Luna's Gift Ch. 03

Rylan was grateful for this moment to collect her thoughts. Jake had talked until the sun had come up about how he had found her and what it meant, specifically to him.

She was overwhelmed. Could Jake be right about this Luna? Rylan was not religious by any means, but she had always believed in a higher power. And it did make sense to her that there would be other worlds out there in the universe; life on Earth couldn't have been some freak accident. But what kind of 'higher power' screwed with lives like this? Maybe Jake was wrong, but how else could she have gotten here?

The last thing she could remember before waking up on the lake was going to sleep in her room at her mom's house. Normal. Now her world had been shaken and turned upside down. More like totally removed from me, Rylan thought darkly. What was happening here? How could this have happened?

Humans did not have the technology to travel through space quickly. If they had been responsible she would have been like... well dead, because it would have taken centuries to get this far from her home. She knew she couldn't be in the same galaxy. Probably nowhere near the Milky Way. Mankind had not even found a planet, moon... whatever, that could sustain the life of an ameba let alone anything larger or more complex! Well unless you talked to conspiracy theorists who believed that we kept aliens locked up at Area 51 and claimed the government knew a lot more than they were saying. But Rylan didn't believe those claims.

She sighed. What if it was someone from this planet? What if Jake had interrupted someone from retrieving her? Or maybe Jake was the one to bring her here and told her that ridiculous story so she wouldn't be mad at him. Looking around the room Rylan decided that was probably not the case. She really didn't have any concrete proof but nothing about this room suggested 'advanced'. I don't know what really would constitute advance maybe computers... everywhere... for everything, automatic sliding doors, something...

The room itself was a mystery to her. The furniture and décor was rustic and the materials they used were very basic. Wood, rock, mud, glass, and it looked to be some kind of metal; these seemed to be the preferred choice of building supplies. Rylan couldn't find anything that could be made of plastic or any other artificial material. However, the way they had been crafted was extraordinary. The carvings on the bedposts and dressers were intricate to the smallest detail making it appear as if the tree naturally grew that way; there were no marks or scrapes as if left by a blade or other tool. The rug on the floor was immense and flawless. The sheets that covered the bed were the softest thing Rylan had ever laid on. Both didn't seem to have a stitch holding it together at all; they simply stayed together on their own.

The floor was wood, but instead of wood cut into planks, it seemed as if there was only one piece of wood covering the entire floor. There were no seams just one plank traveling from wall to wall. Impossible! There were no air vents for heat or air conditioning and yet the temperature didn't seems to fluctuate like she thought it should have without them. This place was such a contradiction. It was medieval. It was futuristic. It was amazing.

Studying the room gave Rylan a chance to escape from the uncertainty that had filled her since awaking on this new planet. She tried to remember what the bathroom looked like but she couldn't think of any significant differences from the ones on Earth. It was luxurious that was for sure, but not strange. She was half tempted to go back and look around and discover its idiosyncrasies, but she couldn't. She wouldn't give Jake a chance to catch her unaware. The door was still broken so she couldn't lock him out, not that she could to start with. But she didn't want to give him the change to sneak up on her.

She was a chicken and admitted it proudly. Her mother's voice filled her head 'better an alive chicken than a dead duck'. She smirked. That saying had always sounded a little ridiculous and still did. Thinking of her mother though made her ache. Now she was alone on an alien planet. Well alone with all of the Weres.

Rylan wondered how she didn't realize back at the lake that she wasn't where she was suppose to be, on Earth. She tried to remember what the lake looked like. But her memory was hazy at best. She couldn't remember anything that seemed odd about the trees, rocks, dirt, or lake. Those few minutes she could remember, if she hadn't known any better, she would have thought that she was on Earth. It gave her a small flicker of hope that this world would be very similar to hers, a very slim hope.

