Warriors of Blue moon
Chapter 16 - Part 2, Destined and chosen.

After three days, I still hadn’t been able to stop reading Layton’s letter. Every time I went to bed, hell I couldn’t stop thinking about it no matter where I went or what I did!

It had me in such a daze, a complete high, but an anxious one… As soon as i’d feel giddy inside, it would then turn into fear. There was still so much we needed to say… or at least I needed to say and, answers I needed to hear and, If I did tell him of my feelings for him then what? Would I be his partner temporarily or would he want me to be his Luna?

A Luna… ME? That’s...... big… a lot… Huge!... Jeez, most women would kill or manipulate their way to the status and here I am letting it put me off the love of my life!

I had gone to the Palace the very next morning after receiving Layton’s letter, only to be greeted by a guard who told me Layton, Galeb and three other palace guards had gone to visit Alpha Michaelson as part of the sentencing of the Maven cousins that he had taken to his pack as prisoners. I didn’t want to do any of this by phone or text, I had to see him in person and the moment I had gotten the courage to face him, I had to then stuff it all back down ready for his return… only the guard didn’t know when that would be.

I had my mum on my case all day today as it was my 23rd birthday. She had wanted to throw me a big public party to celebrate with the whole pack as it was my first birthday since coming back, but I was adamant a big show especially with all the loss of warriors we’ve had, that a party right now would be distasteful, not to mention I wasn’t up for being in the spotlight. So, I finally managed to convince her to a small gathering at home, just family and close friends.

But she had cooked us a gorgeous array of food, all of my favourites and I felt so special having my loved ones around me… something I once thought I’d ever have again and the presents they got me were wonderful. I had a brand new easel and expensive paints, and an antique sword that was especially chosen by my dad and Sam, which must have been expensive.

The music played low in the background as we all talked, and we were in fits of laughter at memories of our childhood birthdays and embarrassing things we had done. Dakota admitted she had farted once when she tried to blow out her candle… she blew a bit too hard, and she ended up farting at the same time for everyone to hear when she was ten. Maisie talked about how she was so tired after spending all day on a bouncy castle that when her family and friends sang happy birthday to her, she nodded off and her face fell into her birthday cake.

As everyone continued to talk and mingle, I snuck off to the kitchen to grab another glass of the Caribbean rum punch my mother had premade. Just as I was headed back out, I caught a glimpse of the night sky through the glass window on our Backyard door, I decided to go out for some fresh air when I saw my dad had turned on all the pretty silver and blue fairy lights that hung around our trees and garden fence. It was so quiet as the stars twinkled and the trees swayed gently in the wind with their leaves rustling. I closed my eyes and breathed in deep, letting the fresh cool air sink deep into my lungs. I stood there for what felt like only a moment when I heard the door to our garden creak open.

I blinked open my eyes and looked to see who had come to join me, but I took a step back in surprise to see Layton with the door now shut behind him. My heart suddenly raced, and I felt hot as if all the blood had risen to the top half of my body, even my face felt as if it was burning red. I gulped as he slowly walked over to me, not saying a word.

His body now only inches away from me as I looked up at his dashing stubbled face, as the moonlight bounced off his sharp jawline and giving his eyes a sparkle of light against his deep brown iris’s. “Sorry I’m late, I was away” he spoke softly.

He pulled out a small box from the inside pocket of his suit jacket. It was a small box wrapped in shiny gold paper and a silver ribbon and bow. As he took my hand and turned it over, he placed it in my palm and all I could focus on was the touch of his hand on mine.

“I hope you like it”.

I gave him a smile as I pulled the ribbon and took off the wrapping. I opened the box to see a little gold bracelet and small pendants with tiny diamonds on them were dangling from it. He took the bracelet from the box for me to see it better.

“All these pendants are all connected to you”. I looked from the bracelet to him quizzically as he grinned slightly, then nodded back to the bracelet. I looked at it as he held each pendant.

"This is a sword… this one is an easel, this is your wolf… and this is your good heart” . The heart was pink with white diamonds covering the surface… the white diamonds were a show of purity.

“And this… this is your moon… our moon, the one, in which I’m so thankful you belong to”. This pendant was silver covered in tiny blue sparkling diamonds to represent the blue moon. I looked in awe at the beautiful bracelet. “Where did you replace this?” I asked in a hushed voice feeling amazed.

“Well, the idea was mine, but I went to our palace jeweller and had him make them all...”

“Wait! the palace jeweller? But I thought he only made jewels for the Alpha and Luna family?”

He nodded slightly “mmhmm that’s right, but this is for someone special, so it had to be made specially with our palace diamonds”.

I gulped at the thought he had put into my bracelet and how beautiful it was, although I was pretty terrified at the thought of losing it.

Silence fell around us as I marvelled at his gift and suddenly feeling so in love and overwhelmed with the man in front of me, the man I had been in love with my whole life.

