The Perfect Luna by Marissa Gilbert

.

The End Is The New Beginning
Riannon couldn’t believe her own eyes. The beast stood over her, breathing heavily. Blood was dripping from his claws and his
snout. And for the first time ever she was afraid of her mate.
“Gideon!” she repeated his name, but there was no response.
A fox charged at him, but he hit it so hard in its jump that the red-furred creature flew far away and did not move anymore from
the moment it landed on the ground. He probably broke his neck just like that.
“Gideon, it’s me!” Ria tried to explain to him again, but he took a step toward her, growling.
Two bears attacked them simultaneously and she wasn’t ready for this, distracted by the whole situation. But she didn’t need to
do anything, because the lycan killed them both in an instant. She took a quick look around, seeing that the advantage was now
on their army’s side. She did not see wolves fighting wolves, meaning that the traitors did not attack them. Which did not make
them any less traitorous, but it was good enough for now. It would be easier to win this battle without trying to understand who
was a friend and who was a foe.
She also still did not see any leader in the army that attacked them. But she knew that someone had to command all those
beasts.
“Mine!” the lycan growled so loudly that the ground underneath them shook. Then he took another step towards her. A small
smile formed on her lips.
“You do remember me!” she whispered in relief. If anyone could bring him back, it would be her. And she intended to do just that.
In an instant, Riannon shifted into her wolf, angering the Lycan in front of her. He did not like the game that she was playing. But
she sprinted away from him as fast as possible.
She deliberately went through the biggest fighting crowd, knowing that he was following her and that he would destroy every
bear and fox on his way. Even in his state, he knew who his enemies were.
She was throwing herself inside of the bear clusters, usually going for their feet. The bears were slower than her and she was
getting out of their grasp right before Gideon’s Lycan was finding them. Smelling her scent on them, he was going feral, ripping
his potential rivals apart one by one.

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She just hoped that it wasn’t taking too long. She knew she needed him away from all that, where no one would disturb them.
: From the corner of her eye, Riannon noticed Reid and Savvy’s wolves running next to her and felt them knocking into her mind.
They never used mind link together before, but technically she was already a member of their pack and could do it since the
moment Gideon left two golden crescents on her neck. So, she let them in
“I hope you have a plan!” Savvanah was the first to speak, her white wolf with black ear tips looked fierce as he destroyed one of
the foxes in her way.
“We need to get him out of this as fast as possible,” Reid informed her, “The longer he uses this form, the harder it will be for him
to get back.”
“I am on it!” she replied with confidence that brought relief to them both, “Will you be able to finish up here alone?”
“Yes!” they replied in unison, and she knew that they meant it. “Gideon has already shredded half of their army to pieces. Just
get him to shift back and we are
“Good!” Ria took up speed and headed for the woods, away from the clearing. “Then don’t look for us! At least not for the next
few hours! Reid, you lead the army. Savvy...”
“I know,” the white wolf replied, “Don’t worry, we were all trained for this. Do what you have to do!
Riannon did not say anything else and changed her course. The hugelycan beast followed her as if his life depended on it. Her
silver fur was glowing again, and it was hard to miss her on the battlefield.
Savanah followed them with her gaze, knowing that her brother was in good hands. She also knew that even in his feral form, he
would never hurt his mate. They loved each other too much for that. They were how mates were supposed to be. Perfect. Pure.
Sincere. Consumed by each other’s existence, Irrevocably in love.
So not like her and Zack...
Sawy was fighting, targeting bears mostly. As a lycan it was her duty to remove the strongest . enemies so that their allies could
fight the foxes. But she was looking for the wolves. Or better say one wolf in particular. The traitor. Her mate.
However, Zack wasn’t there. She was looking everywhere for him, trying to find that intoxicating scent of his. She needed to kill
him. She needed to kill her mate and free herself. Free herself from all those feelings that were overwhelming her and from that
damn pull that could lead her to her demise.

