In The Shadow Of The Moon Ch 02

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First apologies for the delays, just when you get started, life likes to remind you that it can interrupt at any time. I hope you guys enjoy the chapter. No sex yet, but a good story requires build up, don't worry though it will happen soon. I appreciate all comments. Lastly I really want to send kudos out to my editor mikothebaby. Thanks so much for what you do. Stories are all the better for having an editor.

Here is the second chapter, longer to make up for the wait.

Enjoy J!

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Retreat. Retreat. Advance, beat, advance. Double disengage. Balestra, disengage, lunge.

As the touch was accepted, Victoria walked back to her line. Most of her wounds from the previous night had faded. A couple of persistent bruises, though, were making her bout more painful than usual. She had woken in the Alpha's arms and despite her pain filled squirms to get out of them; he didn't put her down until he had placed her in bed. She took her en garde. With every beat and parry she imagined that she was thrashing him. How dare he...she growled and lunged, no touch, but she lingered too long and her opponent received the point.

She walked back to the line. He was in her head, throwing off her game. She shook her head taking a deep breath. No matter how much she despised him right now, she would not let him ruin this bout for her. With that she took her en garde and pushed him to the back of her mind. The ref called out, "Fencers ready?" She took another deep breath, "Ready, Sir." "Allez!"

******

Antony pulled open the door to Victoria's fencing gym, the rush of cool A/C a welcome reprieve from the heat. The gym was expansive. A wooden walkway split the building in half leading to a set of bleachers at the far end. On either side of the walkway were 9 fencing strips, some silver some red. Some had fencers on them and some didn't, but towards the back there was an active fight. He knew instantly, which one was Victoria. He watched as she blocked and lunged, the agility of her wolf, though tamped down, made her every move graceful and dangerous.

He knew the minute she noticed his presence. Her defense faltered and her opponent was able to push her back, she quickly regained her footing and pushed forward again. She lunged and stabbed the other opponent with her sword.

She stood up and he felt the hesitance of her mind on the edge of his conscience, he pushed out and allowed her entrance. He could feel her confusion and anger at his appearance, but she quickly reined that in.

"Alpha, please allow me to finish this bout, once I am through I will gladly be of service to you."

The last part of her sentence was forced, he chuckled. Her resistance was hilarious.

"It's Antony and of course you should finish. I'll just sit on the bleachers and watch."

He laughed again as she beat a hasty retreat out of his mind, but he left the connection open. He slid into a low seat on the bleachers and watched. When the fight began he quietly touched her mind, he had seen her fight before, but hearing it was a whole different matter. Though she had been trying to figure out why he was here and what it could mean and countless other questions, when she saluted her partner her mind went quiet. She laid out a game plan for the fight and attacked. Backing up and pushing forward she lured her opponent forward. He could not only hear her thoughts, but another voice rumbled deep and full of malice in her head.

The drive to be perfect, the drive to fight, and no mistakes could be made. The voice pushed at her until she was in frenzy, he could feel her panic. He pulled out of her mind and sat up on the bleachers. The damn mask wouldn't allow him to see her face, but he could see it in her body as she pushed herself harder. She forced herself to do more, anything to win, winning was perfection, perfection is what was sought.

It took no time at all for him to realize that this was her father. Though he had never asked for more extensive details from her mother about what her father was actually doing, he now knew they were necessary. He could see the scaring on his mate, the mental scaring. As much as she had tried to beat it down her instinct was that anything less than perfection, was failure. Now it was woven into her. How long had this been going on? He watched as she lunged forward and struck gold.

Antony waited as she got her things. His wolf tense and pacing, he felt his muscles ripple as his wolf pushed on his mind, pushing outwards, the desire to mate a burning fire in his veins, a flash flood in his mind, wiping out all else but her. He closed his eyes and let the argument/persuading ensue. Her presence, however, was enough to snap him out of any internal battle.

