Chapter 2

 Just when she was about to find that sweet release, Shibon pushed Rebecca onto her stomach and as she lay over her she slid her fingers home again only this time it was more forceful. Shibon felt the urge like never before and as she moved in and out of her Shibon bit down on Rebecca's shoulder so deep and rough that she could soon taste the copper of her blood swirling in her mouth.

Rebecca let out a scream, but it wasn't that of pain or fear, it was the sound of exquisite pleasure. When Shibon heard this with the taste of blood in her mouth her beast rose from within her and before she could stop it she felt herself phasing and while she was caught off guard Rebecca rolled her over and lay in between Shibon's legs. Shibon lay there on her back and was stunned for a moment. As she regained her senses Rebecca bent down and licked Shibon's breasts.

 It was a sensation unlike any she had felt before and just then she felt the sting of Rebecca's bite. It was painful but erotic and sensual. Shibon was lost amidst the murky gray area between pleasure and pain. As Rebecca licked the wound she froze and in an instant, she saw the eyes of Rebecca's beast looking down at her.

Shibon slipped her fingers into Rebecca and started to move and just as she had started a good rhythm Rebecca slid her fingers inside Shibon. As the rhythm continued Shibon rolled Rebecca over unto her stomach the move was much softer and gentler somehow and instinctively Rebecca knew what was coming next. Rebecca turned slightly and looking over her shoulder she smiled with a glint in her eye. Shibon smiled back and knew that smile meant that she was okay with what she wanted to do. Rebecca put her hands on the bed and raised herself just a little.

 As Shibon watched her adjust herself she felt the throb of excitement from what she was about to do to her. Shibon lifted Rebecca's ass a little further and stared in awe of the sight of her. She licked her fingers and softly spread Rebecca's ass. Slowly Shibon reached down and gently began to kiss her soft back as Rebecca began to move in response to the touch of her

 Lips.

 Shibon rubbed her ass and simultaneously she bit down on Rebecca while sliding her finger inside her ass. Rebecca inhaled sharply and within a moment she exhaled. Shibon found it difficult to breathe as she was overcome with the sensation of her finger inside Rebecca. As Rebecca began to breathe, Shibon spoke softly in her ear. "Relax , just relax and give in to the feeling." Rebecca began to relax and slowly as Shibon moved her finger inside her she began to moan. Shibon loved the sound of her moaning and without warning she inserted two fingers.

 Rebecca let out a mixture of a scream and moan that drove Shibon crazy. Rebecca's eyes were closed and you could see that she was deep within the pleasure she was feeling. "Oh God Shibon, don't stop. God, you feel good. As they both moved in a frenzied heat Shibon spoke in a breathless voice, "If I keep this up I'm gonna come. " Rebecca looked back at her and smiled. " Me too". Shibon kissed her cheek and slowly, gently pulled her fingers out of her. Rebecca playfully pushed Shibon onto her back and straddled her thighs.

 Rebecca leaned in over Shibon and slowly kissed her neck, she nibbled her ears and as she did this Shibon let out a gasp of pleasure. Shibon rubbed Rebecca's ass and realized that she could feel her hot wetness touching hers. She began to move and the sensation was overwhelming. As they moved, feeling the wonder of each other Rebecca leaned in and continued to kiss her. As they kissed, they enjoyed the feel and taste of each other's mouths. They spent a long time enjoying the simple art of kissing.

 Shibon had never been much for kissing, but right then, at that moment all she wanted to do was to melt into Rebecca's kisses. As the two began to move Rebecca sat up and brought

 Shibon with her so that they were in the sitting position still locked unto each other. There in the moonlight, they held each other lost in the pleasure that they were giving each other. As they rocked back and forth pleasuring each other Rebecca let out a scream and soon thereafter Shibon's moan became coarse and ragged.

 At that moment two things happened at the same time. Rebecca let out a loud howl and held onto Shibon in a tight grip as Shibon let out a scream and began to push her fingers ever deeper and faster. As she looked at Rebecca the force of the phase came over her and before she could stop it she sat there feeling the phase take place. The pain was there, but it had become easier to manage. Before she knew it, there she sat in wolf form looking at Rebecca who also had phased into wolf form.

This didn't stop them for they were too lost in the passion they felt for each other. In the moment they were screaming and moaning into each other's ear lost in the moment of bringing each other. When they opened their wolf eyes they stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity. Shibon knew that she couldn't speak so she simply thought the words, "Are you ok?" Rebecca, hearing her thoughts as though she had spoken them loud and clear replied,"Yes, I'm more than ok. Are you" Shibon licked Rebecca's face and put her muzzle next to Rebecca's. 

Rebecca smiled on the inside and said "My God Luna, You are beautiful. I knew that your wolf form would be beautiful but you are stunning. I've never seen eyes that are perfectly green. They remind me of emeralds, and your coat, the color of freshly fallen snow. You are breathtaking"

Shibon looked at Rebecca and smiled on the inside as well. "You are magnificent yourself. Your coat is the shiniest and softest I've ever seen. A beautiful fire red silky coat and your eyes are the color of molten lava. My God Rebecca you take my breath away. If I'm not careful I could…" Just then Shibon cut off the telepathy. She didn't want Rebecca to know how she truly felt about her, not yet. Rebecca smiled at her and it was a funny looking thing because her teeth moved in an awkward position. Rebecca leaned in and licked Shibon's face and as she did that she laid down in the bed and looked at her. Shibon laid down next to her and like two puppies in a pile, they snuggled each other and revealed their mutual warmth.

The next morning Shibon Woke to an empty bed. She had reverted to human form and she felt as though she were drugged. She had no energy at all. After numerous minutes, she finally coaxed herself out of bed. As she crawled out of bed she knocked a picture frame off of her side table. It was an ordinary picture of herself with her family. It had been a long while since she visited them. Finding out that she is Luna seemed to take up a lot of her time and most of her thoughts. She missed her family and thought of them fondly as she remembered the day they all took the photo.

She knew that she would have to go see them soon, especially before the conclave. If she were killed, the pack would devour her flesh and she would be considered missing. The thought of putting her family through that was unbearable. She wouldn't want to put them through that. She pulled herself through the maudlin state of mind she found herself in, replaced the photo frame, and walked into her bathroom. Of all the rooms in her condo, there were two rooms that she loved the most. These rooms required her utmost attention, at least they did in Shibon's mind.

 The bedroom because it was the place where she allowed herself to truly be herself. The

 Most intimate desires were explored there. It stood to reason that its decoration would require

 the softest, most sensual and fluid care.

Shibon loved her bedroom and the way it made her feel. It almost shifted depending on her mood. When she was feeling erotic and thirsty, the room seemed to flow with the burning color of desire. The curtains were red and had the feel of silk. The bed itself was a deep brown mahogany and looked as though it were cut and shipped straight from the forest and put together right there in her room. The bed was a four-poster adorned with blood-red sheets. The throw pillows were jet black with a suede feel. 

Draped over the top and along the sides of the bed was a sheer curtain of red. The throw rug was midnight black and covered the whole underside of the bed. Shibon loved the feel of it when she walked barefoot through it. The electronics within the room were impressive to say the least. The television, surround sound etc. were black and gave a reddish glow when they were on.

She loved her bedroom and she loved the way it was decorated. It reflected the way she felt within herself, simply put, she loved the way it made her feel. Her bathroom received the same kind of care and consideration. While her bedroom had a sensual feel, so too did her bathroom have a mood. The bathroom itself was huge and Shibon made great use of it. creating a space that reminded you of an underwater alcove. When you enter the bathroom, the first thing that hits you is the tranquil color of oceanic blue. The kind of blue that you would associate with being poolside.

The walls aren't decorated with the comical expected wallpaper that many use to give that seafaring feeling. The walls were textured and had an off white tone. The lights within were an electric blue that cascaded off the white walls. This created an underwater effect. The tub was big enough to fit three to four people within it and the glass shower was separate and off to the side. The light blue rug sat by the tub and the blue and white candles lay beautifully around the expanse of the room. Around the room were speakers that seemed carefully hidden. The indicator lights were blue and added that perfect something to the room. This was the place

 where Shibon spent her alone time. Although she sometimes invited someone to join her in that atmosphere when the mood struck her to do so, for the most part, that room was mostly for her.

In that room she could relax her mind, body and spirit. She found it easier to concentrate on the things that haunted her. As a child she loved the water, it had always been soothing to her. As she grew, the beach became her special place. She could sit for hours and just listen to the waves as they come crashing in. It had almost been a meditative experience.

 It only made sense that she would choose this theme for her bathroom. It was a little private piece of heaven reserved just for her. As she slipped into the soothing bath she thought about the night before. What had she done, she thought to herself. What will this mean and how do I distance myself from the possibility of her demise should she fall doing pack business. 

 Shibon knew that she would not be able to intervene should the moment arise where her strength of will were to be tested.

 She sank under the water as though trying to drown the fear she now felt so strongly. As she sank under the water she could hear a voice echoing within her mind.

