Thane's POV

I stare out my window, numerous tents surround my brick home. I've built quite an empire for myself from scratch. No one will believe that I'm right under their noses. I've always used the rogues for my dirty dealings, they are easily dispensable anyways.

It was so easy to take advantage of their various grievances against the numerous packs they initially belonged to. A little freedom speech laced with vengeance was all I needed to control them. I've made the impossible, possible having countless rogues answer to me.

The strong Alpha blood running through my veins has given me the brute force I need in keeping the rowdy rogues in order also inflicting fear.

A loud knock pulls me from my reverie, who dares to interrupt me after giving strict rules to not be disturbed. 

The knock persisted, "What?" my grouchy voice says.

"Alpha, you need to hear this," the deep voice of my Beta, Shaw answers back.

"It better be good," I say, the underlying threat obvious.

Shaw steps in with a bloodied rogue, wounds littering his entire body. My gaze darkens, I just hope it's not what I'm thinking.

"What the hell is this about, Shaw?" I growl out. "Can't you take care of irrelevant scuffles between pack members."

He heaves a heavy sigh, "Alpha, we have bad news." He then pushes the injured rogue to his knees.

"Tell him what you told me," he orders. 

"Alpha, I am a part of the rogues sent to the Cantara Pack for a surprise attack. The first eight you sent were surprisingly overpowered by the border patrol. They had silver arrows laced with poison, killing wolves shot almost immediately."

A loud snarl escapes my lips, I crash the table beside me hard, cracking it in two. That stupid Alpha keeps soiling my plans. I have overpowered other packs with even less effort.

"Continue," I say, schooling my features. 

He shivers in fear, "W...we did everything according to plan. B...but the Cantara warriors sliced through us like butter, especially their Alpha. We stood no chance. It was like they anticipated every move we made. I was tasked by the leader to come and deliver, in case there were no more survivors."

"So you all failed, a simple job. The task was to easily pounce on them with the element of surprise and leave."

"I...I'm sorry, Alpha, next time will surely....."

I slit his throat in a swift swipe, I hate failure. It would seem no one can do things right these days. Excuses are all I keep getting from these useless rogues.

"Well, hopefully the last three I sent as back up will be back with good news," I say to my Beta who gives me a weary look.

"Get rid of this trash I wouldn't want his filthy blood to soil my carpet and wooden floor."

"Yes, Alpha," Shaw said, his head hung low.

"Call our informants to come immediately, I want to know why the tips given were useless."

"Yes, Alpha."

I walk towards him, heading to the door, "I'll be waiting, for now let me, let off some steam with the female prisoners, you should join me sometime." 

"I'll call the informants, Sir," Shaw says subtly, refusing my offer. Looking everywhere but me.

I give him a sly smile then walk past him, bursting in a fit of laughter. Well this will be fun.

***

The stench from the prison burns my nostrils. I'm completely drenched in sweat, zipping my pants up. The female prisoner I just finished having my way with, is crying softly against the damp, dirty wall. A skinny younger she-wolf is rocking her gently and shoots me a dirty look. 

"Keep your dog tightly leashed, Cassia, you never know what might happen" I spat at the disrespect. 

She quickly wraps her arms around the younger wolf, hiding her face in her breast.

I chuckle at her protectiveness over the young pup, Cassia is the longest female slave I have kept. I don't feel like getting rid of her or selling her off yet.

"That's a smart choice, you wouldn't want her to leave just yet right?"

She keeps her head low and doesn't make a sound, probably to get rid of me. I feel disrespected and approach her to give her a beating when my Beta speaks to me through the mindlink.

"The informants are here, Alpha." He says plainly. He has never been comfortable with my wild tendencies but he has sworn loyalty to me with blood and there is no going back. It was a naive and irrational decision that I'm pretty sure he regrets.

"On my way, Shaw." I give Cassia a long look but I need to leave, there are more important things to deal with than a pesky little Wolf's disrespect. 

I step out of the faintly lit cell and lock the doors firmly with numerous locks. My firm footsteps hit the broken concrete floor, I step out  of the prison and head towards my house.

