Hank, the Beta of Black Moon above

Celia POV

Kathy is eating her supper as I try to organize a little in our tiny one-room apartment I currently rent. Money is always a struggle. Since I can't afford daycare or a babysitter, I work night shifts in a factory. My manager allowed Kathy to sleep in the break room during my work hours when she was a toddler; now, she can stay alone at home.

She eats a lot for such a tiny girl; maybe it has something to do with her being half-werewolf; she is also stronger than other kids her age. Thank God she resembles me more than HIM, except for the eyes.

I sigh, thinking about another long shift in a factory, but I need money. Money to raise her, money to provide for her, money to keep us safe.

I limp towards the closet; I've been limping since the day I had to leave my home, or more likely since I was forced to run for my life. I have nightmares about that time too, and they give me bigger panic attacks than memories of HIM.

I've always known that my clan was cruel, that my grandfather was cruel. After all, he was in charge of my brother and me after our parents' death when I was 11 and Terry was 15. I remember what he was teaching my brother and my cousins. He wanted them to go in his footsteps and dedicate their lives to the clan and killing werewolves; he favored Terry but paid not much attention to me. I didn't mind because I was always afraid of grandad, and when it turned out that I was pregnant, it also turned out that I had every reason to be afraid.

He accused me of treason, tainting the bloodline, and trying to humiliate him in front of other clan members. The funny thing is I wasn't trying to hide my pregnancy. I didn't want to think about what had happened to me and what HE had done to me, so I rejected all signs of my pregnancy, and for a very long time, I didn't accept the fact that I am with a child. And my grandfather decided that since I hid my pregnancy for sure, I wanted to give birth, and that meant I betrayed my people. My limping is just one of many things I have carried on my body since the time they left me to die.

It was uncle David; my mother's brother, my grandad's youngest son, who saved me and helped me start over in this city where I have already been for seven years. He calls from time to time and from time to time also sends me some money but they are very rare occasions; he has to be extremely careful. They think I'm dead, but if they ever catch me again, this time they will kill us, Kathy and me, without any mercy; this time, they will make sure I'm dead.

A sudden knock on my door makes me jump; I sharply take my breath. I was so lost in my thoughts that I hadn't heard any steps on the stairs, and this place is quite old, so you always hear when somebody goes up the stairs. Probably it's Mrs. Lambert from flat 18 to borrow some sugar, I think, as Kathy stands up and goes in the direction of the door to open it.

But it's not Mrs. Lambert; on my doorstep stands my uncle David pressing one of his hands to the wound in his stomach and resting himself on the arm of a young boy, who I recognize immediately. His name is Danny; he's Nina's boy.

Even though I'm shocked and scared, I manage to get in their direction and help them into the flat; I place uncle David on my only armchair and check on his wounds. It looks awful, but thankfully it's not fatal. One good thing the clan taught me was to take care of wounds and not panic at the sight of blood. My uncle gives me a tiny smile when I'm taking care of him, and Danny is looking at me with tears in his eyes, scared and tired.

Kathy watches me; she's a smart girl and is used to not asking too many questions. When my uncle is wrapped up perfectly, Danny is fed, and I managed to call my work saying that I will not be coming without getting fired, I finally can ask all the questions I'm dying to ask.

"What happened?"

Uncle David takes a deep breath and swallows the painkillers I've given him.

"It's over; there are no hunters anymore, at least not here!"

"What do you mean by that?" I ask.

"We were wiped out, all of us, all alliances, the safe houses are gone, we were scattered around. And that son of a bitch, my dad, is finally dead. They got us, I don't know how, but they were prepared perfectly. They attacked every single of our posts at the same time; we had no time for the reaction, those who are not dead run away, and it's all gone. Everything that son of a bitch was building all his life is burned to the ground. This time they finished us!"

"Who?"

"I think it's Alpha Mikkeli Blackwood and their closest allies doing, but that attack was perfectly prepared, everything is gone, and there is nothing left to even move away with. I've only managed to get Danny out."

He breathes hard because talking causes him even more pain.

"And what about Nina?" I ask; she was my mum's best friend and the only one who took care of me after mum died, excluding uncle David.

"She died two years ago. She got cancer." I hear Danny's tiny voice and look at him.

"I'm sorry I endangered you, but I had nowhere else to go," uncle David says, "but don't worry, we are very close to Blackwood's territory, so even if some of our clansmen are alive, they are probably running in a different direction."