She couldn't place the voice, but it seemed somehow familiar to her. She knew that if she fought the voice, it would only make it worse. So she relaxed her mind and allowed the voice to simply be. Once she relaxed, the voice became less intrusive, less invasive. The voice spoke of a time before her own when a clan leader of her blood went through a similar situation." 

"Although love is a strength that fuels the rage within us allowing us to protect and defend our pack, it is also the very thing we must monitor very closely. It is a strength and a weakness. It gives us courage, joy and strength, but it also destroys, weakens and can make you very foolish. Your ancestors struggled with this concept and loved as I suspect you love with every fiber of your being. But be weary, your spawning love for this wolf is a dangerous one. " "Hear me and understand. You have called together a conclave as is your right and responsibility."

 You have chosen as your Hodur the bloodline of Animigus. This bloodline is an honorable one and would be well suited as a mate. The Animigus bloodline is a strong one and has been your bloodline's Hodur for a hundred generations. He must be tested and this will pose potential grief for you young one, though they are difficult to control, they can be loyal. But beware, they can also be treacherous. ''

 As she thought of the question, "How can this be a grief for me, if he is strong, which he is, he should pass this test, but he has challenged me for the throne. How can I trust someone like this.?" Dread seemed to fill her thoughts as she heard the answer. "Young one, the test is the ability to harness the spirits of all his predecessors. They too live on, but in a different way. As we elders speak to you, so too do his.. It can change the host. It becomes the host. To be an Evil-Doer something must die within them and that which dies may be the very thing that is loyal to you. 

But since he has declared himself Challenger you must harness the strength of your ancestors and destroy him utterly. In doing this, you will ensure no other challenges to your blood."

Upon hearing this, Shibon felt the scream within her. It was then that she heard a voice say as it faded," The choice is not yours to make, it is the choice of the designated Hodur." Shibon rose from the water and in that moment all the doubts and fears she kept hidden within herself came to the bubbling surface.

Shibon didn't do relationships. It wasn't that she hadn't had the opportunity, it was just something that she never really felt she had the time for. Besides, there were so many fish in the sea and she just wasn't ready to hang up her fishing tackle until now. There were so many thoughts in her head and every time she thought she could handle the new revelations, there would be yet another situation. 

Shibon finished getting dressed and stood by her coffee machine drinking the warm brew. It felt so good and warm as it went down. As she stood there sipping her drink she reached for her phone and dialed her parents number. She listened as the phone rang and thought about hanging up when she heard someone pick up. "Mason residence, how may I help you." It was the maid, julianna. Shibon liked her, she had been with the family for some years and she always snuck her hot chocolate late at night even though her mother forbade it.

 Her mother had always been afraid that she would get fat. Like hot chocolate once in a while would create the fattest person in the world. "Hello Julianna, how are you?" Julianna had one of those voices that smiled when she spoke. She was an Older woman in her fifties with a petite frame with slightly gray hair always tied in a bun. Shibon had seen her while her hair was down a few times and she always looked twenty years younger with it down.

"Hello Ms. Shibon, how are you? You know We haven't seen you in ages around here. Your parents were just talking about you this past week. It's a good thing you called because they were beginning to wonder about you." Shibon knew she was right, and had an arrangement with Julianna that should her parents plan a surprise visit to the city to see her that she would call 

her and warn her ahead of time. Julianna was the best like that. "Oh, Julianna, you're the best. I've been so busy lately with work and…" Shibon's mind began to wander. There was so much going on in her life and she realized that she didn't have anyone to talk to about it.

 She suddenly felt incredibly alone. "....There's just been so much going on with work." Julianna was silent for a while and after what seemed like an eternity she finally spoke. "I know it can seem overwhelming sometimes, but you are a strong young woman and I don't imagine there could be anything that's too much that you couldn't handle." 

Shibon smiled and for a brief moment she felt the strange pangs of tears forming behind her eyes. Why was she so emotional today? It was like she woke up and there was an empty place within her. What was wrong with her today, it was as though she was off kilter. Something was wrong but she couldn't understand what it could be. "Thank you Julianna, you always know how to make me feel better. Are my parents home or should I call later." "Well your mother is upstairs getting ready to play bridge with the ladies auxiliary and your father is out of town attending some meetings.

 He should be back tonight though. Do you want me to call your mother on the phone? I know she would love to speak with you." Shibon thought about just having Julianna tell them that she would be there tonight to see them. Lord knows that it would be easier, but she opted to be a big girl and talk to her mother. Besides, how could she possibly spend a few hours with them in person if she couldn't spend a few minutes talking to her on the phone?

"Ok, put her on the phone Julianna, I'll speak to her." Within a few moments she heard her mother picking up the phone. " Well, good morning dear. How are you, your father and I were just talking about you. How is the business?" Shibon smiled. It never changed, her mother was always the same. She would bombard you with a thousand questions before allowing you the opportunity to speak and then by the time you did answer the questions there would be nothing left to discuss because she would have asked all the questions she had in her arsenal. 

"Good morning mother. I'm fine, the business is fine and thriving. Listen mom, I thought that I would come by the house tonight to spend time with you guys for a little bit. I know I haven't been there for a while and I thought that it would be good to see you."

There was an awkward silence and Shibon began to speak again. " Mom, are you there? If tonight's not a good time then I can move some appointments around and come around tomorrow." Her mother finally spoke, "Oh dear, tonight is fine, it's just that You never come around unless we guilt you into coming around."

" Is everything alright? You're not pregnant are you. You can tell me honey." Shibon laughed at the thought of her being pregnant. Her parents know that she's a lesbian and they continue to think that it's just a phase she is going through. Ten years and she's still going through a phase. Sometimes all she can do is laugh at her parents.Otherwise she would literally go insane. "No mom, I'm not pregnant. You know that I'm a lesbian , unless modern science has changed drastically my getting pregnant is not technically possible." Shibon could hear her mother's 

exasperated sigh.

 "Shibon, you know how I feel about your lifestyle. This phase of yours has only lasted this long because the media has made being gay a cool thing to be. It has filled your head up with these ideas that to be different is the in thing and when you find a nice young man, you'll realize that you are not a lesbian."

Mother, I love you and you have the right to your opinion, small minded though it may be, but I am a lesbian.It is not because it's cool, or interesting, or whatever other reason you have concocted in that brain of yours. I am a lesbian because that is who I am. I don't want to fight with you mother, not over this, not again, but if you continue this trainwreck of a conversation it will be the last conversation that we have.``

There was a moment of quiet and then her mother spoke. "Your father will be home by seven, we look forward to seeing you then. Dinner will be prepared also so don't be late, you know how I feel about being prompt. Your father will be pleased to see you. I'll see you then, seven sharp." With that she heard the phone hang up. Her mother was never good at goodbyes, especially when she was upset, and she was definitely upset. Although as far as conversations go with her mother, that went better than most.

 Shibon grabbed her keys and headed down the private elevator to the parking garage. As she drove to the office she tried to fill her head with the business of the day but no matter how she tried, her mind kept coming back to the vision she was given. She knew what she had to do, even though it was nowhere close to what she wanted to do. She was so filled with conflicting thoughts that she began to miss the days when things were simple. The thing that bit her butt 

was the fact that she had known Rebecca far longer than she knew who and what she was. Now this part of her life was overlapping everything else within it.

By the time she reached her office, she had already determined that she would do what was best for Rebecca and the pack, but she would be hurt inside at the loss of this woman and what they could have meant to each other. Walking to the elevator, she planted the resolve within her brain. She knew she would do the right thing, but just once she wished she could be selfish, just this once. As she entered the outer office she smelled Rebecca before she actually saw her. Shibon loved the smell of her and immediately felt a pang of sadness fill her heart.

 "Good morning Rebecca" Rebecca looked up and smiled at her, but Shibon saw the smile and knew there was sadness within it and wondered if she too received a vision from her blood. "Good morning Ms. Mason. I have your appointments set for you. Your first one is in an hour, after that you have the boardroom you requested for the rotation of celebrities coming to town for the awards show."

Rebecca was about to say something else and stopped short as she saw the saddened look on Shibon's face. "What is wrong?" Shibon attempted to smile to reassure her but as she attempted it, she knew that she failed in the attempt. "Rebecca come into my office please, there are a few things that I need to disclose to you." Shibon didn't wait to see Rebecca's reaction, she simply walked into her office and sat down waiting for Rebecca to join her there. As Rebecca entered her office she sat there and looked at Shibon as though she held her future in her hands. In a way she did and Rebecca knew it.

 "Shibon, what is it? You look as though you're about to break up with me. " She meant it as a joke but seeing Shibon's face she knew this was serious.

Shibon looked at her and sighed. Rebecca looked down at the desk and seemed to think for a moment and spoke," Shibon, what happened last night, I wanted it to happen, but I also know you have a responsibility to the pack. If you don't want to or can't pursue this, I understand. I'll hurt, but I'll understand. You don't have to torture yourself with figuring out what to say."

