ELIZABETH'S POV

After I had a shower, I moisturised my whole body. Just in case I get a little something something tonight, you know what I mean?

I wrap my hair in a messy bun just to keep it out of my face. I look down at my make up. Where to start? Let's do some concealer.

I run the cream under my eyes and other little blemishes that I want to cover up. I set out my contouring kit. I look at a picture on my phone and just copy all the line and stuff since I don't know how to do anything involving contouring.

 I feel like this is going to end up as a disaster. I blend everything together till I get a perfectly shaded and highlighted face. Not too shabby Elizabeth. I'm actually quite impressed with myself.

For my date, I had pretty light make up on, this time I want to be noticed. I wear intense smokey, dark brown, black and burgundy colour on my eyes. Making them pop out and look mysterious.

For the hair...what to do with the hair?
I was thinking up? But then maybe having it down would be pretty nice to frame my face. So I decide to lightly curl my hair and do two braids at the front, tying it around the back of my head, giving it a sort of Italian look.

I don't put on any jewellery except for Xander's Obsidian Necklace. I've never taken it off and I won't take it off even if it doesn't match the dress damn it!

I put on the dress and heels, ready to go. I take a deep breathe. Everything is going to be okay. Everything is going to be fine. Xander is going to be there. Before I leave I quickly put on my red lipstick. Okay let's go.

I slowly walk down the stair and see Abby waiting at the bottom with a proud smile.

"You look absolutely divine darling. Better than what I looked like in my time."

I shake my head, "Surely not. I might look more like a drag queen compared to you I'm sure."

She waves my comment off, "No no. Please don't be modest dear. Tonight is your night. It's all about you."

"That'd what I don't like," I mumble.

She laughs, "Oh dear you're doing better than what I did on my ceremony. I pulled out for a moment because I was so nervous. You're doing totally fine darling. Nothing to worry about. Now let's get you into the car. We need to get to the Great Hall on time of the blood moon."

I nodded. I'm okay. I'm okay. I'm okay.

Abby links out arms as we take a step outside. She breathes in the fresh air, but frowns a bit, as if she scented something.

"What is it?" I asked

"Oh nothing dear. Just caught a wif of something strange. Come on it's freezing. Let's get you into the car shall we?"

We both climb into the vehicle. The whole ride there all I'm thinking about is the ceremony. My stomach is tied in a knot. I'm just a big bundle of nerves. Ugh! I hate this feeling.

When we pulled up in front of the Hall, I was ready to throw up. Damn, I wonder what I'm going to be like on my wedding day.
I twist my ring around my finger, reminding me that I'm not alone in this, Xander is going to be there...along with the whole goddamn pack! All of them! At that thought I was ready to cry my eyes out.

I climb out if the car with shaky legs, I'm okay, I'm okay, EVERYTHING, is okay.

When I walk through the doors I feel my heart beating against my chest, threatening to jump out.
When it's fully open, I can't believe what I see. It's a tiny little hallway.

Abby's hand is on my lower back guiding me down the little hallway,
"Come on darling this is the way to the side of the stage."

"Oh."

Ugh! I totally riled myself up for nothing at that point! I totally wasted it.

We climb up the little wooden stairs that lead to the side of the stage. Xander is in sight and oh my freaking gosh. I just died. He is gorgeous! Not just gorgeous gorgeous, but GORGEOUS!

His suit is all black which makes his eyes stand out as well. Hot damn he is one fine piece of candy.

Before I go on stage I move my hair the right so than everyone can see my mark on the left.
"You're on." Abby whispers. She gives me gentle shove that gets me moving. I slowly walk on stage with her. The whole hall is beautiful. It had lovely wooden carvings of wolves and forest like designs. The roof was completely made out of glass, so clear. It showed such a clear sight of the night sky, and the moon. Xander has a glimpse of me and takes a double take. His face is in awe. He looks like he's just won the lottery.

He smiles at me. Xander walks right at me, pulls me to him from the waist and plants his lips on mine. I hear hoots and hollers going around the crowd.
Our lips separate.
Xander whispers in my ear, "You are beautiful Izzy. I'm kind of scared that all the men are gonna not help but stare at your beauty."

