THE POWER OF A LUNA'S TEARS

the Spring rain, no matter how quietly it treads

in the fields, the flowers bow their heads

no matter what the storm, my Luna's single tear

like Spring rains, washes the azure skies clear

-- Taken from some lycan tale because these stories liked to randomly break out in poetry

The moment the tears fell, it was like the stormy clouds of alpha dominance parted, and a metaphorical sun beam shone through their combined anger, bringing everyone back to their senses.

"Oh, F***, Lala! Lala, don't cry!" Jude-Kev was the first to close the distance. Picking me up and propping me on his Dad's desk, "Ah, its my bad, sorry Lala. I forgot you were here."

I was so shocked the tears stopped. I nearly punched him too, except that I remembered that he was supposed to be my wonderful big brother, and also because my hand felt funny when I clenched it. I studied my hand, opening and closing my fingers, weird… these hands, why did they feel so uncomfortable to hold in a fist? They were my hands, but my fingernails were longer than usual, filed so they were curve at the ends, and painted in clear varnish. Hm? Did Savy, I mean Kenna, do my nails?

Dad came over from his side of the desk to check on me. He looked really concerned. I mean, the last time I had seen him so concerned was when he thought I had been attacked by a vamp. "What's wrong?"

He frowned at the hand I was studying, and I quickly put it down, "I'm okay."

"Did the chair hit her?" Fluffy-Kai asked, but he of all people would've known it didn't. He was standing closest to me, and it was his arm that had shielded me when the chair went up in the air.

Dad frowned more, "Is your hand hurt?"

I shook my head quickly, "No… I was just…"

I couldn't say I was admiring my nails could I?

"I'm okay."

"This is all my bad." Jude-Kev was most remorseful, "Sorry, Lala. I let Kai get under my skin again."

He glared daggers in Fluffy-Kai's direction. Fluffy-Kai kept his smiling mask on. Even in this life, Fluffy was still scheming and smiling all the time. I used to think he got this way because he had to survive living with vampires, now I think he was able to survive the vamps because he was this way. Whatever, I was actually kind of relieved he was here.

"Dad," Fluffy-Kai decided it was time to get Jude-Kev out of the office, "The rogues in our dungeons... I forgot to tell you that we're done with them."

"Ah..." Dad said.

"They're still there?" Jude-Kev asked, "Did they say anything useful?"

Fluffy-Kai smiled, "Nothing more than the usual bull."

"If you ask s*** questions, you get s*** answers." Jude shrugged with his signature dimpled smile.

"Kev, I know you just got back from the borders, but can you go deal with them now?" Dad decided, "I need to talk to Kai now."

"Sure Dad. I've got some free time now and it's just disposing a few rogues." Jude-Kev was his usual agreeable cheer.

Jude-Kev patted me on the head, "Harv, help me walk my sister home. Give her a can of strawberry milk soda. It's in the fridge at home."

"Will do, Alpha." Harvey nodded a polite bow.

"Strawberry milk soda?" I repeated stupidly. As in EJ's favourite drink? Oh no! We left EJ in the vampire fight cages! Or rather... We never met him in this life.

"Yeah, the one you saw in a magazine. It turned out they only sell it in the Gold Packlands." Jude-Kev grinned, "Since you wanted to try it, big brother asked Beta Gerald to there to help me buy some. You know he has some hotel business there."

That's my big brother for you. He really spoiled me.

"Anyway, be good and go home. I have work to do. The Alpha office isn't the place for a girl to hang around. It can get pretty intense sometimes." He was also very protective of me.

Jude-Kev made it to the door and tossed back lightly at his brother, "Kai, you seriously need to man up. I won't always be free to clean up after your mess."

Fluffy-Kai beamed and called to Jude-Kev's departing back, "I'm just a pretty face, so I'll leave it to you."

The door shut, and then Fluffy-Kai grinned evily, "A hundred dollars says my pig head big brother thinks we're planning a surprise birthday party for him."

The guys all considered this.

"You're on, Alpha." Ben smirked.

But I was done with this life, I hopped off Dad's table and declared, "I vote UNDO!"

"Is it because I have been bullying you?" Fluffy-Kai smiled, "Mum was right, I would grow up to regret it."

"Mum is usually right." I answered with my two lives of experience.

"I only teased you because you're cute." Fluffy-Kai promised, "It's my love language."

None of the betas hit him for me because he was the Young Alpha and outranked them in this life.