He kept his eyes closed; they had shifted as his wolf pushed at him more. She would only see that as aggression, not passion, so he merely took in her scent. Cataloguing all the smells the made it up: pomegranates, honey, passion fruit.... He let his mind drift until his wolf settled disgruntled, but intoxicated, overwhelmed, and dazed by the smell. He would have to thank his father for that trick.

He sat up; she had been patient enough, though the look on her face was near murderous.

"Ready to go?"

He stepped off of the bleachers and slid her bag off her shoulder, tugging slightly when she gripped it tighter.

"I can hold my own bag you know....sir." The sir hastily added on held none of the normal submission or respect most of his pack usually exhibited.

He stepped in close to her and looked down. She was in the middle of backing up before she caught herself and firmly planted her feet. She was a spitfire. Her passion showed in lightening flashes of violet in her eyes. His wolf thrilled being this close to her, he bent his head and whispered in her ear.

"I am sure you can."

He watched with a smile as she leaned in towards him before catching herself yet again. He rubbed his thumb in the dimple on her cheek as she scowled at him and he turned, heading for the car. He had her bag thrown over his shoulder and Victoria seething behind him. She was quiet as she paced after him. By the time they made it to the car she had regained herself, but all of her forced respect had vanished.

"What are you doing here!?!"

His growl was low and deep, it vibrated in her rib cage.

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Victoria pressed herself as close to the passenger door as was possible. She hated being manhandled, but her rebellious streak didn't run wolf deep. Normally they were one being at all times. With her father's training that was the way it had to be. You had to be your wolf and your wolf had to be you. Yet here she was very much so trying to run away from him and her wolf was rolling over and for all intensive purposes running straight into his jaws.

She hadn't wanted to get into the car, she didn't want to be this close and alone with him ever, yet here she was trying to meld her body with the passenger door. All he had done was growl and hold her down; she knew a demand of submission when she saw one. Her father used them all the time. The nasty bastard was nothing short of abusive and deceptive, just like her father. She could see that, but no, her wolf was spending more time on her back then on her feet thinking.

Damn, damn, damn.

The radio was playing some sort of techno bullshit. He was driving the car and smelling too delicious and tempting and her body was flying everywhere like a naked live wire. The only way for her to avoid conversation with him, had been to pretend to be asleep. That of course took all her will power to keep her eyes closed, because that was the last thing she wanted. One, she didn't trust him, but now her wolf was filling her mind with thoughts of them rutting.

She growled as she could get not peace.

"Are you nervous?"

She clenched her teeth, "I don't get nervous."

"Really, that's interesting. You know if you don't stop pressing up against the door you'll probably push the door off and then where will you be?"

His laughter was rough, but sweet. She liked the sound of it. She would never admit that, she didn't like the way he got under her skin. Keeping her arms crossed, she scooted away from the door. She kept her gaze out the window. The passing trees reminded her of running with her friends through the forest. Before her dad lost his mind, Victoria and her friends would run pell-mell through the woods and the trees would look just like this. Blurs of green and brown speckled with the white light that managed to escape through the leaves.

As she let the blurred trees of her memories and the pools of laughter fill her mind the radio was clicked off.

"I didn't just pick you up to spend some time with you, though that is always an added bonus." She could see his smiling glance reflected in the window. "I also came to tell you what to expect tonight at the trial." Her attention was peaked, every pack did things different and being older than most of the wolves going through the trial she already knew that there would have to be some changes made.

"Usually our young wolves show their prowess, by sparring with one of our Thetas. Did your mother explain the ranking system in our pack?"

Victoria shook her head. "I am assuming by your question that they aren't all the same."

"No, most packs have alpha and omegas and some have betas as well. Our pack has extras. We are amongst the largest packs in the Midwest, so I decided to give more opportunities to prove themselves and put their talents to work for the pack. There is of course an Alpha, me, and my mate, which will be you, once your consent to have me, as the Alpha female. Then you have your second in command. I have two Ryley and Jordan. Ryley is male and Jordan is female."