His touch made me shiver as he lightly pushed my hair off my shoulder, letting it fall down my back. he trailed his thumb across my jawline bringing my face up to his. He gazed into my eyes deeply as if they were staring into my very soul, then he leaned in, his mouth hovering over my ear, I could almost feel his stubble brush against it “happy birthday beautiful warrior” he whispered as he closed the gap between us and kissed me softly on my cheek, making me gasp slightly as my lips parted and I felt my whole body erupt with a thousand butterflies, my arms and legs feeling as if they could give way beneath me.

He pulled back keeping his face close to mine, his thumb still stoking my jaw and I could see his eyes flutter to my lips, then back to my eyes again. My heart was thumping hard, he moved his hand from my jaw as he started to clip the bracelet onto my wrist, and I could feel my hands tremble, especially when I noticed how, even when he clasped the bracelet together, his fingers trailed across my wrist, and I heard him gulp and his breath shake.

I looked from his fingers on my skin to his eyes. “I got your parcel”. I finally managed to speak through my nerves as my voice shook.

“It’s ok, you don’t’ have to say anything" he said looking shy and doubtful.

"Did you mean all of that? all of what you said in your letter?”

"Of course,” his brows furrowed ”Your everything to me Lanna, you have been and always will be” he spoke quietly as his hand went to my cheek, holding it softly.

“I love you Layton” I blurted out.

“What?” he breathed out in shock.

"I said I love you… I’ve always loved you, in fact I think I was near damn obsessed with you”

“Fuck!” he whispered as his breath hitched, with both of his hands now holding my face “don’t say it just because of what. I said...ok Lanna! only say it if you mean it… I only want to hear it if it’s true”.

I smiled through watery eyes as I placed my hand over one of his ”Its true Layton" a tear escaped my eye ”I’ve loved you for as long as I can remember”.

His mouth cracked into a wide smile… finally a smile! ”Your incredible, you know that? I love you too Lanna!” he said ecstatically.

He leant his face in closer as his lips hovered over mine and he brought his body close to mine till we were touching, and I could feel his rushing heartbeat as if it were my own. He placed his lips lightly over mine and I felt so overcome with emotion as his lips pressed deeply into mine. We both sucked in air through our noses at the sudden connection and our lips started to move in sync.

My mind went blank, filled with nothing but the explosive happiness and shock I was feeling at how we’ve suddenly come together. He moved a hand to my back as he pulled me in tighter, as if no matter how close we were it wasn’t close enough and his other hand went to the back of my head as his fingers weaved into my hair. I dropped the gift box I had still been holding and my arms wrapped around him with my hands holding the nape of his neck. Our lips parted and our tongues met, we pulled each other in to deepen the kiss, barely gasping for air.

Nothing else existed in this moment, nothing else could take my thoughts and my body from feeling the passion and the immense love we had felt for each other all this time.

We finally bought our kiss to an end, gasping as we tried to catch our breath, our hearts still pounding as Layton lightly pulled his lips away and leant his forehead against mine, giving me a little kiss on my nose and running his fingers through my hair. “I know you have a house full of people in there, but how about we go somewhere just me and you”.

I smile as I nodded, right now there was nothing I wanted more “I’ll tell my parents we’re going for a walk. They have to get up early anyway, so I know they won’t mind ending the party now”.

He gave me another soft kiss on my lips before we headed inside.

After saying my thanks to everyone coming, they all started to leave. Once they were out of sight, I looked at Layton, whose smile was projecting everything that I felt right now. He took my hand in his and I felt as if I was glowing inside as his strong fingers interlaced with mine.

"How about we go to our little place” he grinned widely at me, and I knew just where he meant.

We sat on the field under the stars side by side, and he still held firmly onto my hand, stroking my skin with his thumb. It was quiet and calm just the sound of our breathing and I swear I could hear my heart as it thumped excitedly in my chest.

“You know”...his husky voice broke the silence “All my happiest memories are ones with you”.

I smiled and shuffled closer around to face him.

“I can’t believe I’m here with you right now, that this is all happening” he spoke softly as he kissed my hand.

“I know me too” I sucked in a deep breath “It all feels so surreal, but amazing”.

“Lelanna, that day you came into my office" he looked thoughtfully as he stared at my hand “That woman, I barely know her, all I know is her name is Lexi. She just waltzed in and started to ramble on about how she thinks she’s suitable as my Luna! Honestly, it was insufferable. I had just reprimanded her for coming in without permission and being so forward, but she just laughed it off then sat on my desk… I had and have no interest in her at all, but I know how it must have looked and I never want you to think there could ever be anyone else for me, and besides her perfume alone was enough to make me gag” he joked

I nodded “Ok… I must admit when I saw her, I did think she was someone you were seeing or sleeping with, and I can’t deny I did feel jealous”

He chuckled as he stroked my cheek “Don’t worry Lanna, I’ve been jealous every time i’ve known of you dating a guy…. I hated it every time, especially Heath”

“Heath?” I questioned in surprise.

