Alpha's Moon (The Veil's Mistresses Book II)
Alpha's Moon
**Book II of The Veil's Mistresses** One human woman. One Alpha Fox. A blooming Beta and her wayward Alpha. Aurora was a neglected, mute girl who ran away from her family before being kidnapped and brought into the mystical world of the Veil. Held captive in a small, dirty cell, her salvation comes in the form of a handsome Alpha Fox named Rin, who decides to keep her even though she cannot speak. Although at first wary of him, Aurora quickly becomes entangled in a deep longing and lust for him and begins to feel that meeting Rin is her destiny. But Rin is much more than a mere Alpha Fox. He is also one of the sons of the ruler of the Northern Lands and considered an heir, though he has run away from his home and title. With Rin's royal heritage and a looming threat from a hidden, powerful enemy, can Aurora truly become his Beta, or will she become overwhelmed as a potential future Mistress of the Veil? **Available on Inkitt but will soon be moved all but three chapters to Galatea**
Excerpt
I ended up passing out during this time due to my weakened state. When I next woke up, I was lying on a soft bed. I managed to pull myself up on my arms, my mind finally rested enough to be clear. This bed was unfamiliar, with a soft blue blanket under me and a brown wall with a small nook carved into it where a few books had been placed. I looked up at the ceiling, noting soft lights that looked like crystals embedded into it. What is this place? I wondered. There was a curtain on the opposite side of me. It was deep blue and looked pretty thick. I reached over to touch it, taking in that it was as soft as the blanket under me. This was all so elegant. I’d never felt or seen anything like this before. But as I sat up and realized that I was still naked, everything began coming back to me. That was right. I’d been held captive in that place for a long time after something had kidnapped me, and a creature had finally decided to take me. He’d been called a Fox, so that had to be the type of creature he was. I blushed as I remembered how he’d looked. He was a much more handsome creature than the others I’d seen. Those golden eyes especially caught me. I’d never seen such beautiful eyes before. The sound of footsteps approaching outside the curtain brought me back to reality, and I moved back towards the wall, vainly trying to cover myself with my arms and legs. My long light blonde hair fell around my shoulders, aiding in that effort. After another minute, the curtain was pulled to the side, and the familiar Fox was standing there. He looked pleased as he saw me. “Good. You’re awake. I was beginning to become concerned.” he commented. I remained where I was, although I didn’t feel quite as tense. He wasn’t making any aggressive moves toward me. “Oh yeah. I almost forgot that you can’t speak. You really can’t say anything, huh?” he continued. I shook my head, feeling slightly guilty. Although being mute had always been better before, it may make this more difficult. The Fox wasn’t deterred, moving to sit on the side of the bed. “Well, we’ll take care of that soon enough. But for now, since you’re awake, I’d like to get you cleaned up. You’re a mess from being in that dirty cell, and no offense, but it’s making you smell bad.” That one caught me a little off guard, and I couldn’t help looking at myself. For the first time, I realized that I was pretty dirty, and I could smell some of the stink of not being able to bathe in a long time. “I probably should’ve worded that better. I didn’t mean to offend you,” the Fox lamented. He stood up, offering me a hand, though I hesitated on taking it as I noticed the claws he had for his fingernails. He seemed to realize that too, “It’s alright. I’d never hurt you, and I’m very good at being careful with my claws. I promise.” What choice did I have but to take his word for it? While I also didn’t like him seeing me naked, I quickly realized that it was a moot point. I’d been naked in that cell and when he’d brought me here. He’d already seen everything. With this in mind, I reluctantly got off of the bed, though my legs were shaky as I tried to stand. I ended up having to hold onto his arms to do it. “Take it easy. It’s probably been a while since you’ve stood up or even eaten. I’ll help you get cleaned up, then I can make you something to eat.” he told me. I managed to nod, letting him help me walk towards the left. I was looking around us as we did. This place looked much like the inside of a home, although there was this mystical elegance to it. The room was very wide open, with a huge skylight over the ceiling, casting soft light down on everything. I could see various pieces of furniture, including a small round table and chairs, along with where the bed was set into the wall. I also noticed another smaller room off to the opposite side of where the bed was that looked like it had many plants in there. We ended up going through an archway on the far left of that massive room, which led into a bathroom. It had a decent amount of space in it too, with a basin sink, toilet, and what looked like a large shower set across from the sink. That shower had glass walls around it along with a marble floor. The Fox led to me that shower, pulling open the sliding glass door and helping me to sit on the marble floor. I watched as he stood up straight, moving to the cabinet beside the sink and opening it. “Now, let’s see. We can