Crossing Moon

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Hi! This is the FIRST installment of CROSSING MOON -- the sequel to Just Being Wolfy series ...

This is for you: IZABELLA, thank you for everything!

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I have to point out that there is a probability of grammar mistakes here and there since English is my second language (but I did reread and recheck, so does that count lol?) -- I didn't have this series checked by my editor due to a couple of reasons but hopefully that won't detract your votes! LOL

And I know that I've said this billion of times but please: "Don't forget to VOTE and COMMENT!!"

With love, Jayleen

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From Aveline Erickana Ruben's diary:

12th September 2008, 12.00 AM, my bedroom.

Currently listening to: "Like Whoa -- Aly and Aj"

HAPPY SWEET 18th BIRTHDAY AVELINE!!

I guess I should be happy. I mean, I'm finally eighteen years old and to top it off, Alven and I have received our OFFICIAL enrolment letter from Aliaxia Magdana School just two weeks ago.

Dad actually isn't thrilled with the idea of us going to a human school especially one that's abroad but hey, what's life without taking risks?

"It's dangerous! You could be seen!" oh, c'mon Dad! I love you and everything but please! Don't worry about us too much! We're not little cubs anymore!

I could still remember Dad's little -- oh did I say little?? It's like the longest speech I've ever heard in my entire life. Somehow Alven enjoyed the speech more than I do. I suppose he's being the 'perfect' son and the future alpha and all. A complete show-off, that's what he is.

Oh, c'mon. Can't a girl have some fun here?

Mummy on the other hand is absolutely ecstatic with our going to a human school. She's all set on boarding the plane with us, you know, just to see the school and the area but Dad totally put a kibosh on it.

"Love, we're supposed to go to the Alpha Dinner that weekend, remember? Do you really want me to go there alone?" ugh, I could still hear Dad's love-y romantic voice whenever he talked to Mummy but at least, they're happily in love and everything. I mean, I'm grateful that my parents loved each other to bits and sometimes it's positively irking but hey, being in love is better than being sad right?

Anyway, we're going to board a plan to Lexton in two more weeks and it has been positively hectic in Ruben Estate.

Dad didn't want us to live in the school's dorms (pointing out that we might be given HUMAN roommates) so he had gone and bought a land in Lexton a week ago after Mummy had convinced him that it would be a good idea to let the children -- *clears throat* that would be us - experience what they didn't have the chance to do. Dad finally caved in with his own terms and conditions...Ugh...

TERMS and CONDITIONS!!! UGH!! Unbelievable!!

1.No phasing in front of humans (DUH Dad, we're not that dense) 2.No hunting human either for food or play (Oh c'mon!! When did we ever eat human flesh before?? Disgusting much) 3.No socializing with the humans more than what is required (Okaaay, this is just too much -- I want to find more variety in friends...Dad you're such a worry rat!) 4.Phasing and hunting can only be done in Rubenston (Remember the new land which Dad had bought and baptized it as Rubenston??) 5.No humans are allowed in Rubenston (Dad, seriously, this is the same like no: 3) 6.For Aveline: No dating human boys! (Ugh, Dad! They're like soooo HUMAN!!) 7.For Alven: Stop teasing human girls (Ok, Alven totally loves this one. He finds it amusing to see the human girls try to approach and flirt with him whenever we went to Star Hill Town) 8.For Carinelle: Watch these two mischievous wolves! (Seriously??) 9.Expect sudden unannounced visits from your parents (Oh c'mon!!) 10.Keep the Ruben Pack and other wolf-related matters a secret (Seriously, Dad, we're not that daft!!)

Oh wait, did I mention that Carinelle's coming with us? It's also partly the reason why Dad had finally caved in. Carinelle's father, Uncle Jerry's actually the one who encouraged his reluctant daughter to enrol to the same school with us. Carinelle is such a goody two shoes that when Uncle Jerry mentioned about his daughter's enrolment letter, he finally let us go, provided if we follow the stupid conditions. OK, I know it's not fair to vent out my frustration on Carinelle. I mean, she's very sweet and all but ugh... I can't believe that Dad actually put up this rules!

And yet, Alven finds all of the terms funny.

Good Lord! No wonder I'm the black sheep in the family!

Love, Avvie

From Carinelle Hynes Thorn's Diary:

12th September 2008, 2.30 AM, my bedroom's veranda.

