just a person. A human. What do you mean, 'what I am'?"

Alec pursed his lips and shared a glance with Jax and Kade. His jaw tightened once more, "You're not just human, Luna. You're a moon-bearer."

The word hung in the air, a foreign and strange word ringing in her ears as the meaning did not compute. "A moon-bearer?" she repeated, shaking her head. "What the hell...is that supposed to mean?"

Jax stepped in closer and added, "It means you are one of the last of a strong bloodline." His voice was rougher than Alec's and he gazed at her intently. "Your kind can control werewolves on the full moon."

Luna stared back at him, lost. "Werewolves? You are telling me werewolves are real?"

Alec nodded gravely. "And you are standing in front of three of them."

Luna's breath caught in her throat. "You... you're wolves?" She took a step back, panic bubbling in her chest.

Alec said quickly, raising his hands in a placating manner. "We're not going to hurt you. We're here to protect you from Ronan, who has been hunting moon bearers for many years, and if he gets to you, he will find a way to use your power to destroy everything."

Luna was dizzy trying to process the impossible statements being spoken. Werewolves. Moon bearers. A dangerous man named Ronan wanted her. None of it made any sense, but the eyes of the men in front of her were primal enough, honest enough, to tell her what they were saying was true.

"Why me?" she whispered, her voice quavering. "I don't have any power. I don't know anything about being a moon-bearer."

"You don't know it yet," Alec said quietly, "but it's in your blood, which is why Ronan wants you; and we are here, too."

"Also," Jax added, half-smiling, "it's why, you can't stay here alone."

"No, no! This is crazy." Luna shook her head and backed up further into the safety of the cabin. "What do you mean? You want me to go with you?"

"If you want to survive," Alec replied, his voice low, serious; "yes. You are not safe here with Ronan getting closer."

Kade, who had been quiet up until now, decided it was time to talk. He carried a quiet intensity to his words. "You don't know it yet, Luna, but the full moon is approaching. And everything will change."

Luna's heart pounded in her chest as she looked from one man to the next, the world she had known really was falling apart, and she didn't know what to believe anymore. But the look in their eyes told her one thing was certain - the danger was real and so were they.

"Okay," she whispered softly. "I'll go with you."

Alec nodded with a softening face. "We will take care of you, I promise."

As Luna began to gather her belongings, a niggling feeling began to creep to the back of her mind.

If these men were telling the truth then her whole life was about to change in more ways than she could contemplate.

The night air hit Luna like a cold slap as she stepped out of the cabin, her backpack slung over her shoulder. The trees appeared tall and dark with their branches twisting like skeletal arms against the bright full moon. She could feel the men walking behind her, the footfalls quiet but powerful.

Alec walked ahead leading them into the thick of the forest. Jax was still close to her, scanning their surroundings with his eyes, and Kade walked last, maintaining silence that only added to the tension. Luna felt like she was walking into a trap, but wether it was the truth or not, staying at the cabin was just as dangerous. Maybe even more dangerous.

She glanced at Jax, catching him looking back at her with a smirk.

"Do you expect me to develop fur and howl at the moon?" He grinned teasingly, his tone earnest but light-hearted.

Despite her erratic heartbeat, Luna was able to chuckle shakily. "I am trying not to think about it."

"You really will get used to it," Jax replied with a smile, although the twinkle in his hazel color so aptly shown he was enjoying her distress a bit too much. "We aren't too bad once you get to know us."

"Incredibly, not so bad?" Luna repeated incredulously. "You just said you were-what was your word's-the werewolf. I'm supposed to feel better about that?"

"Good point," Jax chuckled again.

Alec came into their conversation gently but assuredly, "Focus-off this topic. You are not out of peril yet."

Luna frowned again and quickened her stride to walk beside him, "And what exactly is the plan. You keep saying Ronan is coming for me, I don't even know who he is or why I'm involved."

Alec gave her full attention, his intensity concentrated in his green eyes, "Ronan is the alpha of a rogue pack. He has been looking for moon bearers for years to utilize their energy to reign over other packs. If he were to gain control of a moon bearer while it was full moon, he could reign over people like us, for all intents and purposes, he could create his own army."

Luna jerked back briefly in disbelief before shaking her head, "But I don't even understand how to use the 'energy'. You are saying I have the ability to control you?"

"Yes, in theory," Alec confirmed. "But you lack training. That puts you at risk."

"So I'm out there like a sitting duck." Luna muttered to herself. "Perfect."

"He is not going to get to you," Kade expressed in a deep voice from somewhere behind and above her. "He is not even going to breathe on you."

The forcefulness in his tone made her skin prickle. Luna turned back slightly to glance over her shoulder at him, but Kade had no discernable expression, and only the light of the moon reflected darkly off the blue in his eyes, creating an enigmatic and unreadable look.

