Pure Moonlight (closed)

[KieranSoares]

"Telma might just have her first apprentice," Hara chuckled and set Colla down. "And I'll be your first customer when you get some experience. Maybe I'll commission some new blankets for my guests to lay out while they eat." After sending Colla off to play, Hara turned back to Luna with a smile and continued about her work. Once their meal was done, she shooed Luna and Jan away from their own work to eat.

 

[heartofcourage]

"Ma's been talking about adopting an orphaned cub." Luna said as she and Jan sat side by side in the sunlight eating their stew. "I think it would be good for her to have something to focus on. She was a good mother and it always made her happy to be involved with Ruben and I."

 

[KieranSoares]

"She does seem like a professional mother," Jan agreed with a smile. "And Kreston told me just what you and your brother have always meant to her, and to him. He'd do well for it too."

 

[heartofcourage]

"She needs to get her strength back first." Luna said softy, letting Jan know for the first time just how worried she was about her mother. "I thought that we might lose her the last time. I don't want to ever see her go through that again if I can help it."

 

[KieranSoares]

Jan set his bowl down to lay a gentle hand across Luna's back. "Then we'll just have to look after her, right? It'll be okay in the long run. She just lost her place for a while and needs a little help getting it back."

 

[heartofcourage]

Luna glanced at Jan as he gently touched her back and told her that he would help her. She leaned in and nuzzled against him with a sigh, her blue eyes staring into his amber gaze for a long moment. She wondered what kind of pain in his life had led him to that moment and she had always been too afraid to ask him.

"When you're brave enough you'll have to tell me about your life. I want to know everything about you." She murmured softly.

 

[KieranSoares]

"I don't think I'll ever be brave enough to say it all, Lu. But I'll try," Jan promised, glad to nuzzle against her in return. It was a simple pleasure, being able to show her that small loving affection.

 

[heartofcourage]

"There's no rush. We have a lifetime together to hear the entire story." Luna said softly as she gave him another smile. "Let's go look at your land. I'll show you where you can put my garden."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Who says I'm going to make it myself? I should just rope it off until you come and you can do it," Jan teased, taking her hand as they rose to make their way away after thanking Mrs. Aoli.

 

[heartofcourage]

"Because I won't mate with you until I have a nice lush garden." Luna teased him back, taking his arm with a smile as they told Mrs. Aoli goodbye before they started on the hike to his plot of land.

It was a beautiful day and Luna felt at ease walking with Jan. She knew now that he was her mate, for better or for worse. She was no longer the young cub that was scared of losing him. She had matured and was ready for whatever life had to throw into her path.

 

[KieranSoares]

Jan wandered around the plot with a clear vision of where everything would go, and when they came to where the kitchen would be, he smiled brightly and motioned past it. "Out here is where the garden will be, I think. It'll wrap around two sides and under the bedroom window."

 

[heartofcourage]

"That big of a plot? You would be out here weeding it until the sun sets every day." Luna said with a smile as she glanced towards Jan. "Of course, it would keep you out of trouble if you did have to do that. I like the idea of knowing that you'll be here while I'm taking care of people in the town. Perhaps we can even learn to cook so that we won't starve to death."

 

[KieranSoares]

"It'd stop me from following you around and flirting all day," Jan agreed. "But we'll start small and then work our way up to whatever we can handle."

 

[heartofcourage]

"I always felt so jealous when you flirted with the others." Luna admitted to him, taking his hand and holding it tightly. "I never really believed that you thought I was beautiful after I saw you saying it to other women in town. I believe it now."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I'm pretty stupid for all that, huh? But I want you to know I was just playing around... And I never expected you to actually want me. I always thought you'd choose Karn. Or some respectable man from town. Not a wayward sailor." He turned to face her fully, pressing an almost-shy kiss to her cheek. "Thank you... For making me see there's something worth giving up everything for. And I'd do it all again for you and your family."

 

[heartofcourage]

"Ma always told me that I would just know when I found the person that made my soul complete." Luna said softly, looking at Jan with a shy gaze. "I think I knew the moment that I met you that you were the one from me. I tried to make things work with Karn, but we know now that we are just meant to be friends."

"I want to make a life with you, Jan." Luna murmured softly, her ears folding back slightly in embarrassment at her confession.

 

[KieranSoares]

Luna's confession was just about the most heart-lifting, hope-restoring thing Jan had ever heard. For a wolf who had once been certain he'd end up alone with only the occasional girlfriend and no solid career, life was really starting to seem sweet to Jan. And all of that made him draw Luna close into his arms and kiss her with all the gratitude he could offer.

 

[heartofcourage]

Luna welcomed Jan's kiss with a sigh. She was happy. Very, very happy. It seemed that their little fairy tale was just beginning and it would only get better for the both of them as time went on. She laughed softly as the kiss ended and she nuzzled against her future mate.

"I'll help you design a suitable garden." Luna promised him, knowing that it was incredibly important for her profession that she have something planned. "And when you get the house built, you can show my Ma and Dad. Hopefully then, they will be satisfied."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I don't think Selena will ever be satisfied with me. But maybe she'll sleep a little easier knowing I'm not dragging you to some boarding house or stealing to keep us fed. And I still don't understand why Kreston seems to like me."

 

[heartofcourage]

"My Dad had a rough childhood before he met my Ma. He was a rouge and he broke his parent's heart for a very long time." Luna explained softly. "He sees a lot of himself in you, Jan. He wants you to succeed."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I guess that explains it. Maybe I'll end up like him, but with a less terrifying mate," Jan chuckled and hugged her close. He really did like Selena, but he was fairly certain that if he ever really messed up, she'd skin him personally.

 

[heartofcourage]

Luna laughed softly and their conversation on the little cabin continued throughout the afternoon. In the village, Selena walked beside Kreston as they made their way to Mrs. Aoli. She had started using a cane to walk, a little bit of weakness remaining. She was told that it would go away in time and she already felt much better than she had in a very long time.

"You're still sure about this, Kres?" She murmured, glancing towards her mate as she pulled him to a stop outside of the orphanage. "We can just keep on walking and think about this some more if you want to."

She was incredibly nervous. Perhaps more than her mate was. It was strange to think that she was about to start on a journey to be a mother again. It was something she wanted very badly, but she didn't want to rush into anything.

 

[KieranSoares]

"I'm ready if you are," Kreston assured her softly. "But are you? You're doing better, but... I'm still worried about you."

 

[heartofcourage]

"I'm fine." Selena said honestly with a smile. "I haven't felt this good in ages. I'm...nervous. I want to go and see if we can meet our future cub."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Then let's go," Kreston said with a kiss pressed to her cheek. As they stepped inside the hall that had been converted from an old Invernessian barn into a spacious children's boarding house, they found Hara Aoli and her mate at their usual work. Her mate, Gavros, was a tough old grey wolf who'd escaped slavery in Greece as a teenager and found himself in love the moment he had found the Golin, but he and Hara only properly mated when they split off from the tribe to help create the Gol Dun.

Gavros turned as he felt the breeze rush in when the door opened, his mismatched green and blue eyes showing some surprise. "Kosovo, brother. Sister."

Hara turned too and smiled brightly. "Hello, darlings. What can I do for you?"