The look of confusion on her face must have been blatant. "I am only telling you that, because Jordan rips throats out first and explains the situation later. Simply put she doesn't like being mistaken for a guy. Once you spend a little time with her you'll understand. She is a complete girly girl until she gets on the battle field."

She nodded her head and waited for him to continue. "After the in-commands come the betas, fine warriors with the most elite training I can offer and extremely cunning. They are in charge of security and training the younger members of the pack. After that you have your thetas, which are usually made up of the younger members of the pack. These are wolves who are trying to prove themselves, they want to learn how to fight and protect. After that there are the omegas which I am sure you know make up the large majority of the pack."

"Gaylen pack omegas range from the weak to the talented. Ranking is a measure of physical prowess; my mother personally believes that some rights were due to those whose talents lay in other arenas. So there are high ranking omegas, which are in charge of the up keep and the kitchens, but there are also omegas who over see finances and how the pack's money is invested. There are omegas that are in charge of businesses outside of pack grounds and some who are scholars. Omega really just encompasses those who are not built to fight."

"Aren't all wolves built to fight?"

He looked at her, a question and a thought in his eyes. "Yes all wolves have it within themselves to protect, but if we are being ambushed and I need to send wolves to take out the perpetrators, I will send a beta, not an omega. Now I know I dumped all that on you at once, is there anything else I can clarify on our rank system?"

"No. Basically what your telling me is to respect everyone. That makes perfect sense though, you mother's belief. Just because you're an omega doesn't mean that all the work should be dumped on you. Your contributions simply aren't in fighting. Omegas make a pack, without them things would just fall apart." Her words spoke volumes.

"Omegas were treated like dirt in your fathers pack?"

"Omegas were not welcomed, but they were accepted as necessary. My father tried to force a fighter out of every wolf in his pack. The ones who couldn't cut it were worked near to death. He only held respect for the elderly, but only for the knowledge that they could give him. Beyond that they were nothing more than dead weight. But in a pack of perfect warriors dead weight shouldn't be a problem."

As she stared out of the window her mind obviously deep in her past, Antony thought hard. Everything stood in his way. All of her father's moronic beliefs seemed to permeate everything that she did and saw. Her world view was skewed because of the bastard.

"Not all alphas see things that way; in fact, I can promise you that most don't. Victoria your father was seriously twisted and he dam..."

"You can stop right there. I know you would like to reassure me and make it all better. I know that you would love to jump in and save me from myself, but I can promise you that you can't. I don't trust alphas; I don't really trust men except my grandfather. I keep my distance because that is the only way to stay safe. I fight because that seems to be the only language you men understand. So how about we keep this conversation to information about the pack."

Stunned, Antony gripped the steering wheel tightly. Destroyed, her father had destroyed her, not just damaged her. Her father had broken every bit of trust she had. Now he had to work twice as hard to build it back.

"I'll respect that for now, but just so you know, I am going to change all of that."

Victoria grumbled and huffed, but waited.

"Since you have had all the...training we'll call it for now, I already know that you could rank as a beta, but my pack needs to know it. They need to see what you can do. You will run the course with everyone else for agility, but when it comes to the fighting, your trial will be held last. Your mother and I have set up a series of levels that should best display you skills. You will fight them as you see best."

"Alright, is that all that I need to know?"

"No, and you know that. I informed the pack this morning about your being my mate. I have explained your circumstance and most of the women had no desire to fight your claim, b..."

"IT IS NOT MY CLAIM! It's your damn claim, I told you I don't want to be mated."

"Well whether you are claiming me as yours or not, two of the women challenged you. The idea of it all is more than slightly ridiculous, my true mate will be Alpha female, it is pack law. Its more insulting that they think my wolf would be mistaken in choosing you." Growling erupted in his voice layering his words with the power only a true alpha can command.

