"Peter, let her go." he growled, taking a small step forward.
"Stay right there. Not a chance. I need her to get off these lands. Sorry Alpha. You were good to us. But my true Alpha wants you brought to your knees. And I'm sure he'll enjoy having your little Luna at his mercy since your son is turning out to be so hard to kill. Maybe he'll send her back to you when he tires of her." He took a step away from them.
André took a step after them.
"Uh, uh. Don't move, Alpha. He'd be just as happy with her dead."
André looked into his mate's beautiful eyes. She'd lived her life as a rogue in relative safety until the day she became his Luna. He clenched his jaw. No, he couldn't lose her. He would find a way to save her. He could feel himself begin to shake, only to blink and stare at her. Had she truly just winked at him?
The next step Peter took she took with him, but in a way that her inner foot was behind his, while her hands came up and grasped the hand holding the knife. Then, in a twirling move, she ducked under and behind him, sliding the knife deeply through his ribs. Sending him to his knees, she stepped back from his falling body.
André was across the distance between them and had her off her feet, his nose at the base of her throat between one blink and the next. Calming he pulled back to check the cut. It was already healed and he wiped the blood away tenderly. He touched his forehead to hers. "Thank the Goddess, you didn't need me."
She smiled up at him. "I do need you."
"How'd you know?" he nodded to the bodies.
"Copper and ash."
He rolled his neck, "Are there any more?"
She breathed in deep. Her eyes flashed gold and shot to a man slowly getting closer to Lorenzo. André motioned to a few warriors and they quickly subdued him while he screamed of his innocence, never mind the needle they'd found on him. Her eyes next shot to a man a distance away. He hung his head and went quietly.
Another deep breath had her stiffening. Her eyes on a female within touching distance of the baby.
"Get away from my pup!" she snarled with such menace everyone froze.
The female, shaking off her shock, bared her teeth and tried to lunge for Lorenzo only to be caught by the back of her collar by Theo and flung carelessly into a tree. Then falling into a crumpled heap.
André looked out over his pack. They all stared at Phoenix with awe. Their eyes shifting between her, the two dead men at her feet, and the one huge one under two of his warrior's hands, sporting a broken wrist. Only to look back at her with approval.
He realized their earlier interactions with her had been almost an insult to their Luna. They hadn't seen a strong female who they could come to with their problems, they had seen a pretty doll. He hadn't wondered at her amusement of their complements at the time. But now he did. Did being called adorable make her eyes flash with laughter because she'd known that one day that wouldn't be the first description they'd use for her?
Judging by their faces now; strong, amazing, fierce, even scary, would be closer to their new first choice, as they watched the way her brown eyes glittering with leftover battle readiness.
She patted his arm and stepped away from him. And he reluctantly let her go. She held her arms open and said softly "Celeste?"
With a sob, Celeste flew into her hug with Lorenzo. At twelve, she was already taller than Phoenix and ended up on her knees crying as Phoenix held her softly.
"Thank the Goddess you were here. Otherwise Lorenzo would be dead. I was worthless."
"Celeste" Phoenix cuddled her closer, while breathing in Lorenzo's baby smell. "You weren't. I saw you protect him with your body. They would have had to go through you to get to him. And you got to the warriors and safety which allowed me to focus on saving myself. You did great. I thank the Goddess for you." Celeste's tearful blue eyes met Phoenix's brown ones. She gasped at the tears shining in them. Phoenix's tiny hand cupped her cheek. "You saved my pup. As much as I or André or Theo or anyone did. Thank you."
André smiled with pride, elevated that the Moon Goddess thought he was worthy of such a mate. And watched his pack members faces change again. Watched the awe turn into respect. He narrowed his eyes, pleased.
She helped Celeste stand. Then straightened both of their dresses and fixed her hair. Suddenly she looked again like the sweet, exquisite, innocent of a few minutes ago, as if chocolate wouldn't melt in her mouth, causing the pack around them to blink.
André was glad he wasn't the only one who would have to get used to his mate's Cameleon-like shifts.
"It is you." A tall young man followed by a pair of identical twins his age pushed to the front of the crowd. He looked remarkably like a younger version of Theo.
Phoenix focused on him, "Hello, Beta Blood. Long time no see. I hope you have stopped frequenting Rogue-owned night clubs?" She grinned.
"It is." he whispered.
"Is what?"
"Our angel." The twins nodded behind him. The crowd's eyes grew wider. Everyone had heard of their angel and how she'd saved them. She had become something of a legend.
"I told Yvonne to help you get a better definition of angel. I am not one."
"You are. Do you still have our rings?"
She looked at them narrowly for a moment and must have seen the hope on each of their faces because with a dramatic sigh, she pulled the chain from around her neck until the seven rings were in her fist, while André's still glittered on her finger.
The crowed let out an audible gasp as one. Laughter flashed in her eyes again. "Of course I do. Like I said, you Belcourts, Bell Moons, and your honor have given me quite a collection.
The murmurs started. No one had ever earned more than three rings. To have eight? And now she was their Luna. One who had saved Lorenzo from death mere seconds ago, and fought off traitors who were twice as big as she was. One by one the pack dropped to a knee in front of her.
"Oh." she whispered, looking out with wide shocked eyes.
André pulled her close. "You, my dear Luna, are a Belcourt now, too." he breathed in her ear. "And they, we are honored to have you."
"Oh."
André smiled out over his pack. "Before I explain what just happened. I'd like to introduce you to your Luna once again. Bell Moons, this is Phoenix."
More gasps were heard and the pack members exchanged looks. A boy about twelve stood up, "When you say Phoenix, Alpha, do you mean 'The Phoenix'?"
"I do, indeed."
The boy began to grin. "We have the most awesome Luna on the planet!" he shouted, pumping a fist in the air.
Slowly the rest started to smile and murmured agreements grew in volume.
Phoenix laughed. "Well, since you are all 'the most awesome pack on the planet' I obviously was meant to be here." They began to cheer and she again covered Lorenzo ears, shooting a smile at André, "also the loudest."