The Luna's Destiny Read online

  Written By

  Copyright © 2017 by Drea Shane

  All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  First Printing, 2017

  Formatting and graphics by Starfire Press

  Cover design by Emily Wittig

  Editing by Jenifer Knox

  https://dreashane.com/

  The Luna’s Destiny

  Copyright

  Table of Contents

  Connect

  Acknowledgements

  Book Description

  Preface

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Coming Soon

  Reviews

  About the Author

  The Luna’s Destiny Playlist

  Bookworm Recommendations

  Other Books by Drea Shane

  Please stalk me! I love all things book related and am a reader as well as a writer.

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  There are so many people that helped me make this novel what it is today. The support has been overwhelming.

  Thank you to all the readers who are taking a chance on my work! I write so that you can escape for a while. It means the world to me!

  Special thanks and gratitude to my family. I have the greatest husband ever. He has the patience of a saint and is really supportive. My parents inspired me and supported my desire to finally publish. I’ve always loved getting lost in a good story and writing has been a hobby of mine since I was young. Also, thanks to my extended family for cheering me on and reading my work!

  My beta readers really helped make Sydney awesome and I’m grateful. Thank you, Shelby Price, for all the help and assistance during this crazy time!

  A few special shout-outs! My friend Erin Danzer has been a rock. She helped me through this entire book offering feedback and moral support during my many panicky moments. She’s a great author and friend.

  The indie community as a whole, is wonderful. This genre is a new venture for me and the other authors have been great with advice, feedback, knowledge, and friendship.

  Thank you, Emily Wittig, for working on this cover and the sequel cover forever. She worked diligently until we had everything just right. HUGE thanks to Jenifer Knox for being a great editor. She dived in last minute and polished everything faster than I hoped. This book wouldn’t have been the gem it is today without her.

  If I’ve forgotten someone, it’s because I’m running off mere hours of sleep and my brain is fried. So, I’ll just leave a giant blanket thank you to everyone involved with making The Luna’s Destiny happen. Mad love to all of you!

  “A page-turner that will leave you breathless and wanting more . . .”

  Being the Alpha’s daughter is no picnic. As one of the few remaining female shifters, my future duty is to become Luna of my own pack. I’m surrounded by overprotective males 24/7 that suck the fun out of life. It doesn’t help that I’m fluent in sarcasm as a second language. I don’t mean to be willful, but a girl and her wolf need to breathe.

  Then there is the merging of my wolf and access to our full powers on my 18th birthday. As that change approaches, each day is proving more difficult than ever, as my feelings and moods amplify. Unfortunately for me, Dad’s called Assembly, and soon our territory will be swarming with potential Alpha mates. I’d hoped to make it through the final change before I had to deal with mating, but no such luck. Yay me.

  As if that wasn’t enough, a chance encounter with a mysterious and alluring wolf has me questioning everything. Then there’s Joe, Dad’s enforcer and protégé. I can’t figure out why these feelings of desire are cropping up anytime I’m near the pain-in-the-ass shifter.

  But all that pales in comparison when my dad drops a bombshell, a family secret that turns my world upside down. Nothing for me or the shifter race will ever be the same. It might just take the Moon Goddess herself to get me through this.

  * This is the first book in a slow-burn, reverse harem series. Not intended for younger audiences. *

  Selene: (Greek: “Moon”) Latin: Luna, in Greek and Roman religion.

  The personification of the moon as a goddess. Many cultures worshipped her at the new and full moons.

  Shifter mating: The only way for shifters to reproduce is through a true mating. The fever takes over every three years, allowing the mated pair to have cubs.

  Due to the decline in female shifters, only Alpha males will mate and reproduce. As more male cubs are born each cycle, female shifters become coveted. Without a resolution to the declining population, shifters are in danger of becoming extinct.

  Pushing my second story window open, I made every attempt to keep it from making noise. Any noise. I needed to put as much space as possible between here and the woods; the guard in the hall might discover my absence.

  I wasn’t naïve enough to think there weren’t any other guards stationed outside. Lucky for me, knowing the rotation made it a bit easier to slip away. My freedom had to be created if I wanted any.

  Looking one last time, nobody noticed my movement. I dropped to the grass and crouched on the soft earth. The smells of nature were a balm, soothing my anxiety.

  I craved a run, and so did my wolf. My skin was itchy, and my bones needed the adjustment. It couldn't wait much longer. Dad wouldn’t approve of ditching my protective detail or going anywhere alone. That’s why I was sneaking around under the cover of night. I wished I wasn’t treated as some coveted, sheltered princess.

  The dewy grass and damp soil clung to my feet. A soft breeze danced on my skin as I soaked up the moonlight. Everything about the scent of nature and the sounds of life created a cadence of tranquility in my soul. My wolf and I moved closer together, preparing to settle into one united being.

  I didn’t get very far.