She refused to be a mate to this man. And since he rejected her rejection... she had no choice anymore. She would do it even if
she would have to scratch her own heart out.
Riannon was sprinting as fast as she could, knowing that the Lycan followed her. She knew that he could already get her, but the
predator in him loved to play with his prey. Which at the moment was her.
She stopped when they were far enough from the battle, choosing the clean grass-covered clearing. He leapt out of the shadows
and knocked her off her feet, towering over her with his eyes glowing. He tucked his nose into her neck, and she heard a
distinctive “MINE” snarl.
Struggling under him, Ria shifted into her human form, and he growled in approval, not taking his glowing eyes off her.
“Shift!” she told him firmly, but he only inhaled her scent again and then howled loudly into the air, ignoring her words.
“Shift!” Riannon ordered, and this time she brought his attention back to herself. He was snarling at her and baring his teeth.
Which was a bad sign. But she wasn’t afraid. Whether it was his third form or one hundredth, he would never deliberately hurt his
mate. Gideon loved her too much. And she trusted him even now.
So, she took a deep breath and punched the Lycan into his snout as hard as she could. Since the Moon Goddess blessed her
and Onyx, strength wasn’t an issue anymore. So, her punch did have an impact and she even heard something cracking.
The lycan growled louder, pressing her harder into the ground in an attempt to submit her. But she wasn’t giving in to him.
“Shift!” she roared together with her wolf, their voice deeper and scarier than ever before as it echoed through the woods. The
lycan’s claws dug into her skin, drawing blood. Angry, she reciprocated, leaning closer to his neck and baring her canines. Not
thinking twice, she dug them into his flesh right where her mark was supposed to be on him. She closed her eyes, knowing that it
was the last thing that she could .
1. All she felt was his weight on her as his blood dripped down her chin. without you! i can’t lose you... Ever! you promised to
always stay with me, remember!”
“I do,” he replied, and she froze. For a moment, she was afraid to even move. His hands wrapped tighter around her and she
realised that they weren’t covered in thick fur anymore.
“I will never leave you,” Gideon said out loud and she retracted her canines and looked at him finally. He was lying on top of her,
naked. And there was this soft knowing smile curling his lips. “Even if you ask is me, I will never leave you,” he added, and she
felt salty liquid burning her eyes.

“I will never ask you such a stupid thing!” she chuckled through tears, not believing that it was all
over.
arrassn
“Good,” he nodded. “Because I am never going anywhere.”
He lowered his head and licked his blood off her lips, tasting both – it and her. .”Did you just mark me for the second time?” he
arched his brow at her and she grinned at him without any kind of embarrassment.

“You looked like you needed to be reminded who you belong to!”
“And now I will never forget,” Gideon agreed with ease. “I wonder what will happen with my crescents now. Will they turn into
diamonds or something? Since gold was already done before...”
She pushed him on the chest lightly.
“That just wouldn’t be practical, would it?” Ria snorted and that was when they heard hundreds of howls and roars in the
distance.
She recognised some. They were warriors from her pack. She heard Ash and Maya too, knowing that they were all right.
At the same time, Gideon recognised his people. “The battle is over,” he looked at the love of his life.
“And looks like we won after all,” she said. “Thanks to you. Your lycan really thinned the lines of bears and foxes.”
“And thanks to you,” he placed a little kiss onto her nose, “If you didn’t bring me back, our packs would now be fighting me over
there.”
Their eyes met again, and they both realised that they hadn’t been this close for a while already. Those days apart seemed like
an eternity.
“I missed you so much,” Gideon brushed the hair off her face, enjoying the tingling sensations that touching her gave him.
“I missed you too,” she breathed into his lips, making them part with her tongue.
“Don’t play with me, Riannon,” he warned her. “I am barely controlling myself. I haven’t seen you for so long!”