 Shibon looked at her and put her hand up to stop her from speaking. She knew she couldn't say what she had to say to her as her lover, it had to come from her Luna and she would do her job as Luna even if it killed her to do it."Rebecca, this morning I received a vision from an elder of my blood. He told me a few things that concern you and your blood. Rebecca, your bloodline is very strong and your line has been Hodur for over a hundred generations. You are powerful my wolf, but you are nowhere near as powerful as you are soon to be.

 At the conclave you are to undergo a sacred rite in which you will invoke the spirits and powers of your ancient blood. It is at that moment you may change from the person you are into a new being. You will be tested as to whether you are strong enough to infuse your blood's ancestors that carry their Hodur spirit within you. This is required if you are to remain the pack's Hodur. If you do not then you will be challenged and I will not be able to intercede on your behalf." As Shibon said this, she could feel the sadness grow within Rebecca.

 Rebecca realized what this would mean and the tears fell from her eyes before she could stop 

them. Rebecca began to speak," I had heard of this rite, but I didn't think that I would be subject to it. This right will make me cold, unfeeling and cruel. Unyielding and unwaveringly loyal to you my Luna and to the pack, but this will destroy us. How do you feel about this? Honestly, don't you care or can you just sit there and tell me that last night meant nothing to you." As Rebecca spoke she rose from her seat in anger looking down at Shibon.

Shibon sat back in her chair and slowly looked up at Rebecca. She had been getting better at hearing her pack, feeling their thoughts, but for the first time she allowed someone to feel and hear her deep thoughts. As she did so she could feel the tears roll down her face. Rebeca was so shocked by the rush of Shibon's thoughts that she fell back into the chair and began to cry. 

Shibon stood up and walked over to her. She held her arms out and cradled Rebecca to her. "Now you know how I feel and that will never change, but you must do what it is in your blood to do."

 Shibon held Rebecca closely and they both cried. Shibon wiped her tears and bent down in front of Rebecca. She took her hand in her own and looked up into her tearfilled eyes. "Look, we don't know what's going to happen. This change might take place, it might not. You are so powerful, and you have been preparing for it your whole life.

 It doesn't automatically mean that it will change you or that it's an automatic death sentence for how we feel. It all comes from you." Rebecca looked at Shibon with tears still trailing down her face. "What do you mean, to be an Evil-Doer, to do the things I would have to do is to destroy something inside? There can be no room for what I feel for you."

Shibon stood up and leaned against her desk. "That isn't always true. Your Hodur is a part of your beast and will do what is best for the pack. If our relationship hurts the survival of the pack you will feel an 

obligation to end it. You will be bound to the pack as well as bound to me. The only difference between then and now is the chance that you will be influenced by the Hodurs who came before." Rebecca Stared at Shibon for a moment and in the silence they expressed what they both feared. Shibon stood again and walked towards Rebecca.

 She took her hands in her own and helped her stand. "This doesn't have to change anything." With that said Shibon reverted back to being commanding. She was Luna afterall and there was too much emotion between them right now. The moment she thought it, she knew that it was her wolf helping her to be strong not only for herself, but for Rebecca also.

"We'll soon know what will be when it is to be, until then we will distance ourselves. I don't want there to be any further confusion between us." Rebecca looked terrified as the words came out of Shibon's mouth. "But what do we do if this does change me?" Shibon walked around her desk and sat down. Once she was in her chair she slowly looked up at Rebecca and as she did she could feel her wolf eyes shine,"We will do what we must". Rebecca looked at her and understood that the decision was made and the conversation was over. She bowed her head and turned to leave the room. 

Shibon sat in her office and began preparing documents for the meeting that was fast approaching. She knew she had a meeting first and began to collect her thoughts for it. Just as she had gathered the paperwork for the meeting her intercom buzzed and it was Rebecca informing her that her appointment had arrived. She stood and as she walked over to the door, she straightened herself and exerted her most businesslike composure. She had a business to run and she couldn't, wouldn't let the pain she was feeling interfere with it. Shibon opened the door, smiled, and greeted her appointment as she led them into her office.

The rest of the day went by fairly smoothly and while filled with appointments, Shibon was happy for the distractions. It kept her mind away from the oppressive feeling that had gripped her from the morning. Still, there were moments when she found herself there, in the middle of the sadness and she scolded herself for feeling the way she did. After all, this was a new thing, there were plenty of fish in the sea. Since when did she ever mourn an ended relationship? What was wrong with her, she would get over this. Or at least that's what she kept telling herself. As the day progressed Shibon began to realize that her sadness had morphed into anger. She couldn't understand why she felt such anger, so intense that she found it difficult to control her wolf.

It kept wanting to flow to the surface and it became a struggle to contain it. By the time she came to the end of her day, she found herself dreading the thought of going home, knowing the memory of Rebecca being there would be prevalent in her mind. This further fueled her rage because she had always loved coming home. It was her solace against the situations of the day. Now it was a stinging reminder of the pain she felt. She realized that she had made plans to visit her parents that evening only made it worse. She suddenly regretted the decision to make those plans because all she wanted to do was phase and run. A good run would help her to deal with the sense of loss she was grappling with.

All she had to do was keep her wolf at bay for a few hours and then she would be able to let it go and free herself. She knew that if she could commune with her wolf the emotion would subside and she could feel the wolf trying to free itself to do just that. Even though she and the wolf were one, it sometimes felt as though it were an entity all to itself. It was that part of herself

 that was rational and emotional all at the same time. It was that part of herself that she tended to keep hidden, that part of herself that she reserved only for her.

Walking into her condo she willed herself to simply do what she came there to do, which was to shower, change, and head right back out to go to her parent's house. Yet as she entered her bedroom her eyes went straight for the bed. There she found herself reliving the night before. Every touch, every emotion, every release.

 It was a torture she had never felt before and she swore she would never allow herself to feel it again. She decided that no matter what happened at the conclave she would end things with Rebecca. The thought of anything less would be too painful to endure. She went to the bathroom which had always been a place of spiritual renewal and quickly showered to make it to her parent's house in time for dinner.

As she pulled into the driveway she steeled herself for the onslaught of her mother and her ways. She was a ball of conflict. On one hand, she was not in the mood to deal with her mother and her nosey attitude, but on the other, she was looking forward to the distraction that she knew her mother would provide. Confused about how she felt seemed par for the course when it came to her mother. She had always felt knocked off center when she was around her. By the time she made it to the enormous front door, she had thoughts about how she could get out of it.

Maybe if she told them that she wasn't feeling well, or perhaps that she had an early day the next day, anything to get out of this dinner. She secretly cursed herself for having the idea of this dinner. Riding high on the emotions of the night before had given her a momentary lapse of judgment when it came to her parents. Her mother especially. Well, she thought, I'm already 

here so I might as well bite the bullet, here goes. As she prepared for what some might consider a small war, she rang the doorbell.

 She'd always hated the doorbell. It was as loud and long as a train roaring down the tracks. It reeked of pretension, but that was her mother, pretentious.A moment or two went by when the door opened and her favorite maid answered the door. Julianna stood there with a big smile on her face and just as she was about to speak, she was locked in a bear hug. "Well, it's about time you showed up."

" I thought your mother was going to go into convulsions waiting for you." Shibon looked at her watch and she was ten minutes early. She wasn't late for dinner but that was her mother's drama even when there was none to go around. "Hello Julianna, I'm on time, she'll be fine, I'm sure." Julianna stepped aside to allow Shibon room to enter the doorway all the while giving Shibon that look that meant 'You're full of it'. Shibon knew that look and agreed wholeheartedly, but went along because it made little to no sense to disagree.

The house looked and smelled the same as Shibon remembered, as though it were a brand new house never lived in. It was always clean, immaculately so, but it never felt like home. It never had that warm, hearty feel. Great for socials, parties, and balls, but never for Christmas morning, birthday parties, and sleepovers. It just lacked that certain something that made it feel like home. Her father would let her mother have the house decorated the way she wanted it but never put his two cents in about how it should be done so it always had a showroom floor feel.

As Shibon skirted the entryway to the sitting room she saw her parents talking quietly by the bar. Each with a drink in their hand and it appeared to be quite the talk because they hadn't

 noticed her walk in. She didn't want to intrude but with her newly sensitive ears, she couldn't help but overhear. ".....well we'll know more after tonight. If it's happened we'll deal with it" Just as she was about to speak her mother turned around and smiled. It was that smile that Shibon always hated, the one reserved for the awkwardness of a situation. Her mother had the same 

one for all awkward scenarios. 

While jabbing Shibon's father in the ribs she began to speak. "Well hello honey" She walked over to Shibon with her arms open. When she reached Shibon she embraced her in a hug. Shibon was a little taken aback by her mother's greeting. Her mother was always a little cold. Oh, she loved Shibon, she never doubted that, but she was just never very affectionate before and something in Shibon was instantly on alert. Her hackles were up on her back and she didn't like having that feeling while around her parents.

 That was a feeling for strangers that meant her harm, not for her parents. She eased her mind by thinking that it was the first time that she had been around them since her first phase. Her parents had little to none to do with it because she had issues with them, by that same rationale, wouldn't her wolf also have reservations about them.

