Young Luna

Chapter 5

Shea woke early the next morning. She spent nearly an hour stumbling around the large room attempting to get ready for her early morning run. All night she'd been in and out of sleep tossing and turning in her bed. Her mind was haunted by memories of her past. She'd gone to sleep dreaming of her evening with Carter and slowly his face had transformed into someone she'd managed not to think about for years. She didn't feel even in the slightest bit refreshed after her sleep, and woke early determined to go for a run through the vineyard in order to relax even just a little bit. She hurried to dress and reach the kitchen before Hildy awoke. Hildy was the pack cook, and she awoke every day before the rest of the house in order to have breakfast out and on the table, multiple times Shea had gotten up early to go for a run and forgot about Hildy's early rising she'd been sent straight back to her room to await lecture and punishment first from her parents and then from the Alpha.

Shea snuck down the stairs a little before 5:45 am attempting not step on any of the creaky steps on her way down the stairs. Sneaking out of a four story house was already hard enough without the house also being filled top to bottom with werewolves with superhuman hearing. It was really a wonder that any one got away with anything at all.

A scream turned Shea's attention as she reached the bottom of the stairs. It belonged to a child. Shea raced towards the pack kitchen following the small voice of the child screaming.

Shea turned just in time to see Emmett screaming his lungs out, that's when she saw the fire that had caught hold of the child's shirt. Shea pulled Emmett close to her and used her hands to extinguish the fire, beating the flames down with her palms. The fire was extinguished by the time the rest of the pack stumbled down the stairs to investigate the screaming. Shea removed the child's shirt and checked for any burns that might have gotten to him before she'd been able to put out the fire. All she saw was one small burn right next to his belly button about a quarter of an inch long. He was going to be fine. When she finished inspecting his stomach, Emmett clung to her neck sniffling and attempting to hold the back the rest of his tears.

Luna came skidding across the kitchen floor reaching for her son and clutching him to her bosom. She'd been so terrified from the moment she'd heard his tiny scream reach her ears.

"Luna I think he maybe a little shaken up, but I don't think he was burned very badly." Shea attempted to reassure his mother. Alpha Daniel came up behind his wife and stroked his son's hair, he did his best to squelch the fear that had bubbled up in him when he'd heard his son's screams.

Emmett turned to look back at Shea and ran one of his chubby hands down her face, as if in his own way he was saying thank you.

"Thank god you reached him in time Shea, thank you so much." The Luna smiled at the girl who had become like a second daughter to her over the years, there would never be enough that she could do to say thank her.

"Shea look at your hands, those burns look really bad!"

Shea didn't look down at her hands, she was positive the moment she looked at them she'd feel the pain that was already beginning to set in. She looked up and saw Carter making his way towards her, she tried to hold in the small breath of relief at seeing him. She took in his worried look and wanted to reach out and comfort him, her eyes continued down past his face taking him in. Her mouth went dry as she noticed he was shirtless; he really did have a glorious body. Just looking at it almost caused her to forget all about her burned hands. She shook her head to clear the fog that his body had caused this was the wrong time for Carter to play the role of concerned boyfriend, not in front of the Alpha and Luna and nearly the entire pack. Shea shook her head slightly for only him to see, he stopped where he was and inclined his head in understanding. She saw the regret in his eyes the same regret that she felt in the pit of her stomach, more than anything she wanted Carter to take her into his arms and comfort her.