The Last Vessel (The Chronicles of Luna Moon Book 1)

by Winter Rose

  As Magnar spoke of the events to come, I looked across the sea of faces. Not one looked as though they would abandon the cause. I felt waves of unease and trepidation from the energy in the room, but mostly I felt determination.

  This group of candidates was the best of the best. I spotted a few females across the group, but it was mostly males, all dressed in their races formal attire. I noticed a few Wolf shifters, but it was hard to detect what packs they were from.

  “To the glory of an honest life and the glory in a Warrior’s death!” The room roared in response to the clan's motto as we toasted with the blood-spiked wine. This time I was more prepared to taste Magnar’s blood, but I still managed to groan as the delicious liquid zapped my taste buds.

  After I downed the content, I looked up to find two amber eyes blazing.

  “You look beautiful this evening, Luna.” My stomach clenched as Vulcan stepped into view, Magnar had melted into the crowd. I stared at him like a damn fool for several agonizing seconds.

  “I err … thank you, so do you.” Great response. I held back the urge to hit myself on the head. Vulcan flashed his half smile that showcased a dimple. Oh dimples, how I love thee.

  “I have something for you.” Vulcan started to walk, and I followed mentally chastising myself for acting like a damned fool. “I acted like an idiot yesterday morning.” Here it was, the conversation I had dreaded.

  “Vulcan its fin—” he held up his hand to cut me off.

  “It’s not fine, so please don’t say that it is. My Dragon and I have had serious words, and I cannot promise it will not happen again, but I’m working on it.” His voice was pitched low so that I had to strain to hear it.

  “Thank you,” I whispered, unsure of what else to say. We stopped before a pack of Wolf shifters. I could tell they were Wolves the second I saw them.

  “Think of this as a sort of apology,” he whispered in my ear before shouting, “Myers. Koray, up and center!”

  My heart did a little flutter as the crowd parted to reveal the most amazing sight. Standing with his knuckles against his head in a shifter salute was …

  “Luke!” I threw my arms around my friend’s neck, and the group around us shifted uncomfortably at the informality.

  “At ease soldiers,” Vulcan commanded with a slight growl before turning on his heal. Once Vulcan had walked away, Luke relaxed and returned my hug. I realized it was a first for us both.

  “Hey, Lu,” his laugh wrapped around me like a familiar embrace. I held onto him as the smells of earth enveloped me.

  “Gonna introduce us to the girl, Myers?” one of the group’s members asked. I pulled away, and Luke pulled me closer, letting his arm drape over my neck.

  “Guys, this is my L ... Princess Luna. Princess, this group of misfits are the resident Arcadians.” Luke’s smile was relaxed and open, but the message was clear: I was off-limits. I also wondered, who told him about the princess farce?

  “Arcadians, hey? So, you’re in groups of species?” I asked Luke.

  The tall shifter who previously spoke replied,

  “Sections are made up of similar strengths. That way, when we are sent on a mission, we can work to them. Lycans are stronger in packs, and when we are together there are no shifters alive that can keep up.” He winked at me and I felt Luke’s arm tighten. Typical Wolf arrogance.

  “I’m Brad.” Brad was at least six feet tall, his skin the usual golden brown that was akin to being outside every day. His eyes were blue, nowhere near as beautiful as Luke’s but all in all he was a good-looking Wolf.

  “Luna,” I replied, shaking his hand. Holding my hand longer than comfortably possible, Brad placed a kiss on its back, and his long hair fell around him as he bowed. Luke’s arm, which was now closing in on my neck, pulled me flush against his body.

  “Mine,” he growled in a show of dominance normally reserved for mates. Brad took a step toward Luke, and they both growled under their breath. They were each attempting to make the other submit.

  “I wish they would just fight already and get it over with.” A girl, the same height as me with dark skin and long dark curly hair did a small wave.

  “Bella.” Bella’s arms were covered in silver marks indicating she was from the Benhga pack.

  “Luna,” I matched her awkward wave.

  “How long have they been like this?” I asked as she rolled her dark brown eyes at the serious chest beating going on.