The evening went along fairly smoothly, almost too smoothly and Shibon wondered why they were so laid back. Shibon's father was a relatively quiet man and after dinner surprised her by being the first to speak casually to her. " So, honey, how is the business going? I'm hearing a lot of good things about it. Your clientele is growing remarkably fast. You're quite the buzz word on the market," Shibon always told herself that it didn't matter what her parents thought about her life or how she chose to live it, but she had to admit, hearing her dad sound so proud of her and 

Her accomplishments made her feel good inside. Her father made his money on Wall Street, rather he kept the money going on Wall Street. Her great-grandfather hit it big after the Depression and her family has been wealthy ever since. 

It's been the family's burden to keep the money flowing almost as a tribute to the sheer genius of her great-grandfather. Although her father groomed her brother for the mantle of taking over the business, he always had her there also as a spare just in case. She resented her father a little because of that but he was old school, the male took the helm. It was funny to her anyway because she was always better at business than her brother Randy. Right now he was in Europe, Switzerland to be specific at university training to take over the helm when her father felt secure enough to pass it to him.

She had the opportunity to go to Switzerland but chose to attend Brown. Her father wasn't too happy about that decision, but suddenly changed his mind and was pleased to have her so close to home still attending an Ivy League school. Once she graduated with honors, he'd offered her a prestigious position with the firm, but she chose to open her own business. She wanted success, but she wanted to achieve it on her own and he had to accept that. After a long period of fighting, he finally helped her with the capital needed to start her dream enterprise. 

After two years, she'd paid him back every penny with interest. He hadn't wanted to take the money back, but she insisted and with just a little more confrontation, he begrudgingly accepted. Her mother was a pain on a whole other level, but her father was more stubborn than anything.

 "Thanks, Dad. Business is going well. The awards are in town and so there are a lot of celebrities that need security for it. I have to admit, quite a few have come to me for that. 

My firm's name is making the rounds in some affluent circles. "

"Keeps me busy and that's always good. You taught me that. If I recall you said that if you're not busy with business, you don't have a very good business. Well, I have a very good business. I should probably get going soon, I've got a huge day tomorrow at the office." Shibon's mother interjected and looked as though she didn't want Shibon to leave. " Sweetheart, you don't have to go so soon do you? I mean we haven't seen you in so long and it seems as though you just arrived. Please, let's sit and have a conversation. Tell me about things, how's life treating you? Have you any new love interests, you know you're not getting any younger." Shibon's father interrupted," Honey, now don't start, she's getting her business off the ground. She's making great strides, but it has a ways to go before she can start thinking about a family." 

Shibon's mother looked at her father as though he spit on the dinner table. "How am I to be a grandmother with no Grandbabies? Men can wait forever, but women can't."

With that Shibon knew that it was time to go. She sat up and as she stood, she saw her mother looking at her with an almost sad expression. "Mom, I don't know when I'll be ready to have children, if ever. With business taking off and not…..Shibon stopped short and as she thought, felt the pain of thinking about Rebecca. 

It was almost too much to bear as she bit back the tears that threatened to blow to the surface."....finding the right person to co-parent it's just not the right time for me." Shibon's mother stood up and walked over to her, she opened her arms and hugged her. "Oh honey, you have a broken heart. I can't believe it, who managed to get under that tough skin long enough to capture your heart." Shibon pulled away from her mother and gave her the steely eyes she had ever given and replied," No one, I am simply not ready to start a family."

 Shibon's mother stood back and stiffly smiled, "ok honey, I understand. But...the time will come sweetheart and I just want you to accept that love and that stage of your life when it does. That's all." Shibon felt guilty about pulling away from her mother as she did. " I know Mom, and I will, I promise." As Shibon drove home, all she could think about was getting to the woods so she could run. At that moment all she wanted to do was run. Just when her mind was filled with so many thoughts, leave it to her mother to add to the confusion that was already within her mind. As she approached the area where she could park her car she felt the wolf emerging. She parked the car and carefully stripped her clothes and as she did she could see the phase beginning. She felt it in her eyes, her face and she began to see it in her hands.

 She still couldn't get over watching the phase take place. It was the most amazing, yet beautiful thing to see and even more amazing to experience. She welcomed her wolf form like an old friend she hadn't seen in years.She recalled the first phase, how confused and afraid she was and now she slips into it like a warm bath. Soothing and relaxing. She almost felt better and more herself when in wolf form. She looked at the forest and could see through the dense foliage ahead. She looked at the almost full moon and took off running. The night air was invigorating and It seemed as though all of nature was out enjoying the night. As Shibon ran her mind began to play back the images of the day.

Throughout there were the constant recollections of the night before. She tried to empty her mind of Rebecca but the more she tried the more vibrant the images became. She caught flashes of Rebecca laying on top of her kissing her neck while holding her hands above her head. It's funny how the little things tend to mean the most. Something as simple as holding her hands while making love melted her heart and all she could now feel was pain.

Recalling the sounds she made and the look of pure ecstasy on her face drove Shibon to run faster into the night and as the pain reached an apex she slid to a halt looked up to the moon and let out such a howl that whether you were a wolf or human you knew that it was a howl of extreme pain. 

The truth was that Shibon had never had someone touch her as deeply as Rebecca did and in truth she wasn't sure if anyone would ever again. As she sat there looking down at the river she forced herself to accept the pain and in doing so she allowed her wolf to absorb some of the emotion that was ebbing within her. She ran back to the car and as she approached it she saw someone lurking by the door. She sniffed the air and could smell alcohol and some other unpleasant scent. She knew that this person meant no good. If she changed back into human form she would be in a weakened state and that wouldn't be good. So she decided to approach the man as she was.

 As she approached him he hadn't heard her creep up beside him. He stood there looking in the car and trying to figure a way inside. When he picked up a rock and was about to throw it, that's when she growled. He stopped in mid-throw and turned towards her. His eyes grew big and he let out a scream. Dropping the rock, he took off running. It probably didn't help that in wolf form she was almost as big as the car. 

Shibon sniffed the air and knew that he had run off, his scent was still strong but fading. She caught a hint of something, someone else but could not see them. They were far enough away that they were no immediate threat so she phased back into human form and sat in her car while she quickly dressed. As she pulled onto the road she caught the scent again and knew that this time they were closer. She got the feeling that they were there for her, as though they had been following her. As she turned onto the main street she glanced into her rear-view and she saw a vehicle turn onto the main road only a few moments after she did. They were behind her. 

She wasn't sure if they were actually following her so she turned down another road and pulled into a convenience store. She exited the car and went inside. She didn't really need anything, but she wanted to see if they were actually following her. Within moments the same car pulled into the parking space beside her. They didn't get out of the car, they were apparently on the phone. Shibon bought an iced coffee and returned to her car. As she passed the other car she quickly looked inside and saw a man on his phone apparently talking to someone. 

Shibon quickly started her car and pulled back out into traffic. As she turned a few streets she could see the same car behind her and as she pulled into the private garage. 

The mysterious man wouldn't be able to pull in without a code, but he could follow her inside if he was that bold. Confronting as she was, Shibon pulled up the keypad, turned off the car and stepped out of the car to confront her follower. As she began to approach the car it backed out of the driveway and continued down the street. 

Apparently he wasn't interested in a confrontation. Shibon watched as the car sped down the street. This was the last thing that she needed. Along with the conclave, the huge event approached with the awards ceremony and now this. Her life was never simple, but it had definitely grown more complicated. Shibon hopped back into her car, entered the code and drove inside. As she walked to the private elevator the adrenaline wore off and she was suddenly exhausted. 

Phasing back and forth had an effect on her, although she wasn't as tired as she used to become. As Shibon lay in her bed she could still smell Rebecca on her sheets, it was painful to her, yet the pain seemed muted somehow and she knew in that moment that her wolf was absorbing most of the initial pain. She loved her wolf more than ever and was grateful for it's protection. As she fell asleep she thought about the next day because she would have to get some training in before the conclave. She was fit and trained in many forms of fighting but she didn't know how to put those styles into fighting as a wolf. She knew that this was going to be interesting.The next day went by fairly quickly and Shibon was able to function while Rebecca sat at her desk. She was able to speak to her and even smile without the debilitating pangs of pain and loss.

 The behavior upset Rebecca and Shibon knew why it had, but she knew that if she allowed herself to think about it even to comfort her, it would bring all the pain right back up to the surface. She still desired Rebecca, still felt the pain, but she was getting better at compartmentalizing and as the pack's Luna, this was a valuable lesson that she needed to learn. By the end of the day she was ready to go to the gym and prepare for the conclave that was fast approaching.

Shibon walked out to the outer office and smiled at Rebecca," Are you ready to go?" Rebecca smiled back and nodded. "Do you want to take my car or yours?" Shibon thought about it for a moment and knew what she wanted to say, but instead replied, "Why don't we take separate cars that way we can leave straight from the gym." 

