Shattered Dreams (Luna's Children) Read online

  Shattered Dreams

  Luna's Children Book 1

  By

  Melissa Kay Clarke

  Text Copyright © 2013 by Melissa Kay Clarke

  Cover Artwork Copyright © 2013 by Kevin Cox

  All Rights Reserved

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places,

  events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination

  or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons,

  living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  Dedication

  To my family. I couldn't have done it without

  your love and support. Thank you for believing

  in me when I had no belief of my own.

  Special thanks to my beta readers for the suggestions,

  comments and holding my hand while

  I wrote, rewrote and rewrote again.

  You know who you are!

  Table of Contents

  PREFACE

  CHAPTER 1

  CHAPTER 2

  CHAPTER 3

  CHAPTER 4

  CHAPTER 5

  CHAPTER 6

  CHAPTER 7

  CHAPTER 8

  CHAPTER 9

  CHAPTER 10

  CHAPTER 11

  CHAPTER 12

  CHAPTER 13

  CHAPTER 14

  CHAPTER 15

  CHAPTER 16

  CHAPTER 17

  CHAPTER 18

  CHAPTER 19

  CHAPTER 20

  CHAPTER 21

  CHAPTER 22

  CHAPTER 23

  EPILOGUE

  Preface

  In the time when time began, Father Sol brought forth two children, Terra and Luna. It was obvious that Sol favored Terra over her gentler sister and indulged her shamelessly by granting her every desire. Soon she was adorned in beautiful blue and green gowns, her head wreathed in lovely soft white. He gave her jewels of rainbows, and many living things to love and occupy her time. Luna said nothing, choosing to watch in silent suffering.

  As is normal when a child is over indulged, Terra cared little for all Father Sol granted to her. She became vain, choosing to ignore the creatures put into her care. Sol was saddened to see her indifference and as parents often do with the spoiled, he took it upon himself to watch over them. But, he could not spend all of his time worrying with his daughter's playthings and asked her younger sister to help him. She readily agreed for in her watching of her sister, she loved them.

  So, Luna took the things that were about in the darkness of Sol's absence into her care; the owls, foxes, coyotes, bats, and wolves along with other great and small creatures. Wanting to draw closer to them, one evening she changed herself into a beautiful woman with silver eyes and bright moonbeams for hair. Quietly, she slipped into the forest and took a walk with her new charges, asking them if there was anything that they would wish for themselves. They clamored for her attention, shouting their desires to her. All of them, that is, with the exception of the wolves who sat back and watched quietly.

  Luna moved among them and listened to their petitions. To the owls, she granted night sight so they may see to hunt in the darkness. To the foxes, she gave cunning. The bats were given the ability to see without seeing and so on through all the creatures. One by one they took their gifts and ran away until only the wolves remained. As she was about to leave and return to the sky above, she saw the wolves sitting by quietly. “Is there nothing I may give to you?” she asked softly.

  The oldest of the wolves shook his head. “You have given your attention so that we may not be forgotten. Instead of a gift to us, we wish to bless you with one of our own.” As one, they lifted their heads and sang a song of their appreciation to her.

  Luna was so moved by their selflessness, she caressed each of the six (four males and two females), her tears shining brightly in her beautiful eyes until they fell and swarmed about becoming fireflies. “Oh my sweet wolves, thank you for your song. I am touched by your thoughtful, unselfish gift. In return, I will grant not just one but to each of you a single wish. Please tell me your heart's desire.”

  The oldest brother went first. “I would wish for strength so that I may look after my pack and protect them from those who would cause us harm.”

  “Granted,” she kissed him on his soft head. “You shall be called Alpha and your strength will be great. To help you with your task, there shall be another called Beta. I will leave the task of appointing a beta from among your brothers to your wisdom. Go forth and take charge of your pack.”

  The eldest nodded his great head and stepped back respectfully rejoining his siblings.

  The second took a step forward. “I wish for the ability to heal my brothers and sisters, so that they will know little pain.”

  Luna nodded. “A wise choice and again one that will serve your people well.” She kissed him on his head. “You will have the knowledge to care for the well being of your kind. Go forth and help your people.”

  The second stepped back with the others.

  The next stepped forward. “I wish for the ability to know when my family is feeling sorrow so that I may share their burden and pain.”

  Again, she kissed the wolf on his head and granted his wish. “You will know what your siblings are feeling and share their burdens. Go forth and console your pack.”

  The third stepped back and rejoined his family.

  The fourth, a sister, stepped forward. “I wish for the ability watch our kind, past and future so that I may see if something wishes our people harm.”

  Luna nodded, her heart touched by the selflessness of these beautiful creatures, each one's concern only for their people. “Granted. You will be able to see the lives of your people as they unfold, both past, present and future. This ability will manifest as a waking dream in which you may see what they see. Go forth and watch over your family,” and she kissed her head.

  The fourth stepped back as the fifth stepped forward. “I am afraid that our pack will be lonely. I see the other creatures and how they struggle to find a suitable mate. I wish that all our people may find a perfect mate, one for one, to cherish for all eternity.”

