Luna Rising by Sloane Murphy
Chapter Seven
Persuading my dad to let me go to the Manor for the weekend was easier than I ever thought it would be. Possibly because I waited until Uncle Roman was also in the room, but ya know, who knows? I haven’t stopped grinning since he said yes, and I’m just throwing a few things in a duffel bag so I have some actual clothes for the weekend. Everything else will already be at the Manor. Nonnie keeps that place running tighter than a military unit.
I finish putting my bag together and head downstairs, finding Marie Laveau standing in my kitchen along with Maddox, with Roman nowhere in sight. “Hi,” I squeak as I enter the room, wondering what the fuck is going on.
“Dad had to go sort something out, so Marie is going to portal us home.” Maddox grins at me, and my stomach drops. I’ve never traveled via portal before, despite working as closely with the Witches as we do these days. “Don’t worry, I’m sure you won’t even vomit.”
“You’re such an ass, Maddox.” I roll my eyes, trying to keep a brave face because the reality is that most people throw up their first time. Dammit.
Still… totally worth it to train with Remy.
That's what I keep telling myself. I’ve never trained with Remy, but I have seen her spar before, and it's literally poetry in motion. Well, violent poetry, but still. I’m also not so secretly hoping that Raze will be home this weekend. I know he’s been in Avalon a lot the last few years, but a girl can dream, right?
“Okay, let's do this,” Marie says after hugging my mom and saying goodbye.
“I’ll see you Monday,” Mom says, kissing my cheek. “I love you.”
“I love you too.” I squeeze her quickly then follow Marie and Maddox out to the yard, squinting in the early morning sun. Marie opens the portal, and Maddox offers me his hand. I take it, sucking in a deep breath to prepare myself.
“Ready?” Marie asks, smiling warmly at me. I nod, too scared to actually speak.
“You got this,” Maddox says quietly before pulling me through the portal. I step through and clamp my mouth shut so as not to scream. It feels like I’m falling, and my stomach churns. When the world reappears after a quick albeit uncomfortable moment, I lose my balance and fall on my ass.
Falling on my ass is still better than being sick.
I think.
Maddox grins down at me and the portal closes with no sign of Marie. I guess she’s portaling straight home from here. “Come on, let's go inside. Nonnie will probably have breakfast ready for us.”
I take his hand, and he pulls me to my feet with my bag in his other hand. “Is everyone around this weekend?” I ask as casually as I can. Some might think it's weird to be so close to Maddox, yet have a crush on his big brother, but I never claimed to not be weird.
“Yeah, I think so. I know everyone disappeared for a bit, but I’m pretty sure everyone else is home already. We only came back to you guys because of the attack. Dad should get back later today.”
I know he’s talking about Roman, but technically, he has four Dads. Though for ease, I know when he talks to other people, he only calls Roman Dad and the others he calls by name. I know it's strange, especially in the Lycan world, for people to do the whole poly thing, but these guys boss it. The Dracul are way more relaxed about it. In fact, they’re the total opposite of Lycans, and they tend to prefer the poly life.
Me? I think dealing with more than one guy sounds like a fucking nightmare. Dealing with one serving of testosterone is enough thanks, and I’m not even sure I want that yet. I know we all have a fated mate, but if I don’t find mine, especially anytime soon, it won’t be the end of my world.
I might feel different once I’ve found them. At least that's what Mom keeps telling me, but for now, I’m happy just being alone. Unlike Nova, I’m not one of those Lycans who’s going to hold out on life until I find my mate. Some might think it's wrong, but I call it practical. Some people never find their mates, but an entire existence without orgasms doesn’t sound like a real existence.
I’ll never get over how beautiful this place is. Huge stone bricks make up the building, and there are many windows—each trimmed in white—ivy creeping up the walls in places, and numerous flowers bordering the back of the house. It looks exactly like an old British Manor, hence its name. The grounds are crazy big, lined with a mass of trees—there’s even a stream that runs through them. It’s like something out of a story book.
Maddox opens the door into their kitchen, and my nose is assaulted with the most heavenly smells. The inside of the Manor is the complete opposite to the outside, it's all modern, shiny, and monochrome. The only color in the kitchen are the splashes of yellow, like the vase of sunflowers on the kitchen table.
Nonnie, Kain’s dark-haired grandmother, fusses over Maddox the second he crosses the threshold, and Raze walks in from the main house in a pair of gray sweatpants, with his hair in disarray and his violet eyes still full of sleep. He grumbles as he heads straight for the coffee pot.