When I entered my house, there were three figures standing in my sitting room. 

"You're late," the first figure closest to me mutters furiously. 

"Don't forget who you're talking to, mutt." Very few people dare disrespect me to my face.

A heavy silence fills the room, save for the breaths released. 

"You called for us, you know it's very risky to meet." The second figure says with irritation.

"You're all lucky, you're still useful to me, if not your heads will be on heavy spikes by my borders."

"Anyways, it seems you have failed me yet again," I say, staring at them intently. 

"What's that supposed to mean, we gave you good Intel," Figure one screams at me.

These little fleas have no idea what I have in store for them. They should pray to their little moon that they remain useful or else, their fates may be worse than most.

"Watch your tone," Shaw snarls, stepping forward. I raise my hand signalling him to leave it be.

"No need to raise your voice now, the intel you gave me states that the Eastern border is the least guarded and that your Alpha's drink had been laced with Wolf's bane to weaken him."

I step closer to them, "So how come I've lost over ninety wolves in one day, if we continue at this rate I won't have any left, would I?"

"Look we have no idea what went wrong, we did everything you asked and still things got out of hand." Figure two, murmurs at least a bit remorseful. 

"I sent three seasoned wolves as back up but they seem not to answer at all," I say, each word venomous. "Do you have any idea where they might be?"

"Look about that," Figure one says nervously, "Before we left, it seems the Luna and the Alpha's cousin killed three wolves by the waterfall, the trap they set backfired."

I turn around and give the wall a powerful hit in rage. Bricks fall off forming a hole in the wall. The two "guests" looked surprised at the strength I had just shown.

"Oops, my bad, you shouldn't have seen that."

"You told me the Luna would be an easy target." I finish, distrust evident. 

"S..she is, she doesn't even have a wolf," Figure one stutters fear evident.

I smile like a maniac, "I hate excuses, hopefully this never occurs again."

"Well, Kael thinks he is smart right, I will get him soon enough. This is just the tip of the iceberg."

"He'll never see my next move coming, just you wait."

Aria's POV

I can't believe this, Martha fought for me. She hid me away from the three rogues that had tricked us. She's a seasoned warrior and was able to kill two of them. 

A third one crept behind me to hurt me but Martha stepped in the way stabbing him with silver in the process. He got a clean swipe at her neck.

I couldn't  recognize the scream that tore through my throat. She can't die, it's all my fault. She didn't want to come but I forced her and remained adamant and unreasonable. 

I reached out to my core for the light that had healed the little girl on the playground. With a little help from Willow, it's just at the back of my mind. 

Light escapes my hand and sinks into her skin, then completely envelopes her. The gurgling stops almost immediately and the wound seals, disappearing as if it was never there.

"Aria, what's this?" I whip my head forward in surprise, I didn't sense anyone else. 

"Kael, emmmmmmm it's nothing, I....ermmmmmmm," I stammer, not knowing how to explain the fact that I'm a freak.

"Doesn't seem like nothing to me," he says, with folded arms.

"I don't know how to..." I  pause, he places his fingers on his lips, giving me a signal to be quiet. 

"Aria, what are you really?" Martha utters finally coming out of shock. I guess she didn't see Kael's signal.

"Alpha, the coast is clear," a deep baritone voice says, belonging to a bulky man built like a tank who emerges from the forest.

"It's fine, Gad," my mate answers. "It seems Martha and the Luna took care of them.

More figures emerge from behind the trees, hopefully none of them saw my power display. I don't even know how I was able to do this.

Gad's eyes move in our direction. Martha is still on the ground, recovering from her close to death encounter.

"Are you alright, Luna, Martha?" Gad says with furrowed brows.

"Yes we are alright," We say in unison. Martha stares at me in awe and admiration.

She plays the part of still being wounded so it wouldn't raise any suspicion. Several wolves walk towards us. 

"I'll take care of the Luna, Maurice, you can help Martha to the infirmary." Kael says, I can sense an underlying bit of jealousy.