“Well, what are you waiting for then?” she teased him, “We just won the biggest battle. We deserve a break!”
That was all the invitation that he needed as he kissed her as an internal growl escaped him. She was with him again. His at last!
He noticed a few scratches that his Lycan claws left on her and he turned his neck to reach these areas and lick them
thoroughly, most of them healing instantly now that they were properly mated. Well, maybe partially it was due to her being
blessed by the Moon Goddess. But he loved to think that it was because of their connection.
He remembered how at the very beginning of their relationship he had to pretend to heal her to even touch her this way. But
those days were long gone. That wonderful woman who was now moaning under noining more.
“Gideon!” She whimpered when he covered one of her n*****s with his mouth, sucking and tugging it gently. Knowing that this
was just the way she liked it.
Her fingers were caressing him, making every sensation heightened. “Shh,” he teased her, “I am healing you here. Where does it
hurt the most?” Asly smile formed on her face as one of her brows quirked.
“Everywhere,” she lied without a shade of hesitation or guilt, and he let out a snarl as he started to devour every inch of her. But
soon he realised that he couldn’t wait anymore, and she was urging him to climb back on top of her too. So, he hooked one of
her legs, spreading her thighs for him and nudged at her entrance.
“I love you,” he smiled and she slid her palm up to his chest.
“I love you too,” Riannon lifted her head to kiss him and that was when he inserted his whole length into her roughly, filling her to
the brim. This time he wasn’t gentle with her, but she did not want it either. Instead, she locked her thighs around his waist and
let him pound into her. She wanted to feel him, his need and desire for her, his love and his passion. She wanted all of it.
She gripped him through each shuddering wave as he kept thrusting, bringing her wave after wave of immense pleasure that
rippled through her body and made her eyes teary. Riannon cried out her release, biting on his shoulder and hearing a snarl
tearing from his lips.
Gideon took her hands and laced their fingers together, pinning them at both sides of her as he continued to take his woman
time after time, sounds of approval rumbling through his chest every time he saw her finding her release until her body felt limp
against his. :: Only then he found her lips and stilled, spilling his seed inside of her womb, claiming her once again as his with an
earth-shuttering growl, “Mine!”

When they walked out of the woods and back to the clearing strewn with bodies, Riannon frowned. Maya and Reid were already
there with new sets of clothes for them and cars waiting.
But as Riannon and Gideon walked down the field, she tried to take in and remember everything that she saw. This wasn’t the
happy ending that she desired so much. And their work was far from over.
They had so much to talk about and to discuss. But most importantly, they had to talk to their people, comfort them and give
them hope. This was only the beginning...
.
***
“I still don’t think that this is necessary,” Gideon folded his hands on his chest as they were walking to the tent that was placed in
the mutually agreed location.
“Of course, it is,”. Ria shrugged as she had heard all that before. She knew that he was joking and that in reality, even her
stubborn mate had to agree that they needed the alliance with the northern kingdom. Zack’s pack and others named by
Savannah were now officially out of the union. Foxes and bears retreated for the time being, but they could hardly assume that
the war with them was over. It would be safer for the lycans to work together to ensure the safety of both kingdoms. Whether
Gideon liked it or not (and he did not), they needed King Kai to join their Union with the werewolves and the werecats.
So, Riannon knew that she would have to make them put their differences aside, whatever it cost her.
“Gid, long time no see!” a handsome man in his late twenties was waiting for them inside and he stood up as they walked in. He
seemed friendly and, for a second, she thought that maybe her mate was overthinking it. “You have two minutes to tell me what
you want. I have been waiting for you long enough.
“Told you so,” Gideon whispered to her as they took their seats in front of the king.
“We are grateful for you giving us some of your precious time,” Riannon gave the man a dazzling smile. “My name is Riannon
Mich...”
*Stormhold,” Gideon interjected and she nodded even though they were not yet technically married.
“You already know why you are here,” she continued, “There is a certain threat to all lycans and wolves and we want to make
sure that it’s tackled with minimal losses to our kingdom. The best way to do

