Lunar Rising

Plans to Paper

Aura's Pov:   

"Well, we have to do something! We can't just leave her knowing she's out there!" I screamed in frustration, slapping my hands on the cool, hard surface of the table. 

Luka did not even blink. His stone-cold stare was palpable. The Stoic expression only served to make an irritation bubble stronger in me. How could he be so callused? 

He let out a sigh. One that was deep and meaningful, but I couldn't quite place what the meaning was. 

"Aura... That devil made it clear," He sneered, baring the tips of his elongated canines at the ground as he looked down. 

"I don't even know if she still is. That was weeks ago! And even if she was, I can only choose one. Now that I have you, my wolf will never let you go. It's you or her..." He said aggravated at the situation. 

"Luka," I started, grabbing his face up into either of my hands. "We can find another way. If she is alive, we have to find another way. I couldn't save my family from this bastard, but I will find a way to save yours. I promise, we will find another way." I could visibly see the tensing in his shoulders and the fear he was desperately trying to avoid letting me see.

I leaned over to place a gentle kiss atop his head, letting him relax his face into my breasts. 

It was hours before we had finished strategizing theories that we put out into the air. We went over every detail that we could remember about the threat, dredging up painful memories in the process. 

Eventually, we came to a vital conclusion. 

1. This man was most likely my uncle and the same man who plagued my very surreal nightmares.

2. He wanted revenge for being stripped from power and to take it back from me at any cost.

3. This man had an unknown number of rogues lurking in the shadows; a threat that seemed like the most dangerous obstacle at this moment. How may followers does he have under him and how could we hope to pick them out of a crowd if we had very little clues as to who they are?  

And finally, 

4. Luka's sister had to be alive. She made good leverage, and I was confident my uncle wouldn't dispose of that opportunity recklessly. He has proven to be calculated. He was too good at hiding in the shadows and letting the pawns play the chess game for him, waiting to make his final strike with precision. 

It was going to be a challenge planning to fight a monster that we couldn't even see. 

Luka's Pov: 

I stared at the woman before me in disbelief. She dozed off in my arms on the sofa after a long discussion of just about everything under the sun. We cleared out all of our dirty laundry. Everything that had put an invisible barrier between us melted away with the dirty secrets. An immense pressure felt like it had been lifted between us and for the first time, I felt like I was able to slouch my shoulders back and sink into the furniture with my little mate curled up onto me with ease. 

Even for a moment, I could feel a moment of peace with her before having to return to the reality of an impending war. 

I watched her chest rise and fall gently and I memorized the curves and angles tracing the soft features of her face. Her impossibly silver hair was tangled in curls behind her shoulders draping onto my chest. 

This woman was incredible. She took every skeleton I had in my closet and made them disappear into thin air like dust. She accepted my dishonesty and secrets without hesitation when she had every right to spit in my face a leave.