Page 1 of Fated Moons
PROLOGUE
FIVE YEARS AGO…
Never in a million moons did Jackson Ledger believe he’d ever be back on the East Coast. When his mother packed him and his siblings up, moving them across the country when he’d been fifteen, it was about making a fresh start. All they wanted to do was put the pains of the past behind them.
Only, that had proved to be impossible.
He slipped from the driver’s side of his rental and strolled down the driveway toward the home of Titus and Ellen Ferguson, located in a small town in Vermont. Jackson had visited the farm a few times after his father had been sent to prison and The Nightfall Pack had shunned his family. He remembered how kind Titus had been to his mother. How he’d offered her protection and refuge.
But if she’d taken it at the time, because of Jackson’s age, he would have been stripped of his alpha status. Not that it would have mattered. No one respected his status because of his father and that was before the murder. However, his mother had hoped that over time, the leaders of The Nightfall Pack would see that Jackson was nothing like his dad and give him a seat at the table.
That had never happened.
Titus’ home was bigger than Jackson recalled, and the land spanned as far as the eye could see. He strolled toward the large porch that wrapped around the two-story country house. He swallowed. Hard.
He stood before Titus, the leader of the largest pack in all of North America, and his three sons, as well as the great wizard Trask Blue. He wasn’t sure if he was supposed to kneel, bow, or break out in prayer.
Titus was not only a wise and great leader but also sat at the head of the Twilight Crossing Council’s table. His sons, Chaz, Nico, and Drew, were all Twilight Officers, tasked with policing the paranormal world and ensuring that no harm came to any creature, including humans.
Although, Drew was an officer in training as he was barely eighteen.
“It’s been a long time since our paths have crossed,” Chaz said. “You’re looking well.”
“I’m surviving.” Though, Jackson should be thriving. His career had taken off. He was at the top of his game, and yet everyone enjoyed reminding him of who he was and the stock to which he’d been born.
“You’ve chosen an interesting career,” Trask said. “You’re quite the actor and California is the place to be. But we heard you’re considering a role that would film in New York.”
Jackson had never met Trask before, although he’d heard about him from a few in Hollywood. The great human wizard. It was a rare combination. Actually, Trask was the only one of his kind. Half-human, half-wizard. He was revered and feared.
And with good reason. People didn’t understand how a human could harness such great power.
But the world seemed to be shifting. The cosmic energy that all creatures tapped into had changed, and no one could pinpoint the source.
Good or evil, it was there.
There were theories. Myths. Stories passed from one generation to the next. Most were centered around the idea of the wolfairy.
The Legend of the Princess and the Wolf.
But Jackson couldn’t waste his time with such nonsense. His life was constantly in turmoil and something had to give. If not for his sake, for his family.
“That’s not public knowledge. How did you hear of it?” Jackson asked.
“A vision,” Trask said.
“Are you going to take it?” Titus asked. “And if so, how does your pack feel about that?”
“I mean no disrespect, but I’m not sure how my decision would affect any of you.” It was never good to question or argue with such a powerful man, but Jackson didn’t understand why this mattered. “The Twilight Crossing Council spoke its peace years ago. My father’s punishment was handed out for his crime. My pack and their decisions with me and my family are within their rights.”
“That may be true,” Titus said. “But you have chosen to stay with The Nightfall Pack, who have continued to shun you and your family. They don’t have a large faction on the West Coast, but they do have numbers in parts of Pennsylvania, New York, and Connecticut. You coming back could cause them to act negatively and like I told your mother years ago, I would respond and they won’t like what I would do.”
“My mother made me aware of that conversation.” Jackson nodded. “Forcing them to accept me as an alpha wouldn’t do me any favors. Our problems started long before my father committed murder.”
“That brings me to why we summoned you here,” Titus said.
Jackson did his best to breathe slowly. His life had been one of heartache and pain. But lately, it hadn’t been so bad. He worked. He supported his family. More than enough money was rolling in. The world outside his pack accepted him, for the most part. It wasn’t the best life because being a lone wolf had its obstacles. But it wasn’t the worst.
“It’s unhealthy for a wolf to be living on the fringe of his own pack.” Chaz arched a brow. “I don’t care if what they do is within our laws. The only one who has committed a crime here is your father. And you are an alpha. It would be best if you had a seat at their table. You should have been able to lead their faction in California. They denied you that birthright.”