  “Brad’s been acting up since Luke arrived this morning. He is trying to assert his dominance as Alpha, but your boy is having none of it.” I looked toward the two men. Brad’s sandy blond hair was brushed within an inch of its life; how he got it to shine like that, I will never know. He looked more Fae than Wolf. He reminded me a lot of James.

  “Brad is a Nightshade; his dad is Alpha,” Bella whispered. Nightshades were the Underworld of the Woodlands, renowned for their dodgy dealings. “Guy’s a dick,” she murmured under her breath. I tried to cover up a laugh, but Brad lowered his eyes to me.

  “Well, well, well. What do we have here?” The Wolves around me shifted uneasily. They all sensed his icy energy before they saw him. “Princess, you left before we could dance the other night. Anyone would think you were avoiding me.” A small prickle of unease ran down my spine, and Luke and Brad stiffened as Prince Oberon of the North Star joined us.

  “Prince Oberon,” I nodded, unsure of the princess protocol when meeting a prince. His icy gaze swept over me, spending more time than necessary on my chest.

  “Ah, so you do remember me, Princess. May I say you look completely breathtaking this evening.” He held out his hand for me to place my own in. Reluctantly I did, not wanting to attract attention to the ruse. I made sure to put my hand lightly in his. Unlike when the guys touched me, his touch made my skin crawl.

  Luke somehow appeared next to me. Prince Oberon bowed low, brushing his lips on the back of my knuckles. His breath was as cold as ice.

  “So tell me, Princess. Where is your Dragon? Doesn’t he know that a tasty morsel such as yourself shouldn’t be left alone.” He looked around him for the first time, taking note of the other people.

  “Are these mutts bothering you, Princess?” Collectively, the Wolves began to growl, Luke’s energy wrapped around me. “Oh, how charming, you have yourself an admirer.” The prince’s smile was all teeth, never reaching his frosty gaze.

  “Luke is my friend, Prince Oberon. We were just catching up. And Vulcan is not my Dragon. He is his own person, as am I.”

  “Wolves and Dragons, unlikely companions for a … Forgive me, I seemed to have forgotten, where did you say you were from again?”

  “I didn’t.” Something about Oberon made my blood run cold; it had nothing to do with his affinity for ice.

  He smiled, though it never reached his eyes. He then noticed Bella.

  “Bella of the Benhga pack, how long has it been?” he asked, his icy eyes lit up. Bella looked stiff, her beautiful dark skin had paled, and her mouth was set in a tight line. “I had no idea that your mother had sent you here.” The way he looked over her made me feel sick.

  “Prince Oberon,” Bella nodded, the words were forced out of her mouth. She looked like she was ready to bolt. Worried, I changed the direction of the conversation back to me.

  “I am sorry that we didn’t get to dance, Prince Oberon; the past few days have been tiring, to say the least.”

  The prince turned his glacial gaze away from Bella.

  “Do not think on it, Princess. I am a very patient man when I know what I want; isn’t that right, Bella?” Bella physically balked; Luke growled once more. “You seem to have these shifters all riled up, though I can see why.” Again, his eyes lingered over my chest. “… such a trophy. If you are still searching for a possible suitor, then I would like to throw my name in the hat,” the prince chuckled humorlessly.

  Luke tensed; his Wolf growled deep in his chest. I could feel the familiar energy signal of his beast as it ro
se to the surface.

  “Mine,” he growled.

  Prince Oberon looked delighted.

  “Ha! It seems that this common mutt desires to claim the princess. How sweet.” Luke’s chest continued to rumble, and I thought he would shift and tear the smug Fae’s head off.

  “What about you, Wolf?” Oberon turned to Benhga Wolf Brad. “Do you wish to claim the princess too?” Brad’s eyes narrowed. “Oh my! You do make an impression on the opposite sex. A Siren maybe? Yes, I definitely detect allure.”

  Could princesses hit princes?

  “Ah Luna, there you are.” Eros joined the ever-growing crowd around our group, and I couldn’t have been more thankful.

  Though I would love nothing more than for you to kill that little shit, I believe we should avoid going to war with another race. I grimaced at Ehre’s voice in my mind, sending my thanks.

  Where is he? It was strange hearing him in my mind but not being able to see him.