How did I get myself into this mess? She thought. How am I to survive living on this planet where everyone is so much bigger? Rylan was shocked at how huge Jake was as a wolf. She had seen grizzly bears smaller than him! Are all Weres as big? Are they all wolves? She hoped there were some nice smaller creatures that she wouldn't feel so helpless next to. A rabbit, she thought, cute and cuddly. An image of the rabbit from Donny Darko flashed in her head.

Hell any rabbit, even a cute rabbit like Harvey the Invisible Rabbit, seems creepy at that size.

One after another, small seemingly harmless creatures popped into her head but once she pictured them as big as Jake had been as a wolf, they no longer seemed harmless.

I'm at the bottom of the food chain here. She hated feeling weak and dependent on others. What could be worse? Hell?

Horror shot through her, What if I'm dead! She pinched her arm hard. Ouch, ouch, ouch! Okay I must not be dead. I mean you can't feel physical pain without your body right?

Maybe I had a tragic accident and am now lying in a hospital in a coma, dreaming this really crazy dream. She huffed...unlikely this seems way to real.

That left only one option left: Luna! She thought that last word with venom. What kind of low down, evil, vile. Ugh, I cannot think of name bad enough. Who does something like this! What in the... universe was this Luna chick thinking! What a lousy Goddess! Who, in their right mind, would follow such and awful person, goddess, whatever!

Rage pulsed through Rylan's body. She wished there was one being in particular here so she could throttle her.

Breathe Rylan. It won't do you any good to throw a fit. Remember it could always be worse.

Her thoughts turned to Jake. He seems... well as nice as could be expected under the circumstances, albeit a little too friendly. Well, being found by a creepy pervert would have definitely been a whole lot worse. At least Jake seems trustworthy. We could definitely become great friends...

That thought stopped her. He didn't want to be friends he wanted to be her mate. Mate?! At that point in the story Rylan lost the breath in her lungs. She still had a hard time thinking about it. This was the craziest, most confusing, unbelievable thing that had happened to her so far.

It was ridiculous to think that someone she just met knew they were meant to be together because it was 'destined'. She rolled her eyes. Maybe Jake is crazy! Harmless, but crazy. It's too bad... he is really nice and so gorgeous. I wonder how many other things he is wrong about.

Everything in her life up to this point made her have doubts of about the whole concept of mates, your other half, soul mates, life partners, whatever you wanted to call it. She didn't believe that there could only be one person for you forever. Her parents had divorced when she was little. Her dad was supposed to be the one guy who would always be there for her, but he didn't even call her let alone anything more significant after the divorce. All the guys she had ever dated had told her how much they loved her but they only lasted so long. Most of the time the "spark" that had drawn her to each man left within months or weeks if not days after their meeting. Still she had hoped that one day her knight in shining armor would come and rescue her from her loveless life. It was after this last painful relationship that she realized it was not possible. At that point Rylan had learned to protect her heart. She vowed she would move on and not let her heart enter the picture at all, whether it was going well or not, knowing it wouldn't last.

She had tried to explain to Jake that she didn't believe in the concept of mates. "Jake, I just don't think that there is only one person out there for each of us. I mean, I don't know how to explain this so you will understand where I'm coming from...well take us for example. You believe that we are destined to be together, what would happen to you if I had died or never was brought here to you. You would be doomed to a life without knowing your mate? It seems worse to have a mate yet never see them than to not have a mate at all. You would never know true love. At least my way of thinking you can't miss your other half because there is no other half to miss. Besides I don't think people have the ability to love one person their whole lifetime."

Jake did not like her response to his claim. Exactly what kind of world is this Earth? Was it normal for humans to not stay paired once they found their mate? Did they not have mates on Earth? These and many more questions ran through his head uncomfortably. He couldn't imagine a place where a mated pair would ever separate from each other willingly. He growled when she talked about being dead and then he frowned when she mentioned him not knowing her, his love.

