Rescuing His Captive Mate: Saving The Future Luna

~~

Star

~~

There had been something bothering me ever since the introductions were given. But for right now I was listening to Artem introduce all of us, starting with me. He was walking to each person the same as Gabriel had done with those in his group. When he got to Doc though, he faltered.

Doc had an interesting look on his face. He was staring intently at the woman with the purple hair. He seemed so happy at that moment and I think I knew why.

"Doc, is everything ok?" Artem was smirking at Doc because he too knew what was happening.

"Is this real?" Doc asked as he stared at the woman in front of him. "I'm not imagining this am I?"

"I-I don't know." The woman, Leelin, answered him. I could tell she was smiling as well as she looked at Doc. Maybe the nerves that I had seen on her face was because she could feel the bond between her and Doc. Maybe she was just excited instead of nervous.

"I think this is amazing." The Alpha King was ecstatic when he saw what was happening. "It seems the Goddess is strong among your pack as well as ours."

"Huh?" I was confused and inadvertently asked that in a very impolite way. Instantly I clapped a hand over my mouth. "I'm sorry." I didn't know how the Alpha King would respond to the way I had responded.

The Alpha King just laughed when he saw me with my scared look. It was nerve wracking trying to figure out how to act around royalty like this. What was I supposed to do here? And, strangely, I saw the Alpha King walking over to me. I was just getting more and more nervous seeing him come up to me. I even saw Artem looking nervous out of the corner of my eye. 

Finally, the Alpha King stopped in front of me, still standing on the ground while I was two steps above him. The differences in our height still make him taller than me.

"Your name is Star, right? I wasn't mistaken when I heard that, was I?"

"Y-yes." I nodded nervously. "M-my name is Astraia but everyone calls me S-Star." I can't believe that I just stuttered like that.

"Don't be nervous, Star. My name is Reece, and yes, I am the Alpha King and my mate is the Luna Queen, but we're new to this whole thing. Right now, we're very normal people that are nothing to be afraid of. Unless you've done something wrong, that is." He winked at the end with a smirk on his face. "So please, don't be nervous or scared around us. Please." All I could do was nod in bewilderment as the Alpha King laughed at me. "Now, allow me to explain what it was you didn't understand. When I said the Goddess was strong among your pack, I was referring to the mating between the witch we brought with us and that man named Doc up there."

"Yes, it's truly wonderful. Since I became the Luna of our pack and then ascended to other titles, there have been several matings in our pack. I just love that everyone is finding their true love." The Luna Queen spoke so softly and sweetly again. It was hard to believe she was a Queen and not just a normal person.

"We've had quite a few around here as well." Artem was smiling. "After I found my mate we had five more mated pairs in quick succession."

"You too?" Alpha King Reece was laughing now, I was still at a loss.

After the laughter died down Artem continued introducing everyone. The last person that he introduced was Grandpa. He was the last to join the group so I guess that's why but I don't really know.

"And lastly, we have the only man that I know of who was alive when the Warlock was here all those years ago. This is Daniel Westbrook."

"Gramps?" The man named Griffin looked up, his eyes glued to my great great grandfather. "Oh my Goddess, Grandpa Daniel? I didn't think you would still be alive." The man was walking forward now, like he was being drawn by an invisible force.

"Griffin? You're my Griffin? I didn't think anything of it when they introduced you. I can't believe I am seeing you again. My boy, you've grown so much." I could see tears in Grandpa's eyes then, the whole situation was confusing to me.

"So, he is your grandfather?" I asked him. I was starting to think that Griffin was older than he looked.

"He's my great grandfather actually, but he's always hated the word great before his name." Griffin was smiling now, like he had won a prize having been able to see Grandpa again.

Now I was starting to make the connections. I was starting to know why that man looked so familiar to me. I hadn't met him, no that wasn't it. But I saw a picture of him as a child and pictures of someone who looked so much like him.

Grandpa had told me that my mother was the second he had sent away. He had sent her older brother, my uncle, to Colorado first.

"Um, is your name Griffin Westbrook by chance? And did you have a sister?" I couldn't help myself from asking these questions.

"That used to be my name. I took on the name that my uncle had taken when he left this pack. My last name is now White. I do have a sister. I haven't seen her in many years. I've almost given up hope of ever seeing Vivian again though." He looked saddened by those words. I didn't want to tell him this but there was no getting around it.

"Um, Vivian passed away, sixteen years ago." I could feel my heart breaking just saying the words, I also felt the wave of pain that hit the man named Griffin.

"How? How do you know this?" He looked angry, like he didn't believe me.

"She-." I faltered and needed to take a deep breath before I continued. When I was ready I squared my shoulders, looked him in the eyes and spoke firmly.

"She was my mother."

I watched as the different emotions and thoughts passed over the man's face. There was still anger but it was followed by sorrow then confusion. After the confusion came understanding and finally a slight amount of happiness.

"You're Vivian's daughter?" There was a bittersweet smile on his face. "You-you-you're the niece I never got to meet?" I could see tears brimming in his eyes. They were just seconds away from streaming down his cheeks.

"I am Vivian's daughter, yes. My name is Astraia Westbrook."

The man named Griffin came up to me then, cupping his hands around my cheeks so he could angle my face and allow him to look into my eyes more deeply.

"I can see her in your face. Not completely, I imagine there is much of your father in you, but I can see Viv in your eyes." He was smiling now. "I can't believe that after all these years I am finally meeting you." He pulled me into his arms for a hug that I was not ready for. Still, I returned the hug. It just felt right, normal even. This man was my uncle, he was my mother's brother. This man was a connection to her that I didn't even know still existed.

"I just knew this was going to be a good day." Grandpa was standing beside us now, smiling broadly while my uncle Griffin was holding me in his arms.

Things took longer outside than I thought. There was a lot to be said and so many emotions that were being felt and shared. Not to mention that as Uncle Griffin pulled away from me Artem held his hand out to him.

"Hello there, Griffin, it's nice to meet you." It didn't seem that Artem was acting possessive. It simply looked like he was trying to extend a warm welcome. He had been telling the truth when he said he wanted me to know more about my family. He was being so supportive and helpful right now.

"Oh, I am so sorry." Uncle Griffin was crying now but there was also a massive smile on his face. "I just let my emotions take over me." The two men shook hands and smiled at each other. "You're the Alpha here, right?"

"That's right. I am Artemis Cooper, Alpha of the Hidden Paw wolf pack, and Star's mate." That seemed to shock my uncle for a moment.

"Wow. I didn't think that my niece would be the Alpha's mate." He was laughing. "But since she is only one of two women out here I guess it was a fifty-fifty chance huh."

"Yeah, that other annoying ball of energy is my sister, Cesya, but we call her Chay for short."

Uncle Griffin was smiling at Artem now, like he saw a kindred spirit in him. They were both older brothers so there was probably something they had in common. I didn't know right now though, all I could think about was the fact that I could talk to more of my family that wasn't crazy.