I giggle and hit his chest, "Xander stop it."

"It's true." He chuckles, "I feel like I'm going to get into a fight tonight."

"No you won't. No one would dare touch the Alpha's Luna. Right?"

He smiles down at me, his facing holding such adoration, "My Luna, my little Luna."

"Okay can we please break this little love fest  up and get on with the ceremony?" Abby asks with amusement. The crowd chuckles at her comment, leaving me in a blushing state. I totally forgot about all them.

Xander steps to the back to let us proceed.

I turn to Abby. There is a bright, white marble pedestal between us. On it is a beautiful silver dagger. It looks almost ancient. The handle has a shape of a wolf. It's eyes are sapphires.
Beautiful.
Abby cuts her hand. Blood drips from her wound. She passes the knife to me. I wanted to close my eyes when I cut my hand, but I didn't want to display myself being weak in front of my future pack.
Abby and I hold our hands together.
"I, Abby Nightwalker resign as Luna. I transfer all my power and strength as Luna of this pack to you Elizabeth Crowe.
Elizabeth, do you as Luna, accept this?"

"I do."

"Will you protect this pack at all costs? Will you nurture it and grow it as mother would take care of her child?"

"Whatever happens I will do everything in my power to protect and help my pack. I will stand with them, my people, my pack, my family, until my dying breathe. However, my heart is always going to be loyal to my mate no matter what."

Abby smiles at me with tears in her eyes,
"And we expect nothing less from you, but to be true to your mate Elizabeth."

The red moon comes into view in the sky. It's shines on me and Abby. I see our mixed blood glow. The glowing liquid travels through my veins, giving me the spiritual wolf authority of this pack now. These people are now bound to me and me to them. I feel the glow travelling everywhere. But when the glowing liquid moves through my mind. A sharp pain stabs my head. I hold my head. I hear all these whispers. I collapse onto the floor shaking and holding my head. The whispers get louder and louder.
"MAKE IT STOP!" I scream.

Big strong arms circle around me protectively. I feel Xander's warm breathe against my ear, "It'll be over soon. Ssshhh sshh...it's Okay sweetheart. You're okay. I'm here."

The pain slowly subsides into a dull ache.
Xander moves my face towards him looking over my face, "Everything okay? How do you feel?"

I stand up, surprisingly feel energetic. "I feel...pretty good actually, I feel like there's this new found energy and strength inside me."

He smiles, "That's the Moon Goddess transferring the Luna authority to you.
You're officially the Luna of the Blood Moon pack. The most powerful."

We both stand up. Xander turns to the crowd and lifts our arms together, "Your Luna!" He shouts.
Everyone cheers in joy. Because of my new connection to the pack I feel so much more. I feel their happiness...for me. It was such a foreign feeling, but I liked it. I felt loved.

Xander lifted me into the air and twirled me around! I held on to him and laughed.

"You're the Luna. My luna."
He slides me back down to the ground. I look at him with such joy in my heart.
"I'm your Luna, my Alpha."

He growls in approval, "Damn straight I'm your Alpha."

I just laugh.

We go around and people introduce themselves to me.
I greet everyone. The whole ceremony was really nice and the people were wonderful, but I feel a little suffocated. I need some fresh air. I walk outside and is met with the beautiful beach and ocean.

I take my shoes off and walk along the sand. Up a head I see Noah standing and watching his son, Keith, play in the water with a cold expression. He seems so distant with his son. Why?

"Hey Noah," I say as I approach him.

He bows his head, "Luna. The ceremony went well."

"Yes. I was so nervous though." I confessed

He sigh. "well it's over now."

"Yes it is," I nod towards Keith, "How's your son?"

"Ummm he seems okay." He said as if he were guessing.

"If you don't mind me asking, what happened to your-"

"Rogue. Rogue killed my mate." Noah said clenching his jaw.

I nod, "What was his name?"

Noah's face turned dark with vengeful lust, "Valentine. He killed her for a rare diamond necklace I gave her the day I mated her. I've thought of nothing else but getting that my mate's necklace back. I placed a scar that runs down his face, so than whatever he looked like, I know it's him."

No. "Does he have different coloured eye? One brown and one green?"