"Rylan, honey because we are mates those things didn't happen, the proof of it is right in front of you. You're here sitting here in my home with me. We were destined to be together, nothing could have stopped us from being together. There are some things that are just meant to be. I can't explain how I know this, but I feel it in every fiber of my being. My feelings towards you are real. I'm so excited you're here and I can't wait for you to meet the pack and show you around. Looking at you my heart races. Everything about you draws me to you. If you had been born on Torin I would have already claimed you as mine."

He gave her a small reassuring smile. "However, I will be patient. I won't force you to, but you are my mate it's only a matter of when you allow us to mate. Make no mistake though you are mine and I will spend the rest of our lives making love to you..." He crawled across the bed toward her "...hearing you scream my name and wearing you out each night. Now that your here I know that I cannot live without you." He could feel the heat coming off her body. He grinned cheekily back at her while cupping her face, "Besides there is no way to be rid of me now!"

This Earth must be a strange place. They must not know the meaning of true love. He then looked at her with a thoughtful expression, "Rylan, honey, do you believe in love at all?"

This last question stunned Rylan out of her lust filled thoughts. Did she believe in love? "I believe people can fall in love, and then love each other until it runs its course. I just don't think that love can last between two people."

"Then it isn't love sweetheart. That's lust and desire- both can be fleeting. I'm talking about the love that never dies or fades. I'm talking about the love parents have for their children, or the love of one soul mate to another. I'm talking about the love that strengthens over time no matter what happens to the individuals or how far apart they are. That is real love. That is how I feel about you." He whispered softly.

Rylan looked into his eyes seeing the desperate plea for her to understand. She shook her head sadly, "Then no, I don't believe in love." As much as she cared for people and knew others cared for her she didn't think most had the capacity to love someone for so long. The saying 'out of sight out of mind' held especially true for her.

She had sat there shocked by what he said. It was unfathomable to her that anyone could care for someone they had just met a couple hours earlier, let alone the strength he seemed to care for her. Most of those hours she had been unconscious! She wasn't about to argue though. She knew in time she would be proven right. Men here can't be so different from men back on Earth.

He made some sense, but she still was unsure. She figured neither would let up on the issue so she just dropped it. She did like Jake. He had a smile that seemed like it could melt her if she let it and it was amazing how much she liked having him hold her. She had to admit to herself that if she had to pick a mate based on looks Jake would be the perfect candidate for the job. She loved his tanned skin and was surprised to notice that he had no tan lines. I wonder if he fake bakes, thinking of the tanning beds back on Earth. Somehow she didn't think so, the thought of him in his wolf form laying in an extra large tanning bed made her smile. She loved how tall and muscular he was. Not body builder muscular, just enough muscle that she knew he didn't shy away from manual labor. A part of her felt safe with him that she just wanted to curl up in his arms. The other part of her wanted to tackle him and see just how strong he really was. She sighed. He was beautiful, but she wouldn't get involved with him. When it went bad she would be alone on an alien planet. She thought of the past year and shuddered. She would not repeat past mistakes.

Being here on this planet without Jake as a friend terrified her; she couldn't imagine being more alone. She just couldn't take the chance that he would change his mind and leave her for someone better eventually. Then again she was sure that Jake claiming her as his mate gave her advantages, probably the only thing going to keep her from being taken to have experiments performed on her. That thought jolted her nervous system like lightening.

Oh man, would every Were on the planet demand that I be tested on, no matter what? She closed her eyes as tears streamed down her face. Why me? She asked for the millionth time today.

Never before had she felt so out of balanced. Her emotions were all over the place. At times her fear consumed her she never wanted to leave this room, other times she was so curious how similar her world and this one were. She felt grateful to Jake, rage towards this Luna, lonely, curious, nervous, sad, anxious and the list went on and on.

Staring off into space lost in thought Rylan jumped when her stomach growled. Jake had gone to get some breakfast and she was anxious for his return. Rylan took deep breaths trying to calm herself down before Jake did come back. She hated to cry in front of people, especially people she really didn't know. Thinking about Jake put a smile on her face. She knew that through all her pain and confusion that she did feel something for him but she let her emotions rule her once before and she had vowed never to do it again. The next time she attached herself to another guy it would be for money not love.