"But what if I can't control it? What if Ronan does come and I can't stop him?" she asked with a quieter voice.

Alec's eyes softened a bit as he took on the slower pace of walking side by side with Luna. "We're going to teach you how to use it before he gets the chance to. You're stronger than you think, Luna." He stated, as though addressing a child.

Luna opened her mouth to object, but the rustling sound in the trees made her freeze, instinctively grabbing at Alec's arm. Jax stepped towards them, putting his hand on Luna's shoulder as if to ensure her safety, but his eyes were sharp, scanning the trees.

"What is it?" Luna whispered shakily, with her heart pounding like drunken drum.

Alec put his hand up again to silence everything and motioned for his own silence. The forest seemed to hold its breath, too, and all they could hear was the wind whispering through the trees, far away.

Then they heard a low growling, deep, deep and guttural from somewhere the dark ahead.

The blood in Luna turned to ice. "What was that?"

"Trouble," Jax muttered, his formerly playful expression gone now, replaced with the serious and focused demeanor of a predator about to seize its prey.

The growl came again, much closer this time. Luna quickly darted her wide-eyed gaze to Alec, who had already shifted forward to meet his fate, muscled body tensed as he prepared to shift. The shift was not instantaneous, but Luna could sense the wolf waiting beneath the surface of his human skin, prepping to unleash the beast within.

Kade crept soundlessly to her side, lifted his hand, and placed it on her lower back, leading her to hide behind him as Jax moved forward readying himself for a fight.

"Stay close," Kade said, voice low and detached like a growl.

Luna began to breathe quicker, fighting to make sense of the situation. Were they going to fight? Would it be Ronan's pack? She could barely process that werewolves existed as it was, and here she was witnessing one fight.

Suddenly, a large, hulking figure sprang from the trees, unmistakably a massive wolf. It was dark, almost black, with a fierce, glowing amber gaze. It snarled, showing its teeth forlornly, and froze at the mere sight of it.

Before she could scream, Alec lunged forward, fast as a blink, toward the wolf. He did not fully shift, but the sheer power being absorbed into his fantastic body rippled through him as he threw himself into the wolf, veering him off his course. He was once animal and man and blended together, dog-like, snarling, versatile motions.

Jax was a quicker shade of light than she could imagine, circling around it, an extension of golden-fur bristling with the wool underneath, and then he was behind it, flanking the rogue wolf. Kade did not shift but stayed focused on the fighting, human muscles coiling and compressing, readying for action if he should intervene, though that didn't appear to be a threat at first.

Luna pressed her back firmly against the trunk of a tree, gasping for breath. This was not real. She was not part of a real situation. She was watching men turn into wolves fight-- and she had no idea how she would fit into this hellish nightmare in total.

The wolf let a piercing yelp escape after Alec had bitten into its shoulder and pulled it to the ground. Jax fronted him, hunter's instincts on full display and not allowing any escape from its own bloodthirstiness, snapping just feet from the wolf's exposed throat. Luna was just about to believe the fight was over when the rogue twisted around, broke free with a snarl, and disappeared back into the trees, lost into the darkness.

The silence that followed was almost deafening. Alec and Jax stayed in their wolf forms for another moment, panting heavily, eyes scanning the forest as they checked for movement. Gradually, they shifted back, simply transitioning like they had always done this.

Luna couldn't take her eyes off of Alec. He was covered in a coat of sweat, his muscles still surged with the adrenaline. He wiped a bit of blood off the corner of his mouth and turned back towards her.

"You okay?" he asked, his voice steady, though his eyes clearly had a hard edge to them.

Luna nodded, even though her legs felt like jelly. "What was that?"

"A scout," Kade said, before stepping closer. "Ronan's testing us. Seeing how close he could get."

Luna swallowed hard. "So he's already here?"

Alec clenched his jaw. "He's close. That's why we need to move quickly."

Jax rubbed the back of his neck, feeling way more casual the further away they were from the unsafe energy. "Yeah, I don't want to hang out for a re-match."

"Agreed," Alec replied, his vocal tone darkening. "We need to get to the pack's territory. We'll be safe there."

Luna's mind was racing, trying to comprehend what just happened. She was way over her head, plunked into vulnerable danger and power that she could barely conceptualize and now Ronan was hunting her and she didn't know this dude, did he really want to hunt her? He was gonna use her for reasons she couldn't imagine.

As they resumed their journey, Luna could not help but take a glance at Alec, Jax, and Kade, who were moving effortlessly through the night, like wolves in pursuit of their prey.

She had no idea who Ronan was, but one thing was certain - these men were the only line of defense she had against whatever was to come.

If she wanted to survive it, she had to trust these men.