definitely stand to wash your hair, and this soap should easily remove that dirt on you.” I remained still as he came back with two glass bottles. He sat them on the floor, then stood up and removed his shirt. I tried my best not to let him see me staring when he did. I was right. He did have a strong-looking body, lean but well-toned with a firm chest and well-defined abs. The Fox kept up what he was doing, not the least bit concerned about me looking at him. He grabbed the showerhead off of its mount. “I might get myself a little wet with this, but I can always change,” he said before he turned the knobs for the water. It came out quickly, turning warm almost immediately. I lowered my head and closed my eyes, allowing him to begin running the water over my hair. Wow, how long had it been since I’d had a shower? It felt like ages, and was really nice, despite the odd circumstances. The Fox continued what he was doing, though he wasn’t aggressive at all as he washed my hair, then used a bath sponge to scrub off my body. The smell of roses hit me as he did, which was also very pleasant. It felt like forever since I’d smelled flowers too. “Ah, much better,” he said as he finished and turned off the shower. I opened my eyes after he dried my hair, then wrapped the large dark towel around me. He looked very pleased as he sat on his knees in front of me, “You’re much more beautiful than I took you for too. You’ve got such pretty hair and eyes. They remind me of the sun in the sky.” If I could’ve spoken, I would’ve told him that his eyes were much prettier than mine. They were so vibrant, so confident. It was yet another thing that I’d never seen before. “Oh yeah,” the Fox remembered something, “I forgot to tell you my name. Even if you can’t say it yet, I want you to know. I’m Rin.” Rin. What an unusual name, although I guessed it might not be in this world. None of the ones here wee human. At least, not that I’d seen. But it made me feel bad too. I couldn’t tell him my name, although when I thought about it, I could write it down. I motioned with my hands like I was writing, and thankfully, he caught on quickly. “Hold on a minute,” he said. He got up and headed out of the room, returning a minute later with a pencil and pad of paper. I took it from him, quickly writing my name down for him and handing it back, “I see. Your name’s Aurora. Wow, that fits you. I’ve heard before that it means ‘dawn’.” I didn’t know that. I’d always just taken my name as what it was. There wasn’t anything special about it to me. I took the pad back from him, writing down my question. Where am I? “You’re in my world. You could say it’s on the opposite side of reality from your human one. Most of us just call it the Veil.” he answered. Are you a Fox? “Yes. I’m also a top Alpha in this world.” Rin boasted. An Alpha? What is that? Rin caught himself as he read that, “Yes, you are a human, and you were brought here against your will. I doubt you’d know anything about this stuff. Anyway, an Alpha is like being the ultimate breed in this world. Think of it as a pedigree of sorts, although that might not be the correct term,” He took a minute to think about it before continuing, “Basically, an Alpha is one to be very respected in this world. We’re the most powerful among the many creatures, and being in the top tier among our kind is both rare and boastful. My father was the number two Alpha in these lands, and number five in the entire Veil from what I know. He passed his legacy to me, so I tend to get a lot of respect wherever I go, not to mention I’m strong and intelligent enough to have it well earned.” I wasn’t sure if this was a good or a bad thing. If Rin was telling me the truth, which I believed he was, then there weren’t going to be many others to challenge him about anything. If he treated me well, then I would be safe and sound with him. If he didn’t, then I probably would’ve preferred dying in that cell. Rin sensed my unease, giving me a reassuring smile much like he had when he’d met me in that cell. “Don’t worry. I have no intentions of mistreating you. You should feel lucky. You’ve got a powerful Alpha who wants you as his Beta, not just as a slave girl.” I wrote down another question for him. What does a Beta have to do? “A Beta is the partner that an Alpha chooses for themselves. Think of it in human terms as a wife. You’ll be my companion, and I can enjoy you in my bed.” I wasn’t sure if I liked that or not. While being a wife was better than being a slave, I couldn’t see much difference in my circumstances. Rin stood up, helping me to my feet. I was a little steadier now, although my belly hurt from where I hadn’t gotten to eat for a while. I didn’t know how long I’d been out, and it had been a long time since the one who'd imprisoned me had fed me. I continued holding onto Rin’s arm as he led me out of the bathroom, and he let me sit in one of the chairs at the small table. I looked around me again as he went to the nearby icebox, pulling out some ingredients to fix us a meal. My mind was buzzing with what he’d told me. He was an Alpha, and he was going to be keeping me for himself. I kept glancing at him, taking in his strong form. He hadn’t bothered putting on another shirt, only wearing black pants. His fluffy tail twitched a little behind him as he worked at the counter and stove, and I saw his ear move slightly. I had to admit that he was pretty fascinating. It was like he was the perfect fusion of human and fox.
