Nova POV

I could hear hushed voices around me as well as a strong smell of medicine. Slowly I opened my eyes, blinking a few times whilst my eyes adjusted to the bright walls. I look around and see Alice along with Alpha Jax and Luca sat around a small table in the corner of the room. I realised I must be in hospital, all at once the memories of the pain I had experienced came rushing back. With my neck throbbing I tried to lift my hand. It thumped back down on the bed and everyone heads spun around, realising I was awake they rushed over to my side.

"Water...please" I croaked out. Luca held a glass of water with a straw towards my mouth so I could sip slowly.

"Nova, what he's done to you....I'm so sorry." He said, his voice full of pain. "I was out patrolling, I had no idea what you were going through. I'm sorry I wasn't there."

"It's not your fault Luca, you were doing as I instructed. My neck, what's happened? It's throbbing." I asked.

Alpha Jax came up one side of me, his soft green eyes searching mine. "He marked her Nova. After putting you through so much pain he marked her. You won't be able to feel them intimate anymore however your neck is healing. You no longer hold his mark. You have been out for 3 days now, if your wolf wasn't so strong you wouldn't have made it, there are reasons there are laws about rejecting a mate before marking another. It's normally fatal if not done correctly. You are incredibly strong" he said with a hint of admiration in his voice.

Jumping in Luca snarled "He completely disregarded your agreement with him for that whore.."

"I would be careful how you address her Luca, she is now your Luna" I speak softly interrupting my brother.

"Right. Yes, well about that. She cannot perform Luna duties until she has her Luna ceremony and is sworn in before the pack. Until then you are still acting Luna Nova" Luca continues, "as per your agreement you would be training her in her duties if she is not aware of them beforehand. However due to Alpha Axton breaking that agreement it is now null and void, so it is up to you as to how to proceed from here."

I scoff in disgust, "to think we respected each other. I always knew this could happen, something I've always been prepared for is him finding his fated. Something I was not prepared for was his level of betrayal. I understood a kiss, hugs, cuddles upon meeting her, I supported it. However, to be f*****g her within an hour of meeting her I cannot understand. The primal need to mate with your fated is strong, but I thought what we agreed was set in stone. Clearly not."

"Agreement?" Asked Alpha Jax his brows furrowed in confusion.

"We mated because by the age of 24 Alpha Axton had not yet found his fated mate" I started explaining, "the council and our former Alpha agreed if he had not found his fated by the age of 25 he would take a chosen mate to strengthen our pack. I grew up in a position where I understood the role of Luna , I also had no mate by the age of 21.. it just made sense we would match. This was over 3 years ago, now at age 28 he has found his fated mate. We agreed that if that ever came to either of us we would step aside and let the relationship progress as it should. However we also agreed we would ALWAYS follow the laws for ending a chosen mateship to prevent any harm to one another. Something in which he has not done." I paused to gather my breath, "I will not involve myself in making her understand how to perform as a Luna. Hopefully being mated to an Alpha she has it in herself to lean towards to the role naturally. I will however, allocate someone suitable in helping her to ensure the pack does not suffer. As for Axton, he is no longer my Alpha. Once I have found my strength I intend to move from here and will sever my ties to the pack."

"You will leave...?" Asked Alice, tears forming once again.

"Of course I must leave Alice. I came here for the role of Luna, one which I hope I have performed well. I have strengthened the pack as well as the Alpha in my time here. I will not stand by and watch them parade themselves around after they disrespected me so." I said softly, "if Axton had stuck to our agreement I would not have been hurt and maybe things would have been different. I was never going to stand in the way of his relationship with his fated mate, I was going to strengthen it. But they do not deserve that.

"Where will you go Nova?" Luca asked his voice breaking.

"With me." My eyes flashed to his bright green ones. Alpha Jax held my gaze firmly, "you should come with me. Midnight Sky is strong, we are comfortable. You will be near your brother and Alice, you can find a role you are happy in and progress from there. What do you say?"