Be still my poor heart.
Gray sweatpants should be illegal. Just saying. Especially when paired with a body like that. The guy could be a statue in a museum, and people would come from all across the globe to study it.
“Luna, beautiful little wolf! Come, sit. I will make your favorite. What would you like?” Nonnie clucks, ushering me into a chair at the kitchen table as Maddox says hello to his brother.
“Erm, Eggs Florentine?” I say, unsure if she really means it. I’ve only been here a few times, but it seems like a lot to just cook me something different from what everyone else is having. “But I can have whatever.”
She clicks her tongue at me with a stern look on her face. “You want Florentine, you get Florentine. Maddox, bring the lovely girl some coffee. So rude.”
“Yes, Nonnie,” he says, looking thoroughly scolded, and I hide my laugh behind my hand.
“Hey, Luna,” Raze says, his voice still thick with sleep as he drops into the chair next to mine, seconds before Maddox hands me a giant mug of coffee and sits opposite of me.
“Mom only has jugs for coffee.” Maddox laughs when he sees the look on my face.
“It’s the only way coffee should come,” Raze says, taking a sip of his before closing his eyes. I take a sip of mine and holy fucking shit. This is the best goddamn coffee I’ve ever tasted.
“Coffee from Avalon,” Maddox says when he sees the look on my face.
“Best coffee in all of the Realms,” Raze says, and honestly, he might be right. This shit is amazing.
It doesn’t take long before Nonnie slides a plate of Eggs Florentine in front of me. Maddox has the biggest plate of eggs, sausage, bacon, and biscuits with gravy that I’ve ever seen, and Raze has a poached egg on toast, along with a glass of orange juice as well as his coffee. We eat in silence, and it's not long until Evie, Maddox’s little sister, appears. She glides into the room like she’s walking a runway. There’s something crazily ethereal about a hybrid Dracul-Angel. Her pale skin practically glows, and her long dark hair shines brightly. It’s her piercing blue eyes, circled in amber, that really make you stop and stare though.
It probably helps that she’s literally the embodiment of sunshine too.
“Morning,” she beams at us all as she skips from the fridge over to the table, a glass of blood in her hand that she sips at with a straw. “Didn’t realize you were here for the weekend, Luna.”
“I’m going to do some training with your mom and Maddox,” I tell her, trying not to groan over every bite of my breakfast.
“Oh fun! I might join you. Dad’s been on me about doing more training. Apparently being super fast isn’t actually enough of a defense skill.” She shrugs, and Nonnie slides a plate of French toast with syrup and bacon in front of her.
Colt is the last one to join us. He’s still half asleep, his dark blond hair a mess of curls and his green eyes half closed as he grumbles before dropping into the chair next to Evie. He’s the youngest sibling, but you would never know it. He’s half-Demon, half-Angel, and that mixture makes a potent powerhouse. He’s also the grumpiest little shit I’ve ever met. I mean, he’s not quite sixteen yet, but puberty has hit him really hard.
Nonnie drops a stack of pancakes in front of him, and he half grumbles a thank you before she flits off. Raze frowns at him across the table, before saying, “If Mom finds out that you didn’t say thank you to Nonnie, she’s going to have your ass.”
“Thank you, Nonnie,” Colt calls out, and Maddox just smirks across the table at me.
“Aren’t you glad you came?” I laugh at him but nod my head along anyway. This place might be chaos embodied, but it's the best kind of chaos. It’s the chaos of a full, happy home.
“It’s better than a quiet house.” I shrug and finish eating, just as Remy, Levi, Creek, and Kain enter the room.
“Morning,” Remy calls out, heading straight to the coffee pot, and it makes me laugh how alike her kids are to her. Her long raven-colored hair is up in a ponytail, but her violet eyes are bright as she turns to me. “Hi, Luna, I hear we’re going to be putting you through your paces over the weekend?”
“Yes, ma’am,” I say, nodding.
“Oh Fates, don’t ma’am me. I’m not old enough to be a ma’am,” she groans, and her mates all just laugh at her.
“You’re old, but you’re still beautiful,” Levi murmurs before kissing her forehead, and he isn’t wrong. She’s stunning, they all are. It’s like a house of freaking models. Kain has that old, wise beauty about him and the same pale skin as his daughter. Roman is basically an adult version of Maddox, and Creek… well he looks like something off a magazine cover… ya know, if they were covered neck down in tattoos. It’s like a requirement of the family to just be naturally stunning. If I wasn’t secure in who I am, I’d be a fucking mess being around this group all the time. “I have to head to Avalon to sort some shit out with Serafina and Zeph. These fucking rebels are killing me. Raze, are you coming today?”