Shibon saw the look of disappointment on Rebecca's face and hated herself for hurting her, but it was what was necessary to move forward. "Okay, well I'll meet you there then." Rebecca headed for the door and Shibon reached for her arm. "Listen, I appreciate you helping me with this, but if this is going to be too hard for you, I understand. We don't have to train together." Realizing that she was still holding Rebecca's arm she quickly pulled her hand away. 

Rebecca looked down as Shibon pulled her hand away.

 The look on her face was pure pain and anger. "If you can erase what we felt and shared then so can I. You must be ready for this challenge and I will not be the reason that you are not. Now if you are ready Luna, let's go." Shibon looked at Rebecca and followed her out to the parking garage. Rebecca drove an Audi and Shibon drove a Spitfire so they reached the gym in little to no time. As they stood in the locker room changing into their workout clothes the tension in the room was thick enough to slice.

 Shibon couldn't keep from stealing glances at Rebecca. She knew that Rebecca would look over at her too, but she refused to make eye contact with her and Shibon knew why. If they made eye contact they wouldn't be able to break it and everything that they were both trying to avoid would come crashing down. Shibon decided to concentrate on the conclave, and the fight that threatened her life.

Soon they were facing each other in the center of the ring. Rebecca looked distant, as though she were in a fight for her life. "Now, when we do this, I want you to come after me with everything you've got. Don't hold back because you're afraid to hurt me...because you won't." Shibon smiled and replied,"Are you sure about that? I have been formally trained in many fighting styles. You may want to reconsider that" Rebecca looked at Shibon and gave an evil smile, " Bring it, if you've got it.

" With that Rebecca phased quicker than Shibon had ever seen and before she knew it, Rebecca was standing in front of her ready to slash her face with her massive paw. Just before she would slash, she stopped mid-motion and looked at Shibon. Without speaking Shibon could hear her thoughts. "You must be ready for anything. There are no rules here except to win with no outside interference."

Rebecca moved back to her starting point and when she thought Shibon was ready, she pounced again only this time Shibon was prepared and in that moment Shibon phased and back flipped out of the way. The paw barely missed her face and she realized that Rebecca would hold nothing back now. This put her wolf on high alert.Rebecca looked at her and Shibon could hear her thoughts as though she were in her head.

 "You must become one with your beast, you must move as one. Not just for survival, but also for the defeat and utter destruction of your enemy. Don't just react, counter, or you will lose this fight, and in turn lose your life. Kane comes from a long line of warriors, as I come from a long line of Bulwarks. It would only be a matter of time before someone in his line would challenge someone from yours. "

"It's actually a good thing that this is happening now, before you took the throne so that all will know you are not to be underestimated or challenged in any way. Defeat him and your word becomes law. Defeat him and you will not only be Luna, but the true Luna, challenged and victorious of royal bloodline. " As she spoke in her thoughts, she advanced again and this time she made contact with Shibon's stomach. The pain was sharp and instant. As the blood flowed to the canvas of the ring this enraged Shibon's wolf and before she knew it she was countering the blows delivered by rebecca. Shibon found herself moving in ways she never knew she could. 

She leapt through the air and rolled and in one motion slashed the very smooth center of Rebecca's stomach. It looked as though her stomach were made of ribbons by the time she stopped and looked at it. It bled profusely and Shibon feared she had killed her. Rebecca lay on the canvas of the ring and Shibon could hear her whimpering. Shibon looked at her and instantly knew what to do. She stood over Rebecca and started to lick the horrible wound. As Shibon licked the wound it began to heal and as she continued licking Rebecca lay there looking up at her and as she licked she heard the words softly within her head, "I love you".

As she heard the words she shook her head as though the wolf had shaken water from its fur. When she looked back at the wound it was healed and Rebecca rubbed her stomach where the wound had been and stared at Shibon in awe."I had heard that only a true alpha could heal a wound even unto death. What you just did has only been done by the originate of our pack, your great-great-grandfather. We all thought that that particular gift had been lost through time, but you are the reemergence of him. I knew that you were special, but even I had no idea of just how special you are."

Shibon looked down at Rebecca and could feel the power flowing through her. She was gaining power through the blood she tasted. It was fueling her beast and her beast liked that feeling. It was energizing, thrilling and scary all at the same time. Rebecca stood up and faced Shibon in her naked form because when she was injured she phased back into human form. Shibon stood as she phased back into human form. There they stood naked looking at each other and the thoughts that ran through their minds were one and the same. But they knew that there was a new understanding between them that she must take the throne and there can be no emotional interference.

Rebecca broke the silence first, "You are ready. You need no further instruction from me. When the conclave meets this weekend you will be ready and I will be there as your Bolverk." Shibon looked at Rebecca and understood what she was really saying. That no matter what happens you will be victorious and she too will be prepared to do whatever is necessary to do her duty to the pack and to her. With that they both headed to their cars and both drove off.

 As Shibon drove she recognised a familiar scent. It was the scent of the mysterious man who had followed her the night before. She didn't want to alarm Rebecca because he seemed to only be interested in her. She looked in her rear view and there he was, he was driving a different car, but it was the same scent and Shibon knew that he was assuredly following her. 

If he was at the gym, he wouldn't have seen anything because they rented the gym for the whole night.

 She would have smelled him if he was in the building, no, he was waiting outside. But why? Who was he working for? As she asked these questions within her head she knew that she was going to have to employ an investigator. There was only one investigator that she trusted, and that meant that she was going to have to hire Makenzie. The conclave was only a few days away and this intruder couldn't follow her there. She was going to have to act fast if she was going to give this person the slip.

The next morning Shibon awoke and knew what was first on the agenda. She knew that she had to call Mackenzie, but she wished there was another way. It would help if she knew who they were working for. Were they sent because of the awards ceremony, or maybe because of who her father was but maybe, just maybe they were sent because of the pack. Either way she needed to know who they were and why they were sent. Most importantly, who sent them. As she drank her coffee at her office she dialed makenzie's number. She heard the phone ring and within moments she heard the voice reply. "Makenzie Baker Investigations, how may I direct your call." Sue was a good receptionist and she took pride in her work, but she was fiercely protective of Mackenzie and so she hated Shibon because of the broken heart she left her with. "Sue, this is Shibon and if she's not too busy I would like to speak to her."

"Ms. Mason, Ms. Baker are very busy, so if you would like to speak with her you can leave a message with me." Now Shibon had left numerous messages with Sue before and gotten nowhere. Shibon thought that secretly Sue had had feelings for Makenzie and that was why she was so protective over her. But Makenzie never received the messages. This was too important to rely on Sue for the snoop so she got forceful, " Sue, this is business related, so unless you want me to simply call her cell, I suggest you tell her I'm on the phone.

 Or do you want to risk your job, yet again." There was a pause on her end then she replied, "Please hold," After a moment Makenzie answered, "Hey Shi, what's up?" Shibon loved the way Makenzie always made time for her. Makenzie was always busy and there was always something going on at her firm, but she always made time for her "Kenz, I have a little problem, there is this little bird that keeps following me and I need to to know who they are and most importantly who they work for. "

Makenzie was quiet for a while, then she replied, "Shi, who could be following you, and why." Shibon had a few ideas, especially with everything going on in her life but she didn't want to give that much information. " Kenz, look, Just please do what you do and find out who is so interested in my life. I've got a lot of things coming up and the last thing I need is a bird following me around. Please Kenz, this is your area of expertise, don't let me down." There was a moment of silence then, "Okay, I'll handle it myself, but I should tell you, I'm good at my job. Now you haven't been the same ever since the weekend at the cabin, and I suspect this has a lot to do with that. That being said, as your friend this is in the house and understand that I may unearth some things you don't want unearthed. Are you sure about this?"

Shibon thought about this for a while and replied,"Do what you must, but understand that what you may find may be dangerous if you disclose this to anyone but me. Are we clear." Makenzie replied, "Understood, I'll start A.S.A.P. Goodnight Shibon and remember, there are eyes on you." With that there was a click on the phone line, and Shibon heard the dial tone. She knew what that meant. Makenzie was very good at her job and from this moment for all she knew there was someone from her agency watching the man who was watching her. Her life was no longer a private affair, just when she needed it to be the most private.

When Shibon was done with the call she felt a huge sense of dread. It was forbidden to include humans in their pack affairs. But that was the problem, she didn't know if this was a pack affair or not. Her life seemed to instantly explode with all these new facets and she was losing control on juggling them. 

She knew Mackenzie would be discreet, she didn't worry about divulging any gathered information, she just wasn't sure if she would understand this new aspect of her life. The day passed by slowly and every once in a while she would sense Rebecca looking her way, but she was determined to keep the distance. It hurt her to do it and she knew it hurt Rebecca, but it was the best way to ensure less pain in the future. Whatever the future held.

Shibon lay in her bed with a whirlwind of thoughts going through her head. It seemed like only yesterday that she phased for the first time. Now here she is preparing for the fight of her life. The moon will be high in the sky and challenges made will be answered.