"You would do that for me?" I breathed.

He nodded firmly. "You have shown incredible strength, to wake after 3 days after what you have been through, it is something I have never heard of before. I slept for 2 weeks when it happened to me. Not only that but to progress with the meeting as you did was admirable. You opened many Alphas eyes that morning. We would be lucky to have you as part of our pack."

"Oh! The meeting! I missed the dinner.."I trailed off.

"It's all been taken care of. Once I have returned to Midnight Sky I will request a meeting with Beta Kingsley, in that meeting I will arrange to meet with both the Black Star pack, the White Mountain pack and the rogues. We will decide what to do from there. You were right, a united front is needed." He said efficiently.

"Did you organise all of that? I believe that's the right path to follow, thank you for your help....with everything." I add on gently, a small smile gracing my lips to show my gratitude. "And what did Alpha Axton say to this?"

There was a pause, the room went quiet as they all looked between themselves quickly.

"Brother...?" I asked quietly.

"Umm, well...he had no say in it. They have not left the room, not once. I tried knocking on the door once you had been stabilised and was met with a loud f**k off. With that I took on the role as acting Alpha supported by the council and agreed with Alpha Jax on his decision. I hope you understand. Once I knew you were no longer in pain from them I could not bear to be near them. I've been staying in mum and dads old cottage, afraid that if I saw them I'd snap."he looked down as he spoke, almost like he felt guilty.

"Of course I understand Luca. You're my brother, you've shown strength and your ability but stepping up. Thank you" I add on gratefully.

"We will leave you to get some rest. The doctor would like to monitor you over night just for precautions. I will get your things organised for you to leave." Said Alice as she slipped back in the room. "Alpha Jax, if I may ask you a question?"

He nodded his head for her to continue.

"Would I be able to travel with Nova and join Midnight Sky? She has been my Luna for 3 years and my friend for 18 years before that. I see no reason for me to stay, my family are no longer here and it is clear my mate is not within this pack. Maybe I will find him in yours."

A smirk flashed across his face, "I've been waiting for you to ask me that question. Of course Alice, get your things ready also. We leave at 11am, we will break both your pack ties upon our departure. If you will excuse me, I have to ring my Beta to arrange your living accommodation and welcome ceremony. Good night everyone". His eyes lingered on mine for a few seconds before softening and with a smile he left the room.

"Wow..."breathed Alice fanning herself, "that man is a total hotty"

I laugh, "he's alright on the eyes isn't he. But let's not forget he is our soon to be Alpha, keep those thoughts quiet from now on Alice"

Chuckling she replied "another hotty of an Alpha has his eyes on you Nova" with that she left the room still chuckling to herself.

"Am I doing the right thing Luca?" I ask quietly.

"Yes." There was no hesitation in his voice as he replied quickly. "You are. What Axton has done to you has been despicable. I am so proud of you as my Luna and as my sister, the pack will suffer from the loss of you but I am here to help it not break down completely. If I wasn't Beta I would be following you, however Axton will face a trail from the council for his actions. He's broken the mateship laws. I need to be here to pick up the pieces" he said.

"I couldn't think of anyone better for the job. Mum and dad would be so proud of you Luca, I know I am. I need to rest and gain my strength. Come see me off in the morning?" I reply quietly as my eyes begin to droop.

"Of course Nova. I'll be here at 7 to start getting you sorted. Good night sis."

Nova POV.

"So your vitals are all good and your strength seems to be increasing. I'm happy for you to be discharged Luna, just please don't over exert yourself over the next couple of days. Rest and look after yourself" Doctor Trevor says looking up from his notes. "Can I just say...thank you for your time here as our Luna" with a small bow of his head he left the room.

"Nova we have made the right decision. We cannot stay here with someone who has put us through so much pain and not once considered us since his fated arrived. This pack will suffer without us, but they have a new Luna now" said Kia

"I know Ki, it's just hard to accept someone who we have shared our life with for the past 3 years has so openly hurt us" I said sadly, "but we will be stronger for it. Our 25th birthday is in a month, hopefully then we will find out fated."

