The Chronicles of Moon

“Come on, guys, wait up, please?” The small girl with mouse-brown hair pleads to chase after the group of teens.

“Who told Moon about this?” The largest boy moans in frustration.

“I don’t know, just run faster.” a blond girl rolls her eyes, trying to pick up the pace.

“Come on, please? Wait, I won’t spoil anything this time!” The girl, known as Moon, whines.

“Right, just like the last time, you didn’t mean to knock me off the cliff, right?” The large boy growls.

“Well, no, I didn’t mean to. It just happened. I’ll be careful.” Moon pleads harder. “At least the tree broke your fall, Ben.”

“Not possible,” Ben yells over his shoulder. When everyone finally stops at the top of the waterfall, they try to get out of Moon’s path. As Moon slides to a stop at the edge of the drop, she smiles. “See, I didn’t run into anyone.”

When her foot slips, her eyes go big and round in shock. Ben reaches out his hand and grabs her, but it’s too late. She pulls Ben over the waterfall with her. They both scream before hitting the water. Ben and Moon pop up out of the water.

“God Dammit, Moon.” Ben sputters and coughs.

“You guys okay.” A dark-haired boy yells down the twenty-foot drop.

“Yeah, we are fine,” Ben yells back as the two swim to shore.

“Sorry, Ben, I didn’t mean to pull you over. Moon says in a small voice.

“I know, Moon. Come on, let’s go back to the pack house and dry you off. Your grandpa, Alpha Mark, will have a fit if you get sick.”

“Okay, sorry again,” Moon says, still hanging her head.

“It’s okay. Next time: we will just wait for you. I’m just as much to blame for it,” Ben says.

Ben is Beta Jake Woods’s son and always the diplomat. He’s stubborn and kind. With his dirty blonde hair and hazel eyes, it’s easy to see why Moon is in love with him, well, her and every other girl in their class.

Moon has a pretty good feeling that the blonde and beautiful Emily will end up being Ben’s mate. Emily is bright and strong, nothing like Moon. Emily is the best at everything, and while she is never mean to Moon, no one is outright mean to her; they try to avoid her. Wherever Moon goes, disaster is sure to follow.

Even being the Alpha’s adopted granddaughter doesn’t mean you are an alpha. Even at just fifteen, there is a big difference between Sarah Moon and her classmates. She can’t fight well, she isn’t fast, and everything she tries just goes completely wrong.

She nearly burnt down the pack house kitchen learning to make cookies. Sarah started reading and forgot all about the cookies in the oven. There is even a bet going around the pack that she doesn’t even have a wolf. The pot is well over two hundred dollars by now, but they still need to wait a few more years to find out. No one even knows where Moon came from. She just showed up at the pack house one day, and Alpha Mark saw the tiny baby left in the basket and took her in.

Alpha Mark lost his child and his Luna in childbirth. The pup was stillborn, and the Luna passed away from the difficult birth; everyone in the pack wept for their Luna and Alpha for weeks after. The years passed, and Alpha Mark grew older and never took another mate. So when the strange little baby appeared at the pack house door, Alpha Mark was more than happy to keep her and make her his granddaughter. He even named her after his lost mate, Sarah Moon.

He thinks Moon will be an excellent leader one day, but the rest of the Big Springs pack is unconvinced. The years of Moon’s antics have led them to doubt the girl. Most of the pack call her Moon because they don’t want to call her by their beloved Luna’s name.

Moon Shivers a little as she and Ben walk the few miles back to the pack house. “Sorry I spoiled the Howl.” The howl is what the teens of the pack call their bonfire parties.

Ben just shrugs and wraps his arm around Moon. She may be a walking disaster, but she is sweet and kind to everyone, even those that turn their nose up at her. She knows what everyone says about her, but she is still kind-hearted.

“That’s okay. We should have just let you come. We just didn’t want you to set fire to the woods again or knock Jonny in the fire like last time.” Ben chuckles a little at the memory.

“I didn’t set the woods on fire, just a bush.” She huffs, annoyed. Ben just laughs a little harder, and Moon starts to giggle.

“You know, Moon, you need to learn to be a bit more careful. You mean everything to Alpha.” Ben says, looking at Moon, all of the humor gone for a moment.

“I don’t try to cause trouble; it just always seems to happen. I wish I were as coordinated as the others, but I’m just not, no matter how I try.” Moon hangs her head again.

“Well, I’m sure you will figure something out. Our pack isn’t big, and we all need to pull our weight.” Ben is doing it again. This has to be the tenth time he has given Moon the same speech about the pack and pack responsibilities this month. Moon just stays quiet as they walk back to the pack house. There is nothing she can say to make him believe she does try. Maybe when she gets her wolf, Moon will finally fit in with the others and stop being just one big walking disaster. She can only hope anyway.