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it is through an alliance...”
“Yeah, I read your letter.” This time it was Kai who interrupted her. “It was very well-written and explanatory. But I still don’t see
what I am gaining here.”
“Maybe you need some glasses then,” Gideon tried really hard not to snarl. “Maybe you need some manners,” his opponent
snorted.
“If they manage to bring our kingdom down, they will come after yours next,” Riannon decided to ignore their childish behaviour.
“Theoretically speaking, yes,” Kai agreed.” Or they bring you down and then I wipe them off the face of the Earth while they are
still weak after fighting you.”
“You will be busy,” Gideon smirked, and the northern king arched his brow. “How so?”
“The white bear clans,” Ria said calmly. She did not mention any of it in her letters, knowing that this would be one of her main
cards to play. “They are in this too. They have been in all this for a while. And bet that you understand that the white bears do not
need our land or us dead. They need all of that from
you.”
Kai was silent, tapping his fingers slowly over the surface of the desk.
“Even so, I can deal with them on my own. I need more from this alliance,” he informed them firmly.
“And what the hell do you want this time?” Gideon asked him, clearly annoyed. “How about the land that historically belongs to
the North?” Kai was now deadly serious.
“That’s a very old story,” the western king was grim as well. “Anything else maybe?”

“Hmm, I don’t know,” the corners of Kai’s lips tugged into a smile. “There was one thing that I wanted for quite some time. But
you and I both know that you will never agree. How about Savannah as my future bride?”
“It’s good that you know you are getting her over my dead body!” Gideon snarled.

“Don’t tempt me!” Kai seemed satisfied with his reaction. “Decide for yourself what it would be. Your sister or the land in
question.”
He threw them a folder with a contract on the desk and stood up. “Your two minutes are up.”
“Go to hell,” Gideon couldn’t help himself, wishing for nothing more than to snap that man’s neck.
But Riannon placed her palm on top of his and he immediately calmed down, looking at her with regret in his eyes. .
“We will think about it,” she smiled at the northerner. “When do you want our answer?”
“By the end of the week,”Kai said and charged for the exit. But he stopped at the last minute and nodded at her. “It was nice to
meet you, Alpha Riannon.” discussed it for most of the evening. iney went througn each cause, tirea ana exnaustea by the ena.
“We need him,” Ria pleaded. “What’s so special in this land?!”
“Everything,” Gideon sighed. “This piece of land is the reason no attack from the northerners was ever a success. They cannot
cross our borders there unless we want them to. It’s essential for our safety from them. This is why he wants it. And don’t forget
that everything can change any minute. We give him a the lands and he unites with our enemies instead. This is where we will
be really screwed.”
She clenched her lips, knowing that he was right. But there had to be something else that they could do.
“I guess we have no choice then,” Savannah entered the room with a sad smile on her lips.
“Sawy,” her brother looked perplexed, knowing that she was eavesdropping. But he couldn’t blame her. They expected Kai to
demand something like that. :
“I’ll marry him,” the princess said, and now they all stared at her. Gideon with disbelief and Riannon with understanding. She
would make the same choice if it was her. Because it wasn’t really a choice.
“No!” the king growled loudly. “I am not letting you to...”
“This is my decision!” Savannah insisted with a tone that did not take prisoners. “I really appreciate you protecting me for so long.
I will never forget this, big brother. But right now, it’s my time to help you protect our people. This is my kingdom too. I am a
princess and I have my duties. I had my shot at this mate thing, but you know how it worked out for me. So now I am done with
all that. My knight in shining