“I was just going to have a chill weekend,” Raze responds between bites of his food. “But I can come if you need me.”
“You’re good. Enjoy your weekend, you’ve been working harder than anyone expects.” Levi smiles at him, before striding back out of the room, a mug of coffee in hand. The others join us at the table, and Nonnie feeds them too. I stay quiet, just enjoying the giant family dynamic they have here. It must be nice to have so many people that you know will have your back no matter what. Their family history is a little dark, so I know that loyalty is a big thing with these guys.
“Are you ready, Luna?” Remy asks, and I gulp over how excited both she and Maddox look. I absolutely want to train with them, but am I ready?
I have no fucking clue.
* * *
Holy fucking shit.
Training with Remington Bennett is no fucking joke. Maddox is flat on his back, sucking in air like we’re running out of it, and I mean, I don’t blame him. I’m not faring much better.
This isn’t just weapons training, this is all bets are fucking off training. I thought Thatcher was an evil dictator, but he has nothing on her. My entire body is jelly, and we haven’t even really touched any weapons yet. I didn’t know it was possible to ache this much just from training.
“Come on, you two. Up you get. We’ve only just finished the warm-up,” Remy shouts, and I hear Roman's laughter as he sits on the sidelines watching us, a bottle of water in hand.
“If she wasn’t my mom, I’d tell her to screw off,” Maddox grumbles before he jumps to his feet in some weird combat jump thing. I’m so impressed that I’m almost jealous. “Come on, if we don’t get through this, there’s no way she’ll bust out the guns. Blade training first.”
I empty my bottle of water over my face before sucking in a few more lungfuls of air and joining him. I try, and fail, not to groan as I climb back to my feet and Remy snickers. Man, if she wasn’t who she is, I’d be flipping her the bird. I’m making it my mission in life to make sure that Thatch never, ever trains with her. I can’t do this every day.
“Okay, Maddox, go grab the training daggers from the armory,” Remy instructs, and he lopes off into the house before she turns to face me. “Have you done much weapons training?”
“Not really. Dad is a purist,” I tell her, and she rolls her eyes.
“Of course he is. Don’t you worry, I’ll get you caught up.” She turns to Roman and flutters her lashes in a way that just feels utterly sarcastic. “You up to fighting with Maddox while I go through some basics with Luna, old man?”
Their teasing is adorable. When I do find my mate—some day in the far fucking future when I think I'm old enough to settle down—hopefully we're as happy as these guys are.
“I’ll give you, ‘old man’,” He grins and tackles her. She lets out a scream, and I struggle not to laugh at their antics.
“Fucking parents,” Maddox grumbles with a smile when he exits the house and sees what’s going on.
I shake my head at his grumblings and outright laugh when he throws the daggers to the ground. I know he doesn’t mean anything by it, not really at least, but I can’t help but tease him. “They’re kind of adorable.”
“I am not adorable,” Roman barks just as Remy pins him, and I let out a laugh again.
“You are totally adorable,” she says before nipping his chin and jumping off of him. “Maddox, you’ll be training with your dad for a while. I’m going to work with Luna.”
“Sure thing, Mom,” he says, before turning his shit-eating grin on me. “Good luck with that.”
“I heard that, you little shit,” Remy grumbles lovingly as she ruffles his hair before he ducks away. He and Roman move further away from us, giving everyone some space to train without the possibility of accidentally catching someone in the crossfire. “Okay, Luna, let's see which blade has the best feel for you, shall we? Then we’ll go from there.”
She walks me through how the balance should feel with a blade in hand, and I try to take in as much as I can. Learning from Remy Bennett isn’t something that you pass up on. I pick up each of the blades, and she shows me how to hold each of them in the optimum position and grip. None of them feel right until I get to the shorter size of the blades.
“I think this is the one.” She smiles like a maniac at my words before clapping her hands.
“That's my old training blade. This is going to be so much fun. Evie won’t fight with swords, and all the boys prefer the great swords, the little shits.” Her shit-eating grin suddenly makes sense, and I have a feeling this is going to hurt for me. “Let’s see what skill you have naturally, and we can go from there.”
“Sounds good.” I nod and move into the stance she shows me. We parry back and forth for a little while, and she takes it easy on me to assess what I can do, grinning the entire time.
