by Amanda Carol
“I let you beat me once. Don’t think I’ll let you do it again,” I bite out at him.
“Is that so? You let me?” Blaine slowly gets to his feet as he lets out a humorless laugh. “The way I remember it, I had you right where I wanted you. If it weren’t for Ax pulling me off of you, they would be running for you, not him. I, however, would be celebrating.”
We are slowly circling each other.
“He would still be alive if you hadn’t come here. If my Beta wasn’t so infatuated with you, he would see it too. I blame you for Ax’s death,” Blaine finishes.
It is my fault that Axton is dead. He died because of me, because of who I am. I don’t have another second to think because Blaine’s large body smacks into me, knocking us both to the ground. He pins me down with his knees and punches me in the face again and again. I can’t take it anymore.
I scream.
I use the air element to knock him off me. I get to my feet before he can recover, and I kick him hard in the face. He falls down, so I grab his collar and pull him up only to punch him hard across his jaw. I manage to get two more good hits in before he catches my wrist and swipes his feet under my legs. I land hard on the ground. The air whooshes out of my lungs, and I struggle to take in a breath.
Blaine kicks me once before I use the air element to throw him back. That buys me enough time to get to my feet and catch my breath. Blaine rushes forward, jumping into the air, shifting into his wolf, his two front paws land on each of my shoulders and I fall backward onto the ground. I grip the fur around his neck and keep him from sinking his sharp teeth into my face. Just then, I hear a roar and Blaine is knocked off me. His claws scratch my shoulders causing me to cry out.
Ignoring the pain, I get to my feet, a fireball forming in my hand ready to be released. I see two black wolves biting, snarling, and snapping at each other. One black wolf yelps as the other wolf sinks its teeth into his neck. I start to worry that it was Hunter, but when glowing blue eyes lock with mine, I realize that the one who yelped was Blaine.
I feel the flame in my hand grow hotter, but I don’t care. Just then, water hits my hand and the flames die out. I glance up and see my brother running toward us, everyone else not far behind. When I glance back over, Blaine and Hunter have shifted back, both scratched up and bleeding. Hunter grabs Blaine by the collar and pulls him to his feet.
“Touch her again, and you’re out of this pack.” Hunter glares at Blaine until he submits.
After Blaine bows his head slightly, Hunter releases him and he falls to the ground.
“What the fuck happened?” Declan asks breathlessly as the others catch up.
“That bitch happened,” Blaine says before spitting blood out of his mouth.
I scream out and lunge forward only to be caught around the waist by my brother.
“Knock it off! Fuck. Damn it, Aria!” he curses as my nails dig into his skin.
Declan picks me up and tosses me over his shoulder.
“Declan Tristan Matthews, you’d better fucking put me down or—”
“Or what?” he says, walking away, but then stops and turns. “Hunter. It’s time.”
Then he spins around and starts walking again.
“Time for what?” I hiss, punching his back.
He ignores my question and doesn’t set me down until we get inside our cabin.
“Go pack a bag,” he orders.
“For what?” I ask, crossing my arms over my chest.
“You and Hunter are getting out of town for a few days. So, go pack a bag because you are leaving tonight,” Declan says, mimicking my position.
I feel like I’ve just been doused by cold water as all the anger leaves my body.
“I’m not leaving,” I murmur.
“Why not?” he asks, raising a brow.
When I don’t answer, he uncrosses his arms from his chest.
“That’s what I thought. Go. You have thirty minutes.”
I don’t move. I just stand there, no longer angry. I’m the opposite of angry. I'm terrified. I haven’t been away from Declan since our parents died. And I sure as hell am not about to start now. Not when there’s a traitor on the Compound and Isabella and Ronan are in the wind, probably coming up with another plan to get Declan’s blood.
“Aria, I will be fine,” Declan says, as if he can read my mind.
Damn my brother and his stubbornness. I thought I was stubborn, but he always wins out. Reluctantly, I turn and walk upstairs to my room.
Joke’s on him. I’m not going anywhere.
I listen out for him, and when I hear the front door open and close, I quietly make my way downstairs. I peek around the corner and listen. When I don’t hear anything, I make a break for the back door. When I open it, Declan and Abby are standing there.
“You are so fucking predictable.” Declan clenches his jaw. “Abby, please make sure my sister packs a bag. Even if you have to do it for her. I’m going to find Hunter.”
I glare at him as he walks away. Then my gaze connects with Abby’s and she gives me a sad smile.
“You heard him. And you know how he can be. If you don’t pack, you know he’ll pack for you, and we both know how that would turn out.” Abby steps through the threshold, shutting the door behind her.