 She found herself questioning whether or not she was ready for this, was she deserving of the throne. As Shibon fell asleep she was flooded with the random thoughts of the coming evening. Would she survive this test of strength and will or would she fall before she even sat on the throne. In the depths of sleep she found herself drifting to the sacred place once again.

"Wake Luna, for your people seek an audience" As Shibon opened her eyes she was in a sitting position. As she became more aware, there she sat on a wooden throne. 

It was a chair made of wood taken straight from the tree. It had been carved and at each point it had a distinct shape to it. On one point to the left it held the symbol of the howling wolf, to the right, the symbol of the first Alpha and in the center the symbol of the moon in its fullest state. In front of her was a small step that led down to the floor. Standing on that floor was a group of people Shibon had never seen before. As she was about to speak the crowd separated down the middle and coming to stand in front of her was the same aged old man who had first appeared to her when she first phased.

He wore an old wolf skin pelt with old beads around his neck. He walked with a staff made of wood with the crescent moon atop. On his forehead was the tattoo of the same crescent moon and he moved with an authority about him as though nothing was out of his realm of understanding for he bore witness through the passage of time. As he moved through the crowd there were whispers among them and Shibon got the sense that if he forbade it, it would never be, yet if he blessed it, it always was. When he reached the front of the crowd and stood in front of Shibon he sniffed the air as if trying to decipher an old scent. Once he found the scent he was seeking he spoke with a voice of ancient wisdom and the authority of the pack.

"Luna of the Choko-Lukoi blood, I have smelled your blood and it is true, But there are things that you must know as you face your blood's greatest enemy. From the beginning of the Choko-Lukoi reign the Animagus blood has threatened to usurp the throne. Two friends who simultaneously came into their power, one wanted to rule the land and the people, the other sought only to protect the people. As time went on both developed their own style of leadership. 

One day during the season of the popping trees, Leto of the Animagus blood grew suspicious of his old companion and believed that he, Syri of the Choko blood, had devised a plot to betray him to the people. He was quick to believe this because Syri was a man of the people. He worked with, supported, defended and fought for the people. Yes, he was loved by the people." As the old man told the story, it was as if he were recalling the tale and within his eyes he was seeing it all over again. 

"Believing that his old friend had betrayed him, driven by his rage he challenged Syri for true leadership, once and for all. To settle this factioning that was dividing the people. Syri didn't want to fight his friend for he knew that he would never forgive himself should he win. Siri tried to reason with his old friend but like Moses and Ramses, there could be no reasoning. When the day of the challenge had come and the two stood facing each other something mystical took place. Syri was losing the battle, not because he was weaker, but because he loved his friend and was willing to die that day rather than harm his friend. In the last throes of battle Siri's eyes which were of a gray color turned beautifully green. A green only seen in special stones. He grew exponentially and his fur turned white as snow. As he moved he seemed to glow with a power unlike any ever seen."

"When the battle was over Syria stood over the crumpled and defeated body of Leto. Though badly beaten Syri refused to kill him as is our custom. It warns off future challengers and gives power to the pack when the flesh is consumed. Syri decided to grant him his life and gave him the title of Beta. His second in command. His right hand if it pleases you. From that time until this the Animagus blood has always coveted the throne, believing that it rightfully belonged to them. 

They would have taken the throne before you came into your power if they thought the pack would accept this. You question your right, your blood and your throne, because you do not know who and what you truly are. But we the ones who have gone before know exactly who and what you are. You are the rightful and true hair of the Choko-Lukoi pack. You must harness your ancestor Syri as you battle tomorrow. You must finish what your ancestors could not."

"It is within your bloodline that your power will originate. You have only to seek him, he is there, always there, within you." As the old man finished telling his tale, Slowly he bent his fragile knee and bowed his head. As he did this, so too did the crowd behind him. "Call on us Luna when you require the strength of your people, for you are that which gives us strength." With that Shibon awoke in a sweaty state looking around the room as though expecting to see the old man and the crowd of people. As she realized that she was back in her bedroom, she lay there and recalled what the old man had said and knew in her heart what she would have to do. Not only for herself, but for her people. 

As the day progressed, Shibon spent the day at her condo meditating. It was something she did when she felt a major change was evolving in her life, or when she felt as though she were dealing with something that she was unprepared to deal with. She was starting a new existence and whether she lived or died, this would be the end of the one she had known. When the sun began to set Shibon headed out to the sacred place. She had recently acquired it so that it would always be there for the pack. It wasn't much and she had the funds to do so. She would let the pack know that it now belonged to them in trust and as soon as an elder was named it would be in their hands to pass it on as they saw fit.

The land was sacred to her people and with her people it would remain. As she pulled up to the graveled path that led to the open field she could feel the anticipation of the old and the new pack members. Soon she would oath them, but not until she herself had proven that she was indeed the true hair. The thought of killing someone was repugnant to her, yet the thought of killing them for the throne seemed senseless and wasteful of a good warrior. As she had thought she remembered the story told to her by the elder of old and she was resolute in her path of action. 

It was what needed to be. She had to prove her power and there could be no mercy in it, not this time or future hairs would be faced with the same dilemma. 

Shibon exited the car and as she walked up to the center of the field, there at the far end was a throne. It was a wooden, handcrafted chair with the same symbols as in her vision. She had been to the sacred place before and there was no throne upon the land so the look of confusion was evident on her face. An old man about the age of seventy walked up to her and in his state he still bowed before her. "Luna, my strength. I have no doubt that you will bring greatness to our pack once again, and that you will do what your ancestor could not.

 I am a craftsman by trade and I still remember the throne of old. I began to craft this on the night that you forced my phase. I completed it only this afternoon. It is for the next Alpha, and I have no doubt that it will be you." Shibon lightly touched the old man on the head as he bowed. " Tell me, how do you know the story of my ancestor?" The old man looked up at her, and thought for a moment. "My father was the elder of this pack, he told me many things that he himself learned from his father. The history of this pack is as a story never told but to the young. It too is a power that I offer you tonight. I remember the night you were born, young one. It was a full moon just like this night."

"Your mother and father were so proud and happy. It was considered a blessing if a child of the blood were born on a full moon and you were, this is why I do not doubt you will be victorious, it is in your blood. You must call upon it to reign, Luna. Do not forget to call upon your people, and embrace your ancestor, Syri." Shibon smiled at the old man because she felt such loyalty and love from him that her emotions were barely in check. It was as if she had spoken to a grandfather who knew her past and hoped for her future.

 "Tell me old man, what is your name?" The old man raised his head and simply said,"My name is Crestus, Crestus of the Choko-Lukoi Clan." Shibon looked surprised because of the name. "Are we related?" The old man smiled and nodded, My Luna, Little one. I am the brother of your grandfather. " We are blood ." 

Shibon looked at him and it dawned on her all at once,"Well I don't understand, why aren't you the Alpha of our clan as you are a surviving family member of my father's blood." Crestus looked around and spoke softly, "It's true, I am a surviving member of the blood, but I am no alpha. I would not be able to defend this clan if the need should arise. I am no warrior." 

 Shibon smiled as the understanding came to her. "I will honor you this day for keeping the records of our people, but also because you are of my blood and that should mean something to the clan because it means something to me."As the two of them walked further into the center of the field Crestus spoke again. "Because your right to rule has been challenged, you cannot sit on the throne as of yet, but when you defeat Kane, the honor and right will be yours. Now go, go and bring honor to our name."

 Shibon nodded to him and slightly bowed her head. He bowed back to her and spoke again,"Defender of the blood, if it pleases you, I will start the event for you and Kane, once you defeat him you may take over the rest of the challenges." Shibon nodded slightly. As she watched him as he walked to the middle of the field. The rest of the pack stood around the circle and listened to Crestus speak.

"Gather round my people of the Choko-Lukoi. Tonight we will be witness to something amazing. We will see our true alpha arise, or we will see the end of the Choko-Lukoi blood reign. Tonight we will be witness to the beginning of something and yet the end of another. " As he spoke, he looked over at Shibon and smiled. "Let the challenge be answered." As he spoke, he raised his staff and slammed it into the ground. There it stood buried in the dirt. Shibon looked around for Rebecca and once she spotted her she felt better. Smiling at her She saw Rebecca walk to her. "Do you feel confident about the fight with Luna?" Shibon smiled, she understood the formality of her speech. "I am more ready than I was before. I now have something personal to fight for and I don't like to lose."

Rebecca smiled and put her hand on Shibon's shoulder. "Then, good luck, may the spirit of the ancient ones be with you." Before Shibon could speak again, Rebecca walked back to the edge of the circle. Shibon walked closer to the middle of the circle and stood facing Kane. In that moment she felt a rage, a pulling and pushing of her spirit and she knew it was her wolf wanting to be set free. As she had the thought, out of nowhere Kane was in wolf form and was mid air claws shining in the low light. 

Shibon ducked out of the way and in mid motion she phased into her beast. It was the smoothest transition she had ever experienced. With a roar, she leapt into the air and clawed Kane's back and as he fell to the ground she spun on her heels and faced him again. Kane rose to his feet and let out a deep growl, he was angry that she drew first blood. 