“You’re not bad for someone with no real knowledge.” She instructs me further with some basic attacking and blocking movements. We walk through the combinations a few times, and then she increases the pace, the pressure, and the aggression. It’s obvious she’s nowhere close to full force, and my arms are already like fucking jelly.
She disarms me with ease, and I fall on my ass. “You did well for your very first session. We’ll do more later today, and then tomorrow we’ll work on guns.”
Holding out a hand for me, she lifts me back to my feet, and we turn to watch Maddox and Roman battling it out. I’m pretty sure Roman is also holding back, but Maddox is far more skilled than I thought he’d be. I mean, considering who his parents are, it's not that shocking. But he just always seems way too chill for the level of aggression he’s showing right now. It feels like I’m seeing him for the first time.
“He’s good,” I say absentmindedly, and Remy nods.
“He is. He’s still young, but one day he’ll out fight us both.” The pride in her voice is obvious and is reflected in the smile on her face. “You see how he defends and uses that position to turn the fight in his favor before going on the attack? That's what we’ll work on next.”
I try to focus harder on Maddox’s movements to see how exactly he handles the exchange, but I’m not sure he even thinks about it because Roman does it too. They look more like they’re dancing than fighting. It's captivating to watch.
“You know, if you two do end up being mated, I’m not sure what Roman and Theron will do,” Remy says quietly, making me look up at her. “They both have such high expectations for you both, and I know how hard that can be to shoulder. There will be a lot of tough decisions to make if it happens. Just know that if you ever need someone to talk to, you can come to me. I might not be a Lycan, but I understand all too well how the expectations of a father can suffocate you so much that you can’t see your own path.”
“Thank you.” I’m shocked as hell by her offer, though I’m not sure why. Remy is freaking awesome… I guess I just didn’t expect it. She’s so candid about her past, the betrayals she’s lived through, and she treats it like water off a duck's back.
I officially want to be her when I grow up.
* * *
“Yes!” I shout, pulling my ear muffs off once I finish the clip in my pistol. The alarm sounds in the shooting gallery, and my target paper flies toward me on its hook.
“Didn’t do too bad, I guess,” Maddox teases, and I flip him the bird. So I might not have made all head and center chest shots like he has, but compared to where I was this morning, I’ll take my body shots with joy, fuck you very much.
“Way to go, Luna!” Remy claps her hand on my shoulder as she takes in my sheet, and Maddox pouts in his mom’s direction. “Yeah, you did well too. You already know that though.”
“Still nice to hear it, Mom.” He gives her a smug grin, and she laughs at him, shaking her head. “Is it time to eat yet?”
“I swear, you are never full.”
“That's not true, Nonnie managed it once.” He’s crazy, and if Nonnie hears that shit, she’ll take it as a personal challenge. Though that is something I’d quite like to see.
“Are you hungry, Luna?” Remy asks, and I nod. I’m a Lycan; I’m always hungry. Maddox wasn’t wrong about that. The only time I’m not hungry is when I’m sick, and that happens very rarely thanks to my genetics. There are definite upsides to being one of the things that goes bump in the night.
“Fine, let’s get you guys some lunch, and then we’ll come back.” We follow her out of the shooting range, which is situated near some of the other buildings a little further away from the house. Apparently the range is a recent addition because I don’t remember it being here the last time I visited. Then again, I was way younger when I came here last. Nonnie waves us into the kitchen, and there are already stacks of sandwiches waiting for us along with bowls and bowls of chips.
“Nonnie, you own my heart,” Maddox coos, kissing her cheek before dropping onto one of the chairs at the table. She fusses over him like a child, and I can’t help but laugh as he takes every bit of her fussiness like a preening cat.
I sit next to him with a quick ‘thank you’ to Nonnie before digging in. There are definite upsides to having a centuries-old Dracul being the person who manages the house. She used to manage the entire Dracul castle, so this must be a breeze for her. Either way, man can she cook like a boss. Even something as simple as sandwiches tastes out of this world.
When I say as much, she simply responds with, “They’re made with love. Of course they’re delicious.”
Evie and Colt join us for lunch, but there’s no sign of their dads or Raze.
“You looking forward to your birthday?” Evie asks, and I can’t help but groan.
“Yes and no. Actually coming of age so people stop treating me like a kid, yes. The crazy pressure that comes with the potential of finding my mate, or the party? Not even a little.”
Maddox nudges my shoulder with a, “Hey!”
I roll my eyes at him, and he shakes his head with furrowed eyebrows. “I already told you, we’ll all be there. It’s a joint birthday bash now, so that should help a little.”