I don’t know how I'm going to get out of this. But I have thirty minutes to think of something.
After Blaine stalks off with Sloane, Bennett and I walk back to my cabin so I can pack. I glance at myself in the mirror; the cuts and bruises that are starting to heal just serve as a reminder of why I am getting my girl out of here.
Fights happen on the Compound. It’s inevitable. We always try to keep the peace and have been able to, but another fucking rule, the only rule that I agree with, is that shifters aren’t supposed to shift and witches aren’t supposed to use magic if they do get into a fight.
Blaine knows this, yet he shifted anyway. He claims that Aria threw the fireball at him first, and while that may be true, he should know better. We never told Declan and Aria about that rule, but with them, we didn’t think we had to worry about that shit happening since they got along with everyone. I feel the familiar tug and open the link.
Hey, Hunt. Dec texted me and asked us to meet him at the barn, Bennett says.
I give him an affirmative reply, and then I shut him out. I turn on the faucet and splash cold water on my face, then use the towel to wipe the water off. I return to my bedroom, grab my bag, and make my way downstairs.
Bennett is waiting for me by the door. I grab my keys from off the hook and shut the door behind us as we walk out. When we get inside the barn, Declan calls us over to the medical room. Bennett and I glance at each other before walking to the room. Bennett closes the door behind us, and I look around the room, surprised to see that my mom is here, along with Luna, Kora, and Ciera.
“What’s going on?” I ask.
“We have a problem. Aria is not going to leave willingly, so I need your help. When I told her she was leaving for a few days, she pulled a typical Aria move and tried to escape through the back door. Abby is with her now, helping her pack. Well, most likely, Abby is packing for her. I don’t know what to do.” Declan sits down on the cot and puts his head in his hands. “If she stays, I'm afraid she and Blaine will really get into it. And then we’ll have to leave.”
He looks up over at Ciera. I’d rather let Blaine walk then have them leave. Aria and Declan leaving for good is not an option.
Ciera walks over and wraps an arm around his shoulders. He looks exactly how I feel: helpless.
“What about a sleeping potion?” Kora suggests from behind her desk, and everyone turns their attention toward her. “I’m not sure how effective it will be since she’s a demigod.”
“Will that work? I mean, I doubt Aria will want to eat a brownie right now, or anything we can put it in. It will be suspicious if we offer her something and no one else is eating any,” Ciera chimes in.
“She’s right. N
ot to mention, Blondie hasn’t really been eating much,” Bennett says.
I turn to him, quirking a brow.
He throws up his hands. “What? It’s not like I didn’t offer her anything, but I wasn’t going to force it down her throat.”
I run a hand through my hair. “What other ways can a sleeping potion be administered?”
“Well, there’s always drinking it, but I highly doubt she would drink anything we offer her either.” Kora leans forward at her desk, pinching the bridge of her nose.
“Well, what about in a syringe?” Luna asks. “A sleeping potion will work, but we would need to make it a bit stronger, since she is a demigod. It’s not going to be easy, though. We would have to be discreet about it.”
“Luna, you can’t be suggesting a sneak attack?” My mom finally speaks, stepping out from the shadows of the room and standing next to Kora.
“Actually, I think she might be onto something.” Declan jumps up from the cot. “I think that might be our best shot at this.”
“No.” My voice is stern.
They aren’t going to sneak up on my girl and drug her. They aren’t there when she reaches out in the middle of a nightmare and clutches onto me. They don’t hear the fear in her voice when she doesn’t know where I am or where Declan is. I can’t add to that.
I won’t.
“Hunter, sweetheart.” My mom walks over and stands in front of me, lowering her voice so only I can hear. “This won’t hurt her. And if we don’t do something, I'm afraid your father will take drastic measures. He won’t let what happened between her and Blaine go without consequence if something doesn’t change.”
I glance around at everyone else, and they all seem to agree.
“Fine,” I grit out, shutting my mouth.
I grab my bag and turn to leave the room without another word. I have no idea how they plan to sneak up on her, but I don’t want to stay and listen. I walk to my Impala, opening the trunk and throwing my bag in. When I slam the trunk closed, I turn and lean up against it.
I’d give anything not to have this happen.
Hearing footsteps approaching, I look up to see my father walking in my direction.
“You’re really going to leave the pack at a time like this?” he asks as he reaches me.
“Well, if I don’t, you’ll kick Aria and Declan out of the Compound. Besides, Knox will be here. I’m sure the pack will be fine without me for a few days,” I reply.
He studies me for a moment. “The only reason why they aren’t leaving now is because Knox informed me that they didn’t know about all the rules of the Compound. But you’re right. The next time this happens, I will not hesitate to kick them out.”