Noah turns to me, seeming shocked, "How do you know that"

"I saw him today. He was following me. Valentine is working with my stalker, the Rogue Alpha."

Noah bares his teeth in a snarl. "I'm going to kill him tonight. Please Luna, if anything should happen to me tonight. Take care of Keith."

Noah turns to away but I push him back. He snarls at me. I can tell that he's struggling to control his wolf.
"You dare challenge me?"

I release my Luna growl, "No. Your rank is beneath me. It is you that is challenging me Noah." I snarl.

"I need to do this. I need to avenge her and take the one lost piece of her that left."

I walk towards him, "You're a fool to think that Noah Maverick."

He growls. "What would you know? You're just a little weakling. You wouldn't know shit about feeling broken." I know he's just snapping back because of his anger. So, I put it aside.

I look into his eyes with sadness, "I've had my share of brokenness Noah, but this isn't about me. This is about you. I know you've tamed yourself off since your mate's death, and I know you think that necklace is the only thing left of her, but that's not true."

Noah's face pulls together in confusion,
"She left you a son to love and cherish. You have drowned yourself in revenge and grief that you have neglected the one living part of your mate. Your son. Which one would your mate want you to value more? A piece of Jewellery, or a child that you both made together and has a piece of her."

Noah is deathly pale and silent for a while. And then, he falls to his knees crying. He sobs into his hands. I bend down in front of him and hug him, "I miss her so much Elizabeth. I wish she was here with me."

"She is Noah," I whisper, "She's in your son."

After a couple of minutes he wipes his face and stands up straight. He takes a deep breathe and turns to me,"Do not, I repeat, DO NOT mention to ANYONE that I cried."

I laugh, "I won't I promise." Noah walks to his son, picks him up and walks back to his house.

I take a deep breathe. Yes, it feels right being Luna.

I turn around to go back inside, but I see Soul standing between me and the door. He looks at me and frowns. He raises his head and sniffs the air. Then he went deathly pale. 

"Soul? Are you okay?" I asked as I took a step forward.

He looks at me with worry in his eyes, "Run Izzy. You're on your last heat."

I frowned, "What?"

Soul looked over his shoulder turns back at me, "You need to run, Izzy before they smell you! Run!"

I pushed inside to get to Xander. As soon as I get in it's silent. All the unmated men turn to me and smell the air. Their eyes turn black with lust.

"Xander!" I scream!

XANDER'S POV

"You have to sort it out or him and his daughter are going to show up here and demand a marriage when you're already mated son!"

I growled, "Yes father, but remember I am the Alpha I decide what I am going to do."

He scoffs, "Don't be so stubborn Xander, a wise man brings council to his table."

"And that council will not be my father." I argued.

"Just think about what I said okay?" He asks.

I sigh, "I'll take it under consideration."

He nods, "Good."

"Xander! I've found you!" One of the elderly ladies from my pack grabs my arm in a tight hold.
"That ceremony was beautiful wasn't it? I just loved how the..."

I blocked her out when I smelt something delicious run through the air. It smells of vanilla. My favourite. It's carrying another scent I recognise as well. A scent that makes my wolf wild. My mates.
Wait a minute, "Oh shit..." I mumbled.

I leave the old lady and look around frantically. I push through the crowd trying to find my beloved.
"Where the fuck is she?" I growled to myself.

My eyes roam over the faceless people of the crowd.
"Shit." I can't find her anywhere.

"What's wrong dear?" My mother asks.

"It's Izzy." I said worried.

She frowns in concern, "What's is it?"

"She's in heat. All the unmated males are gonna want her. They won't have any control over their actions at all. They probably won't even remember what happened."

"But I thought you've already..."

"Yes we have, but I think that she goes into heat one last time when the blood moon shines. It's a sign of her end as a single female."

My mother went pale, "She could get raped Xander!"

I deep, ancient and threatening growl echoes from my chest, "I'm not gonna let that happen. They're not going to fucking touch her."

Suddenly, every thing is quiet. All the unmated men turn towards the opened door. A breeze sets. I close my eyes and breath in the scent. Elizabeth.

"Xander!" I hear her scream.

All the men run after her. She sprints back outside. I push through the men. I am so frantic and panicked to get to her. I'm not going to be fast enough with this big of a crowd stomping through.