“Well yes, I’d always ask Sam about you, and he’d always say you seemed to like him a lot and that you were happy. It pissed me off every time”.

“Well, I did care for him but… to be honest, the whole time I knew I didn’t feel for him what I felt for you “.

“No one’s ever came close for me”.

"Really?” I snickered ”what about all those girls you and Sam used to muck about with? I must have seen you kiss at least a hundred”

He shook his head. “Yea I’ve kissed a few, I suppose I was trying to be a lad and not be an idiot that was so hung up on his best friend’s sister”.

“Awww” I smiled and nudged him playfully “You were hung up on me?”

He chuckled deeply as he pulled me in for a kiss ”oh one hundred percent” he smiled ”Like I said, it’s always been you… and just so you know, I only ever kissed all those girls, I never went any further”.

I pulled back in surprise “wait! You mean you never slept with any of them?”

“Nope, Nada, not one. We never did anything but kiss and even then, it was still always you I wanted to kiss instead and I had always hoped that one day you would be mine, so I wanted to save everything else to share with you”.

“wow” I whispered “The big player Layton, saved himself for me… I never would have thought you ever felt that way about me”.

“You kidding? every time I saw you, i’d always want to just be with you” He paused for a moment looking thoughtfully ”I remember the first time I saw you when I was seven and Sam bought me along to your family picnic. When he introduced me to you… do you remember what you first said?”

I shook my head as I waited for him to continue.

“You ran up to me and said, “You’re going to be our Alpha one day aren’t you? Well I’m going to be your warrior, I’ll keep the baddies away, just like my daddy!"

And I just smiled cause you were the cutest thing I’d ever seen with your little sundress on and you used to have these little dimples. You looked so sweet and Innocent! But just the way you carried yourself , the confidence you had, I knew even then you were right and you would be a warrior. You’d be a force to be reckoned with. It’s funny because I knew even then I wanted to be your friend and that you were special. But as I got older and started to know what love was, all the friendship I felt for you turned into love and it just got so much stronger as we got older. Do you remember that day you came into the treehouse and sat with me when Florence was Ill?”

“Mmhmmm” I nodded listening to every word of our happy childhood memories, finally seeing them through his eyes.

“Well, I don’t think you knew just how much better you made me feel and I knew from that day I always wanted you by my side, that one day I wanted you to be mine, that you were the one for me. I know we were still young then, but I just knew”.

I kissed him on his lips as I felt so close and drawn to him right now and to everything he was finally admitting. “I knew then too Layton, but back then I wasn’t sure if it was just a silly kids crush. But it never went away and over the years, I just wanted you more and more… I just still can’t believe we’re here. like this. together now… it’s just a shame we wasted so many years scared to admit our feelings”.

“I know” he nodded ”I wish we had done this so long ago, but let’s promise now to always say what we feel, never keep anything from each other”.

“I promise” I smiled affectionately.

“I promise too” He kissed the tips of my fingers then looked deep into my eyes ”Does this mean you’re really mine Lanna…. It’s you and me?”

I saw the worry flash in his eyes as if he still wasn’t convinced of my feelings.

I nodded as I shifted even closer to him ”I’m yours Layton and I want to be yours, but….”

“But what?”

“Well, do you want me for now until you choose your Luna or replace your destined mate?”

"What?” He chuckled “Lanna, if you choose to be mine, then it’s you that becomes my Luna. I don’t want you temporarily, I want you forever. But I know being a Luna is a big ask, so I want it to be your decision.”

Even though the thought of being a Luna had scared me once before, it didn’t seem so daunting now I was here with Layton and if it meant being with him, then I knew it was a choice I was ready to make. “Yes Layton, I want to be with you, so if that means being Luna, then I’ll do it" I let out a long breath “I just hope I’m a good one”.

“Lanna, the people here already love and respect you, I know they’ll be happy with you as their Luna and besides, I’ll be there every step of the way, you won’t be doing it alone“. He reassured me. ”I’m yours Lelanna till my dying day”.

“And I’m yours“. I beamed and he suddenly wrapped his arms around me and pulled me into a tight hug as he growled and chuckled with relief.

“Ahhh Lelanna, you have made me incredibly happy” he muffled into my shoulder, and I couldn’t help but giggle and bask in the feeling of his strong arms wrapped around me.

We had cuddled and talked some more as we watched the stars, we sat there all night and watched the sunrise while the birds started to chirp in the trees. We had one last long kiss that bought more tingles all through my body before we forced ourselves to head back before the village started to wake up. As we were about to part ways, he grinned at me and placed a soft kiss on my lips and another on my forehead. We slowly stepped away from each other until our fingers were no longer touching and he left for the Palace, and I left for home.

I felt so giddy and like I could combust with excitement at any moment. I went to bed that morning with the biggest smile on my face that I just couldn’t wipe off as I thought about our kisses and that fact that ME AND LAYTON ARE FINALLY TOGETHER!!