Kane spun as quickly as he rose from his kneeling position and lept at Shibon again. This time he made contact and Shibon let out a scream as the pain was an immediate sharpness. She felt the blood pour down her stomach before she saw the crimson flood run down her leg. Kane smirked at her and lept again towards her. Shibon knew that it was a killing blow and quickly scrambled backwards. As she moved backwards she stumbled and lost her bearings. Falling backwards to the ground she felt a rush of panic, if he landed this blow he would surely kill her and all would be lost. She didn't know how she knew, but she knew that she needed to move from where she lay. 

As Kane moved to deliver the blow, everything moved in slow motion. Shibon had an overflow of past visions. She could see when she first phased, here in this sacred place, she saw the ancient elder and the story of her ancestor. She remembered what he told her. She could see the old man Crestus smiling at her and then she remembered their words. "Call upon the strength of your people, call upon your ancestor Syri. In the moment of visions she heard Kane laugh saying, "You are no Alpha, and you certainly aren't the true alpha.

 I see you've been training though, I'm guessing with that bitch of a want to be Bolverk. Well don't worry, she won't be Bolverk for long because the first thing I'm gonna do when I take the throne is have a true hunt and she will be the prey. But first, first I'm gonna gut you and use your hide as the throw for my new throne." As he spoke, the rage within Shibon exploded. The thought of him taking the throne didn't bother her as much as what he said about Rebecca.

Shibon jumped backwards and stood there looking at Zane, he seemed a little thrown by her quick recovery, and as she stood looking at him she raised her arms up into the night sky and called to the ancient spirits of her people because that's what they were, her people. She called out to the spirits of those long dead and to those who stood there watching the battle. The night had been clear and the moon shone bright, but in that moment the sky turned black as the thunder roared overhead.

 Lightning lit the sky as bright as the sun and then Shibon knelt and bowed her head as she called upon the spirit of her ancestor Syri. It was as if everyone around her froze in place as she looked up and there before her stood her ancestor Syri. 

He took her hand and helped her to her feet, "Hello my child. I have been watching you and I am so very proud of you. You are everything I was and wanted to be. You are kind, and brave, self-sacrificing and cruel when you need to be. This fight was mine and in pity I failed in my task. But you, you must not fail in this because unlike his ancestor, Kane is a man with no honor. He will kill you in your sleep if you let him. You must end him, mercilessly. " Shibon looked at him in awe, for she realized that this was her ancestor, the start of it all. 

There were so many questions that she wanted to ask him, but she knew that this was not the time to do so. "I'm afraid, I don't want to let you or our people down." Syri held her hand and gently kissed it. " Oh, my child, you could never let me down. Only giving in will do that. You are a fighter, you are Shibon Choco-Lukoi, you are my blood and you will never fail me as long as you remember and honor your name. Now go finish what I started. I am with you and always will be."

With that it was as if the world caught up with her and everything was as it was before time froze. Shibon was standing once again and she felt the thunder overhead as though it were moving within her. She opened her eyes and knew that her eyes shone bright as lit emeralds. She felt a thousand times stronger and when she looked at her paws she saw the light emanating from her. She was glowing an amber light but she felt no pain. The wound on her stomach had vanished and the people all stood around with their mouths gaped open. When she looked at Kane, he had turned a sickly color pale and she smirked at him. Not an easy task in wolf form.

As she stalked over to him, he began to cower away and as she stood over him, she growled above his kneeling form. As he whimpered he begged,"Please, please don't kill me. I didn't know, I didn't believe it. Please, I will serve you, I will serve you my Luna." Shibon towered over him and thought about his pleas. Then she spoke through the wolf snout. It wasn't a pretty thing to see, but she spoke nevertheless. "Yes Kane, you will serve me, moreover, you will serve this clan by dying tonight. you will serve as a cautionary tale as to what will happen when I am challenged and by extension, when this clan is challenged

 As Shibon backed away from Kane, she slowly turned away from him, she knew he had no honor and would try to strike her as she turned away. As she turned, she felt more than seeing him leap into the lit sky and as he came down with his mightiest blow, she ducked under him so that his underbelly was exposed and there she raked her claws from his throat straight down to his groan.

As he fell to the ground, his intestines hit the dirt before he did. Laying on the ground, he whimpered and Shibon stood over him and called to her beast to take her pound of flesh. In that moment, Shibon felt a hunger for flesh as she had never known. She could smell the ripe odor of his perforated intestines and as she came closer she began to devour his flesh.

 When she had had her fill, she howled at the moon to let her people know that it was their turn to devour what was left of Kane, of the Animagus clan. The pack walked up to the corpse and sniffed and in an instant they were no longer a group of people but a pack of huge wolves. Soon they too were devouring his flesh until there was nothing left of him except the blood that covered the ground. As Shibon looked at the blood soaked earth, she watched as the young of their pack came to the spot and began licking the blood from the ground. Shibon knew it was acceptable because they too would share in the power of the kill.

As she had thought she howled at the moon again. As she stood there she began to feed her pack power. She poured power into the old all the way down to the young. All who fed and tasted of the kill were filled with it until the whole pack howled. It was a true bonding experience for the clan. When everyone was settled Crestus walked to the middle of the circle and retrieved his staff from the ground. As he did, one bolt of lightning struck the staff and poured down Crassus's body. 

Shibon stood in shock at the thought of losing him after only just finding him. When crestus opened his eyes they shone blue as the waters of the Caribbean. This struck Shibon because his eyes weren't that vibrant blue when she spoke to him before.

"Crestus, grandfather, are you well, are you in any pain.?" Crestus looked at her and smiled. "You called me grandfather, nothing would make me happier than you thinking of me as such. The ancient spirits have blessed me with the sacred rites of the clan." Shibon helped Crestus up from the ground. "What do you mean, the sacred rites?" Crestus picked up his staff and looked lovingly upon it. "They have imbued my staff with the powers of old. They have given me the wisdom of the ancients to guide you as the true alpha." 

Shibon smiled and replied, "Then grandfather did your duty that night so that we may again be the Choco-Lukoi clan."

Crestus smiled and bowed to Shibon. As he spoke the clan listened intently and Shibon was reminded of the vision of the old elder and how the crowd listened intently when he spoke. "Hear me, my people from the Choco-Lukoi clan. Tonight we have seen many wondrous things. We have seen the end of the Animagus clan and the ascension of our own. Tonight we have honored our ancestors with the feasting of the defeated and become one in his consumption. Now if there are no other challengers to the throne I acknowledge Shibon of the Choko-Lukoi blood as our Alpha, and as we have witnessed not only by blood and victory but also as our true alpha with the ability to harness our ancestor's spirit and power to strengthen our clan."

"Luna, please take your throne, may it serve you as you serve it." With that Shibon moved towards the throne. As she moved she felt as though she were not alone. It was as though many others walked with her. She could feel her ancestors walking in her body, she could feel her father, grandfather and so on within her. It almost felt heavy to move with them within her. As she sat in the chair the weight was lifted and she knew that they would always be with her to help and guide her. 

This made her happy and she was almost brought to tears as she felt the love and comfort she so desired her whole life. Now she knew what it was she was missing all those years. She herself hadn't known, but her blood did. As she sat on the throne Crestus slammed his staff into the ground and he and all the others around the circle bent down on one knee. "Hail Luna, she who gives us strength." 

Shibon felt a warmth within her as the clan emanate love, and loyalty towards her. "Rise, my people and hear me. This night has seen many things, and we as the Choko-Lukoi clan are one. As your Luna, I am here for you in all things, you need only ask. That being said, there are a few appointments that must be made. Looking out into the crowd, she simply spoke his name," Crestus, my grandfather, I appoint you as the pack's elder. You are my blood and no one can advise me as well as you other than the ancestors themselves. You now have a link with them and I am entrusting you with the spiritual needs of our people." Crestus stood before her and knelt. Shibon stood in front of him and placed her hand upon his head. 

"Rise Crestus, elder of the Choko-Lukoi clan and face your people."Crestus rose up and turned to face the crowd. "Heed his words, for his wisdom is priceless." Crestus moved back into position and slightly bowed to Shibon. Shibon looked out into the crowd, with a sigh she spoke,"Rebecca " Rebecca slowly made her way to the front of the throne. As she faced Shibon she knelt on one knee, "My Luna, I am here." As Shibon looked down at her she knew this was it, this was the moment of truth for them and she wondered if Rebecca felt it too.

 "Tonight a true Bolvark will be appointed to our clan. Are there any challengers for this position." No one spoke up and in a way she was hoping someone else would want the position. Shibon spoke with resignation, "As you know, for there to be a true Bolverk they have to undergo the Kumhei. For those of you who don't know what the Kumdei is, it is a process in which the potential is of a bloodline that generates Bolvarks. This would make them very powerful as they harness the powers of their ancestry. 

