My name is Athena Lock Heart. I am the queen of the Black Crescent Realm, Luna of the Lock Heart Pack, and this is my story. We live in the darkest time of our era. It wasn't always like this though. My kingdom once lived in peace long before I became the Queen. However, now, myself and my people are fighting a war that has been going on for many years. It all began with my great-great Grandfather, the great King Alias.
It is told that he and my great-great Grandmother, queen Lucinda, had a mate bond like no other has ever known. Their strength, together, united many towns, creating the Black Crescent realm itself. Their love for one another was said to be an inspiration for wolves all over the realm. Humans saw them as their queen and king, although they didn't know of their supernatural abilities. Wolves saw them as their Luna and Alpha, and thus, the Lock Heart Pack was born.
Alias and Lucinda offered peace and tranquillity to all that entered their kingdom and the realm once thrived and lived in harmony alongside the neighbouring kingdom, The Dark Shadows Realm. King Alias envisioned a world where the two kingdoms could be great allies. He hosted a ball for The Dark Shadows Realms' king. His name was Darius, the vampire king, leader of the Barron clan and King of the Dark Shadows Realm. King Darius's realm worked very much the same as King Alias'. One hosted vampires. The other hosted wolves.
Darius accepted Alias's invitation to the ball and the two Kings were delighted to become allies. That was, until Darius arrived at the ball. The moon goddess herself had fated Queen Lucinda and King Darius to one another. Two fated mates to one Queen, a disgraceful joke from our goddess. The ball ended in threat, with Alias trying to force Darius to reject Lucinda. Darius refused Alias's demands and left. He went back to his realm, enraged at the fact that he could not have Lucinda. A source had leaked to Alias that Darius was planning to steal Lucinda from him. This made him envious, even vengeful, and so, he marched his army towards the Blood Shadows Realm to start a war. Darius heard of the battle coming towards him and he too marched his army towards the Black Crescent Realm.
The two armies collided in a field centred between both kingdoms. A huge battle commenced, and poor queen Lucinda was caught in the crossfire. Her death on that fateful night was the start of the entire war, dividing the two realms. Both kings blamed one another and thus the Realms became rivals. The once peaceful Black Crescent Realm was now a fortified army, hell bent on raising warriors fit to fight.
Without his Luna and Queen, Alias began to lose his mind. The only emotions coursing through him were those of rage and fury. He sought vengeance and so did his pack. That was until Alias began spiralling further out of control, bringing in his first law after the war began. That any child born that reached the age of five was immediately opted in to start warrior training. Those who questioned him were executed.
Then he turned on any wolves and vampires that shared the mate bond, forbidding such a bond to exist within his realm. Those who didn't flee were slaughtered. Those that were the product of such a bond were labelled a hybrid and so they were either slaughtered or slaved. The life that Alias's people had grown to love and know was gone forever and Alias was labelled "The Mad King." The longer the war continued, the easier it was for people to accept his laws as tradition. We live in a different time now. The stories of the peaceful time before the war were just that, stories. A mere fairy tale that we have grown to admire but know that it is not our way of life. We were built for war.
I was built for war. I am the first woman in my line to rule as queen. Do not be mistaken though, for I am no ordinary Queen. I am a warrior, I have powers. I am the strongest in my army and I am about to lead my wolves into battle. I took the lead, charging towards the vampire army across the battlefield, my wolves falling behind me into our V formation. This was a tactic we have perfected over the years and when we used it the vampires never stood a chance. I ran to the centre of their formation and used my power to force a path through the middle of them, dividing their army into two groups.
My wolves followed my lead and quickly surrounded both groups, forcing them to huddle together tightly. Then, my warriors began slaughtering them from the outer circle inwards. I watched as the vampire army dwindled down to just one. The last vampire curled up in a ball on the ground cowering and shaking. My Beta's wolf, Odin, snarled up towards his prey. I would spare no lives today. "Odin!" I shouted, "Finish this now!" I screamed to him from across the battlefield, awaiting to hear the final crunch of Odin's jaws as he clamped down on the last blood-sucker's throat. With a loud crunch, he swiftly removed the vampire's head clean from his body. He held his head high in the air with the vampire skull between his jaws, the thud of the lifeless body hitting the floor signalling another victorious battle.
