Luna Rising: The Prophecy

Chapter 12: Battle Plans

Derek

"Argh! How did this happen!?" I said stormily, glaring at the men before me. "We already increased our patrol along this border twice in the last few months. Yet we lost another wolf today. Another member of my pack!"

"We're doing all we can, Alpha," Brody, one of the warriors, responded. "But with the patrol increase came longer shifts, less sleep. At some point, extra bodies along the border are no longer a benefit if overall everyone is less sharp."

I slammed my fist on the table. "What am I supposed to do then, huh? Without extra patrols, they slip through the cracks anyway!"

A different warrior, Victor, spoke up hesitantly. "Perhaps we could ask Howling Rivers for help? They're technically our allies, aren't they, even if you and Miss Aeliana aren't quite mated yet? Maybe they would send us some reinforcements before then."

I clenched my teeth. This was one of the more difficult parts of that stupid prophecy to navigate. Since nobody else knew the real reason behind my so-called arrangement with Aeliana, they often wondered why we couldn't seek help from Howling Rivers. In truth, we had sought assistance in the past, but Alpha Gerard was loath to actually send anybody to us, most of the time. His way of maintaining neutrality and keeping his pack out of the thick of it, I guess. Biding his time until his offspring fulfilled the prophecy and ended the war for him. Coward. Still, maybe now the presence of his daughter, precious to both him and me, would be enough to sway him.

"I'll discuss it with Miss Aeliana and pen a letter to Alpha Gerard," I finally said. "But, in the meantime, let's split the difference. Pull back on the latest shift increase. Still more bodies than usual, but we'll try to add another couple hours of sleep to everyone's schedule, too."

"Yes, Alpha," the men replied in unison, moving around the map on the table and starting to make adjustments. I was still getting used to being called Alpha by itself. Growing up, I was always Alpha Derek. It was a mark of respect, even though I wasn't old enough to be the Alpha. But with my father dead and gone before I was even born, I knew that both my mother and the other pack members liked the reminder that the Blue Moon Alpha line lived on. But I had officially taken over once I turned eighteen, and was now Blue Moon's real Alpha.

The only thing I was waiting for was my real Luna. My mother had insisted on staying on to help until Aeliana turned eighteen, but I sort of wished she had retired when I ascended as Alpha. She was a lot to take, and while I understood her and knew she often acted protectively of me, I knew she wasn't well liked. Plus, she was a reminder of the past, of all the years we spent without an Alpha. The pack was ready to move on, and so was I.

I left the warriors on the western border and made my way back to the packhouse. It was always exhausting to deal with the aftermath of skirmishes where we had losses. At some point, my brain had started shutting out the pain of it, and I now dealt with them strategically and practically. Otherwise, I would drown in grief.

I was almost to the door when I caught the scent of Aeliana's floral soap in the breeze. Smiling, I hooked left. Seeing her would be the perfect thing to brighten my morning. And I had a pretty good idea where she was.

When I reached the stream, I paused. Aeliana and her sister were both standing, peering at the opposite bank. Now that I was closer, I smelled fear rolling off them in waves.

"What's wrong?" I asked, quickly striding over to the girls.

Aeliana turned to me with a tense look on her face. "I saw something moving on the other side of the stream. But it seems to be gone."

Stella looked worried, but also slightly doubtful. "Did you see it, too?" I asked her.

"I may have seen the brush rustling," she said. "But I couldn't tell you what caused it."

I lifted my head in the air and sniffed the wind. "Hmmm. I don't smell anything. Do you want me to go look?"

Aeliana paused, then shook her head. "I thought I smelled something for a split second, but then it was gone. It was probably nothing."

"Well, it was probably something," I said. "But more like a rabbit than an intruder."

"You're probably right," she agreed, settling back on the blanket next to her sister. "I wasn't sure when you'd be back. You were already gone when I woke up this morning."

"I wasn't sure either, but I wrapped things up so I could come back to you," I said, kneeling on the blanket and kissing her hand.

"Please, sit with us! There's room on the blanket," Aeliana said, nestling closer to Stella and revealing a tiny triangle of blanket that had no chance of fitting my frame on it. All the anxiety from before dissipated, and both girls returned to their usual lighthearted selves.

I sat down anyway. "So, how is your day so far?" I asked Aeliana.