Because of this, it may create someone slightly different from who we know. To better serve our clan Rebecca must now choose." Without any expression on her face she looked down at Rebecca," What is your decision". Rebecca looked up from her bowing position and with a sigh and a look of sadness she replied, "My Luna I only ever wanted to serve my clan. I choose to serve you my Luna. I accept this challenge."Shibon wanted to scream from the top of her lungs "no, I won't allow it " But she was truly Luna now, she couldn't and she wouldn't. She looked at Rebecca and in her thoughts she simply said, "I understand". With a sigh she replied," Then rise and face your destiny. Crestus, begin."As Rebecca continued to bow before Shibon, Crestus stood in front of her, " Are you ready?" and before she could reply, Crestus slammed his staff into the ground again.

 A white light emanated from the tip and soon there were swaths of what looked like smoke coming out of the tip as well. Shibon knew these were the spirits of Rebecca's ancestors. Rebecca held onto the ground and seemed to be in pain when after what seemed like a lifetime she bowed her head back towards the sky and phased into her beast. Her eyes looked like molten lava and as she phased she let out what started as a scream, and then turned into a howl. 

Shibon watched in horror as she grabbed at the ground. Her phase seemed so painful and she knew that the change had occurred. Would she be the same, or would she...As she watched on in horror, she saw Crestus stand before her and slightly nod. "Luna, she has survived the process." Shibon looked at Rebecca and replied, "Stand my Bolverk, stand and face me." 

 As Rebecca stood slowly she looked Shibon in the eyes and Shibon could not see Rebecca there. The soft, loving and gentle woman she had come to care for was not who was looking through her eyes. Shibon spoke, "Bolverk, whom do you serve?" Rebecca knelt before Shibon,"I serve you my Luna, you and my clan." Shibon nodded at this,"Then rise my bolverk and take your place by my side."

Rebecca rose from her kneeling position and stood there as nude as the day she was born. This didn't bother anyone because for one Rebecca was beautiful and for two, they were. Being naked didn't offend as it would among humans. Shibon stood and looked out among the crowd and began to speak, "Let it be known that I am also looking for a Freki and geri. As you know my Freki would be my right hand, as my Geri would be my left. In time I will come to know you and if you are the one, I will know . Now, come and pledge your loyalty here on this night so that we may begin the hunt.

After about two hours of each individual person pledging their loyalty to Shibon, She stood up and spoke, "Now my people of the Choko-Lukoi clan, let us hunt. And with that everyone was in a different stage of phasing. Shibon phased last and when she was in wolf form she walked to the front of the pack. Right behind her was Rebecca, her Bolwerk. With a howl she took off into the woods and as she looked behind her she saw her pack running free and happy. She felt a joy she had never felt before. 

She knew that there were other things coming, other things she would have to worry about, but for right now she was happy and that was what she held onto as she ran into the night. The following morning Shibon awoke and felt the strain of the night before. She was tired and knew that it was coming out of her phase. Although she felt tired she knew that she wasn't as tired as she should have felt. It was becoming easier to phase. A little while later she was drinking her coffee and relaxing in her living room when her intercom buzzed. She looked at the camera to see who was downstairs and it was Rebecca. She automatically jumped up. Why was she here, was she the same Rebecca or was she the new Bolverk in full swing. Shibon wanted to find out last night, but it was neither the time, nor the place for that discussion and in truth she didn't really want to find that she was different.Shibon hit the button that gave Rebecca access to the elevator. Shibon ran around her apartment looking in mirrors trying to make herself look more appealing. 

Before she knew it the doorbell rang and as she walked to the door she gave herself another once over in the mirror. She was looking good with a simple tee-shirt and men's boxers. It was sort of masculine, yet sexy at the same time. Shibon opened the door and there stood Rebecca looking the same as she always had and a little piece of Shibon's heart sank."Hey, what are you doing here? Is something wrong." Rebecca smiled at her and then as though she had a sad thought her smile dwindled a little.

 "I thought we should talk about what happened. I thought maybe you would want to know if...if…" Shibon opened the door further to allow Rebecca more room to enter. As Shibon closed the door behind her she thought about the best thing to say. She knew that with everything that had been said, felt and done there needed to be distance between them. She decided to address her in a formal way as Luna and not as Shibon. "Was there a change within you, has it affected you?" 

 Shibon knew that she was being cold, hell, she sounded cold even to herself, but she knew that if she had changed there would be nothing between them and to hope for it would only bring her pain. As she waited for an answer she made Rebecca a cup of coffee, she knew she didn't need to ask if she wanted any because she loved coffee as much as she did. Shibon handed her the cup and began to sip her own. Rebecca took the cup and smiled. Sipping the hot brew she remained thoughtful. After a while she spoke. "My Luna, you still cause an ache in my heart and although it's faint I still feel a pull towards you beyond the bond of a pack member. What it is is that There's a voice in my head that says that we can have no future because along with you protecting the pack, you also have a sacred duty to continue the bloodline and you can't do that with a woman, with me."

Shibon looked at her and wanted to tell her that that wasn't true, that they could find a way to do both. She wanted to tell her anything that would make it so that they could be together. But the words wouldn't come and as she felt the burning pain she so desperately wanted to avoid coming to the surface she looked at her and simply nodded. "You know I have been gay all my life, and I won't stop being that way simply to appease the ancients.

 I respect them and will do my duty to them and the pack, but I will not betray myself in the process. Yes, I will be mated, because it is our way, but there will be no love in it, not that way. Yes, there will be a bond shared between him and I because of it, but he will not own my heart."

Rebecca looked down at her cup of coffee and remained thoughtful and replied," I honestly don't know how I feel right now. My feelings are almost muted and It's difficult for me to decide on anything where you are concerned. Personally, I mean." Shibon sighed and knew that this was a sign that the ceremony worked and her feelings were mixed and drifting with any matter of the heart. "Rebecca, relax. Nothing has to be decided now, besides, there are other things that must take precedence. I want you to find out where Crestus is residing, because I want to move him if he's willing to a new place until I've built up dwellings and such at the sacred place. Also, I want to start the trials for Freki and Geri. I must have these in place by the next full moon. This is your job until they are appointed." Rebecca looked at Shibon and there was an understanding between them. Rebecca bowed and replied," It will be done my Luna. "

With that Shibon walked over to her door and opened it. Rebecca stepped outside and looked back at Shibon," I ask one thing of you."

 Shibon replied,``What is that Bolverk" Rebecca frowned, "All I ask is for a little time. A little time to get it all wrapped around my head." Shibon thought about it for a moment and replied,"You have all the time in the world Rebecca, but I don't see what good any amount of time will achieve. You are Bolverk and that will never change. This is the path you have chosen and I will respect that decision. " As Rebecca stood there she bowed and left. Shibon closed her door and walked over to her sofa and wept. 

It was dark when she awoke on the sofa. She fell asleep in the midst of crying and finally freed herself from the pain of her loss. As she stood up she had made her decision and would harden her heart where Rebecca was concerned. No good would come of it, only more pain. As she walked into the bedroom she was suddenly comforted by the knowledge that she would be able to wrap herself up in work at the office and establish her pack. If she kept focused on that, she would be okay. She thought about the work to be done and thought about her mysterious follower. As she lay in bed, she wondered who he was and more importantly who he worked for. Makenzie was good at her job and she would find out soon enough.

 Beginning of Book Two

 The Conflict

Shibon sat at her desk waiting for Makenzie to show up. She had called her and said that there were some things that she needed to understand. Shibon had wondered if she had been following her from the night before. Makenzie was very good at her job and had retained some influential clients such as movie stars, musicians and certain political clients as well. She prided herself at finding the truth of a situation and believed that people are the most honest when left to their own devices, thinking that no one would be watching. 

It was in those pockets of time that a person lets their guard down and reveals the truth of who they really are. She sounded strange on the phone, not like herself at all, it made Shibon nervous because if she couldn't or wouldn't keep quiet about what she saw, the pack would demand her death and that was something Shibon feared above all else.

Shibon thought about her conversation with Crestus. She wanted to know how to handle the possible situation with Makenzie knowing about them and why it was important to bring her in to the situation. Crestus thought about it for a long while and then sat down in her living room as he spoke."Luna, we have always been a private person. In the distant past when there were those who truly believed in magic, we were hunted and nearly destroyed until only a few of us remained. 

We have been able to regenerate our population through slow years of birth and tradition. Our strength lies in our anonymity. " Crestus sighed and shook his head. "You, my child have put our people and our lives in potential danger with the possibility of exposure. But you trust this woman and if you trust her then we must in turn trust her. But hear me young one, if she betrays that trust you will be tasked with her demise. There can be no other way." Seeing the grief on Shibon's face, he rubbed her knee. "My dear, if you find this aspect of it difficult than turn to your Bolverk. This is the type of thing that they are there for. It is their sacred duty to do the things that you yourself would find….distasteful."

Crestus smiled and rose from the sofa. "This is what it means to be Luna. You must show a kind of cruel resolve, for it is the only way that you will be feared and respected. Both of which are most important. I have no doubt that you will make the right decision should a decision need to be made. Your power and bloodlines are no longer in question, but your resolve may be tested and you must do what is best for the pack.