“Yeah. I know, and I appreciate it. But even being a pack animal doesn’t keep me from hating big crowds.” I shudder just at the thought of it. This party is going to seriously suck.
Evie puts her hand up for a high five, and I meet her hand as she says, “Praise to that. Parties suck.”
It’s crazy to think she’s only a few years away from her first hunt, and being the daughter of the King of the Dracul probably means she’s going to suffer the same fanfare I’m experiencing at the moment. Though I’m sure Remy will put her foot down about that. She doesn’t seem like the type to inflict that sort of fanfare on her kids if they don’t want it.
“Nah, you guys are just going to the wrong parties.” Colt winks before taking another bite of his sandwich, not expanding on his comment since Remy and Nonnie are finishing their conversation. What has that little shit been up to?
“I have some things that need my attention, so I’m going to ask Raze to come and finish your gun training with you if that's alright, Luna? I’ll pick it back up next time you come over, okay? You’re always welcome.” Remy smiles at me, the apology clear in her eyes.
I nod since it’s not a major issue, though my heart rate does pick up at the thought of being in close quarters with Raze.
“Hey! I could finish her training,” Maddox pouts, but Remy shakes her head.
“Maddox, I love you, but you don’t have the patience to teach.”
I see the moment he opens his mouth to say something snarky to his mother, but I intervene before he can interject any further. “Sure thing, that's fine. And thank you, I might just take you up on that if Dad lets me escape again anytime soon.”
“Don’t you worry about your dad. I’ll get him on our side.” Remy grins before breezing out of the room.
We finish up just as Raze appears. “You ready to go, Luna?
“Sure am,” I say, smiling up at him and trying not to overheat over the fact that he’s in gray sweatpants again and a tight black t-shirt. Someone please save me from my hormones. Actually, I take that back. Hormones take me away because hot. Fucking. Damn. Raze is an absolute masterpiece.
“Hey, dickhead. I’m coming too.” Maddox swallows the last bite of his sandwich but Raze shakes his head.
“Nah, man, you’re too much of a showboat. If she’s going to learn, she needs to not be distracted. You can go back in later.”
“You might be older than me, but you don’t get to dictate my actions,” Maddox argues, kicking back his chair and moving to face Raze. I have no idea what's going on here, but their power struggle is real. They’re both Alphas in their own right I guess, so it must be hard adjusting to their family dynamic. They stand about a foot apart, but the tension in the room ratchets up by like three thousand degrees. I look over at Evie who just shrugs and slinks from the room.
“What’s the problem here?” Kain asks moments later as he enters the room, taking in the guys facing off next to the table. I guess Evie sent in reinforcements.
“Raze thinks he can tell me what to do.” Maddox crosses his arms over his chest, and Kain looks up at the ceiling with a heavy sigh, making me giggle. I mean, I get it. There is way too much testosterone in here right now.
“Maddox, your mother asked Raze to train with Luna alone so that she improves. I am sure that is what Raze meant, isn’t it?”
Raze doesn’t say a word, he just stares down Maddox. I can practically feel the static building in the air alongside the thick tension.
“I can train with you after, Maddox?” I offer, trying to placate him and turn this situation around. It seems to be a little over dramatic, but I don’t have siblings, so I guess this could just be par for the course. I move over to Maddox, placing my hand on his arm as I make the offer again, and he relaxes.
“Yeah, sure. Come find me when you’re done with the moody one.” He leaves the room without another word, and I let out a deep breath.
“I’ll meet you at the range,” Raze says, leaving the room in the opposite direction, and Kain claps a hand on my shoulder.
“Good luck with all of that. And thank you for helping with Maddox. Those two have been clashing a lot lately.”
“Glad I could be of help. I should probably go.”
“Yeah, maybe he’ll calm down with some teaching.” Kain smiles, and I tuck tail and scoot over to the range. Hopefully Raze isn’t as moody with me as he was with his brother. I might like the dark and broody thing, but moody is a whole other ballpark that I am not interested in batting in.
I head into the range, grabbing the gun and noise-canceling ear muffs I had earlier before moving out back to the gallery. I find Raze already standing there, gun in hand, destroying the target paper. He looks wickedly lethal, his attention never wavering from what he’s doing. Despite his tense shoulders, he looks so fucking nonchalant. This is the Raze I know.
“You ready to go?” he asks, without even looking at me, so I straighten my back and walk over to him, not letting on about how being in his presence like this makes me a little weak in the knees.
Please don’t let me make a total dick out of myself right now.
