My Miracle Luna
Their Gemini Wolves Chapter 32

{Chad's P.O.V.}

The long-awaited day was finally here; everything was going to change for Brent, Maverick, and me. I was in my room getting dressed for the gathering taking place shortly. Richard sent a massive mind link to the entire pack notifying them an important announcement would be made, and that all pack members were to attend. I don't know how he managed to get everything set up last minute, but there was even a stage and podium outside.

Because this wasn't considered the official ceremony for an Alpha, it wasn't necessary to have an Elder present. My understanding was that because Richard was going to be an Elder once he transferred his Alpha authority to me, he would take care of the actual Alpha ceremony. I honestly thought Richard was more excited for tonight than any of us, especially since Brent and I were both able to give him some good news; the girls accepted us and agreed that we would announce them as our mates after we all received our new titles.

We did feel bad for Maverick since he still didn't have a mate, but we were scared that she-wolves in our pack would come out of the woodwork to try and convince him to take them as a chosen mate-all for the chance of having a title. With Maverick being the way he was, that wouldn't be easy. He was not a virgin by any means, and he was definitely waiting for the right girl. Considering he was still so young; his mate was bound to be out there somewhere.

As I finished buttoning my shirt, there was a knock on my door. I left the top three buttons undone and opened the door.

"Lanie?"

"Hi," she said shyly. I smiled and let her in. I closed the door behind me and, as soon as it clicked shut, Lanie pounced on me. She grabbed me by the back of my neck and pulled me into a deep, passionate kiss. I was taken aback at first, but it finally hit me what she was doing, I groaned in pleasure and pulled her close by her hips. We kissed until our lungs burned with the need for oxygen and reluctantly pulled away.

"Wow, what was that for?" I asked breathlessly.

"I've been wanting to do that all day," she replied and pecked my lips again.

"We were together most of the day. Why didn't you do it then?" I asked her.

"We weren't alone." I looked at her and furrowed my brows. Then I saw her nibble her bottom lip and that's when I realized-she was shy about PDA. I smiled and hugged her. "Lanie, we don't have to be alone for you to kiss me. I can care less if people see us kissing."

"Well, I don't want people to see us being ... What's the word? Intimate?"

"Why not? Are you ashamed of me?" I teased her.

"No, of course not. I just want to keep my life private. You're part of my life now, and I want to keep that private. People don't need to see us kissing. Hugging is fine but kissing, no," she defended. I chuckled and nodded my head. If that was the way she wanted it, then who was I to refuse? If only she knew there was so much more than just kissing. But that would be for another time. Bringing up s*x would have to wait until she was more acclimated to everything.

"Come on, it's time for us to go. Richard is waiting," I told her as I glanced at the clock. She nodded her head, and I finished buttoning my shirt before I took her hand. Together, we headed downstairs and outside to the back of the packhouse. We found Luna Rylee, Sam, and Lexie already waiting and walked over to them. "I will see you in a few," I told Lanie as I left her with her sister and the Luna. I headed over to the side of the stage where Brent and Maverick were standing by. Trent and some of the other guards were there too, and they were all asking questions as to why this gathering was taking place and why the three of us were a little more dressed up than everyone else.

"Patience man, Richard asked us to dress up a bit. I'm sure he has his reasons," Maverick replied while trying to keep his excitement at bay. I could feel his nerves as if they were my own. I figured that some pack members may have an idea what was going on, given that a poll was taken about who should inherit the pack from Richard. And since many pack members voted for me, according to Richard and Jackson, it's reasonable to presume that some could speculate about tonight.

After we stood around for a few more minutes, I saw Richard, accompanied by Jackson and Jasper, walk up. I turned to Brent and Maverick.

"Showtime," I said to them. Richard tapped on the microphone before clearing this throat.

"Good evening Golden Moon pack!"

"Good evening Alpha!" everyone responded in unison.

"Tonight, I have asked that everyone gather because I have a very important announcement to make." He paused and took a deep breath as his eyes scanned the crowd. "It is with a heavy heart that tonight, I announce my retirement as Alpha of the Golden Moon pack." This immediately sent shock waves through the crowd. The pack members started to murmur in shock, and some even began to panic, asking who would be the next Alpha. "Quiet please!" Richard said. Everyone calmed down and gave him their undivided attention. "I do not want anyone to worry, as I have already found my replacement. And before any of you ask, no, it is not an outsider. We will be keeping this within our pack." He paused again and waited a moment. "Members of Golden Moon, without further ado, I pronounce your next Alpha... Chad McEvoy." Richard stretched his arm out to show where I was in the crowd.