  I’m with Vulcan. We are working on Balhar’s location. Do you need me?

  Since I bonded with Ehre, he hadn’t been his usual arsehole self, and I didn’t know how to deal with it. But I sure as Underworld wasn’t complaining.

  No, I’m fine … thank you. A warm brush ticked my mind before Ehre left, and I tried not to look as embarrassed as I felt.

  “Prince Eros,” Oberon nodded toward the Siren.

  Oberon,” Eros’ normally cheerful disposition was replaced by an indifferent, powerful Warrior. “Excuse me, but I need to speak with the Princess.”

  Oberon arched a brow. “Of course, of course. The Princess in high demand this evening.” He took my hand one more, kissing its back. “We will speak again later, Luna,” I tried to smile, keeping my teeth bared until Oberon and his cronies melted into the crowd.

  “What a dick,” Luke whispered, causing Eros to laugh out loud.

  “I see you have settled in with a pack, Myers.” He nodded toward the rest of the Wolves who still haven’t moved.

  “He’s not a part of the pack yet,” Brad snarled, which made Luke growl again.

  “Oh, I do love an Alpha challenge,” Eros, ever the troublemaker clapped his hands. The two guys in question were face-to-face as their energies crashed into each other. “Maybe not here though, eh?” The amount of energy Eros released was crushing. He smiled, but his power made the growling Wolves wince. Brad stepped back first, eyeing Eros worriedly.

  “We will settle this later, Myers. Let’s get back to the dorm guys.” Yes, he was completely terrified of the smiling Siren. “Nice to meet you, Luna.” The way Slimy McSlimy, which was henceforth Brad’s name, said my name made me feel physically sick, Luke just stood looking down on the dick, growling.

  I couldn’t tear my gaze away from Bella; it was like she has seen a ghost. I pulled on her elbow as she turned to follow her new pack.

  “Is everything okay?” I kept my voice low. Her eyes were glistening with unshed tears as she opened her mouth to say something. She looked over my shoulder and saw something that made her pale again. I tried to follow her line of sight, but she gripped my arm into a traditional shifter handshake, not allowing me to turn. With a smile plastered on her face, she looked me dead in the eye.

  “Stay away from Oberon,” she ground out through her teeth before she turned and left.

  “Everything okay?” Luke asked me as his eyes followed Bella’s retreating figure.

  “Yeah,” I shook off the feeling of dread and decided to speak with Bella another time. I looked up at my friend and smiled, “Hey, Alpha.” I hit him on the side of his head, and he laughed. “How are you even here?”

  “You’re not the only badass fighter in the Koray, Lu.” Luke waggled his brows. “Besides, I don’t really know. I was about to leave for the League when Prince Ignis showed up and told me there was a place for me in the Elites Recruits if I wanted it.” He was all dimples and sparkly eyes as he told the story. “I demanded to know where he had taken you, even offered to kick his ass.”

  “No, you did not,” I laughed, which made his grin wider.

  “Well, not in those exact words, but it was implied.” He chuckled. “Didn’t have to anyway, he told me that you were here and that was all the convincing I needed.” He sobered a little. “We were so worried about you, Lu.” He pushed a piece of hair behind my ear, his fingers a soft caress.

  “How is she?” I asked, remembering the look on Sarah’s face as I fled The Estate. Luke shook his shoulders, his eyes looked tired, and his smile was tight.

  “She was still at The Estate when I left. They are probably heading for the Council soon.” I smiled at this.

  “So, she passed then?” I asked, which caused Luke to snort.

  “As if you have to ask.” Thinking of Sarah made my heart heavy.

  “What’s happened, Lu? Are you okay?” Luke’s normally jovial demeanor was unusually serious.

  “Yeah just … it’s a long story and not one for other ears.” Luke held my hand, which tingled in response, and he began to lead me out of the hall; then, I remembered Eros.

  Eros stood still, his eyes on mine and Luke’s joined hands. His smile was tight, the twinkle that usually glittered in his eyes, dull.

  “Oh sorry,” Luke let go of my hand. “Your Majesty, I had forgotten you wished to speak with Luna.” Luke bowed, and Eros glanced at me then back to him.

