It's been about 5 full moons since Luna and her siblings were born under a beautiful full moon. The extended wolf pack had stayed in that tree for the first few weeks of the pups lives. They couldn't go anywhere until they could walk on their own.
Luna and her brother and sister have grown about twice their size over those 5 months. Luna was shown to inherit her father's alpha streak. Whenever she played with her siblings, she'd always dominate them despite her being the youngest.
They were blissfully unaware of the danger the pack was in the middle of. The pack was now on the move to not find Paradise, but to find a new permanent home for them. He didn't want this kind of life for them. But where was home?
The pups were laughing joyfully as they ran ahead of their parents and grandparents. Aaron took the lead while his sisters ran behind him. "Betcha can't catch me!" he taunted. "You wanna bet?" Samara called. "You can't get away that easily, brother!" Luna laughed.
"You three don't wander far." Hana called. "Okay, mom!" the pups said in sync. The pack decided to take a rest in a secluded forest as the noble activity was becoming increasingly worrisome. The trees covered some of the sky; letting the sun shine through the leaves.
The elder wolves rested by a large tree as the pups played fought one another. Lunch was in the hour so they'd have to go hunting. Luna was excited because the pups have had hunting lessons before and couldn't wait to put her hunting skills to the test.
Luna got free of the scramble of pups and trots to her father. She wagged her wolf tail as well as pawed at him. "Can we get deer today?" she asked happily. "Why deer? I can eat anything today!" Samara yipped, tackling her sister to the ground. Luna growled at Samara in an attempt to get her off.
"Alright girls. Take it easy. Deer sounds nice. If you think you're up for the challenge." Ryan teased playfully. Needing no further encouragement, Luna runs ahead of her dad and Samara, leaving Aaron back with their mother and grandparents.
Ever since the hunting lesson, she was excited to actually go hunting. She couldn't wait to sink her wolf fangs into a juicy deer carcass. Ryan and Samara quickly follow behind the enthused black she wolf. She hadn't gotten far from them because of a scent.
"I caught something. Towards North." Luna said, sniffing the ground. Ryan was proud of Luna. It was clear that her hunting switch had been turned on. "You got it, Luna. Lead the way." Ryan said to her.
Happy to see her sister take the spotlight, Samara obediently followed them. When they'd reached adulthood, Luna would have no issues hunting.
The wolf sisters were intrigued with the big hunting game. They hid in the bushes and carefully spotted a lone deer grazing on some grass. The girls stealthily approach it with their wolf eyes on their unsuspecting victim.
Ryan watched carefully and let his daughters do what they were taught to do. Luna had full interest in the throat. Then, the girls ambushed the deer with a single growl.
They began to give chase, nipping at its heels with their wolf teeth. Samara grabbed it's foreleg and Luna made the finishing move by leaping onto its throat with her wolf jaws open wide. She sank her wolf fangs deep into its throat and waited until it suffocated.
When it fell, she let go of it, it's blood still on her wolf muzzle. "Whoo-hoo! We did it! Victory is ours!" Samara howled, bounding happily. "Our first kill ever! That was an amazing hunt if I do say so myself." Luna replied, feeling proud of herself and Samara.
Before they could alert their dad, a large grey wolf comes out of nowhere and pushes them out of the way. "Hey! What's the big idea?!" Luna growled, jumping to her wolf paws. She was indignant that this stranger would just be so rude like that. "Sorry, little girls, but you're going hungry today." the stranger said, trying to take the kill.
"I'll get dad." Samara said, running back in the direction of where Ryan was, leaving Luna alone. Luna wasn't going to let this stranger take their food, something she worked hard to get. "Hey, that's our kill! Who do you think you are?!" Luna snarled at the stranger. The stranger wolf wasn't phased at all by her bravery.
"It doesn't matter who I am. This kill is mine now." he said, taking the deer by its neck. Luna latched her wolf fangs on his hind leg with a heavy bite. "That. Is. Mine!" she growled, her words muffled. The stranger wolf growled and made Luna let go by grabbing her by the neck hide, causing her to yelp in pain.
He threw her to the side and she rolled on the ground. "I'm warning you, you bitch. Try that again and you'll get worse. I won't ask twice." the stranger warned. Luna wasn't scared of his empty threat. She had to fight for her food that is rightfully hers.
Lunging at the stranger again with her wolf teeth bared, she managed to get another good bite on his shoulder. That was the last straw for him. Luna was overpowered by the stranger.
"I warned you! Now you're gonna get it!" he snarled, sinking his wolf fangs into her back and legs. She cried out in pain. Samara had gotten their father and had heard the cry of pain from her sister.
When they got there, they saw that Luna was being attacked by that stranger wolf. Ryan snarled deeply at this. This bastard wasn't going to get away with hurting his Little Luna. Ryan then leaped at the stranger with a growl.
Luna sees her father take down the stranger wolf with his wolf fangs. The two wolves fought in combat for a brief moment. Ryan won the fight by pinning the stranger wolf onto his side. Samara came by her sister and helped her to her wolf paws. "Luna, are you okay?" she asked, licking her wounds. "Ow… I think so…" she whimpered, holding her left forepaw in the air.
Luna was shocked to see her father go from gentle giant to fierce protector. Ryan snarled down at the stranger. "If you EVER go near my daughter again, I won't hesitate to rip out your throat." Ryan threatened. "It would do you some good to teach that brat of yours some manners. She'll get herself killed one of these days." the stranger said, furthing Ryan's anger.