"We need to talk to Alpha Jax before we leave, he needs to know just who we are with us turning 25 soon. He will understand." Kia replies.

"How are you so sure?" I ask.

"I just have this feeling. I feel content, safe even when we are around Alpha Jax. Maybe this was meant to happen, to show us who we can trust. I like to think the Moon Goddess has a plan, it's fate right!?" Kia says with enthusiasm. "We will hold our head up high and show them just how strong we are...together."

With that the door opens and my brothers messy chestnut head pokes around the door. Eyes closed he asks "all decent? Can I come in?"

"Haha yes Luca, you can come in. I was just talking to Kia. We need to talk to Alpha Jax, he needs to know who we are before joining his pack. It's only fair. Can you arrange for him to meet us outside shortly if he is awake?"

"Good idea, I was going to run that past you last night but I thought you needed your rest. Alice has gotten all your things ready and I thought we could go for a walk together before you have to go. Let me meet you out front once I've contacted Alpha Jax, here are a fresh set of clothes for you" putting them on the bed Luca smiles and exits the room quickly.

Quickly getting dressed I take a look round making sure I've got the few small items I had with me I make my way outside. After walking past a couple of nurses who bow their heads I quickly say "please do not feel the need to bow your head. I am no longer your Luna, I am simply Nova. Thank you for looking after me so well, I hope to see you all again in the future." Met with some somber faces I gently smile and walk towards the small rose garden at the front of the hospital.

Seeing the burst of colours in the rose garden I can't help but smile. "See, there is always happiness to be found. This is a minor bump in our path, take pleasure in the little things." Kia wags her tail in my mind and retreats once again. As I stand there running the delicate petals through my fingers I can't help but feel thankful for sharing my experiences with Kia and to always have someone who understands the real me.

"Good morning Nova, Luca mentioned you were up. How are you this morning?" Came a husky voice from behind me.

With a small gasp of surprise I turn around and come face to face with a deliciously hard and sculptured chest. Feeling a faint blush creep up my cheeks I slowly lift my head, taking in his strong shoulders and muscular arms. Seeing his green eyes hold a hint of amusement and his mouth lifting in a small smirk I quickly shake my head and take a step back. "Alpha Jax, you surprised me. I'm sorry I was deep in thought."

With a throaty chuckle as if he could hear my racing heart he replied "it's okay Nova. I saw you admiring the roses and didn't think to make my presence known sooner. How are you?"

"I'm well thank you, after some rest i feel much more like myself. I was wondering if you had time for a quick chat with me. I have to admit I haven't been entirely honest with you." I say, grasping my hands to stop my nervous fidgeting I see his eyes narrow slightly at my words.

Taking his silence as a notion for me to continue I walk slowly towards the bench in front of the fountain, once I was sure he followed I began to speak. "As you have acknowledged my wolf is incredibly strong. I first shifted when I was 8 years old defending Luca from a rogue attack when we were a part of the Red Moon Pack" I saw his eyes widen slightly in surprise, with most wolfs first shifting at the age of 16 with some alphas being an exception and shifting aged 14 I can understand his surprise at my statement. "As well as strong Kia is very large, as large as most Alphas around 8ft. Although she's strong we do not have the instincts to lead as Alphas do, we are happy to take instructions.." I trail off unsure as to how to continue.

"If you're trying to warn me so my Alpha ego does not get damaged then I thank you..however I am Alpha for a reason and I don't believe it is in your nature to challenge me nor want to take this position from me. I cannot sense Alpha blood within you." Alpha Jax said with his eyebrows raised.

"Your Alpha command won't work on me." I quickly reply whilst holding my breath.

Sitting down on the bench with his legs stretched out in front of him Alpha Jax does not seem surprised by that statement. After a minute more of silence I continue, "It is in my nature to protect and strengthen those around me. I went to Elite training for 3 years before joining my brother at the Moonstone Pack, because of my earlier shifting the elders believed I had a gift and that would help me focus. I am a top warrior, I have been trained in proper etiquette and I would like to think of myself as someone who people can confide in and approach for help. However the elders were wrong, I have no gift. Kia is a Guardian wolf."