Odin shifted, giving Lewis back control of his body. A howl from my warriors on the battlefield showed the excitement of winning again and I couldn't help but swell with pride.
"My Queen, the battles are getting easier to win with each passing day." my thoughts were interrupted by Lewis through our mind link. "It's a good thing, Lewis! It shows that they are getting weaker and weaker. We will win this war soon enough. I can feel it." I linked back.
"Gather the dead! We must head back to the pack!" I barked my orders to my warriors out on the field. I watched over them as the battlefield became nothing but a mere field once again. We cannot have humans finding anything, we have enough on with the war against the vampires. With the wagons all packed up, we headed back to the pack lands. My lands were vast and heavily guarded with patrols on high alert at all times. My pack is situated at the base of a valley and with the mountains surrounding us, we are perfectly secluded from outsiders.
The valley is beyond beautiful with a magnificent waterfall going down the side of the mountain to the right of us. It fuels the river that runs through our town. The waters here are crystal clear. I took in a deep breath of the sweet warm air. Ahh, it's good to be home.
As we pulled up to my castle, the guards came to greet us.
"Luna the former Alpha is here to speak with you, he is waiting in the castle foyer." Said Wyatt, my main guard at the castle doors. A sigh escaped my lips as I waved him off with my hand. I waved the same hand towards the castle doors, swinging them open with my powers before the guards could get there before me. I could see my father stood there waiting for me. As I walked into the castle foyer, I sucked in an inward sigh at the sight of him.
"Athena!" my father sternly greeted me. Irritation took over my content mood, "Father, so good to see you! I don't suppose you are here to congratulate us on another battle won?" My sarcasm was evident in my tone.
"Don't be foolish, Athena! You need to start planning a bigger attack to put an end to this war once and for all!" He growled.
"All in good time Father," My voice was higher than usual to emphasize that he lacked patience.
"Might I remind you who has gotten us this close to winning this war? My warriors need to rest, and I need to bathe." I dragged the word bathe out with a slight boast in my voice.
"Now now, enough of this chatter. You worry too much and doubt me about every decision I make. It's becoming too tiring to listen to." irritation beginning to take over my playful tone. I strutted off past him before another word left his mouth and thus spoiling my mood completely. I ascended the spiral staircase to my personal quarters.
"My Luna, your bath is ready" came a shy stutter from my servant as she stood waiting by the door to my bathroom with fresh towels in her hands. She opened the doors for me and placed the towels on a rack.
"Thank you, Jillian that will be all." I politely replied. "Dinner will be ready for you in your quarters after your bath, Luna." She stuttered ever so quietly.
"Nonsense Jillian! Tonight, I will dine in the main hall with my warriors alongside me. We are celebrating another win!" I gloated loudly, making Jillian almost jump out of her skin.
"Goodness, why are you so skittish Jillian?" I asked. "No reason your majesty, I will tell the cooks of your plans for dinner." She stuttered once more and left the room hastily. What has gotten into that girl? I mean she's always been extremely timid and quiet, but today she's acting out of the ordinary. She was abused and held back as a child. My father found her years ago and she now takes refuge in the castle and acts as a servant for me. She's gotten everything she needs now, but her wolf is still weak. She needed everything at the start of her life to be built like any of the other wolves around here in our pack. I shrugged the thought of her skittish actions away, dragged and threw my tattered-blood-stained clothes off me and got into my bath.
As I lay in my bath I reflected on today. Lewis was right, the battles are getting easier. I didn't want to take my father's advice just yet though. It could be a sign that they are preparing for something bigger rather than them growing weaker. I must keep my mind focused and open to all possibilities. My whole life has been focused on this war. I have grown up preparing to take the throne, to take my Luna title and fight this war for my great-great grandfather. Now I am here, and it feels like I've almost completed what was asked of me. If we won soon, I would be free to rule my realm peacefully and my pack would be at peace knowing that they were safe, and it was all over. I washed the blood from my long silver hair. It's amazing so much blood wouldn't stain it red. Then I washed the muck and blood from my body and got out of the bath. I dried my hair and then wrapped a towel around me and left the bathroom through the on-suite door to my room.