  Past the tree line, about a mile away from the main house, footsteps sounded behind me. They were too fast. There was no outrunning them, and I braced myself to get tackled. Goddess, I couldn’t catch a break.

  “Dammit, Joe, you scared the shit out of me!”

  He had me pinned to the ground, and mud seeped into my clothes.

  “Where were you going, exactly?” he growled.

  “To take a ride on my unicorn,” I deadpanned.

  Joe put more weight upon me. Our position was getting him all worked up. The body didn’t lie. His arousal lay flush against me—long, thick, and rock hard. Yep, not going to go there; not now, not ever.

  “This isn’t amusing. You might be almost eighteen, but you can’t do whatever you want.”

  “You’re right! If I could, I’d be far, far away, exploring all those curiosities I have. Instead, I wanted to go for a run!”

  “Your father would punish us both if anything happened to you.”

  A retort bubbled up, ready to sling in his direction, but he cut me off.

  “Don’t turn yourself into an opportunity. It would turn this pack into chaos. The rogues would snatch you up like your mother, without hesitation.”

  He went there, rubbing the guilt on thick as he continued. “Your father would become lost to his wolf for good. The last thing our race needs is another rogue lost to our Goddess. That issue is running rampant—out of control, with no solution in the foreseeable future.”

  Tears stung my eyes as they threatened to emerge.

  Show no weakness. Don’t let Joe have that power over you. Smother that emotion with sarcasm.

  “Point made. Now get your growly wolf under control and get the fuck off me.”

  Crickets. He made no attempt to move. Anger reignited with a vengeance.

  My uneven breathing slowed our battle of wits. I could feel the rage take hold and heat radiating in waves. If I didn’t get my anger under control, I’d shift right there; underneath Joe, clothes and all. I didn’t want to shred them, muddy or not. The thought of his body pressed into mine while naked and vulnerable sent a shiver dancing across my skin.

  My temper burned through the hazy thoughts in my mind. I didn’t know if they were mine or my wolf’s. Why did it feel so different to be this close to Joe? I’d never been so aware of an invasion in my personal space with a guy before. Come to think of it, this was a position I only found myself in with Joe. Sigh.

  “Leave it alone. You found me,” I growled. “I’m going back to my prison now.”

  I tried to push him off, but he held me there, showing his dominance. Joe was being groomed as my dad’s replacement, and I wasn’t on good terms with him.
Mainly because he always followed orders and never thought about what I wanted. There was also that pesky nagging from my wolf that was all too aware of the friction between us. Yet another thing I chose to ignore.

  “Fine, but I’ll be telling your father about this.” His heated words ignited the last strands of control I had over my wolf. Soon, my tentative hold on reality would burn and snap, taking my human form with it.

  Since my anger wouldn’t dissipate, I began to struggle in a weak attempt to prevent the shift. Joe was everywhere, lately. I’d never seen him pay this much attention to my actions before. Then again, my wolf hadn’t pushed this hard for escape until recently.

  “Being a dick won’t make yours any bigger. Just saying,” I goaded.

  Finally, he let up, and I rolled until free. Scrambling, my legs carried me as fast as they could away from him. I was already halfway to the house when he caught up and grabbed me by the arm. I couldn’t afford any added contact with him while my wolf was so close to clawing her way out.

  “Come on, don’t be like that. I’m looking out for you.”

  “I’m not a child anymore.”

  “That’s painfully obvious,” Joe mumbled. It was clear by the barely audible volume of his comment I wasn’t supposed to hear him. My hearing was much sharper now that my birthday approached.

  “If you could, at least let me go in on my own. You don’t have to march me in front of my dad. I hate watching you kiss his ass.”

  “That was uncalled for, Syd. Let’s go, before I do something I’ll regret.”

  We both knew what that meant. He’d throw me over his shoulder and drop me inside, caveman style. Tonight, my dignity would remain intact. As soon as we reached the porch, I pulled away, rushed inside, and stomped up the stairs. I wanted them to know I was home and pissed as hell.

  Everyone was so overprotective of me. It was suffocating being repressed and hidden from society. My dad wanted me safe from everyone. There weren’t any females left in our pack since a rogue took Mom. Joe and Dad kept me on a tight leash, equipped with a metaphorical choke collar.

  I turned eighteen in a month, and then it was only a matter of finding my Alpha mate. As Luna to my Alpha, I’d have more freedom and authority.

  Finding a mate wasn’t something I looked forward to other than having freedom. I had enough male influence in my life to cause a strong dislike to the gender.

  For added effect, I slammed the bathroom door, hard. I began shedding my muddy clothes, needing a cold shower. The temperature would help counteract the shift I was close to. My body’s reaction to anger was one of the triggers that could force the change faster than any other. The temperature didn’t quell the heat, and I adjusted it from cool to ice cold.