With that his head spun round his eyes widened in shock, "a Guardian wolf?! I thought those were myths!" He exclaimed, "you're a direct descendant of the Moon Goddess herself!"

"Yes, I am. Which is why Kia and myself think that this is all meant to be. Although the pain we suffered was horrendous, maybe it was to make us stronger and increase our understanding of others." I wonder, "but I just wanted to let you the Alpha know. It is not something I tell everyone. There is also the fact that when I turn 25 my wolf will be truly awakened. I'm unsure as to what that means exactly but I turn 25 next month...it is also the age from which I can meet my fated mate."

"But why? I mean most can sense their fated from the age of 18, why have you had to wait for so much longer?" He replied in confusion.

"The bond between myself and my wolf is like no other, we work in unity and as far as I know no one is as connected to their wolf as I am. I believe the extra years are to work on our ability to be a Guardian. My priority is others, this is one of those lessons we had to learn to put others before ourself."

Realisation dawned on Alpha Jaxs face "which is why you became Alpha Axtons chosen mate, to help the White Mountain Pack..."

"Yes. I was approached by the packs council after I had been back from training for 3 years. They, my brother, Alice and Alpha Axton are the only ones who know what I am apart from the Elders. It's why we had the clause in our agreement where if a fated mate came along we would let that relationship progress as it should. Acknowledging the mate bond bestowed upon us by the Moon Goddess is a blessing. Although I could laugh at being so naive to believe it would all work out well. 4 years ago the former Alpha got the pack in to some financial difficulty, it was with my help that the pack is now thriving. I don't like to blow my own trumpet but with focusing on the packs businesses and their efficiency I managed to turn things around pretty quickly. Something I doubt Axton could have done by himself."

Seeing my brother heading my way I quickly stand, "if you would please excuse me Alpha Jax, I would like to go for a walk with my brother before we have to depart. I hope what I've told you will not change you allowing me to join Midnight Sky pack..?"

"Of course Nova. No, if anything it has just confirmed my offer was the right thing to do. Is Kia on board with joining our pack?" Alpha Jax responds.

"Haha yes. She seems to feel content around you, something which is a rare feeling for us. I truly believe this is just part of our path carved out by the Moon Goddess" I reply with a smile. Rewarded with a wag of her tail to show her agreement with what I've said I give a slight bow of my head and walk to meet my brother.

Luca POV:

Seeing Nova talking to Alpha Jax in the rose garden I hang back to allow them time to discuss her wolf. Sitting down I grab a long blade of grass in my hand and twirl in between my fingers as my mind races. I mean how Axton could do this to my sister is beyond me, I believe they had truly fallen in love over the past three years, although I have to admit I always thought he had a soft spot for Nova. I remember when the elders first suggested a chosen mateship between the two because Axton had yet to find his fated, he was like a kid in a candy shop he was so ecstatic about the idea. Nova was the one who was slightly more reserved, but even she didn't outright oppose it, she just had to think of the possible outcomes in the long run. But after a few weeks of spending time together I saw the soft smiles, the laughter between them and their ability to work well together. After a few months no-one could doubt they loved one another. With the help of Nova Axton has got the pack back to its past thriving status, one which other packs are envious of. Now..now I don't know what's going to happen to the pack, to Nova and also to Axton and Is relationship. We may be Alpha and Beta but we have been friends for years, training together since young children.

"He's betrayed us all" my wolf Reed growls to me.

Sighing i can't help but agree with him. I know Nova and Axton have spoken before of what they would do if either of their fated came along, they both accepted they wouldn't stand in the way and that they would follow the mateship laws as it was what each other deserved, Nova had even ensured a clause was put in where she would train the next Luna to the standard required for the pack so she could continue the hard work Nova had put in.