armour is not coming. I am my own knight. And this is my quest. I choose this for myself, Gideon. I want to
marriage is not going to be with my mate, then at least I will have the comfort of knowing that it helped our people.”
“Sav...” the lycan king wanted to say something, but again Riannon took his hand and intertwined their fingers together, helping
him to calm down. “I am proud of you,” he smiled at his sister and pulled her into a group hug with his free hand. “You grew up
and became everything our parents wanted you to become.”
“So did you,” she mumbled, squeezed between the two of them and then got out quickly. “But I have a condition!”
“What is it?” Ria looked surprised.. “I want to see the two of you get married before I go,” Savannah smirked.
***
Maya had been watching Roxanne screaming for the past twelve hours. And it wasn’t making her happy at all. She just hoped
that the baby would be safe and healthy. But nothing was going right. The baby was in the wrong position and Roxy turned out to
have hips that were too narrow for childbirth.
“It’s a shifter baby,” Reid hugged his beloved wife, “She is going to make it.” But Maya wasn’t so sure anymore. She wasn’t even
sure what she was doing there.
The siren was swearing and calling her dead lover. Then she was switching it up a bit to sending curses to all of them and
promising that one day she would kill them all. She had no idea how much everyone in the kingdom and her pack wanted her
dead. And it was only Maya and Riannon who kept her alive because she was pregnant.
One long piercing shriek and the fox became quiet. But at the next second, they all heard a baby’s scream and a wave of relief
washed over the two Betas.
Maya stood up first and went to the midwife, who was holding the tiny little creature. The first thing she saw was a few red curls
on the baby’s head and she frowned at that. This was exactly what she was
But when she looked into her eyes, her heart started to beat faster. Those were Dean’s eyes, her brother’s. And it wasn’t just this
rich chestnut colour of them, it was the sincerity with which this tiny girl looked at her. Dean even saw the best in someone like
Roxanne...
“So?” Reid hugged her from the back and she turned to look at him.

“She is just like him... Maya said, but then she noticed some movement behind her mate. Luckily, Reid had an even better
reaction as a lycan. So, he covered her with his body and kicked the crazy siren/fox hybrid who tried to attack them with a stolen
scalpel from the midwife’s table on her knees, causing her to fall down right at the small but sharp weapon she was planning to
use against them. It went into her neck, right where the main artery was, and the midwife screamed.
“Don’t touch it!” Maya warned her, holding the baby tight against her chest. But Roxy was twitching on the floor, her gaze
wandering around the room. “Hate... you all,” she hissed and then got the scalpel out, causing the blood to gush out.
“Apply pressure!” the midwife screamed and Reid grabbed one of the blankets to try and help the crazy woman.
But Roxanne grew her claws and dug them into the hand he was applying the pressure with, causing him to take it back.
She threw away the blanket and stared at the ceiling with a smile of a mad person, curving her lips.
“Castiel...” she whispered, “I am coming...” Maya hid her face in Reid’s chest and he kissed her forehead when she looked at
him again.
“At least she stayed true to herself,” the Beta female looked at the child and thought that it was for the best that she had no idea
what was going on around her. “She kept hating everyone until the end and not caring for what she left behind. How could she
abandon her own daughter?”
Reid touched the baby’s hand and she immediately wrapped all her tiny fingers around his index one.
“She chose not to be a mother,” he said. “But you can choose today to become one. I will do whatever you decide.”
Maya touched the red curls thoughtfully.
“I made my choice a while ago, Reid,” she smiled at her husband and then at her new child, “When I didn’t kill Roxy. This baby
deserved to live. And since she was stupid enough to leave it, I have a right to take care of her now.”
“Yes?” there was more than just one word in his question.
“Yes,” there was everything in her answer. “Meet our daughter, Reid. Her name is Danielle.”
***
“Are you ready?” Gideon asked his beautiful new wife as they stood before the doors to the main balcony

“No one can be ready for this,” she smiled at him. Once again, he muttered his thanks to the Moon
“Nonna
Goddess for sending him such a mate.
She was wearing a flowing champagne dress with lines of beads creating regal elegant patterns over her corset and a matching
crown on her head. Her hair was up in an intricate hairdo as insisted by Savvy. Riannon held her hands together at the front and
seemed like a perfect picture of a flawless queen.
In a few moments, a whole kingdom would be watching them, but right now they were the only two people in the world. He
offered her his hand and she took it, trusting him as always.
When they finally calmed down, Gideon announced loudly and irrevocably, “People of the West, meet your Alpha Queen!”
The crowd burst into cheering and clapping, while Riannon stepped forward and waved at them.
She knew that a lot still had to be done and her work was only starting. But she also saw that her werewolves were celebrating
together with the lycans. It was the beginning of a new era. Different and better than before.
But most importantly, she knew that she was home... And together with her mate, she will defend it and make it better. Because
together they were the perfect couple