Luna growled at him as well as Samara. "The kill is rightfully hers. And don't you tell me how to raise my pups. You're pathetic if you think that stealing food from pups is your idea of survival. You're lucky I'm letting you go easy." Ryan said, angry. He gets off the stranger and goes to his daughters, who hide underneath his wolf belly.
The stranger went from evil to cowardice within a few seconds. "Get the hell out of here. NOW." Ryan barked aggressively. The stranger did so. Once he was gone, Ryan relaxed and shook his wolf fur.
Luna got out from underneath her father and looked at him. "Are you alright, Luna?" he asked, his wolf head lowered to her height. "I'm… ow…" she winced, feeling how sore her body was. He licked her wounds carefully and nuzzled her. "It's okay now. Let's go back to your mother and grandparents. They'll treat your wounds." Ryan tells her. She nods at this.
Samara helped Ryan with taking the kill back to the rest of the pack. They stopped every so often to check on Luna, who was limping behind them.
They make it back to the others within 10 minutes. Hana springs up to her wolf paws at seeing Luna injured. "Luna, what happened?" she cried, rushing to her daughter's aid. "She had a nasty encounter with another wolf." Ryan tells her, dropping the carcass.
"Oh my word, are you alright?" Mahika asked Luna. "I'll be okay, grandma. Can I have a lie down?" Luna asks, wanting to lay down for a bit. "Of course. Come over here." Mahika replied. Hana assisted her daughter to Mahika.
An hour passes by and the pack lets Luna rest. Ryan gave the order that no one would eat the carcass until Luna is well rested. Aaron was getting a little impatient as well as Samara but Ryan made sure that they listened.
"You killed this deer all by yourself, Luna?! That's awesome." Aaron praised. "Yeah… yeah I did." Luna said distantly, laying in between her mother's wolf forelegs. Ever since that encounter, she had been quiet.
She felt as though she had disappointed her father and she didn't want to ever do that. "What's the matter, sweety? Is something on your mind?" Hana wondered, looking down at her daughter. "It's nothing, mom. I'm fine." Luna replied, her voice making it obvious that she was lying.
"Ooh that wolf should know better than to mess with Luna or Sammy! I'd kick their butts if I was there." Aaron said. Luna looked down at her forepaws. That's what she tried to do and look where it got her.
"Brother…" Samara said, rolling her wolf eyes. "What?" he said offended. "Son, calm down. You're upsetting your sister." Hana scolds, giving him the mother look. "Okay… Sorry." Aaron said, toning it down. He looked at his sister with a look of guilt. He didn't mean to upset her like that. He didn't know that's what she tried to do.
Ryan saw the aloof look Luna had. It was concerning. "Hana, Zeus, Mahika, can you take Samara and Aaron away for a moment. I need to speak with Luna for a moment." Ryan asked. Luna looks up at her mom for a moment. "It's alright, dear." Hana assured. Luna sighed and stood on her wolf paws.
"Come with me over to the lake over there, Luna." Ryan said, already walking ahead. Hana and her parents did what she was asked with Samara and Aaron.
Luna follows her father to the lake with her wolf head and ears lowered. She sat down on his right side. "What's on your mind? Is it about the hunt?" he asks her. She looks down at her wolf forepaws.
"I thought so. It's not your fault that it happened. You know that right?" Ryan assured her. "But… why do I feel like it is." Luna asked, her wolf eyes shut. She still felt profoundly guilty. Ryan didn't want her feeling that way. He knows she wasn't at fault; it was the stranger wolf's fault.
"I don't know. But what I do know is you're a smart she-wolf, Luna. You did what you had to in order to protect our kill. You're smart for your age. So don't blame yourself for this." he answers her.
Luna gazes up at her father for a second. His words did help her a little. She wondered if he ever got scared. She knew how brave her father is so she wondered. "Dad, aren't you ever scared?" she asked him, her wolf ears raising a bit.
Ryan looked down and saw her bright yellow wolf eyes staring up at him. "Of course I do. Especially when it comes to my pack's safety." he answers honestly. He closed his wolf eyes. Seeing Luna being pinned down and vulnerable to that wolf gave him the fright of his life.
He had to cover his shaky demeanor that he was feeling. All it would take is for her to get bit somewhere that would be considered fatal and he would've lost his Little Luna forever.
"But, aren't all alpha's of a pack supposed to be the bravest wolves? That's what you guys tell us at least." Luna asked, looking at the lake in front of them.
"Luna, I'm only brave when I need to be; not because I want to be. You need to understand what you're capable of; to trust yourself. It will come to you soon enough. I will make sure you, your brother and sister will be under our protection from here on out. Until you three learn to hold your own at least. Keep yourself well fed and healthy. Protect your pack, be there for your loved ones. That's what a wolf is supposed to do." Ryan explained thoroughly.
Luna understood every word he said to her. She knows not to test the will of the hungry and desperate. Even in this day of age. The world isn't how it used to be. The nobles have taken everything from them to build their empires. They want Paradise for themselves. They'll do anything to kill every last wolf on this dying planet. It didn't matter who.
She felt much better now. Ryan's speech moved her therefore, she'd be more careful around anything she comes across. Ryan saw how much of him was in his daughter; that unshakable confidence and desire for acclaim.
"Thanks for that, dad. I was brave though huh?" she asked, her wolf ears raised. Ryan proceeds to playfully tackle his daughter and he laughs. She pawed at his wolf face and nipped at him while growling playfully.
"Yes you were. But, leave the bravery to your mother and I, okay?" he asks, tickling her. "Yes! Yes I will!" she laughed at her father's playful side. "That's my girl. Now, let's have some of that deer." he chuckled, feeling proud of her. She nods and they join the pack for some food.