Chapter Sixteen

Closing his eyes, he summoned the Pack Healer through their mind link.

‘Lucy, I need your help immediately.’

He asked, and she replied instantly.

‘Of course, Alpha. I will come right away. Is there anything specific that you want my help with?’

He sighed and said.

‘I will explain when you get here.’

She arrived a few minutes later, breezing into his office wearing a long, hippie-style purple dress, a multitude of silver bangles on her arms, and heavy biker boots. Her washed-out red hair hung loosely down her back, the grey streaks becoming more prominent as she neared her seventieth year.

‘Alpha, it is good to see you. How can I help?’

She smiled, enveloping him in a hug not many would have been so bold to give him, but she had delivered him as a pup, so he allowed it.

‘I am well, Lucy, I am not the reason I asked you to come.’

She cocked her head on one side regarding him with her intense dark eyes that seemed to hold all the wisdom of her years.

‘No, I know why you called me Alpha, how can I help your little mate?’

Kaiden grinned ruefully. He should have known; somehow, Lucy always knew why he needed her. She was the very heartbeat of his Pack, linked to every last one of them, and she always knew what was expected of her before it was asked.

‘I cannot get near her, Lucy. She is so severely traumatised by her upbringing, I was hoping you could unlock her memories so we can help her.’

He explained, and the Healer frowned at him.

‘That may not be as easy as you think, Alpha. For one, she is not a member of our Pack, so I have no link to her, and for two, from what I have heard, her mother was the Mountain Top’s Healer, so your little mate has the gift too.’

 It was Kaiden’s turn to frown.

‘She is my fated mate, and I will initiate her into my Pack later today. She has already rejected her old Pack, so it will not be a problem making her a Midnight Eclipse Pack member.’

He was about to explain more, but she held up her hand.

‘No, Alpha, take me to her now, please.’

Her unusual eyes began to glow as her wolf came forward, and Kaiden knew she was readying herself for the task ahead, so without another word, he led Lucy to his suite. When he opened the door, he was surprised to see Dakota standing by the window, the sunlight streaming through it caught her stunning hair and set it ablaze with colours from palest gold to deep russet red. She seemed to shimmer like a vision, so painfully beautiful and utterly innocent it broke his heart,t and from the soft gasp Lucy gave, he knew she sensed it too.

‘Hello Luna, I am honoured to meet you. I am Lucy, the Midnight Eclipses Healer.’

‘I know who you are.’

Kaiden was shocked by the ice in my voice, and he did not like the venom I  introduced as I  spoke again.

‘Why are you here, Healer? There is nothing wrong with me, no matter what that arrogant fucking Alpha thinks.’

The profanities flowing from my mouth seemed so at odds with my ethereal beauty that it made his wolf growl in anger.

‘Mate needs to be taught to respect us.’

Kaiden found himself bristling in agreement until Lucy put her hand on his arm, her gentle energy flowing into him and calming his anger down.

‘She’s frightened, Alpha, you have her backed into a corner, and she’s lashing out. Please leave us and let me do my job.’

He did not want to leave them alone; his gut instincts told him it was a bad idea, but he had to respect his Healer.

‘Very well, but I will be just outside the door.’

She nodded as he turned and closed the door quietly behind him; Lucy took a deep breath. Already, she knew the pretty young woman standing by the window was extremely troubled.

‘I’m not your enemy, Dakota.’

She began keeping her voice soft and neutral.

‘I would like to help you if you will let me.’

‘Do I have a choice?’

The sharp reply made her look up to meet glowing golden eyes. The new Luna looked like she was lit by a fire from within; it was not only her unusual eyes that glowed, but her whole body vibrated with suppressed energy.

‘You will always have a choice in this Pack, Luna. No one will ever force you to do anything you do not wish to do.’

Lucy told me and was not surprised when I  scoffed at her.

‘You will not blame me for not believing you; it is not the first time someone has made such promises to me.’

The Healer already sensed the deep mistrust this girl held for every living thing; her pain clung to her like a cloak of misery, and it was so strong she could taste it in the back of her throat.

‘Please let me help you.’

She pleaded, desperate to lift some of the hurt the poor young woman had suffered; all she needed to do was touch her, but I was looking at her through wary eyes, ready to run at the least provocation. Lucy thought I  looked like a young filly, wild and untameable. She sensed my fight or flight instinct was on its highest alert. Knowing she had to make the first move, she stepped closer, hearing my breathing hitch up audibly, feeling the fear running through me, but she did not stop, taking another step.

I  held her ground, refusing to be intimidated, letting the Healer approach me even though every instinct told me to shift and run. I  forced Solar to wait and see what happened. My wolf was driving me insane; she was constantly pacing back and forth, demanding we submit to the Alpha male, Kaiden.