"Any way since there are only two and your mother and I set up the trial the way we did, I set up the challenges for Alpha female to be a week from today, to give them a chance to change their minds with honor after seeing you fight tonight. It would save me a lot of stress if you could be as intimidating as possible. I know you don't want the job, but Caroline and Lauren annoy the shit out of me and I have no reason to take that annoyance out on them. So in order to seem a more stable alpha, I must maintain control and bear the annoyances. Blah, Blah, Blah. That is all my advisors talking."

During his little tirade, they had pulled into the Gaylen Pack compound. Victoria had never seen it before, but it was massive. From the outside it looked like one of the fancy log cabin resorts from the movies, on steroids. Complete with a tons of windows plastered across the walls. There were gorgeous tall trees surround the building, making it look as if the building had just grown from the ground. The thick forest called to her, after being in the car for that long she was near desperate to get out stretch her legs and run. She wanted to run until her mind blanked out and all she could smell was the dirt beneath her paws and the clean air.

But the gorgeous scenery vanished as he pulled into a large underground parking area. There were old and new cars of countless different makes and models. He pulled the SUV into a parking spot right next to her baby. She hopped out before the engine even started to cool. Her car looked undamaged, but she didn't trust it, she walked around it a couple times, looking for dings or scratches. Still, with the kind of money Gaylen pack had, he could probably fix anything someone stupid did and then pay them to forget they did it.

"I trust it passed inspection?"

She smirked and grabbed her equipment from his hand. He chuckled to himself as he ran to catch up with her. As hard as he had tried, and it hadn't been that hard, he had been catching side thoughts from her head the whole drive. The last one had been entertaining.

"So anything I can tell you? Anything you are just dying to know?"

"Nope."

Addyson was waiting for them at the house door; she wrapped her arms tight around Victoria. Antony could see the love, it radiated off the pair in waves. He let them have their moment, before butting in.

"Alright well you get settled in. I am right down the hallway, as you know Addyson, if you need anything. I'll see you two in a couple of hours." He kissed Victoria on the forehead, he felt her lean in, before catching herself and pulling back. He laughed again and pecked Addyson on the cheek before running inside to get ready.

**********

Victoria watched as Antony spoke from the middle of the circle. His stature and voice commanded attention that she couldn't help but give. As much as she had railed about her distrust and hatred of men, she was being drawn to him. He paused in his oration to look at her and he smiled. Dammit, she knew that true mates could pick up thoughts before they were mated, but she had been fighting so hard against the idea, she'd convinced herself it wasn't possible. She would have to be more careful. There was no way that she could convince him, let alone anyone else, that she didn't want to mate with him if she kept having thoughts like that.

Pack mandate is simple, all wolves must prove themselves. Addyson's prowess was well known. Victoria knew this to be true. When her mother's trials happened and the stories spread of how she shifted faster than anyone and took wolves down that were twice her size, she was never challenged or questioned. Ever. Her mother's name was a legend. Victoria had everything to prove. She had never felt the pressure of her mother's shadow until now. The stupid abusive alpha next to her wasn't helping much. For that matter neither was her wolf's response to him.

When she had snapped at him, he was in her face in seconds and just as quickly had her pressed by the collar bone to the hood of the car. Her wolf rushed to the surface and quickly submitted. She had been arguing with her wolf all day over this soul mate thing. She would end up like her mother only when it came to her power. She would not fall prey to an abusive and cruel mate.

She focused again on Antony's speech.

"Her daughter stands before us today to prove herself. You all have heard their story. Under her father's twisted and perverted tutelage, Victoria was forced to become the best fighter she could be. She was forced to fight wolves as a human, she was forced to fight hybrids as a wolf." He turned to look at her, his eyes flashing gold as they locked on hers, "She was forced to fight and kill to protect her own virtue." Her whole body froze as those words escaped his lips. She hadn't known, the full extent of information, her mother had given him and now she did. She had told him everything and now everyone in this pack knew exactly what she had been through.

Victoria was not one to run away, but right now disappearing was the best idea in the world to her.

"But she still stands. She is strong and no matter how astonishing, she is whole and complete. She asks to join your pack tonight, do you accept her."