I gulped, took a deep breath, and made my way to the stage. I could hear the whispers and the mumbling-some good, some not so much. If there was one thing I learned, it was that not everyone likes their Alpha. They just dealt with it because it was better than being out on the streets as a rogue, or worse, dead.

"Good evening, everyone," I said into the microphone. "I'm sure this comes as a surprise to most of you, if not all of you ..." I paused when I saw my parents and my sister in the crowd with Killian. My mother had tears in her eyes, my sister and her mate's jaws were on the ground, and my dad looked like he was the proudest father in the entire world. I could have sworn he even had tears in his eyes. "Believe me, it was a surprise to me too. Whatever the reasons, Alpha Richard has decided to name me as his successor. I vow to him, as well as to all of you, that I will do everything in my power to be a just and fair Alpha. One that you can all be proud of, and one that you can all stand behind. Thank you." It was eerily silent for a brief moment, but then the crowd erupted in applauds, cheers, and howls. I could see some she-wolves with hearts in their eyes, which I completely ignored. My gaze went directly to Lanie and she had a smile on her face.

"Chad, as the next Alpha of Golden Moon, it is you who decides your Beta and Gamma. Now, unfortunately, Jackson has also decided to retire, and Jasper retired last year. Additionally, Jasper's son refuses to take on the role of Gamma and has left the pack to pursue other avenues. We wish him well; however, that leaves you to choose your second and third in command," Richard said, placing his hand on my shoulders.

"Thank you, Richard. I have already made my decisions," I replied. Men throughout the entire pack puffed out their chests in hopes I would pick them. "My Beta will be Brent North." Right off the bat, I could hear the moaning and disapprovals but tuned them out. Brent joined me on stage.

"Thank you, Alpha Chad. I am honored to be your Beta," Brent said and bowed his head.

"My Gamma will be Maverick Moore." Again came the moans and groans of jealousy and disapproval, but Maverick held his head high and made his way to the stage.

"Thank you, Alpha Chad. I am honored to be your Gamma." He too bowed his head in respect.

"It is done! Golden Moon, I announce your new Alpha, Beta, and Gamma!" Richard bellowed without the mic. The crowd cheered, but you could tell some of it was forced. They would get over it. They would have to. As the applause died down, I saw that some pack members were turning their heels to leave.

"Before we all disperse for the evening, as your new Alpha, I have a very important announcement to make." I turned to Richard and he nodded his head. I turned to Brent who also just smirked. Finally, I turned to see Lanie smiling and she nodded as well. There was no turning back now. "As many of you know, our pack has been without a Luna for quite some time now, and although Richard did a superb job with our pack, we all know that having a Luna is important for a pack's survival. And so, it is with great pleasure that I announce my mate, and your future Luna... Lanie." I extended my hand and pointed to where she stood behind the pack. Everyone turned around to face her, and I swore I could see steam coming out of the ears of all the she-wolves-especially Lorelai's. "Lanie, will you please join me on stage?" I asked her. She slowly started to walk towards the front, and I could tell that females were fighting the urge to attack her.

When she made it to the stage, I went down to meet her and held her hand as she joined me to my left. I squeezed her hand tightly and intertwined our fingers before addressing the pack again.

"As many of you know, there was an incident the other night with a pack member and Lanie. I make this statement now and expect everyone to obey. Lanie is your future Luna. This means that any insubordination towards her is direct insubordination against me. This kind of behavior will not be tolerated. Anyone that makes any attempts to harm Lanie or belittle her because of her background will answer directly to me. Is that understood?"

"Yes, Alpha Chad!" pack members replied, but I heard more male voices than I did female.

"And one more thing," I said before people could turn away. "Brent?" I gave him center stage.

"As your new Beta, I too have an announcement to make. Like Alpha Chad, I also have found my mate. She is none other than the Luna's twin sister ... Lexie." There was silence within the crowd as jaws hit the floor once again. "Lexie, if you would be so kind as to join me on stage." Rylee pushed Lexie a little before she made her way. Brent followed my lead and met her halfway and brought her to his side on stage.

"Golden Moon, as many of you know, there was another incident this morning that involved a pack member and the Blue Lake Luna. Sadly, we learned that this pack member's intent was to cause harm to Lexie but mistakenly went into Luna Rylee's guest room. Such heinous crimes will not go unpunished. Any pack member that is seen or heard attempting to cause harm to either Luna Lanie or Beta Lexie will be severely punished. Actions have consequences, so be ready to be handed those consequences," Jackson said to the pack.

"That is all, you are all dismissed!" Richard said as his final command as Alpha. Everyone turned and left. I caught something out the corner of my eye, and it was Lorelai shaking in rage. I already knew that announcing I was the new Alpha would cause issues, and I was prepared to handle them. I was prepared for Lorelai now. I would protect Lanie from anyone and anything. I was not going to lose my second mate over a crazed individual like Lorelai or her brother.

