Chapter Two: First gaze

As he crossed to the riverside, the water of the river that marked the boundary of the Lunari and Umbra territories glittered in the pale morning light. It was a very discreet boundary that both parties had respected for centuries, but under these tranquil representations of the surface of the water, one could see a tension emanating from their history.

Luca was often by the river's edge, so it was no exception to find him there today. He felt the escape of this place, where the rigid traditions of his pack didn't feel so suffocating. Dressed in a simple tunic and trousers, the young werewolf's boots gave a crunching sound on the gravel. He squatted close to the water's edge and sent a smooth stone skipping. On the other side, in the trees, something moved. His eyes narrowed, and he drew himself back. There was someone there.

"Who's there?" called Luca. His voice had a note of authority, but it was, indeed, quite gentle.

Suddenly, Aria stepped from the shadows, and the morning sunshine caught her hair, drawing it back like spun gold. As she paused, she visibly hesitated, torn between stepping forward and pulling away. She eventually stepped nearer to him across the river, two dark eyes almost captured by his gaze, smiling.

"I could ask the same of you," Aria replied, quite untroubled.

Luca stood up, really interested. He had never seen one of the Umbra alpha's daughters at close range despite the many stories told about them. There was an air of quiet strength in her that made him curious.

"Aria, right?" he inquired. He had only heard of rumors and tales of how beautiful the umbra princesses were, but he did not expect that Aria’s beauty would capture his attention this much. Her laughter and cheerfulness made it even better; he stared while lost in his own thoughts.

She stared at him blankly for a while, as if she was considering whether she should affirm his guess. "And you are Luca, right?"

This question brought him back from dream world, and for a moment, neither spoke. 

The river between them was more of a barrier and bridge, shared silence heavy with unspoken questions. 

"So, should we be talking?" Aria asked, finally breaking the tension. 

Luca felt his confidence returning; he smirked. "Probably not, but here we are."

Aria softened slightly, allowing herself a faint smile, though she was still on guard. She had never heard of the lunari heir because it was forbidden to talk about them, especially in the palace, but she remembered her father always saying they were arrogant and prideful, but the person standing in front of her was a handsome gentleman with eyes that seemed almost otherworldly; the irises were rimmed with a delicate ring of gold, a subtle sparkle that seemed to dance in the light. She immediately snapped out of the thought. “What do you want, Lunari?” 

Luca shrugged. “Nothing. I come here to think. I didn't expect company.”

Aria raised a hand to her face, crossing her arms in thought. “Neither did I.”

They hung, each on their side of the river. The boundary between their worlds felt rather like an invitation than a barrier. The sun climbed higher in the sky, and the distant cries from both territories shattered the spell of their encounter, abruptly breaking the silence between them.

"I should go." Aria stepped back into the shadows.

"Will I see you again?" asked Luca, his voice casual.

Aria paused, her nod almost imperceptible, before she turned and made her way into the woods. Luca watched her go, a smile lingering at the corner of his mouth. He didn't know exactly what they had just set in motion, but he couldn't deny the pull he felt toward her.

In the Umbra territory, Aria reemerged in the central clearing, escorted by her father, Orion, who posted up on an elevated piece of land with all the wolves in the clearing below.

The Lunari pack has always wanted to try to corrupt us," Orion said, his commanding eyes looking over everyone assembled. "We unite and act smartly, leveraging our collective strength to counter their brute force and overwhelming power."

Aria moved stealthily, taking deliberate and careful steps to avoid being notice as she made her way through the area. Maliya caught her eye, watching as her sister slipped in late for the meeting.

Where have you been?" Maliya whispered sharply.

"Nowhere," Aria replied curtly, avoiding her sister's gaze.

Maliya's lips curled in a sly smile. "Nowhere has a way of leaving traces. Be careful, Aria. Secrets don't stay hidden for long."

There was a hint of teasing in the way she said it, playing with her sister.

Aria stiffened but said nothing; her mind was already racing. Aria might not have brought everything to the picture, but she loved her sister just as much as Maliya did.

Aria's sister cornered her, trapping her in a secluded spot, while the dark wolves outside busied themselves with preparations for their usual night patrol.

"Something on your mind?"

"I'm fine," Aria replied, clipped.

But there was some kind of sparkle in Maliya's eyes. "I'd think you were hiding something if I didn't know better. But don't worry. I'll find out what it is.”

Aria gritted her teeth and clenched her fists, forcibly calming herself and reining in her emotions. She just couldn't let Maliya's games distract her.

--- 

That night Luca could barely catch any sleep or control his thoughts; he kept revisiting the moments, Aria’s laughter, her smile. It made him feel a sense of peace; one could even say butterflies in his stomach. He had never experienced this intense attraction before, not to any female wolf in the lunari pack, whom he had barely noticed. but now, he found himself inexplicably drawn to an umbra princess, and he couldn't help but wander why this was happening, why now and why to her of all wolves.

As he gathered his thoughts and tried figuring out what was going on, he could feel his heart beating, and it was almost like he felt Aria’s own too. A servant burst in, interrupting his train of thoughts. Thane had summoned Luca to his quarters. The alpha’s sharp eyes bore into his son as he spoke. 

There’s talk of increased activity near the river," Thane noted. "The Umbra wolves are up to something. I need you to keep watch."

Luca nodded, but the first thing in his mind was Aria. He would never admit it to his father, but the mere idea of seeing her again was so much more compelling than any mission.

"I'll take care of it," Luca said, his tone steady.

Thane observed him for a second, then sent him away with a wave. Once Luca had parted from him, it struck him that maybe his father was suspecting more than he was letting on.

Once again, as the night deepened, the river became the meeting point. Only this time, the shadows held more than just secrets—this time, they held the promise of discovery and the threat of betrayal.