"Fool" I muttered to myself angrily.

"Who is a fool Luca?" I hear the soft melodic voice of my sister ask as she steps in front of me holding her hand out to help me up.

"Axton" I growled in response.

"Oh..well yes, I'd have to agree now" Nova tried to laugh it off but I knew her too well and could see the hurt lingering in her eyes.

"How are you?" I ask softly as I wrap an arm around her shoulders and pull her into my side guiding us towards the forest edge.

"Hmm I'm better than I thought I may be, it helps that Alpha Jax has been so helpful and understands my situation properly. I'm hurt that the man I grew to love could treat me as he has despite my encouragement to great his fated" with a slight sigh she shrugged her shoulders slightly, "but it is what it is. This scar on my neck now shows of his betrayal and that's something I unfortunately will be reminded of every time I look in the mirror."

Moving a lock of her hair I look at her scar where her mark used to be, it looked angry and red but Doctor Trevor had reassured us it would calm down within a matter of days and would result in a faint silver line. Squeezing her shoulder reassuringly I smile slightly, "instead of looking at that and it reminding you of being betrayed, you should look at it and remember just how f*****g strong you are. No one, and I repeat no one has recovered that quickly, you know the fatality rate is incredibly high. You should be proud of your strength Nova, I am."

Smiling up at me with glossy eyes I gathered her in my arms for a hug. "You're in safe hands there Nova, I'm sure of it. Midnight Sky is a formidable pack and Alpha Jax is known to be a strong Alpha who cares for his pack members. From the sounds of it he's been through a mates betrayal himself, he understands your pain love."

Seeing her nod her head and square her shoulders she looks at me confidently, "what is it that dad used to say?"

Smirking I reply, "there's no stopping this firecracker."

Letting out a tinker of laughter at my sass she nods her head, "exactly! I will be fine Luca."

As we walk a bit further Reed suddenly puts an idea in my mind. "Do you think that's a good idea?" I ask him. "Yes I think Nova would like it, but why don't we just ask her?" He suggests.

Clearing my throat slightly I stop in my tracks making Nova turn and c**k her head at me, "so Reed just mentioned how close you are to the pack members here, I know Axton is busy and you would rather leave without a big fuss but would you like me to notify the pack that you are leaving so you can bid them farewell?"

Seeing tears gather once more in her eyes she breaths deeply resting a hand over her heart before replying, "I would love that" she breathed out. Reaching her hand up to my cheek she smiles, "Reed you beautiful wolf, I'm going to miss you. How about a run before we say bye?"

With that Reeds ears perk up in my mind and he pushes to my forefront showing his eagerness. "I think that's a yes" I chuckle in amusement, Reed has always had a soft sport for Nova, he acknowledges her position and her role to the werewolves but first and foremost she is his sister.

With that we step back and turn around to undress before shifting. We may be werewolves and nudity be a part of life but it's still unnecessary to see our siblings naked if it can be helped. Hearing a loud crack of bones as I shift Reed turns around to be greeted by a large wet tongue on his snout. Huffing in pretend annoyance he yips at Kia as she snorts in laughter, butting his head into her side they immediately take off at a sprint, rushing through leaf piles and howling their amusement to the sky. After half an hour we make our way back to our clothes and shift back before wandering back towards the pack house.

"If you ever need me Nova you know where I am, you're welcome here whenever and that's a Betas order" I say puffing out my chest.

"Haha thank you Luca" she smiles, "I doubt his fated would be so willing to have me back anytime soon but I'll be sure to visit you. Plus I will still have visitation rights if I wish to pay my respects to our parents."

Smiling I reach over and squeeze her hand once more before we stride out of the tree line. We both pause in shock at the sight in-front of us...the crowd of people is so large it looks to be almost the entire pack that have come running to say their goodbyes to Nova.

Looking at her I see she has both her hands over her heart as tears stream down her face, "oh my Goddess Luca" she sniffled.

"They love you Nova" I whisper as we head towards them all.