"It was fine. I helped out in the dining hall," Aeliana said vaguely, surprising me a little. I had pictured her taking walks and picking flowers, which was how she often settled in when she visited Blue Moon. "How was your morning?"

"Less fine," I admitted. "But it's alright."

Aeliana started rubbing soothing circles on my back. "I'm sorry. I'm here to help share your burdens, you know."

"I know," I said, kissing her temple. As much as I liked Stella, I sort of wished she weren't here right now. I wanted to spend time with Aeliana alone. "Wait, weren't you supposed to be training with my mother today?"

Aeliana shrugged her shoulders. "She sent me a note to cancel. So I found other ways to keep myself busy." Ah. Mother must have one of her migraines again. That or she was having relations with Beta Hudson. I'd found out about that a couple of years ago, and really wished I was still blissfully unaware.

"That's my girl, ever the busy bee," I said, dropping my head on her shoulder.

"I'll leave you two be," Stella said, getting to her feet.

"Please, don't leave on my account," I said, feeling bad for interrupting their little outing.

"Oh, don't you worry, Alpha Derek, I was going to go inside soon, anyway," Stella said easily. "There's one muffin left in the basket, would you like it, or should I bring it back to the house?"

"I'll take it," I said, holding out my hand. She dropped a bran muffin into it, then bid us goodbye and left. As soon as she was out of sight, Aeliana erupted in giggles. "What?" I asked, wrinkling my nose.

"You don't have to eat it, you know," she answered, knowing how much I detested bran. "She'll never know."

"Well, someone should eat it," I said, spotting some small birds pecking at the ground nearby. I crumbled off the edge of the muffin, then threw the pieces in their direction. They started a few feet in the air, then settled back down in a chirping, pecking frenzy. Aeliana broke off another piece of muffin and tossed the crumbs into the fray.

We slowly dismantled the muffin until it was gone. "How are you, really?" Aeliana asked me solemnly, watching the birds hopping around, looking for anything they might have missed. "Was there trouble at the border?"

I sighed. "Yes. We lost another warrior early this morning."

She gasped. "Oh no, I'm so sorry! Is there anything I can do to help?"

As much as I hated myself for bringing it up, she had given me the opportunity, and I couldn't pass it up. "Actually, I was wondering if you could help me write to your father, asking for some reinforcements."

"Of course! But...do you think he'll actually send them?" She asked, biting her lip. His reticence to get involved was not unknown to her.

"I'm hoping that, since I'm the Alpha now, and the request would be coming from both of us, that he'll reconsider his position," I said. In the past, it was my mother that always wrote to him, asking for help. I don't think Alpha Gerard particularly liked my mother, but he seemed to like me okay. I was to be his son-in-law, after all. And I got along well with Aeliana and all her siblings.

"I'll make sure he sends the reinforcements we need," Aeliana said. "We don't know when things will be over, and we need to do what we can to protect our people until that happens."

I loved that she was referring to Blue Moon as 'our people.' She was really taking ownership of the pack, and me, along with it. After growing up with only my mother as family, I was excited to build a new, bigger one with her. "You're perfect," I said, kissing her pretty lips.

Aeliana blushed. "I'm not perfect. But I'll always try to do my best."

"That's exactly what makes you perfect," I murmured, kissing her more deeply. Her mouth was soft and sweet, with a hint of blueberries and sugar. I felt that same thing I always did when I kissed her, the settling in of my soul inside my body. When I kissed her, everything was as it should be.

I slowly eased her back onto the blanket, settling myself beside her. Feeling her body down the length of mine stirred me to attention, and I kissed her more fervently, cupping her face in my hands. She sighed against my lips, and I pressed my tongue to her mouth, demanding access. She complied, and I moaned in ecstasy, one of my hands slipping down to the small of her back and pulling her tightly to me.

We were starting to push the boundaries, but I was beyond caring. It was too good. Without realizing it, my hands were roaming around, grazing, feeling, squeezing every inch of her I could reach. She started moaning my name repeatedly, spurring me on. There were too many layers between us. I was longing to feel her skin underneath. I had to. I needed to. If I could just lift her skirts, I would feel her creamy perfect skin underneath—

Aeliana slapped my hands away and sat up abruptly. "What are you doing!?" She whisper-shrieked.

Shit. Not good.