"Jealous much," I say to him through the mindlink. 

He shoots me a sweet smile, "Whatever, Kitten, you have a lot of explaining to do."

He then walks towards me as Martha is gently picked and taken towards the pack infirmary. 

He bends and picks me up like I barely weigh a thing. "I barely understand everything myself, I'm so confused."

He peers at me for a while, "We will figure it all out together, I promise, but please don't hide your struggles from me. I want to be a part of it all the way." He lets everyone walk in front, dragging his feet to slow us down.

Warmth filled my chest. Buzzy sparks swirl around my belly, this was everything I ever wanted. Someone to cherish me and treat me right.

"I'm slowly adjusting, I'm sorry I've been alone forever so it's so hard for me to trust anyone else. But I will do my absolute best."

He rubs his cheek to mine lovingly, heading towards the infirmary. 

***

"I'm happy you've been cleared by my Uncle, Kitten." Kael says, leading me away from the infirmary. 

"Who is that?" Does he have an Uncle I know nothing about?

A chuckle passes his lips, "Klassen is my Uncle, that's how Martha and I are related."

"I could have never guessed," I say clearly surprised.

"Why is that?" He inquires.

"Well, first of you both look nothing alike and he's so sweet and nice," I mentioned, giving him a look. "Unlike someone walking next to me."

He bellows in a fit of laughter, not saying anything else. 

He is leading us towards unfamiliar parts of the pack. "Where are we headed," I ask curiously.

"I felt we might get some answers to your identity and healing powers at the library."

We arrive at a large wooden door that seems dusty from being unused. Kael pushes the old door open.

He swipes some cobwebs out of the way and I walk in right after him.

He pushes a chair out for me, I have a seat. He then walks towards a particular shelf and takes out about five books. The library seems well arranged though unused.

"This is one of the oldest libraries around, it has been over twelve generations. The few times I've used it, it has given me all I need." 

He dumps the set of books in front of me, and pulls a chair sitting next to me. Dust hits my nostrils making me sneeze, I shoot him a glare. He gives an innocent toothy smile, that was totally intentional.

"There are history books and books about various species in Crescent Moon," he explains.

I furrow my brows in confusion, "Are there other species in Crescent Moon?" I ask.

"Yes, there are," he says. "Let's have a little history lesson."

"Centuries ago, Crescent Moon was actually called Meltos. There were dragons, witches, fairies, werewolves, and vampires. They all lived in peace, until the quest for power by the dragons caused a rift in the balance. They corrupted the minds of the vampires and some covens of witches."

"I've never heard about this before," I murmur in fascination. 

"It's been so long, and most of us have forgotten about it." He answers. 

"So a war started, at first the dragons and their cohorts were winning. But the moon goddess heard the cry of the werewolves and gave them a gift." He takes a pause.

"What was it?" My interest piqued.

"The white wolf. Centuries of storytelling makes it uncertain the extent of powers this wolf possessed. But one sure thing is that she was extremely powerful and unlike any werewolf."

Wait!!! The day I shifted in front of Martha she told me that I was a white wolf. How is this possible? I'm supposed to be the least in my pack, not some powerful wolf.

"....Aria, can you hear me?" He says, pulling me from my thoughts.

"Yes, I can hear you, go on."

"Okay, so she was the missing piece that turned the war around. She single handedly led the werewolves and fairest into war, conquering the dragons and casting them out."

"What happened to the fairies and witches that didn't join the dragons?"

"Fairies hid their existence since then some witches did too, a few can be found in some packs though."

"Wow, you're not such a bad storyteller," I tease with a smile.

"You wound me, Kitten." My mate answers, holding his chest in mock pain.

"Which should we start with?" I ask, since I'm unable to read.

"Well maybe from history since you seem to be a werewolf. Something might help us get somewhere."

"Sure," He carries a large book covered in skin. He begins slipping through the pages. 

He is on for about an hour when he kisses his teeth and says, "I think I've found something. 

"What's that," I tilt my head in curiosity. 