After everyone left, Trent and the others slapped us on our backs and congratulated us. At least our friends were supportive. When everyone had left, it was just me, the guys, Lanie, Lexie, Richard, Jackson, Jasper, and Luna Rylee outside.

"So, how does it feel!? You're the Alpha now!" Rylee exclaimed to me.

"It doesn't feel any different honestly," I replied.

"Not yet, at least. But when we have your Alpha Ceremony within the next couple of weeks and I perform the full transfer of power, then you will feel it," Richard told me as he put his arm around my shoulders.

"I have a question," Lanie said softly.

"Yes, Luna?" Richard said to her. Lanie pressed her lips together and didn't know how to react to being called Luna for the first time.

"Umm... Why do we have to wait for a couple of weeks?" she finally asked.

"Because baby, we need to wait for the full moon," I answered her.

"Huh?" Rylee reacted. "Ash's Alpha ceremony took place on his birthday, but it wasn't a full moon."

"That's because Ash came from Alpha blood, young Rylee. But for Chad, because it is a transfer of title and power, it needs to be on the full moon when my power is at its peak. Like any other wolf, the full moon is when we are at our strongest. And I need to be my strongest to give Chad all of my Alpha power," Richard explained to her.

"Ohhh... Okay, that makes a lot of sense," she replied, making all of us chuckle. "Um, Jackson, Jasper, I'm sorry to intrude, but where are your mates?"

"Nina is currently visiting our daughter at their pack," Jackson replied.

"And Becca is visiting her sister at their home pack. Our niece recently gave birth," Jasper responded.

"Oh okay. I was afraid Lexie wouldn't have anyone to assist her in learning to be a Beta. I mean, I could always send Melody here to help out, but I think learning from the former female Beta would be more suitable," Rylee said.

"Not to worry young Luna. Nina is thrilled. She almost tried to come back early when I told her the good news," Jackson said, making all of us a little more at ease.

I had to admit, this felt good. I was surrounded by people who I knew were going to be my support system in this new transition, and I was excited to finally start learning from Richard. We eventually all went our separate ways, but Lanie and I went to my parents' house since I knew that they would want to see us.

As soon as we walked in, I was engulfed in a hug by my parents, and I saw that my sister grabbed Lanie.

"Oh my god, my baby boy is our new Alpha!!!" my mother squealed and cried.

"Son was this the news you didn't want to tell us?" my father asked while slapping my back, and hard. I had to admit, that one hurt.

"Yeah, I'm sorry you guys. I wanted it to be a surprise, and also give Richard the respect of announcing it."

"You little punk! Why didn't you tell me you had a mate!? I had to find out like this!?" my sister shouted while punching my arm.

"No, no, no, please don't hit him!" Lanie said while getting between us.

"What?" my sister asked. "Oh no, I'm not hurting him. I'm his older sister! It's sisterly love!"

"Huh?" Lanie c****d her head. I grabbed her by the waist gently and kissed her temple.

"Lanie, my sister and I have a love-hate relationship. She's five years older than me, so she tends to be a little on the rougher side when it comes to loving me," I told her.

"Please, forgive her," my brother-in-law said, coming up to us. "My name is Thomas."

"And that's Chelsea," I added while pointing to my sister.

"You didn't tell me you had a sister, Chad," Lanie said while glaring at me.

"I'm sorry, baby, but it slipped my mind with everything going on. Chelsea and Thomas were out of town visiting human friends when we got here the other day. I didn't have a chance to introduce you. Plus, I felt this would be better timing." "How so?" Chelsea asked.

"That way if you bother her too much, she can just command you to go away!" I threw it in her face and smiled. She scoffed in offense and aimed to punch my arm again. As she did though, I timed it perfectly and flexed my bicep making her hit solid muscle instead. "OW!! YOU JERK!" she shouted. I stuck my tongue out at her. Suddenly, I was slapped in the back of the head. I grabbed the back of my head and saw that my mother was the one who hit me.

"Mom!? What was that for!?"

"That's not how an Alpha acts!" she scolded me. I didn't have anything to say to that. Just then, I heard snickering and giggling. I turned back in the other direction, and Lanie had her mouth covered as she was trying to contain her laughter. We all just stared at her when suddenly, she straight up busted out laughing. I had never once seen or heard Lanie laugh before. It was foreign and just beautiful.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I'm not trying to laugh, but just seeing how you and your sister act with each other, and how your mom slap-pfft!!!" she laughed again before she could finish talking. "Oh, I'm sorry. That was the funniest thing I'd ever seen. I didn't think family squabbles? Is that the word?" I nodded my head. "Squabbles are entertaining."

