SHE'S THE LUNA I WANT
Chapter 1

JACE.

“Alpha, I bumped into Lady Amara. She was running toward the forest line and told me not to followher. I think something happened to her. She looked bad.

I kept repeating the warrior's words in my head as my wolf, Zero, hiked up his speed, heading in thedirection where we thought we could replace her. My heart was pounding too hard, worried thatsomething bad had happened to her. And, knowing Amara, she was the last female on the planetthat would seek help.

My name is Jackson Galhart, or you can call me Jace.

Tomorrow, I will step up as the new Alpha of the Black Shadow Pack, something I have spent mywhole life preparing for.

Just a moment ago, I was standing on the training ground, watching as my father, Alpha JacobGalhart, spent the last night of being an Alpha in friendly combat with his most trusted men, hisBeta and Gamma.

Pride rose in my chest as I watched my father display all the skills he learned and acquired throughthe years. He was a great Alpha and even a greater warrior.

He might be in his forties, but he was still capable of rendering anyone immobile with his combatskills. But with him fighting both Beta Gavin and Gamma Aaron, who were almost on par with him, Idoubted if any of them would end up submitting. They were by far the best fighters in this pack,and my only hope was that I, together with my Beta and Gamma, Tyler, and Austin, would be able toachieve what they had, if not surpass them.

With the passing of the title happening tomorrow, I was supposed to be just taking it easy tonight. Iblocked off my schedule this afternoon until the ceremony so I could have time for myself before Igave my all to this pack, but then one of the warriors reached out to me and told me about seeingAmara in the middle of the forest, near the Shadow Academy.

It had been my mother's dream to build a fortress for teenagers who would be taught about shifterand human ways through a regular high school, and my father, with the support of his closestfriends, the Alpha Circle, had made it a reality.

Thus, the Shadow Academy was born.

Twelve years later, we had many students who resided within the academy under the protection ofour pack. Most of the students here were Alpha heirs, including Amara, the firstborn Alpha Femalefrom the Blood Moon Pack, Alpha Aeon, and Luna Alexa’s only daughter.

Amara was only sixteen, the same age as Catherine. And although she started as one of my closestfriends, puberty tore us apart as I navigated my adolescent years with the males of my age, whileshe became closer with my younger sister.

But it didn't mean I wasn't looking out for her. Amara and I had a special bond since we were pups. Ihad vowed to her that I would mentor her and would always protect her at all costs.

And an Alpha never backed down with his words, so despite the gap between us lately, my eyes hadalways seen her, even without her knowing it.

Zero howled to the moon as Amara's sweet scent hit our nose. I could also feel a sense of fear in heraura as we neared the clearing where she was.

Amara was never one to show fear, even at difficult times. It was the reason why every female herage, and even those slightly older, looked up to her for advice.

But if she was terrified at the moment, I could only imagine what she was going through.

I found her two hundred meters away from her dormitory, lying on the forest ground, clutching herstomach and whimpering in pain.

I let out a low growl at all the horrible thoughts that crossed my mind.

Did someone assault her?

My eyes roamed her body as I walked slowly toward her, hoping that I would not replace any traces ofblood or bruises that would tell me that she had been assaulted.

Because heaven forbids, I will rip apart the person who touches her.

AMARA.

I whimpered loudly before breathing through my mouth as I curled my body into a fetal position. Iwas laying on the damp, cold forest ground, thinking of all the possible reasons I was having thisburning pain in my stomach.

Shifters rarely have period pains, and I had never experienced one, so I was sure this was not it."Aaaah..." I screamed as tears trickled down my face while my teeth chattered. The pain eruptedfrom my spine to every bone in my body, and I felt like I was being ripped apart.

I had no idea how to make the pain go away, but I just wanted it to stop.

I don't even know what was happening to me.

I heard movement in the bushes a few feet away — twigs snapped, leaves rustled and a wolf's pawsthudded against the ground.

Someone was approaching. Please let it be someone that could be trusted.

I had no idea why I ran inside the forest at the first sign of pain instead of telling the dormitoryheadmistress. Maybe because I was so used to being the tough one, I thought I could handleanything.

But all the bravery in me was already slipping away.

My eyes were blurry from the tears that just kept coming, but I could make out an image ofsomething approaching.

A black wolf.

An Alpha wolf.

I swiped the tears with the back of my hand before I pushed myself off the ground so that I endedup on all fours before I titled my head in the direction of the wolf.

"Zero..." My voice croaked before my arms buckled and my body stumbled on the ground.

Zero, the black wolf, shifted before my eyes and was replaced by his human.

Jace.

Jace rushed forward and held my arms as he gently lifted my body off the ground, carrying me inbridal style. If this were any other time, my heart would definitely flutter at the sight of him beingnaked, but my mind couldn't think of anything aside from the pain coursing through my wholebody.

"What's going on? Does it hurt somewhere?" He asked as he walked forward, his voice laced withconcern.

"Everywhere hurts."

"Did someone... did someone assault you?" I saw his eyes dilate as his jaw clenched. His grip on mybody tightened before he pulled me into his chest, that I could hear the heavy beating of his heart."No. I don't even know what's happening to me!"

And then I screamed again! It was so loud that it made Jace stop in his tracks and drop to one kneebefore he laid me on the ground.

"Amara, I think you're shifting." He told me.

Shifting? No one should be shifting. It wasn't even a full moon. But then, there were things in thisworld that couldn’t be explained.

"I just turned sixteen.” I tried to say it in a straight voice.

"And a firstborn Alpha Female...” He added.

"Only male... shifts... early..." I spoke haltingly from the pain.

In the world of shifters, shifting into our wolves for the first time happens on the last full moonbefore we turn eighteen

Except for male Alpha heirs such as Jace. They were expected to shift earlier, around the age of 14or 15. But I had not heard of a female Alpha heir who shifted at this age, so I was not sure if he wasright about this.

I was still lost in my thoughts when I felt his hand wipe the sweat from my forehead, and mypanting turned into a soft moan. His touch gave relief to the burn I was feeling inside. "Touch meagain, please. The burn lessens.”

"Like this?" He placed his palm on my forehead, and I nodded before pushing my head forward tobe closer to him.

Jace snaked his arms around my body and adjusted our position. He sat on the grounds, with mesitting on his lap — coiled and cradled like a baby in his arms.

"We need to take off your clothes, or at least your shorts and your bra, so nothing will restrict you ifyou're shifting."

Being naked in the middle of a forest was the last thing I wanted, but I nodded my head. I trustedJace. He would never put me in danger or abandon me.

As much as I wanted to move, I couldn't. My face was resting against his neck, seeking comfort fromhis body and his scent.

"Don't sleep. You need to shift..." His voice came out hoarsely.

"It feels good here.”

"They stay there but don't sleep. Do you want me to take off your shorts?"