Chapter 95 Aria
Luca was about to die I realized and my body moved before my mind could catch up. A hunter stepped out from behind one of the trucks with terrifying calm, his rifle already raised, silver glinting along the tip of the bullet as he aimed straight for Luca’s back.
Everything around us was chaos. Wolves were crashing into hunters across the clearing, gunfire cracking through the night while engines roared and men shouted orders over the noise.
Luca hadn’t seen him. Then, the hunter pulled the trigger and I ran. Cold air tore into my lungs as I sprinted across the snow, my boots slipping against the frozen ground while my heart slammed violently against my ribs. I didn’t think about the danger or the hunters surrounding us or the silver bullets tearing through the air.
I only saw Luca.
The rifle fired just as I reached him. I slammed into his side with everything I had, knocking him off balance. The bullet sliced through the space where his chest had been a heartbeat earlier and buried itself deep in the snow and we hit the ground hard.
Luca’s arm wrapped around my waist as we rolled across the icy surface, the impact knocking the breath from my lungs. Snow sprayed around us while another gunshot cracked somewhere behind my head.
For a moment neither of us moved. Then Luca pushed himself up quickly, dragging me with him as another shot tore through the air above us.
His grip tightened around my arm. “Are you insane?” he yelled.
I sucked in a shaky breath, trying to ignore the way my heart was still racing from the sprint. “You’re welcome.”
Behind us the clearing had turned into a huge battlefield. Damian’s wolves were clashing with the hunters near the trucks, snarls and gunfire echoing through the forest as bodies crashed into the snow. Headlights cut through the smoke drifting across the clearing while shadows moved wildly between the trees.
Luca looked back at me again. “You could’ve been killed,”
“And you couldn’t?” I shot back.
Something shifted in his expression then. It wasn’t anger or frustration like I expected. It was something that made my stomach twist in a way I wasn’t prepared for.
“You pushed me out of the way,” he said slowly.
“Well,” I muttered, brushing snow off my jacket, “someone had to.”
Another explosion echoed near the trucks as a hunter’s weapon misfired, its sparks flashing through the dark. Wolves howled in response, their voices rising over the chaos of the fight.
Luca still hadn’t looked away from me. The heat of his gaze felt heavier than the cold air biting at my skin.
“What?” I asked.
His hand slid suddenly around my waist, steadying me as another gunshot cracked through the clearing. The movement pulled our bodies closer together.
“You shouldn’t be here,” he said again, though his voice had softened.
I tilted my head slightly. “You keep saying that.”
His hand was still resting against my side and neither of us moved to change it. The adrenaline from the flight still rushed through my veins making every sensation feel pronounced. I could feel the warmth of his body through his jacket, the steady rhythm of his breathing, and the way his fingers tightened slightly against my waist.
“You scared me,” Luca admitted.
That caught me off guard.
I blinked at him. “You’re the one getting shot at.”
“I don’t want you to be caught in the crossfire,” he replied.
Before I could answer, another bullet struck the ground nearby sending snow spraying across our boots. Luca barely reacted. He was still looking at me like the entire battlefield around us had faded into the background.
“Aria,” he started.
I grabbed his jacket and pulled him down.
The kiss hit like a spark against gasoline. Luca froze for half a heartbeat before his arms came alive wrapped tightly around my waist while the other slid up into my hair, pulling me closer as his mouth pressed harder against mine. The urgency between us burned through every rational thought. Gunfire still echoed around the clearing. Hunters shouted somewhere behind the trucks but none of it mattered in that moment.
My fingers tightened in his jacket as Luca deepened the kiss, his body shifting forward until I was half pressed against him. Heat rushed through me despite the freezing snow beneath my boots. His hand moved along my side, gripping my waist as if letting go wasn’t an option anymore.
I gasped softly when his lips moved more slowly against mine and he pulled back just enough to look at me. His eyes were darker now with something fierce burning behind them.
“You’re dangerous,” he murmured.
I smirked faintly. “You noticed.”
Before he could respond, I kissed him again. This time Luca didn’t hesitate at all. His mouth crashed against mine with a hunger that made my pulse race wildly. His hand slid along my back pulling me closer until there was barely space left between us.
My hands moved up his shoulders, gripping tightly as the kiss deepened. Everything about it felt reckless like we both understood this moment might not last. Luca’s fingers brushed my jaw before sliding along the side of my neck. The touch sent a shiver through my entire body.
Another explosion rocked the clearing, shaking the ground beneath us. Wolves lunged across the snow nearby, chasing two hunters toward the treeline.
Luca finally rested his forehead lightly against mine breathing hard. “This is a terrible time.”
I laughed under my breath. “You think?”
His hand tightened around mine suddenly.
“Stay close,” he said.
I squeezed his fingers back. “Try and stop me.”
Across the clearing, partially hidden behind the line of trucks, someone stood perfectly still.
Nora had arrived only moments earlier, drawn by the sound of the battle. She had moved through the forest quickly, weaving between the trees until the clearing came into view.
“What are you doing here, Nora?” I asked surprised.
“I should be asking you same,” she raised her brows.
“Nora’s here to help,” Luca clarified.
Help? Not that I doubted her capabilities but what could she possibly do in a werewolf war unless... She must have seen the conflicting thoughts on my face caused she chuckled.
“Hopefully you become a badass Luna, Aria.” She smirked.
I knew I had a mortifying look on my face. “You’re...”
“Yep girl, a werewolf.”
My shock was cut short by something. Across the clearing another group of hunters stepped out of the treeline, rifles lifting toward the wolves who hadn’t noticed them yet and slowly shifted for someone to walk by.
This time around, I wasn’t the only one who was in shock.
AUTHOR’S NOTE:
So who do you think our newcomer is? Why is Aria just realizing now that Nora is a werewolf? Lol, my lovelies 😂. Don’t you just love a good plot twist 🌚🤍.
And Aria saving Luca? That tops the list of all the things that has ever happened in this book. But here’s the thing about moments like that. They never stay for long. Do comment my loves 😍.