Gee, I'm actually going to be eighteen tomorrow at dawn. Am I supposed to be thrilled about this? I don't see why I should get all hyped up just because I'm getting older. Aveline's probably still up partying about in her home with Alven and their pack members. She's so excited about turning eighteen. God knows, she's probably too eager to go and get hitched!

I don't want to turn eighteen. Getting my birthday today meant that another day had gone by and the day of my flight to the stupid human school is getting closer and closer! I can't even escape it! I fail to see why Aveline and Alven are so excited about going to a human school. Ok, it might be one of the best schools in Europe but still, why can't we just have home-schooled like we used to?

Dad's so eager for me to feel the experience he had felt for a few years in his teens that he totally went along with Uncle James's idea of Aveline, Alven and I staying together in Rubenston.

Seriously, can't they see that I don't want to go??

Ok, it's not that I'm afraid that I might turn cuckoo and hunt all those fragile humans...it's the girls, I'm worried about...

Yes, I admit! I have a humungous crush to Alven!!

But HE can be so clueless sometimes!

IT'S SO ANNOYING!!

I would have told Aveline but seriously, won't it be weird to tell my best friend that I have a crush on her big brother??

I guess I'm just scared to see him finally dating a human girl or worse a wolf.

Here's the copy of Uncle James's rules, I find it rather true and silly at the same time:

1.No phasing in front of humans (Seriously, Uncle James, we're not that brainless) 2.No hunting human either for food or play (We're not human-eaters! But...they do serve as good pets ha-ha JUST KIDDING) 3.No socializing with the humans more than what is required (I hope Alven will follow this!) 4.Phasing and hunting can only be done in Rubenston (Seriously, how big is the place??) 5.No humans are allowed in Rubenston (Again, I hope Alven will follow this!) 6.For Aveline: No dating human boys! (Seriously, Aveline would rather hurl and die than kiss any of them) 7.For Alven: Stop teasing human girls (Uncle James! You're my hero!!) 8.For Carinelle: Watch these two mischievous wolves! (I will definitely keep an eye on Alven!) 9.Expect sudden unannounced visits from your parents (Seriously...) 10.Keep the Ruben Pack and other wolf-related matters a secret (Honestly, Uncle James, we're not that dense)

Thank God, we would only be there for two or is it three years? I have to go and check the stupid brochure again. I wonder where I kept it.

Oh yes, the bin.

With love, Carrie

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She stood behind him, smiling lovingly at him as her hands traced on his broad shoulders. She bent down her head, grinning to herself mischievously and then she started to trail soft kisses on the nape of his neck. He closed his eyes and moaned pleasurably.

"Don't tease me, love," James whispered hoarsely, his hands seemed to have a life of its own as they roamed on his mate's body when she shifted and went to sit down on his lap. "They're coming down any minute now," his voice lingered with intense longing to drag her back into their bedchamber.

"Teasing is my sole purpose of living," she chuckled as she ran her hands down on his buttoned shirt. "Besides...when can I ever tease you again after the kids are gone?" she started to kiss him on his lips.

He chuckled, having a bit of difficulty to concentrate on talking while she was toying with his lips. "Ah, you sneaky little wolfy vixen!" he tightened his grip on her waist, bringing her closer to him and to his clothed hard-on. "The whole letting the children experience what we didn't get to do is just a ruse eh?" he smiled as he gave kisses on her neck.

"I'm a genius, aren't I?" she joked and then giving him one final big passionate kiss on his lips before wrenching herself from his lap and straightened her dress.

He groaned. "You'll pay for this, love," he chuckled, a hint of seduction in his voice as he stood up and hurried out from the kitchen to their bedchamber before their children came in.

She smiled widely as she turned around and started to pour fresh orange juice into tall clear glasses. A few minutes later, Aveline strolled into the family kitchen with a weird look on her beautiful face.

"Mummy," she started, looking blank as she sat down and accepted the glass full of orange juice from her mother. "Why's Dad in such a hurry?"

Gracielle grinned further, "Do you honestly want to know, Avvie sweetie?"

Realization dawned upon her beautiful face. "Ugh Mum! Seriously! Must you guys do it here??"

"Breakfast, dear?" Gracielle asked her, ignoring her daughter's outburst. "Sunny-side up egg? Scrambled eggs? Or do you want last night's Mountain Lion steak with black pepper?"