"Here it shows that only one wolf was ever recorded with healing powers," he says thoughtfully. 

"Okay, who would that be?" I ask, my patience running thin.

"Well the first white wolf, Saraya. That was one of the reasons why she was such an asset on the battlefield. She had the ability to heal hundreds of wolves at the same time."

"Wait, really?"

"Yeah, she could control her magic quite well. She was never recorded to have died though, she was just never seen again." He says, still deep in thought. 

"Can I tell you something?" I say with my gaze low.

"Yeah, what is it?"

"I'm a white wolf."

Aria's  POV

"What?" Kael mutters in shock.

"I said, I'm a white wolf," I finished with conviction. "You can even ask Martha, she saw me and attests to it."

"We need a run, you know. I'm getting antsy." Willow says at the back of my mind. I ignored her for a bit.

"How have you been surviving without a run," He stares at me with worry, a bit of irritation showing on his face. "Your ability to heal now makes a lot  of sense though."

I wait in silence for him to add something else but he says nothing at all, just stares at me with no expression on his face. "Are you mad at me for hiding this from you," I say with a little guilt.

"I didn't know how to tell you, I've always felt like a freak, this was like an icing on the cake."

"How many times do I have to tell you, how much you mean to me?" He says firmly, picking me up and dropping me on his lap. "I will spend the rest of my days showing you just how much you mean to me, and how I will be with you every step of the way."

I give him a tight smile. Should I tell him about my rejection? He seems too good to be true though. I don't know if he will still want me after everything. I don't even want any trouble, there's no point bringing up the past.

"You mean the world to me, so who were your parents in the Blood Moon Pack?" He asks with genuine curiosity. "Willow mentioned that you were an orphan, but nothing more."

I take a deep breath, hoping this would not turn on me. "I was dumped at the pack borders as a child with no memories at all," I utter sadly. "No one ever showed me true care until I came to this pack."

"We will figure it all out together, my love," He encourages. "Together forever," He says, pressing his forehead gently against mine.

***

"Martha, we'll be late for training," I scream, my hands hitting her door hard.

"I'm coming, Douchebag," She says with exasperation, pulling the door open in haste.

"Whatever, you just love me," I tease with a full-blown smile on my lips. I pull her arms excitedly walking down the hallway.

The early morning breeze sweeps my hair back and forth against my face. We run at full speed towards the pack training grounds, just in time. We quietly settled out back, barely seeing much in front of us.

"As you all know we have new recruits that are joining us today, you all can pair yourselves with your partners and fight, hand combat for now." A loud familiar voice resounds from in front of us, addressing the crowd.

"I need to go to my partner, Besty," Martha murmurs, staring at a young she-wolf walking towards us. "Go find, Gad, so he will pair you with someone."

I nod in response with a smile, and my feet veer towards Gad, the head warrior. He stops his conversation mid-way with a group of younger males and walks towards me. "Luna, do you need something?"

"Hi Gad, I was just wondering if you could pair me with someone, today is my first day."

Gad gave me a little smile, "I know Luna, the Alpha informed me. He said he will be your trainer but it seems like he is running a bit late."

"Okay that is fine, I can just pair up with anyone while I wait for him to finish up with whatever is holding him back."

"Let me check if there is anyone that I can pair you with then," his eyes shift in the crowd, looking back and forth. "Anita, come over," Gad orders. A caramel-skinned beauty with a petite body and shiny hazel eyes sashays towards us.

"Luna," She bows slightly in greeting. "Head warrior," She bows once more. "I'd like you to spar with the Luna, and show her some basics in defense."

She gives me a bright smile and says, "It would be an honor to spar with you, Luna."

I give her a sweet smile in return, I'm not used to being treated with so much regard. Even after Kael's announcement, some members of the pack ignored my existence. I noticed that mostly those closest to Kael treated me with the utmost kindness and a few others. Most feel I am unworthy to fill the position since Jessica sparked the rumors of me being wolfless.

She walks a little distance, and I follow in tow. "I would like you to learn the basics of self-defense. Pay attention to her body movements, not just her strikes." Gad tells me as I face off with Anita. 