I clenched my fists and felt my nails press against my palms. There wasn't much strength in my grip either. If I punched him, I'd more likely hurt myself than him. Sigh, I didn't remember my puppy self ever being so weak, but that felt like a lifetime ago.

In the memories of this silly girl, Lala, Kai was the little bully she could never beat who grew up to be a big bully she could never beat. As much as Jude-Kev was the amazing brother, Fluffy-Kai was the bully. Short of making her cry, Fluffy-Kai enjoyed teasing his sister as a pastime. He could be quite merciless, and unlike Kenna, Lala was never quick-witted enough to retreat nor counter with a suitable retort. All the silly girl could do was run to someone stronger for help.

And there was always someone stronger who would take her side. Jude-Kev was always her first choice. He was strong and brave.

Mum was good too. In this life, Mum didn't ever say "Oh Sam!" or "What did you do now, Sam?" Alright, fine, Mum didn't even call me Sam in this life, but my point was, I wasn't the troublemaker here. In the light of Fluffy-Kai, everyone was an angel.

If I ran to Mum, she would sigh and be stern to Fluffy-Kai, "Oh, Kai!"

Hahaha. And then Fluffy-Kai would get in trouble. Serves him right!

Dad was always busy in his office, but he made it a point to be home for dinner. Beta Lucas was even busier and I don't remember hearing any bedtime stories from him in this life, but there was always Roy. When I was a puppy, and Mum needed someone to babysit me for a couple of hours, Roy would read me books. Roy was the omega in our pack, but he was really nice and smart. He knew all the big words and could interpret the lycan books for me. He couldn't sound the words, but he could decipher the pictographs and tell me the story in English - which happened to be the only language I knew for the first part of my life anyway.

I think the Goddess was very fair, and must have known what a good guy Roy was. That was why she blessed him with a beautiful princess for a soul mate. Roy had been dating Alpha Lorent's sister for as long as I could remember. They finally got mated last year.

Roy's long time girlfriend and soulmate was no other than the renowned Lady Amber. She was some kind of princess from the Glorious Lorent Pack because she was Alpha Lorent's sister, but she was most famous for being a teacher. She opened a school for girls and more than fifty percent of the Lunas in our continent now had graduated from the Lorent Girls' School.

I mean, I knew this in my original life too, but Lala knew this with huge admiration. Lady Amber was the heroine among women. She was the beacon of virtue, a Lorent Princess who cared about her little sister wolves, fought for our right to education when it was something only meant for boys and girls who could afford private tutors. Even though her soul mate was just an omega, she loved him and waited patiently in peaceful protest until her brother and current Alpha could no longer deny their enduring love and gave them his blessings.

"If I never become a Luna in this life, I want to be a teacher like you." I had passionately declared to Lady Amber.

"Why limit yourself this way when you can be both?" Lady Amber asked kindly, "If you want, Kayla, you can do everything and anything. This is your teacher's faith in you."

I had never felt I perfected any of the things Lady Amber taught me so I didn't know how I earned her confidence, but her words changed my life and fired my ambition.

When I grow up, I'm going to meet my alpha soul mate. He's going to appear like a prince in a Lycan tale and fall head over heels in love with me. And then I'm going to stand by his side and help him take care of everyone in his pack. I will be the luna who would bring my Alpha Prince happiness and build a better future for our pack together.

Lady Amber would go out of her way to buy me story books and spend an afternoon every week teaching me all sort of things lunas should know. Roy said it was because Lady Amber loved me a lot. If I worked hard and finished my task early, Lady Amber would read me the story books she had bought. They were always starring princesses and their true love who would come to them as long as they were good and didn't give up hope. She liked to say that good things will always come to good girls.

When I told my family about my new found belief, Fluffy-Kai immediately pointed out, "She was a good girl for decades, and all she got was an omega."

"Oh, Kai!" Mum's mouth would press down in a firm line, "You're still young, but even if you don't understand the love between soul mates, at least understand to not judge a book by its cover."

"Roy is nice!" I tried to defend my friends, "And Lady Amber is a famous teacher. She says that if I work hard at my lessons, I will definitely be a lovely luna like Mum!"

"It's true." Mum nodded, "Lady Amber told me so too."

And then Mum smiled, "But even if no one said anything, I already knew. Lala, don't stress yourself out too much. Just be yourself. You're going to be a lovely luna indeed, even more than I could ever be."

Yeah, no pressure at all.