"What? You've never seen a family squabble?" my sister asked her.

"Of course not, I grew up in a cage."

"You what!?" Chelsea and Thomas exclaimed. Lanie immediately stopped laughing and covered her mouth again.

"What do you mean you grew up in a cage!?" my sister asked with concern.

"Chels," I got her attention. "It's a long story. You're going to want to sit down." So she did. We all did. Lanie and I had already agreed to come clean to my parents about her past, and everything else in between. So, getting my sister and Thomas up to speed only felt right. Lanie was incredulous at first but opened up when she felt she could trust my family.

{Rylee's P.O.V.}

I was in my guest room, putting Sam down for the night. He had played all day with Killian and Chelsea's pups, so he was tuckered out. Even though he had a nap earlier in the day, he passed out in the nursery right before the gathering according to the hired pup- sitters. He was in and out during the actual announcements and could care less of what was going on around him. Sam was definitely playing more freely while here at Golden Moon. Even though Sam played with Leighann and some of the other pups around their age all the time, a lot of his play dates were constantly canceled by Wyatt. Sam was having the time of his life here, and it made me wonder what would happen when we went back home. I wondered if Sam would notice the difference.

Once he was down for the count, I could see him smiling as he slept. He must have thoroughly enjoyed playing with older pups like Chelsea's kids Dallas, Austin, and Dakota. Dallas was seven, Austin was six, and Dakota was four. I couldn't suppress the smile that came over my face. I finally got ready for bed myself but, as I was tucking myself in, my phone dinged.

I picked it up and saw it was a text from Wyatt. It was almost two in the morning.

Prince Charming: Tink, I know you're probably asleep, but I wanted to let you know that I will be a Golden Moon in about an hour.

Me: Wyatt, is everything okay? Why are you coming here so late?

Prince Charming: We need to talk and it's very important. Just try to stay awake for me. This can't wait.

Me: Okay. I will. Drive safely.

Prince Charming: I will. I love you.

Me: I love you too.

I put the phone down and sat up, making sure that I didn't disturb Sam. What would be so important that Wyatt had to drive here in the middle of the night like this?

An hour later, Wyatt came in and, before I could even get out one word, he enveloped me in a hug so tight I thought he was going to break me in half.

"Rylee, are you okay?" he asked me before he even put me down.

"Of course I am, why wouldn't I be?"

"Richard told me what happened this morning, or rather yesterday morning."

"Ugh, I asked him not to. I didn't want you to worry."

"Why wouldn't you want to tell me something like that happened to you? With Sam right next to you, at that? What happened to you promising me to never hide anything?" I couldn't answer him. I did promise to never hide anything of this sort again, but I broke that promise.

"You're right, I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking clearly. I handled the situation, and I thought it wouldn't be a big deal."

"Rylee, did you use your powers on him?"

"Yeah, I threw him out of the room with them."

"Rylee, you can't..." he stopped mid-sentence and growled. I knew what he was going to say without having to read his mind.

"Wyatt, you need to stop," I said to him.

"Stop what?"

"Stop telling me to hide my powers!" I shouted at him. I wasn't afraid of waking Sam since he could sleep through just about anything. "Just stop!" I was putting my foot down.

"Rylee!"

"NO! I'm sick and tired of you telling me to suppress my powers, Wyatt! You're suffocating me! I've been here just under four days, and I've never felt freer! Yes, I've used my powers against Richard's pack members, but that's because I had to! I had to protect Lanie! I had to protect myself! I had to protect our son! OUR SON!" I emphasized, pointing to Sam asleep on the bed. Wyatt looked past me at him and lowered his head while letting out a heavy sigh.

"Rylee, you can't be using your powers against someone else's pack members like that. They could retaliate."

"SO LET THEM! I'm not a f*****g child Wyatt! I'm a Luna! I'm a Primordial! I'm a mother! Why can't you just trust me to use my powers wisely!? Seriously, what is your f*****g problem!?" "I just want to protect you! Is that so f*****g wrong!?"

"I DON'T NEED YOUR f*****g PROTECTION!!! I NEED YOUR f*****g SUPPORT!!!" I roared at him with tears filling my eyes. "Wyatt, you used to support me and encourage me. You're the one who wanted me to harness my powers fully, remember!? You're the one who brought William to me! You did! And now you want me to stop using them? You're supposed to be my mate, Wyatt. But lately, you've been acting more like an overbearing father than a mate." Wyatt looked me in the eyes, and I stared right back. Something was off and not just with him, but with us. Something about us wasn't right. Our bond-it was weak. It wasn't what it used to be. It hasn't been for a while now. But why?