Chapter 22: Preparation and the Past

Cleave stood before a pack of weavile and Sneasel. The night grew dark around them, only the moonlight surrounding them. And Cleave seemed to have a spotlight in the light of the lunar body. "Bring out your Alpha" he commanded "so I can…assert my dominance." He smirked.

A surprisingly large weavile approached him. "Think you can handle me huh?" The larger female weavile slashed downward at him. Cleave side-stepped the attack and cut across her stomach. She retaliated by tackling him to the ground and tried to stab him in his face. He moved his head and quickly slammed his head into hers. Then getting his arms free pulled her forcefully into a kiss. She struggled against him to get away from him, but with surprising strength he flipped them over getting on top of her.

He forced her claws down and pulled away from her. Then he licked his lips "Now then, swear loyalty to me, and I'll let you serve me with dignity. Of course I can instead use you like the worthless whore you are. I'll let you decide" he licked across her neck. She shuddered under him and let herself give in. "Good girl, you're quite the little toy aren't you?" He stood up and turned to the pack. "And now all of you are my bitches. Grovel before me! Hahahahaha!" He laughed at his rather easily taken status of alpha. Then he started walking toward the other females of the pack. "Come along now my dears, alpha needs to populate right about now."

*A Few Nights Later*

The pack was fast asleep when Cleave left them. The night of the new moon had come once again. And Cleave knew what came next. He found a nice enough clearing. Had the moon been out, it would have illuminated everything around. And that is where he waited, until the midnight of the new moon. A veil of white, purple, and gold in crescent shapes similar to the moon itself.

"I've missed you dearly Cleave." A sweet innocently feminine voice came to him.

"Ah Lunala" Cleave smiled at her, that seemingly caring, but deeply venomous smile. The smile of someone that simply didn't care. Unfortunately for the rather kind hearted legendary pokemon, she never knew how little he cared for her. But to her benefit, he cared for her more than most of his other partners. Even Cleave had to admit, he didn't know what changed him. Lunala had fallen for him hard so long ago, and at the time he did genuinely care for her, but he had long since lost that feeling.

*Years Ago*

The young Sneasel was away from his pack in the darkness of the new moon. In the darkness even the pale white snow went unseen. Plucking berries from a tree before he gently dropped down and began devouring them. There was a bright gleam in his dark blue eyes, his blue-grey fur barely noticeable in the darkness. The vibrant colors of the legendary above him were invisible in the shadows. After he finished the berries he stood up and began carving a shape into the tree, in the shape of a sneasel. He then went to attacking the tree. He struck with precision and speed, striking every part that would be considered vital. After a few minutes of striking the tree he felt his claws blunted. And after they became unable to cut he walked to a small river. He pulled a stone from the water and began scraping his claws against it. Suddenly a small light surrounded him and as he turned around he saw the most magnificent creature he'd ever laid his eyes on. Lunala, a legendary pokemon, in the radiance of her self projected moonlight was beyond gorgeous to the Sneasel.

Similarly Lunala gazed at the sneasel, he was a perfect specimen of an earth creature to her. Even at his age, which was just reaching maturity that day, he was rather well built. His body was thin, but the muscles of his fur were apparent and well defined. He looked almost identical to Blade at that age. And his mind was surprisingly strong. His thoughts were all on his pack, that he had to become stronger, he had to take over his pack. His ambition and skill, as well as his compassion for his family, it all drew Lunala to him.

"Greetings little one." Her voice was calming and friendly.

Cleave got back extending his claws "Who are you?!"

"There is no need for violence, I am Lunala, I am what you could consider the Guardian of the Moone." She spoke softly. "And I've been watching over you for a long time now. You are quite the Sneasel, the most skilled and cunning hunter in your pack, more ambitious than any others, and you care for your pack. Your heart is noble. So I would like to give you a gift."

"What kind of gift?"

Lunala continued. "It's a simple gift, little more than some assistance in helping you grow stronger."

Cleave smiled at her offer. "How would you help me?"

"I can absorb any light and make it into energy to survive or make myself stronger, and after a few, shall we say tests, I've found I can give that energy to others." Lunala smiled at him. Cleave remained silent as she continued. "And you are the perfect specimen to accept this gift."

Cleave smiled happily. "I will gladly accept this gift, I have to become stronger! My pack needs a proper leader, and with this power I will become that leader!" His smile was pure and it held some strange sense of desire. He had found a great sense of emotion overwhelming him. The only description he could think was, love at first sight. Cleave felt such joy in his heart as he asked her what he needed to know. "How do I accept this gift?"

"Simply touch me, and I can transfer the energy to you." She spoke gently looking into his mind. "I'll give this power to you, but first you must close your eyes." Cleave did as he was told and shut his eyes. Lunala read his mind like an open book and after a few moments of positioning her larger form into a fitting position, she kissed him as his mind spoke to her. He had truly fallen for her so easily. And she had to admit to herself, after so long of watching him, she had fallen for the young Sneasel. They broke their little kiss as Cleave opened his eyes blushing heavily.

"Wait! I…. I'm sorry, but I….I want more than that, can we stay together tonight? I just really like you!" He blushed at his confession.

"Of course, let us find somewhere more, private." Lunala hovered away leading Cleave farther away from his pack, through the snow blanketed area.

"Wait…you read my mind didn't you? Please, don't do that again."

"As you wish. I promise, I shall refrain from doing so again."

*Just before daybreak*

The night had been long and passionate. But just before the sun began to rise Lunala prepared to leave. "I'm afraid I must leave you now Cleave. Before the sun rises."

Cleave frowned at her. "Will…will I see you again?"

"Of course my dear, every night of the new moon, you and I can be together again. But before I leave, I have one last gift." A small sharp object appeared before Cleave. "When you are ready, hold this razor claw in the embrace of the dark and the moonlight, and you will become more powerful than ever." She smiled at him. "We'll be together again my darling, I leave you with this my love, take what belongs to you. Become the alpha you were born to be. So become who you are." She turned away and left.

Cleave whispered as she left the cave they had spent the night in. "Goodbye, my love…" As she left he felt something inside of him snap. He felt so much stronger than before, and he felt an almost unnerving desire. He wanted more, he suddenly felt his dreams within reach, and even more than that he wanted to take more than he'd initially intended. All of his greed, as odd and sudden as it was, had little effect on his heart. He still wanted to see Lunala again, and he still loves her, but that sudden feeling of corruption had already started to taint his heart. And he left the cave, ready to do what he knew he had to. He was going to take the pack by any means necessary.

*Present*

Lunala lowered herself and licked Cleave's muzzle. "Just as perfect as I remember."

"And you are just as perfect as I recall." Knowing she wouldn't break her promise to never read his mind again, he smirked internally at her naïve nature.

"Are you ready to consummate once more, my perfect alpha?"

"Of course I am my love, come along now our night of passionate fornication begins with haste." And so they went to find a decently private location for….that.