I shift into my wolf. The only way to get to her fast enough is to totally surrender to my wolf. I've never done this before. Some people say that you don't come back from a full wolf surrender.
I let my wolf take over. I feel myself physically get bigger, stronger and I feel a bigger presence of authority. My wolf grows
They're not touching my fucking mate.

We sprint after Elizabeth.

ELIZABETH'S POV

I am running away from a crowd of men who want to have sex with me. Who knew it would come down to this?

I run deeper and deeper into the trees until everything seem to get thicker like a Forrest.
The ground rumbled like a stampede of wild animals. Please don't let anything happen to me.

I didn't see a root of a tree stuck up. I trip over it and fall down to the ground.
The men drop down all around me and start to try and rip my dress. I kicked and punched everything that touched me. 
"No please stop! no no...NNNOOOOO!!!!!" I scream to the top of my lungs.
Suddenly all the touching and gripping stop.
I see a HUGE wolf in front of me. It was a boundary between me and the men.
Who is this wolf? I don't recognise it at all. It started to shift back to human.
XANDER!? His wolf looked so much more bigger.

He puts on his black basketball shorts.
"Stand down men!" He yells.

All the men's eyes were on me
Xander turns to me. He sees me and how I am. His eyes darken with a burning rage.
He pulls me up against him so than no one could see me. His arms come around me protectively, "She is your Luna and if you value your lives you will leave."

One of the young men jumped in the air and shifted. Xander pushes me behind him, grabbed the wolf in mid air and threw him against a tree, instantly knocking him out.
"I said," he growls in his commanding alpha voice, "LEAVE!"

All of them bow their heads. Their eyes go back to normal as if they're taking hold of their human side. And they leave.

Xander turns to me, still shaking in pure rage.
He holds me tightly against him, "How dare they touch you. You're mine. My pure moon. Are you hurt sweetheart?"
His eyes travels over my body, checking for any injuries. I cup his face, pulling his gaze to my own, "I'm okay."
His forehead touches mine, "I thought I was too late."

I smiled shakily,"I had faith that you would find me eventually."

"How?"

"You said so yourself," I whisper, "You'd always find me."

He smiles down at me with such love and adoration, "Damn right I will. Come on, let's find somewhere to stay for a while before the rain starts."

I frown, "What rain?"

Right then it starts to pour down, drenching us both.
Xander laughs, "That rain."

I climb into his back and he runs through the forest, trying to find us some shelter.
After a while we finally come to a cave.

We walk inside. Xander lays me down on the ground.
I cover myself with my arms as he finds some dried wood in the cave. He lights a fire. He sits down, spreads his thighs and pats the spot between his legs.
I go to him and sit down. He wraps his arms around, instantly warming me.
"Are you okay?" Xander asks.

I nod, "Yeah, I think so."

"That doesn't sound very convincing."

I sigh, "I guess I'm just a little...shaken."

"I should have known you were in heat. I thought it was just me, but I-"

I turn to face my mate, "Ssshhh. You're doing it again."

"Doing what?"

"Blaming yourself for not being able to control the uncontrollable."

He chuckles without humor, "I guess old habits die hard huh?"

I smile and nod. We fall into a comfortable silence. With my finger I trace all of the scars on his body. Some were thick and pink , some were white and shallow. But all of them hold a memory of pain. And yet they hold such perfection at the same time. Because they are what make him my Xander.
"Look...I know my body is scarred and isn't the most attractive or perfect-"

"Everyone has different views of perfection. My mother used to say, 'perfection lies in the eyes that hold love."

Xander's eyes held adoration as he said, "You always have something to say. It's going to be impossible to argue with you. May the moon goddess help me if our daughters are like you."

I laugh, "You're going to be a lucky man if there's going to be little Minnie me's running around."

He rolls his eyes sarcastically, "Lucky, right. They're gonna have me wrapped around their little fingers just like their mama does."

"That's right."

I smack my lips against him. Xander pulls me onto his lap, making me straddle him. I knew the moisturising paid off! We both made nice and slow love to each other. four times to be exact actually.
And then Xander held me in his arms, making me feel safe and at peace.