I give him a tiny smile, trying not to shake too much. Kathy immediately comes closer and sets herself on my lap. She has a habit of doing that when she sees me in distress; uncle David smiles at her; after all, he hasn't seen her before.

"Hello, little one, you look very much like your grandma, my sister," he says and raises his hand to caress her cheek; she doesn't pull away from his touch, but I can see she starts sniffing him. She also has that habit.

"So what's now?" I ask, pulling my daughter closer to me.

"I will get better, and maybe we can just go somewhere else, somewhere far away from here; let's try some normal life, Celia. She hasn't?"

"She doesn't shift, but I've seen her eyes changing from time to time, especially when she is emotional," I say as Kathy latches closer to me.

"Don't worry; we'll handle it; we will learn how to handle it, Celia. I will look after you, I promise; you are no longer alone," he says.

For the first time since a long time ago, I allow myself to have hope; Kathy and I are finally not alone. Of course, at that time, I have no idea that this moment of peace is temporary and that the real storm is yet to come to force me one more time to pick up the broken pieces of my entire life.

Hank POV

Hunters and werewolves have been enemies since always, and nothing probably can change that ever.  Werewolves live in packs and hunters in clans or groups traveling together. And every time each side has a chance, they try to kill as many as possible from the other side.

The threat in this part of the country seems to be eradicated, especially the Nightingales. Among all the clans, they were the cruelest and the most difficult to defeat.  Almost a decade ago, they started an open war with packs in this area, but after many months of bloodshed, they were forced into unsteady peace, and yet during the next years, once again, they raised to power and started posing an enormous danger. Thank Goddess, we managed to spot the danger, and ten packs under the lead of Alpha Blackwood destroyed not only the clan but also many others who were cooperating with them. 

Now finally, the threat should be over, but so is my pack Full Moon Pack. Because of the action of one wolf, the Werewolf's Council sentenced us to disband,  and we were saved once again by Alpha Mikkeli Blackwood, who agreed to merge his pack with ours, and that's how the Black Moon Pack was born. 

I put my books in the big boxes; since the merge, I have lived in the packhouse at the main territory, previously Blackwood pack. Alpha Mikkeli is not happy that I moved to his dead friend's apartment, but since I'm his new Beta now, he really couldn't stop it.

I came today to take the rest of my things, mostly books I inherited from my parents, after what was done with them. I shiver; I don't like to think or remember what Nightingales did with them.

I sigh; thankfully, I'm too busy recently to dwell on the past; merging two werewolf packs is not easy, especially since we aren't too fond of each other. And yet my pack had no option but to accept help from Blackwood, and I didn't have a choice but to do what needed to be done.

Mikkeli doesn't like me, and I don't like him, but at least we are civil with each other, and we have Hannah. I trust my new Luna, I have faith in my new Luna, and I know Mikkeli thinks the same. Let's be honest; both of us manage to tolerate each other only because of Hannah.

As a Beta, I guess it's my destiny to have an Alpha I don't like, well at least I respect Mikkeli. My previous Alpha Ryan I haven't respected at all.

Speaking of the devil, Ryan is standing in my doorframe.

"I came to pick the last of my things," I say, giving him a slight bow.

"And you haven't found it important to come and greet me," he snorts.

I look at him, there are still leftovers of his old strength and glory, but tiredness is what comes from him in waves. I've never liked him, I took my position after my grandfather, and he was full of respect for Ryan, but I? I was full of respect for my pack; I wanted to protect my people, and yet I didn't manage to do it.

"Why should I greet a man who allowed his pack to be sentenced to disband? You failed to protect our people," I say.

I see he is furious, but he can't do anything about it. He is no longer in charge, his advisors are no longer in charge, and I'm sure he hates it.

"And you? Do you think you are better than me? Do you think Mikkeli and his human bitch will be better than me? You think you can unite two packs who hate each other into one pack?"

I sigh; as always, he spits his venom everywhere.

"It's not like we have any other choice, don't you think?" I pass him heading to my car.

"You think that Mikkeli can ever accept you as his Beta? You think you will be treated fair by him, that you can trust him! Your grandfather would be so disappointed!" He shouts after me.

I do; I trust Mikkeli in being fair, we will maybe never become friends, and I will have to earn my right to be Beta in his eyes, but I know he and his Luna will be fair. 

The storm is yet to come, I'm sure of it, but If I fail, I fail because of me, not because of Mikkeli.