Okay maybe I wouldn't go that far. Ugh if only Jake hadn't said anything about being mates. I feel like there is a blade hanging over my head just waiting to fall.

Her stomach growled again painfully and she tried wrapping her arms tighter around herself to quiet the noise and stop the pain. Just as she thought her stomach would shrivel up and die from hunger, Jake poked his head through the door startling her out of her thoughts.

"Hey beautiful...are you okay." It was obvious to Jake that Rylan had been crying. He silently cursed himself. She didn't look like she was okay; between looking so tired she probably could fall asleep any second, with large dark circles to accentuate that fact. Her eyes were also puffy from crying he knew he wasn't taking very good care of her. He reminded himself that she was more delicate than any female he has ever been around and needed to be treated with a lot more care.

"Yes, I'm fine. It's just hard to comprehend all of this right now, you know." Rylan tried to smile, but she was sure it came out more like a grimace.

Jake looked at her wondering if he should say something to help soothe her. That's when he noticed the color of her eyes. I have never seen such a beautiful blue before. They look like she took the blue from the glaciers in the north. They are so vibrant and intense; it almost appears like they show her very soul. He stood almost transfixed starring into her eyes; it took him a few minutes to realize that she was waiting for him to say something. "I understand, well I brought a few things up for us to eat before we sleep for a few more hours. Come on."

He held out his hand for her. She scooted to the edge of the bed and he watched as the nightdress he gave her to wear slide slowly up her thighs. He stood bewitched as she moved from the bed to her toes and watched the fabric swish back and forth across her legs as she walked towards him. I wonder if the Humans teach their females this seductive walk. The way the fabric swayed against her body was enough for his heart to start racing. Her gaze never left his and as she finally reached him and took his hand; he couldn't help but lean down and kiss her soft lips. Keeping his face inches from hers he took a deep breath and said, "Let's eat."

He hadn't really left his siting room. He simply had poked his head out of his door and asked one of the guards his dad had sent as extra precaution for Jake's mate and asked one of them to grab trays of food. He had decided to stay in his sitting room for two reasons, he didn't want anyone to get any closer to his mate than was necessary until he mated with her fully and until he found a way to explain her to his pack. He also wanted her to have a moment to digest all that he told her. He knew he would feel overwhelmed if he had been the one to be magically moved to another planet. He had hoped that that moment helped her because it had been almost painful for him to be even that far away from her! And he didn't want to do that again anytime soon!

When Rylan walked through the door she was surprised at the quantity of food piled on the coffee table. When he had said a couple of thing she was thinking maybe a bowl of fruit, a couple pieces of toast, and milk. Obviously 'a couple' had a different connotation here. Oh there fruit but at least four medium sized bowls filled with a wide arrange of fruit looking things.... some she thought looked similar and some she did not what they were. There was also bacon, sausages, milk, juice, eggs both scrambled and fried, and some different kinds of bread.

Jake moved in front of the couch and motioned towards the food covered table, "I wasn't sure what you would like, so I made sure that there was a lot of different things to choose from."

"Wow, this looks great. I'm surprised that a lot of this looks familiar. Hopefully that means that there won't be too many differences to adjust to."

Jake smiled at her, encouraged by her sudden happiness at that thought. He hopes she adjusts to his world quickly- there were still so many things he wanted to share with her.

Jake plopped on the couch motioning her over. "Come, eat as much as you like of what ever you like."

Rylan's stomach growled louder. Blushing, she moved around the couch and sat down on the floor in front of the coffee table. "It all looks so good I don't know what to eat first."

No sooner had she sat on the floor than he moved to sit beside her. He asked her what looked familiar and motioned to things she should try that didn't look familiar.

Jake enjoyed watching Rylan try new foods. He loved the look of surprise delight when she found something she really liked and he almost laughed when she tried something she didn't like and tried to mask her dislike that was clearly written on her face.