Our Luna, Our Mate Chapter 20

**Eros POV**

Maya, I wondered, Just who are you and how do you know our mate? I ponder, now sitting on one of the couches within the guest room, having decided on returning to the room when Collin decided he no longer wanted to be useful.

“Any idea who this Maya chick is?” asks Emily to no one in particular as she sits next to Sam and her mate.

“Judging by the way she was dressed, she’s clearly an Omega” replies Seth who was clearly observant of the way Maya had been dressed.

“But why would an Omega know what goes on with only one person? And why wouldn’t Beta Collin just tell us instead? It was like he was trying to hide something from us” comments Sam from his spot next to Emily.

“Because maybe there’s more to this than we know” I say, once I’ve snapped from my previous thoughts. “After all, Beta Collin did seem a little uneasy when talking about the girl almost as though he didn’t seem to care.”

“Not only that, but his son and his two buddies wreaked of sex” growls Ares from his spot next to me. “It took everything I had just to keep Zeus from shifting.”

At the mention of sex or anything related to the source does Emma and Emily gasp, shocked by the fact that someone would even do that to another, especially if they weren’t mates to start with. “That’s… That’s horrible” cries Emma. “Why would anyone do that? Clearly she isn’t their mate so why force sex upon them?”

“It’s just how things work” admits Seth to his mate, not liking it either or of the fact that there Luna was in pain and they couldn’t help her until they knew all the facts. “My theory is that she probably didn’t want their advancements and so decided to use force instead.”

“That’s terrible, I hope the Moon Goddess never blesses them with a mate, EVER” growls Lucas, sad that his Luna had to go through that as well. “Me too love” admits Kai as he moves to wrap an arm around him just as there’s a knock at the door causing everyone to turn their attention towards it.

“Enter” calls Ares and I, hoping it was Maya and nobody else, the woman from earlier still fresh in our minds as she slowly opens the door.

“Ah Maya, Welcome” calls Emily, giving her a warm smile as she moves to greet her, hoping to earn her trust among strangers.

“Thank you” replies Maya as she moves to enter the room, waiting to be addressed by me or my brother. Both of us Alphas and she, an Omega.

‘She clearly knows her role’ muses Zeus, who had been watching her.

‘Hey be nice, she’s risking her life to tell us everything about our mate’ warns Ares to his wolf.

‘Then why don’t we offer her a place with us? If she indeed knows our mate, then maybe we can help her by offering her a safe place to live,’ remarks Zeus, who didn’t want the girl to get in trouble with her Alpha by sharing sensitive information.

‘We will’ is all Ares says as he moves his attention back to Maya.

“Please, have a seat Maya” I say, trying to be gentle with her as she does.

“Thank you… Alpha” answers Maya with a bow before taking the offered seat that was in front of us.

“Tell me, how do you know the girl?” I ask not wanting to wait any longer than needed.

“I’ve known her since she was 9 yrs old, just a wee thing who was sent here to live with her family” starts Maya as if she was remembering Athena’s past and the day she had come to live with the Moon Walker pack.

“Who’s she?” asks Emma curiously.

“Athena, Athena Moonblood” admits Maya, causing everyone to stare in shock as if she had grown two heads. “I’m sorry, but did you just say Moonblood? As in Alpha Ryder Moonblood? The last Alpha to rule over the Moon Valley Pack?” asks Sam who was the first to recover.

“Yes” answers Maya as she watches each of them, their expressions going from shock to disbelief in seconds. “Athena was only 9 when our Alpha, Alpha Paul Blackwood managed to find her, apparently when he did, her pack had already been destroyed including that of her family or so we thought until we found out that Athena’s mother, Luna Selene was sisters with Beta Collins wife, Beta Leah.”

“Wait, so you're telling us that Beta Collin is somehow related to Athena, Our mate?” asks Ares in shock, unable to find the resemblance between them.

“I’m afraid so,” admits Maya sadly.

“Okay, so Athena is found, then brought here, that still doesn’t explain why Beta Collin wouldn’t at least acknowledge her” replies Kai, trying to figure out the missing piece.

“Because Beta Leah is only a half sister to the late Luna Selene, making Athena only half related to them, so because of it they don’t treat her fairly, they treat her like an Omega, a slave” whispers Maya sadly, upset when she had found out this bit of information from Athena herself.

“WHAT?!” roars Ares and I, unable to believe that anyone would treat our mate like a slave let alone an Omega when clearly she was an Alpha by right.

“What does the Alpha say about all this?” asks Seth, angered that his Luna was forced to endure all this and at a young age for that matter.

“He-He doesn’t know, the Beta handles all of Athena’s care which gives him complete and total control over her” says Maya, guilty. “The Alpha really does believe that his Beta is treating her kindly and with lots of love.”

“Kindly? How is that kindly when he won’t even acknowledge her” growls Ares his anger rising with that of Zeus’s.

“Ares” I warn, needing my brother to focus on the subject at hand, our mate. “Your right, sorry, please continue” says Ares with an apology as he tries to reign in his anger.

“Please, I know this angers you all but this is not my story to share, Athena has been alone for so long and with no true family and an ex-mate to boot that she's struggling with day to day things” remarks Maya, causing all of us to look at her.

“Wait, ex-mate?” asks Emma, as if asking the silent question that was suddenly on all our minds.

“Yes, you see at 18, Athena had found her mate, she found him with our Alpha’s son, Jacob Blackwood but because of her cousin, Diana, Jacob rejected her and she with him. Now at 19 she has yet to find her second chance mate” answers Maya truthfully.

“That’s- That’s terrible, no one should ever reject their goddess given mate, ever” cries Emily, sad that her Luna had to endure that.

‘Mate…Mate’s been hurt and alone for 10 yrs… we need to find Mate and tell her everything is going to be okay’ whines Deimos to me, sad that our mate had to suffer rejection by that of one’s mate.

‘We will buddy, promise’ I assure him, knowing that once we found her we would never let her go.

“Thank you, Maya for shedding some light onto this situation, but please why hasn’t anyone ever tried to help her?” asks Ares curiously.

“Because the Beta has threatened her '' is all Maya says before ending the subject having already said too much before speaking once more. “But.. My Alpha, if I might be so bold as to ask, why do you care about what happens to Athena?”

At Maya’s request does Ares and I smile, happy to finally tell someone other than our group. “Because she is Our Mate, Our Luna and it’s our duty to protect her” I admit, happiness rising.

“Thank the Goddess, I was hoping and praying for a long time that my dear sweet Athena would find a mate, a mate who would love her and treasure her, my only hope is that it’s not too late.” cries Maya happily, happy that the Moon Goddess heard her prayer.

“Don’t worry Maya, Athena is safe with us, We swear it” says Ares with devotion, knowing that once we found her we would never let her go.

“Thank you, Thank you” comes Maya’s reply as she bows. “I know it’s not much but please know I am forever grateful, she deserves someone special.”

“Your Welcome Maya, rest assured that Athena will be well taken care of, I promise” declares Ares as I move to nod my head, knowing that what we said here tonight would always be true.

‘Athena, Mate’ purrs Deimos, liking the way it sounded off our tongue.

‘Sounds more like a Goddess’ I muse, knowing that’s exactly what she was, a goddess.

‘Our Goddess’ corrects Deimos.

‘Of course’ I laugh, knowing that after tonight, tomorrow would be all about Athena and getting her away from this pack and the ones who called themselves her family.