"Mum!" Aveline was aghast. How could her mother talked about food at this moment?

Gracielle smiled widely, revealing a row of white perfect teeth. "When you find your true mate, you'll see why your father and I are inseparable," she started to put butter on a piece of toast.

"Mum! I've just turned eighteen!" Aveline was shocked with her mother's words. It was indeed true and sweet that her mother had mated with her father when she was nineteen but that wasn't the kind of life that she wanted for herself. She had plans in her mind already. She envisioned herself as a college student and then possibly either a gap year of doing something worthwhile or just go straight into university.

Alven didn't have any problem of thinking about the future since he was going to replace their father as the next Ruben Alpha. She knew that her future -- or any of their pack members' were set from financial view and everything but she wanted something more than just a pack life.

Humans intrigued her curiousity and despite of their fragility and mortality, their lives had a purpose -- they had their goals in life.

Saying so, it didn't mean that she didn't like being born a wolf of privilege. She enjoyed her daily run in her wolf form. She loved her snowy white coat. Bless the holy moon for the wonderful gift! It was just that she wanted more than what was designated in her life. Perhaps she was selfish but was it wrong for her to want more than a life planned out for her? Alven had his purpose in life already ever since he was born, he was going to be the future Alpha of their pack but her? Where was her purpose in life other than roam the estate literally and burn off money on excessive shopping? She didn't like the idea of being an Alpha Princess since it sounded so medieval but she had to admit, being the daughter of an Alpha did have its own benefits.

She was certain that in the next Pack Ceremony, she would be the eye of attention for the eligible wolves among the four packs. She shared the same view with her mother about their dislike on mating in front of hundreds of wolves watchful eyes. Oh c'mon, her first time of having sex and doing so and ended up being watched? Where was the romance in that?!

She cringed when she realized that her parents would be without a doubt, be present at her mating ceremony. Ugh, the horror!

Her mother was so fortunate to have mated with her father secretly.

She kind of hoped that hers would be similar but minus with the whole drama -- she knew the story about Uncle Jerry's temporary insanity spree and furtively thought it as romantic in a weird way.

But the most important thing was that she didn't have the desire to be mated at the moment. She liked the idea of her being alone and enjoying her youth. She wanted to explore the world and she was certain that humans would provide an outlet to her desire to explore the unknown.

That didn't mean that she would even consider dating one, ugh, the blasphemy of such thing! Humans were -- in her opinion -- a design of both fragility and uniqueness. Oh, the wolves could die also despite of their immortality. There were ONLY one sure-way of ending a wolf's life and the last war was an example to that. Oh, no such thing as silver bullets and stuff, those were funny methods that humans thought for their movies. It was hilarious to think that silver could harm them, oh yes, it could injure them but it won't be fatal. The only sure way to end a life was by a wolf's bite.

Wasn't that funny? Since a wolf's bite was required in a mating process. There were two different kinds of bites to be exact. The fatal one would be a bite so tight that veins would pop out and blood would gush out like a broken dam. It was a complex matter and words couldn't describe it with justice. There would be venom involved and comically, it was the same type of venom that binds a mate.

Bless the holy moon for such a complicated matter to ponder on!

"Dear?" Gracielle snapped her fingers at her daughter. "What's wrong with you today?"

Aveline sighed. She took a sip on her orange juice, "Mum, am I just an Alpha Princess?"

"There's more to you than just being the daughter of an Alpha, Avvie, you know that already," Gracielle said gently as Alven pulled up a seat and sat next to their mother. "Even Carinelle's not thinking much of her being one also..."

"Morning, Mum!" eighteen-year-old Alven said brightly and then he tousled his sister's perfectly smooth hair.

Aveline groaned. "Mum!!!"

Gracielle laughed. "Seriously, is this how you guys are going to act at Rubenston?"

"Don't make me change my mind about Aliaxia, kids," James joked with a laugh as he sauntered into the kitchen and then planted a kiss on his mate's forehead. He sat down next to her and started to pour a cup of coffee.

"Aw, Dad, It's not funny! I'm really looking forward for this school," Aveline stated.

Alven laughed and then he looked at their father, "Dad," he called, "So, about this rules you wrote..."

"What about them, Alven?" James asked his son as Gracielle propped her elbows on the table and looked at their children with amusement.