I stood before the full-length mirror and let the towel drop to the floor.
"We heal faster every time, Athena. We grow stronger every day." My wolf's voice flowed through my mind as we stared at our reflection through my eyes. Not a single mark on my body from the battle just hours before. Camilla's healing powers are much faster and stronger than any other wolf. It helped that we had powers. Only a few of us have powers in the pack and no other wolf has more than one power like me. I pulled on a white shirt, then laced up my brown leather corset over the top, pulled on my trousers, I let my long silver wavy hair flow down my back, slipped on my boots and left the bedroom to head downstairs to the main hall for dinner.
When I swung open the doors, the entire hall came to a stand, all conversation stopped abruptly, and everyone's eyes and attention were on me. I walked with my head held high and my arms behind my back, going to take a seat on my throne at the main table. The echoing of my boots was the only sound in the room. When I got there, I turned to face my standing warriors.
"Let us celebrate!" I yelled, throwing my hands up in the air and a cheer erupted through the hall, music began playing and drinks were being served. I sat on my throne next to Lewis. He was a handsome man and, if I'm honest, I'm a little upset the moon goddess didn't bless me with him as my mate. He stood around 6-3 in height and his build was pure muscle. He had sleek deep brown hair and his eyes were like deep blue crescent moons. His complexion was tanned, a perfect man all but for a scar that went down the right side of his face. It made him look rather intimidating to most. Nevertheless, he is a loyal right hand and a perfect Beta. He executes his jobs brilliantly and is respected well by all.
"My Queen" he bowed his head to address me and placed a kiss on my hand before taking his seat by my side. I smiled gently at him, my cheeks filling with heat. "Behave yourself Athena!" Camilla scolded me through our link. I would be lying if I said that there wasn't desire and sexual tension between us. I had often thought about taking him as a chosen mate.
Camilla didn't like that idea very much. Wolves are extremely loyal to the mate bond and the mate they are given is chosen by the Moon Goddess. Even if they haven't met them yet, they fight us over loyalty to them. Besides, neither of us had found our mates yet and with the war and losing a lot of our people over the years and still daily, we weren't sure if we would ever find them. Even still, I vowed an unwritten oath that I would find my chosen mate from the moon goddess herself and, of course, I had to keep my little Camilla happy. Trust me when I say that I don't even like her when she's angry. That didn't stop my imagination running wild sometimes though. Thoughts of mine and Lewis's naked and entwined surfaced in my mind.
"Disgusting Athena!" Camilla growled through my mind, and I gave an inward chuckle at her. My father came to take his seat beside me and instantly my arousal was gone and replaced with annoyance. Camilla scoffed in my mind at the instant Karma that was dealt to me. My father was an incredibly controlling man and actively sought to have a say in how I ruled my realm and pack. He had a very hard time letting go and letting me rule how I see fit. It's caused a huge strain on our relationship over the years and the pair of us could barely stand each other anymore.
"Athena." My Father huffed.
"You cannot ignore me forever child. We need to plan for a bigger attack now."
"Father, please let us eat and enjoy a celebratory drink. There will be plenty of time for this tomorrow!" I let a low snarl out with my tone towards him.
"Fine! But I want a meeting called first thing in the morning in the strategy room." He ordered.
"Fine!" I huffed.
"Does he think he still runs the show?" growled Camilla in my mind. Finally, something we can agree on, I thought.
"Patience Camilla. Mr Grumpy is upset that he's no longer the Alpha around here. You know how power-hungry he can be sometimes." I cooed to her to calm her down. The kitchen doors swung open, and the smell of roast chicken and roast beef filled the room. I took in a deep breath and my stomach growled in acknowledgment that dinner was ready. The servants came piling out of the kitchen in orderly lines holding large silver trays, they worked fast on placing all the trays on the tables and lifting the lids to reveal the steaming meat and veg beneath.
Without any hesitation, I delved straight into my meal and the hall went silent once again as we all devoured our food. The main hall was an exceedingly large room. It has extremely high ceilings, gold-laced pillars that stood from floor to ceiling, gold-framed paintings covered the walls and the most beautiful crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling. It was the greatest room that we used for our celebratory meals. We once used it to host balls, but since the war there hasn't been much of that happening around here. In fact, it seems the Castle is looking dull and worn the longer the war continues.