  “It’s fine,” he said. “I understand you are both eager to catch up with each other. I only came over to get Oberon out of your hair. I will see you soon, Luna.” He looked a little upset. I tried to say something, but he had disappeared before I had the chance.

  Luke laced his fingers around my own once more before giving my hand a tug.

  “You okay?” A sweet smile lifted his lips.

  “Yeah, sorry. I just never thought I’d get to see you again.”

  “Let’s get out of here.” I followed as he led me toward the door that led to the courtyard. I couldn’t help feeling like I left a piece of me in the ballroom. Luke’s large hand dwarfed my own. Come to think about it, Luke was really tall. Not Vulcan or Magnar tall but close. When did Luke grow up? “Speak,” Luke’s thumb stroked mine in figure eight patterns.

  Here comes the crazy.

  “Okay, so you know we never knew what species I was?” Luke sat down on a grassy patch and placed his jacket down beside him before patting it for me to sit. I sat down, hugging my legs close to my body. I wondered if I should entrust the truth to my friend. As I pondered on it, Luke sat in silence, waiting for me to start. I decided to trust my gut instinct and tell him.

  “Well, turns out I’m a sacred Vessel that the gods made to vanquish Hades, and not only am I part Wolf, but I’m also a Vampire, Elven, Siren, and Dragon Hybrid that has five bonded Guardians. No biggie.” I took a deep breath.

  To Luke’s credit, he didn’t immediately crack up laughing or call for someone to put me in an asylum.

  “Explain, Lu” he whispered in a tight voice, face void of emotion. I took a deep breath and plunged into an explanation of the previous day’s events.

  Retelling the tale was strangely cathartic, it allowed me to somehow come to terms with what had happened. Telling this to someone that I have known most of my life made it seem less like a crazy nightmare. It felt right, like he should be let in on this huge secret. Somehow during the retelling of my tale, Luke had positioned me between his legs with my head against his chest. He ran his hands up and down my arm, and …

  I was surrounded by home.

  “No wonder you always beat my ass in the ring; you’re basically a god,” he laughed as I hushed him.

  “After telling you this whole bag of crazy, your only comment is how your ego now is a little less bruised?” I whisper shouted, concerned for his mental wellbeing. Luke started laughing.

  “You’ve always been crazy; this just explains it." I turned my head around and punched him on his arm

  “I’m not crazy.” Luke’s laugh sobered a little,
>
  “You are crazy. Crazy strong, crazy quick, crazy smart, and crazy beautiful.” My breath caught in my throat, and my retort died on my lips. “You have always been special, Lu. I knew it from the day you kicked my arse in that race when we were just pups for saying that boys were faster than girls.” I laughed at that; my throat thickened with emotion. “You walked right up to me at the end of that race with your wild eyes and your messy wavy hair and made me apologize in front of the whole class.” He stroked a piece away from my eyes. “Those silver eyes have haunted my dreams ever since.”

  I couldn’t speak; my eyes stung with unshed tears. Luke ran the back of his hand down the side of my face, his thumb grazing my bottom lip.

  “I thought I lost you forever …” his voice shook as he leaned in, his breath tickled my skin. “I thought I had all the time in the world, that we would go to the League academy together.” I leaned into his touch. His words, along with his featherlight strokes, soothed my raw soul, and I melted. He realized what I had done, and his lips rose into one of his breathtaking smiles.

  The smile that all of the Koray girls spoke about but Luke never used that smile on them, not in all the years I knew him. This smile was reserved for one person only, and until now, I never realized that.

  “I thought I’d have time,” he leaned in closer, his breath fanned my face. “Time to tell you …”

  Death! Burning anger filled the bond.

  “Myers!” A shout filled with malice and pain sounded, causing us to jump apart like naughty children. I looked up to see Luke already standing to attention in front of Ehre. “Did we bring you here so that you could make kissy eyes at the Princess?” My face flamed with embarrassment.

  “No, sir,” Luke replied, standing to attention.

  “You’re on clean-up duty this week, Myers,” Ehre spat.

  “Yes, sir!” Luke replied, still standing like a good little soldier.