"Are you really serious?" Alven laughed, "I can understand the whole keeping secret thing but why can't we go and have dates with the humans, it's not like we're going to phase right in front of them." He said, trying to reason with his father.

"Alven, are you planning to study or socialize with the opposite sex?" Gracielle asked her son with a smile.

"Studying the opposite sex!" Alven replied back jokingly, grinning wolfishly.

"If he can date human girls, then I should be able to date human boys too!" Aveline interjected but she wasn't serious about it.

"I pity the humans when they lay their eyes on you," James shook his head, "Do whatever you want but keep in mind that werewolves are non-existent to the humans."

Aveline smirked victoriously as she took long sips from her orange juice and then started to eat her breakfast. Alven could hardly believe that their father was being so lenient, he had just meant the dating humans as a joke and besides, the idea of dating humans were quite repulsive to him.

Just like Aveline, he agreed that humans were just too fragile to love.

How would a life of immortality be spent with a human whose soul was mortal and fragile? He couldn't see himself living that life even for a short while. He wasn't the type of man...well, a wolf, that treats love as something so replaceable. A mate, in his opinion, was someone who he could spend his immortality with, someone who would always be there by his side and never changing, never aging...someone whom he truly loves. He hadn't found that particular person yet, heck, he had just turned eighteen! His mind was in a sense the same with his sister's view of enjoying life to the fullest before tying down that little knot of commitment.

He wanted a life of fulfillment -- he craved for a little adventure that Carinelle's father had talked about almost endlessly. He didn't ask much, he just wanted to feel a life outside the pack before taking over his father's lead.

The torch will be handed down once he has found a mate but the likeliness of him mating in the near future was like nil so there was no worry there, for him anyway. Then, again, even if he has found a mate, he didn't want to replace his father for the time being. His father had understood his decision and for all it was worth, his father was such an amazing Alpha that leading was like second-nature to him. He had watched him lead the pack ever since he was a little wolf and he knew that he could lead if he wanted but he was content on being the Alpha Prince and besides he was going to try his hands on school. That ought to suffice his thirst on adventure.

He knew that his sister thought that it was so lucky for him to have his future set stoned in the pack, oh, how his sister had grumbled on and on endlessly on how her life had no purpose in the pack but to just burn the money off by shopping endlessly.

A privilege that she seemed to be taken into loving with Carinelle, ah, he broke into a little smile when he remembered how Carinelle amused him with her too-goody-two-shoes image.

But she wasn't aware of how fortunate she was. Her path was wide open and free. She could choose anything she could want, well, she would of course need their father's consent but still, she could choose and that was something that Alven would love to have. He wanted to be a doctor but he couldn't possibly be one since he would have to spend a lot of years in medical school. This was something that the pack wouldn't allow. He could try his hands on the family's business, after all, he would have to lead it anyway.

"Alven?" Gracielle broke her son's train of thoughts, somehow sensing the storm raging in her son's mind. "Are you all right, dear?"

He smiled at her, "I'm all right Mum," he said, "I'm just thinking about the new school." Well, that was close enough to the truth!

"He's probably thinking on how many girls he'll get swooning over him," Aveline smirked as she took another spoonful on her plate. She turned to her brother, "Careful brother, you might get yourself mated!"

"Hah! There are no other wolves in Rubenston, silly cub," he stated. Aveline stuck her tongue out at him in a childish manner. He grinned victoriously.

James pulled his mate's right hand to his, grasping it lovingly. Love, look at them, such mischievous wolves... he thought to Gracielle as their children continued to bicker with one another, on and on, relentless and never wanting to surrender in defeat.

It's going to be really quiet without Alven and Avvie, Gracielle mused back to her beloved mate, her thoughts was a little sad.

Baby love, he chuckled in his thoughts, I'll make sure that you won't even get the chance to miss them. He sent naughty little thoughts, flashes of how he will make her writhe under him, oh how he will tease her.

She bit her lips, trying hard to not blush. She stood up abruptly, wrenching her hand free from him, you're nasty my love, she thought back, pretending to occupy herself with a tray of freshly baked cookies on the kitchen counter. She popped a piece into her mouth and then she put them carefully inside a cookie jar.

James laughed, making Alven and Aveline paused in their bickering. They looked at their parents, confused at first before realization crept upon them.