She waits patiently. My posture shrinks with discomfort and he seems to notice. "The very way you carry yourself, tells if you can easily be preyed upon." He then stands next to me, "Imitate my stance."

He has his feet apart with a foot slightly in front of the other. "Place your dominant foot behind," He explains. "Keep your hands up to block out any strikes and use it to cover sensitive areas like your neck."

"You're doing fairly well for a first-timer," He encourages. "Anita, strike now, not too hard though."

She gives him a nod and advances towards me, she's so fast and my back is on the ground in seconds. "Luna, you seem distracted, this is not a playground. Focus," Gad says with a hard voice. "You need to pay attention to her, so you can anticipate her strikes."

Anita gives me an encouraging smile and gives me a hand. I take it and return to my previous stance. "Again."

Anita pushes forward, this time I focus on her hands and feet. She is extremely smooth with her strikes and unpredictable. I am able to hold out for a little longer, probably less than a minute. She then has me on my back a second time.

"That's better," Gad says. "Again." Anita comes forward again, after my fall, she keeps coming. My body is getting sore with the light blows I'm receiving. At least I now last for some minutes. After what I thought was going to be my last spar session, Gad speaks. 

"Now I would like you to pay attention to her technique, does she rely more on speed or strength."

"Can I spar with the Luna, Gad," Jessica's perky voice resonates behind us. 

"She's in training, Jessica."

"Well, I know that. But at the rate Anita is sparring with her, she will never be able to defeat me. Maybe the Luna is just too scared to fight me" Jessica says with a condescending smile.

Anita shoots her an annoyed look, well it seems the annoying bimbo doesn't only irk me after all. 

"Anita is a seasoned warrior and you know it. She is teaching her the basics, there's no possible way she will go too hard on her."

"I'd prefer you spar with me, Blondie," Anita intercepts with a mischievous smile. "Maybe I can even whoop your ass as I did last time."

Jessica's face turns beet red in anger and embarrassment. "You were just lucky, little wimp."

"Maybe I'll get lucky this time too," Anita proceeds towards her swiftly.

Their argument was pulling a lot of attention to us.

"Enough," Gad breaks their little catfight. "You can spar with her, just one round. No shifting, not even partially. No cheap shots or you will be disqualified," He says directly to Jessica. 

"Anything else?" She replies, sounding a bit pissed.

"No deadly shots either. The first whose back touches the ground loses." By now we have a lot of spectators.

"Show her what you got, Jessi," one of her minions screams.

She gives a sly smile in my direction, then Gad says, "Strike."

She races at me and goes for my neck immediately, I'm able to clumsily block it. It is just a distraction. She kicks me hard in the belly and lands a hard blow to my face. My ears ring, eyes see nothing but white sparks. 

"You can't lose," Willow encourages in my head. I force myself to kneel and not let my back touch the ground.

"Pathetic," She spits in my face. "You are nothing, nothing." A loud growl fills the air, it seems Kael is finally here.

"She dares taunt you," Willow growls with indignation. "Let me out." The searing pain makes me unable to hold her back and she is pushed forward.

I lift my face, and the blood spilling down my nose stops flowing.  A series of gasps fill the air, and whispers can be heard from multiple people. My eyes I am pretty sure have changed colours which is usual when your wolf is out.

"Wait, you have a wolf?" Jessica says more to herself, sounding confused. In a split moment, Willow takes hold of her right arm, twists it behind her with little to no effort, and lands a hard blow on her face. A loud crack is heard, and she falls unconscious on the cold forest floor.

Willow smirks at her deed and withdraws to the back of my mind. I stare at my hands in intrigue and shock. How was I able to do that?

"Did you see that? A pack member whispers behind me.

I lift my gaze and peer at my mate who is admiring me with pride in his eyes.

Gad walks forward, smiling, and says, "Luna Aria wins."

A burst of howls, whistles and cheering fills my heart with joy.

"She cheated and I have proof," The sharp feminine voice cuts short the excitement.