  “Another wise choice.” She blessed his shaggy head with a kiss. “From this moment on, the wolves shall have a perfect mate with whom to share his or her life. You shall know your mate by eye contact, for that is the window into your soul. So that all will know your joy at discovering your mate, a unique individual mark shall be produced – mirror images that fit perfectly together. Go forth and find the one that completes you perfectly.”

  The wolves felt great joy for now they would be able to care for each other in all ways. Luna looked upon them with love in her heart for they were truly noble beasts to care so much for each other. Then her eyes fell upon the least of them, a smallest sister. “What about you, little one. What would be your wish?”

  The others quietened instantly and looked upon her. She took a breath and stepped forward. “Oh great Luna, you have given so much to us, I have no other desire but to see my fellow wolves prosper and to never forget the love that you have shown us. I wish to always be mindful of the great generosity of you and that our voices be forever raised in gratitude to you.”

  Luna was taken aback by the gentle request of the least of them. Slowly she nodded her head. “So shall it be, I will grant your wish, little sister. You shall lift your voice in song. But, I will also bind your people together with it. The melody you have given to me this night shall become one with the life force of the wolves.” She hummed a bit of the haunting melody they had given to her earlier. Taking the song, she twisted
it into their heartbeats and souls, binding them to each other. Then she took their bound songs and melded it with her own. When she had finished, she stepped back and looked at them, the soft song of their lives in perfect harmony to her own. “It is done. You are now bound to each other for all eternity and to me as well. You will seek out each other, forming close knit packs, for your melody will demand it and sing your song while I watch over you from above. Together, you will be strong and build a good life for yourselves and your offspring for all eternity.” She gently caressed them and smiled. “Because you have been so selfless in your requests, I grant you one more gift. In honor of the nobility of your race and the binding of your lives with mine, you shall be able to shift between your natural form to mine – from animal to human and back again at will.”

  As the night finished its time upon Terra's form, Luna left to return to her home in the stars. Just as she was fading from view, she whispered one more promise to her most favored of charges.

  “From this moment on, you will be known as my children.”

  The Gifts of Luna

  as taken from The Archives

  CHAPTER 1

  The stone felt smooth in her hand, round and surprisingly heavy for its size. Carson ran one thumb over it, her mind only barely registering the soft lap of tiny waves on the gritty shore. Quickly, she pulled her arm back and let the stone fly, the smack of the granite piece as it skipped across the surface the only sound disturbing the quiet. As the last skip took the rock to the murky depths, she sighed and wiping her hands on her jean clad knees, stood upright again and let her senses take in every detail of the post card scene before her.

  The silvery disk of an almost full moon sat low in the valley of the hills behind the lake. The strands of light reflected off the surface causing the mist to glow in an other-worldly manner. Kissing the shoreline on the right was a dense forest stretching its arms around and behind her to disappear into a small meadow on the left. It was beautiful and serene and one of her most favorite places in the world. Coming here was coming home.

  Carson's sea green eyes scanned the tree line once and then again. She knew he was out there - there was always someone out there keeping an eye on her. But as usual, unless they wanted to be seen, they weren't. "Get a grip, Carson," she mumbled to herself, "you should be used to it by now. They've only been there most of your life." With a shrug, she turned to the right and moved away from the lake and back into the forest proper. As she crossed into the wood line, the forest went silent. She barely even noticed anymore.

  "Beautiful night, Princess."

  The shadows melted and spat forth a figure, darker even than the night itself. Even after all these years, she still startled when that happened. Tall and handsome as were most of her people, he had a square jaw, straight almost equine nose and high cheekbones. The short cropped hair, black as sin, refused to partake of the dance of moonbeams bathing the open shoreline.

  "Micah," she murmured. "Yes, it's really nice."

  He smiled at her, a tight hidden thing that failed miserably to reach the twin pools of his eyes. Carson knew that had the lighting been different, she would see deep amber flecked with gold and emerald. Micah had unusual eyes even by her people's standards.

  He leaned against the tree, crossing his arms over his thick chest, one ankle casually crossed over the other. The black Enforcer uniform hugged his figure and created deeper pools on his body. Her mind slipped back to a time when she used to stand at her window and watch them train in the dirt packed yard behind the compound. She was brought back to the present by the deep timbre of his voice. "Still trying to shake your guards? You know your father would kill all of us if anything happened to you."

  She shrugged. "My father thinks I am still a child.”

  He chuckled. The deep boom flowed around her senses and she realized that the hot crush she had always had on him had cooled in the past few years. Even though it had, he was still one delectable example of wolf flesh and every female between twelve and one hundred salivated whenever he walked by. She reluctantly turned away from him. Taking a moment to get her bearings, she honed in to the unmistakable lure of the compound and took off in a sprint. After a few steps, with a small explosion of shredded clothing, she phased into her full wolf, loping unerringly towards home.

  She ran, her nose taking in the scents that surrounded her: assorted animals, the decaying undergrowth under her paws, the fresh green of summer saplings as she ducked under them. Home. She was finally home. Letting her animal lose of all restraints, she threw her head back and reveled in the freedom of the run. Dimly she was aware of another behind her and grinned to herself. Micah will have to do better than that if he wanted to keep up with her. With a bound over a fallen log, she gave in and let herself run free. Her muscles flexed, stretched and ate up the terrain. Freedom like she hadn't felt in years rushed through her veins. It was good to be back where she belonged again.