  Lately, unsettling fury bubbled under the surface, until I lashed out. It wasn’t because I wanted to; my wolf was getting antsy. She knew something I didn’t and refused to communicate with me. I didn’t like it one bit. We weren’t one currently, or even in the vicinity. That separation caused adverse side effects and uncontrollable emotions. That’s probably why the need to shift was so overwhelming. We needed that small piece of unity.

  I needed that chance to get out of my skin, but it wasn’t allowed unless supervised. The pack run wasn’t until the full moon. Ugh, I doubted my wolf agreed to wait that long. Unfortunately, I’d delay until I was allowed or gave in and begged for a run sooner. Preferably option one because Joe would likely take me with the enforcers if I went before the pack run. Ugh, Joe—Again.

  Trying to calm down, I stepped out of the shower, wrapped myself in a towel, and went to my room. I knew Joe wouldn’t be standing guard outside the door. He’d be busy with my dad; that’s why the towel wouldn’t make a difference. If he’d been here, I’d be scolded yet again. They wouldn’t dare post anyone at the door until I settled in my room and away from prying eyes.

  We lived in an old farmhouse from a forgotten era. I wanted an en-suite bathroom but it wasn’t to be without some major remodeling. The pipes weren’t placed where the plumbing needed. It didn’t matter; I wouldn’t be here much longer.

  As if timed, once dressed in my version of pajamas—AKA a tank top and boy shorts—the knock at the door came. I knew it was my dad and wasn’t looking forward to seeing him. My temper was still too volatile.

  Wrapped in my robe, I cracked the door open and stuck my head out. “Yes, Daddy, what did you need?” I asked sweetly.

  “Young lady, let me in. We’re going to have a long overdue talk.” He wasn’t using his Alpha voice, thankfully. I wouldn’t have to obey, since it wasn’t a command, merely a request.

  “I’m tired. Can we do this in the morning? I’ve had enough lecturing from Joe. Save round two for tomorrow. Please?”

  He mumbled his agreement. He wouldn’t press it anymore tonight, but I’d pay like hell tomorrow. I shut the door, feeling some of that simmering anger cool.

  Inevitably, he would demand to know where I’d been planning to run off to when I saw him in the morning. There was no way to tell the truth without getting my ass chewed out. He was going to demand my explanation no matter what, though.

  I wanted to go for a run—alone. The pent-up energy and need to blow off some steam was crushing. The walls around me felt like they were closing in; suffocating and claustrophobic.

  In less than a few minutes, I settled in bed with the light turned off. It took longer than expected to get to sleep. Suffocating resentment still fueled my adrenaline and it wasn’t fading fast enough. The wolf inside roiled from emotions involving more than that one feeling. The need for dominance veiled her, no doubt my Luna blood settling into place. There was also the unfamiliar feeling of . . . desire?

  Desire was a foreign reaction for me; read but never experienced. It seemed to develop the closer my metamorphosis was to being complete. Of all these emotions, that was the one of most concern. Anger and dominance were in my blood and not new to my wolf nor me.

  If only Mom had been here to guide me through this life-altering event, but she wasn’t. I wasn’t even sure if she was alive. After all these years, she would’ve found a way to return, regardless of the situation.

  Sometime later, my mind grew fuzzy and slipped into sleep. That was the only place I could have a sliver of peace. Tomorrow was another day, and I’d have to start the fight for my independence all over again.

  I woke up to someone banging on my door. What fresh hell was I going to be living in today?

  “I’m coming!” The person on the other side of the door wouldn’t miss the bite in my response. Too bad.

  The knocking ceased, and I got out of bed to answer. It wasn’t a surprise to see Joe standing there. He’d come to fetch me for Dad. Oh, joy.

  He towered over my five-foot-six-inch frame by a good eight inches. My silver eyes glared up at him as I stood there. He narrowed his green ones at me, and I steeled myself for the onslaught of demands.

  “Get dressed, princess. The Alpha needs to speak to you. He’s not too happy, either. I’ll wait here.”

  “Fine, I’ll be out in five minutes.”

  Joe nodded, and I shut the door in his face, as usual. I didn’t want to be a bitch. Oh, wait. I was a bitch. Eh, no matter. The guy was bringing out the worst in me lately.

  Plus, a whole pack of domineering werewolves surrounded me. With all the orders, I found myself with a fiery attitude, to assert my own dominance.

  They didn’t treat me as family, but like a trophy or something fragile. Females were doted on and revered in packs. But, since I wasn’t mated yet, they had no clue how to deal with me. It’s infuriating.

  Well, that and because of the communication problem I was having with my wolf. Our bond was a bit jagged, and I didn’t know how to fix it. She was silent, quick to anger, and anxious. Taking orders most of the time on top of that frustrated the hell out of me.

  Not caring about looks, I dressed in some well-worn jeans and a black tank-top. Slipping on comfortable black flats, I opened the bedroom door. Quickly, I brushed past Joe and shut myself in the bathroom to finish getting ready.

  For spite, I took my time. It was stupid, but having them wait gave me some sick satisfaction. They should be as unhappy as me.