After our feast, the drinking and dancing began, and I took that as a sign to make a swift exit that I hoped no one would notice. I made sure the coast was clear and headed back up the stairs towards my quarters. Just as I was getting to the top of the stairs, I heard a rough throat clearing behind me. I spun around to see Lewis standing there eyeing me curiously.
"Leaving so soon my Queen?" He cocked his brow at me with a slight grin on his face.
"You know I'm not a fan of dancing Lewis! Anyways, I thought I'd get some rest before my father gathered us all up to discuss battle plans in the morning." Slight sarcasm laced my tone.
I turned my heel and took the last step up to the top of the stairs, swaying my hips in a way that told him I wanted him to follow me even though I knew deep down I had to save myself for my true mate. He did, however, start to follow me, my heart rate skipping a little as excitement started to take over me.
My body began to fuel with desire and heat started to rise through me and I pondered the thought of letting him ravish me. Lewis grabbed my hand and spun me around, capturing me in his big strong arms. I giggled in response to him as he lifted me off the floor with a big goofy grin on his face. I wrapped my legs around his waist to secure myself to him and he held me up with each of his big hands firmly gripping my cheeks.
"Lewis, you tease." I laughed out loud. " Odin is livid, he's threatening to take control and put you down." A devilish smile forming from one corner of his mouth.
"Athena that's enough! Stop now!" Camilla was growling loudly in my head now, causing me to sigh out loud. Ezekiel took notice of my sigh; it was a clear indication that both of our wolves were not going to let this happen.
"Alright, wolves, calm down, we will behave." Lewis huffed out, looking rather defeated.
"I'm at least carrying you to the door." He grinned knowing that if we behaved ourselves our wolves couldn't argue any further, this earned him another giggle from me. As we reached the hallway, the stench of rotting flesh drifted through the air, turning my stomach instantly.
"Ugh! What is that smell?" I blurted out. Lewis put me down and pushed me behind him guarding me with his body.
"Stay behind me my Queen." Lewis spoke to me through our mind-link, keeping us quiet and not alerting anyone that could be lurking. I sent a link to my warriors and before I knew it, they were already creeping up the staircase behind us ready to attack. Lewis must have got there before me, I thought. We edged closer to the bedroom door, Lewis signalling for the guards to start surrounding the door either side. I took my place at the front of the door and looked towards Wyatt, who then gave me a Curt nod and with that I lifted my foot and kicked the door in. Warriors rushed into the room before me and the smell oozed out of the room like a thick invisible fog, almost encouraging me to be physically sick. I stepped through the doorway and noticed the room was filled with decaying severed heads.
"They're all wolves my Queen." Lewis confirmed that these were my people. They looked like they had been decaying for weeks.
"Is this some kind of sick joke?" I growled with rage and turned to my warriors, "Fortify the castle, triple the patrols and search the pack town! If there are vampires lurking within my territory, I want them found and brought to me! Tear this place apart if you must and get me answers!" I ordered.
"Yes Luna!" They all said in unison as they marched out of my room.
"Lewis, gather the battle planners. I want everyone in the strategy room immediately." Lewis took his orders and left the room. I looked around at the remains of my people on the floor of my room, pain filled my heart. I let out a sigh and used my powers to levitate the heads and gather them together. Holding them in one place, I surged my power, creating a bright white glow that came from my hand and blasted them until they shattered apart into ashes. I maintained the hold that I had on them in the air. I opened the window and guided the ashes out to be captured by the breeze and carried out over the valley.
"Rest now, my fallen souls. You are at peace." I whispered under my breath as I watched the ash blow away peacefully.
"We would be better off if this war was over, Athena. Is a life of fighting worth the life of peace and happiness you, me and our realm could live?" Camilla purred into my mind.
"You know I dream of that life, Camilla, but fighting is all we know. It's all our Alpha's ever knew, and it could be all we ever know." I whimpered at my own words. Was this truly what I wanted? I thought of the war and why we even fought in the first place. "You are the only one who can make this Dream become a reality, Athena." I blocked Camilla out. I don't need this talk right now. I took a deep breath and cleared my mind and headed down to the strategy room. We had a war to fight.