  HOME.

  .-~*~-.

  Chase crossed his long legs and leaned back making the old wooden chair creak. Nervously, he stuffed his fingers into his jeans pockets. On the surface, he looked the epitome of relaxed. On the inside, however, he was tied in a thousand knots, his wolf pacing back and forth in the invisible cage of Chase's mind. This feel of unease had seized him a couple of hours ago and refused to subside. Something was coming. Would it be good or bad? He didn't know, but something definitely was coming. He glanced again at the book lying on the table, Nocturnal Animal Physiology, then turned his attention back to the door beyond the table.

  His cabin was small, but adequate, with a common room containing a worn leather sofa and chair squatting before the river stone fireplace. A knotted wool rug stretched over the plain hardwood floor underneath and no curtains on the windows. On the other side of the room was a small kitchen complete with all the necessities including a table and two chairs. A bedroom and small bathroom was through the only other door. It had been terribly run down and still needed some work, but was liveable. In all, it was definitely a bachelor's pad and he liked it just this way. No muss, no fuss.

  Jumping up, he crossed the room again, long fingers raking through the deep auburn shoulder length hair then moved down to his chin, rubbing absently. A portion of his mind registered the fact that he was well past due for a shave. He shrugged it off. He'll shave before meeting the rest of the pack in the morning. Tonight, he was just too keyed to even handle a blade much less let one near his own flesh.

  Halfway across the floor he stopped. His head shot up, nostrils flaring, drawing in deep pulls of the air. Shaking his head he finished the current circuit in the small cabin and stopped before the window, throwing it open and leaning out, inhaling a great lungful of the still night air. He detected owls in the tree across from him and squirrels nestled into a void in the tree cavity just below them. To the east a pair of foxes was stalking a brace of rabbits burrowed into their hole under an old log. To the west, a doe lead her fawn to the brook for a drink. Nothing was out of place; everything was as it should be. He frowned, causing lines to form in his brow over the creamy brown of his eyes. If everything was perfect, then why was he so uptight?

  The symphony of frogs and insects stilled instantly. It was as if a switch had been thrown, effectively turning the forest from a living breathing entity to a photograph of muted greys, blacks and silvers. Something definitely was out of sorts. He hesitated a moment then growling, shrugged out of his jeans, slid out of the window and shifted before his feet hit the worn planks. Resisting the urge to shake his supple body, he instead took a few steps, leaping off the porch and melted into the inky blackness of the surrounding trees. His father had always taught him that it was better to think than to act, so instead of hunting down the source of the uneasiness, he chose to wait and see. Crouching into the blackness, he backed under a bush and settled down to see what had disrupted the woods.

  Overhead, the just rising moon, mere days from total fullness, spilled pale light i
nto the clearing. His enhanced sight caught a subtle shifting of shadows just beyond where his black pickup truck sat parked. Focusing on the spot, his muscles tensed in ready should danger manifest.

  He smelled her before he saw the dappled black and silver coat of a she-wolf step cautiously into the small clearing surrounding his cabin. Pulling a deep breath, he detected earthy lilacs, warm honey and the sweet vanilla of the female and closed his eyes, registering her fragrance into his memory. He had always been partial to the scent of lilacs and coupled with vanilla and honey, she smelled exactly what he would consider to be perfection. He was just about to step out and go greet her – surely she was a part of his new pack, just one he hadn't met yet - when her head shot up and she turned looking behind her. Then as quickly as she had appeared, she silently stepped back into the trees and disappeared. Chase stood up, wondering idly who she was. Just as he was about to leave the bush, he smelled the presence of another wolf. A blur streaked through the clearing and disappeared, racing in the same direction the female had gone. As soon as the two had left the area, the night burst forth into song again as if nothing had happened. He waited a moment more, but nothing else moved in the night. Shaking himself, he padded back to the door. He quickly phased back into human form and placed a hand on the doorknob, turning it. With a tired growl he let it go when he realized it was locked; a habit left over from his old pack living just outside Roanoke. Closer to the city had its own lure – things like decent cell phone service (he had figured out quickly that his new phone was basically worthless here), iced lattes and designer jeans painted on beautiful women, but it had it's downfalls as well. Closer to the city was closer to crime; not that a human could really hurt a wolf, but it was just better to not invite trouble. Slipping through the still open window, he stopped and looked back into the woods, wondering again who the female was and why she was being chased. There was something about her... He shook his head and picked his faded jeans up off the floor and tugged them back on, fastening them. He shrugged and closed the window behind him. He looked at the book he had been reading and picked it up from the table. Settling down in the chair, he tried to immerse himself in the text. After reading the same page for the fourth time, he recognized it as a lost cause. Standing up, he closed it and placed it back on the small built in bookshelf by the fireplace. He was just too keyed up to read now – maybe he should go for a run and get to know the area a little more. He nodded to himself and slipped out of the jeans again and made his way to the door. Leaving it unlocked this time, he walked out onto the porch, shifted and gave into his wolf.