“Yeah, and what about Blaine? If anyone should leave, it should be him. His behavior isn’t very loyal to the pack or anyone else here at the Compound. The twins may not have known the rules, but Blaine sure as hell does,” I say, running a hand down my face.
“Blaine has been here much longer than the twins. Where do your loyalties lie, son?” he asks, quirking a brow.
I glare at him. “Where does your loyalty lie? I don’t care who started the fight. Blaine knew the rules and he disregarded them.”
He’s always talking to me about how I need to put the pack first, but here he is about to let a wolf’s behavior slide because of a personal grudge. Because he doesn’t like that I’m in a relationship with the girl Blaine was fighting. But that doesn’t make it okay for a wolf to disobey.
As Alpha, my father is supposed to be impartial about things like this, yet he’s letting his personal feelings govern the situation. The same thing he keeps telling me I’m not supposed to do. I just don’t understand his sudden hatred for my girl.
He stares at me, then nods. “Fine. His behavior will be dealt with. I’ll see you when you get back. I hope your plan works.”
With that, he turns and leaves. I scrub a hand down my face and let out a harsh breath. Fuck. Let’s just add another thing to the list of all the reasons why I'm a disappointment. I lean up against my car again and look up at the moon.
Please let this work, I pray to whatever god is listening.
Because I don’t know what I'm going to do if it doesn’t.
I hear footsteps again, and this time, I don’t even bother looking up.
“Aria and Abby are on their way to the barn. They have a plan,” Bennett says.
I nod, clenching my jaw tight, and push off my car. As we approach the front of the barn, Aria is arguing with Declan. I start to tell them to let me talk to her, but the plan is already in motion.
Luna is walking up behind her and Declan grabs onto her shoulders.
“Declan what are you doing?” Aria asks, eyes growing wide when Luna’s arms wrap around her from behind. “No! No! Please!”
She thrashes, trying to break their hold but she’s unsuccessful. I grind my teeth together.
“Aria, honey, please calm down. It’s going to be okay,” Luna whispers in her ear, trying to get her to stand still long enough so she can use the syringe.
Fuck this. I start walking over to get them to stop.
“Let me go! Please! Please let me go!” Aria cries out.
I stop dead in my tracks when I notice the tears streaming down her cheeks. I’ve seen her cry a few tears, but it’s never been like this. She’s legitimately terrified.
“Please!” she begs as Abby and Declan hold her still.
Aria’s wide, tearful gaze meets mine. Fuck. I hate this.
“Shit, dude,” Bennett whispers next to me.
He places a hand on my shoulder. I’m not sure if it’s to hold me the fuck back, or for comfort because Luna is able to stick the needle in Aria’s arm. I brush his hand off as Aria’s cries start to quiet down, her body already starting to relax.
“Please don’t…” she whispers, just as the potion kicks in.
Luna holds her weight long enough for me to reach them. I swoop her up in my arms as Abby and Declan grab her things. I start walking to my car, trying to keep myself together. I glance down at Aria’s face, and she looks so peaceful, a stark contrast to how she was only moments ago.
Abby rushes in front of me and opens the passenger door of my car. I gently set Aria in the seat, and Abby hands me a blanket. I cover her up and press a soft kiss to her forehead. After I close the door, I turn to see Declan with his arm around Abby.
“I hate doing this to her. But this is what she needs,” Abby whispers to no one in particular. Then her teary eyes meet mine. “You’re the only person for the job. Bring our girl back home.”
Abby puts a hand over her mouth and turns to leave. I watch as she walks in the direction of Zayne’s place. Kai sees her walking alone and catches up to her. Declan hands me Aria’s bag, and I walk to the trunk and place it next to mine.
“She’s going to be pissed off when she wakes up. I’m sorry you’re going to have to deal with that.” Declan laughs, but it’s humorless. “Please take care of my sister.”
He looks at Aria through the window of my car. He pats my shoulder and walks off, passing Bennett. Ciera is waiting for him just by the corner, and he envelopes her in a hug. Then he walks with her around to the front of the barn and out of sight.
“That was hard to watch,” Bennett says as he reaches me. He hands me my guitar case and a bow with a case of arrows. “Thought you might need these, too.”
I take the items from him and place them in my trunk. Then I go stand next to Bennett.
“You saw that, right?” I ask, staring at Aria through the window.
“Yeah.”
“She was petrified. Whatever has her so scared, it definitely has something to do with Declan.” I turn to Bennett. “Whatever you do, protect him at all costs.”
Bennett nods. “Oh, I called ZachyPoo and HailsBails. They said that you’re more than welcome to stay at his parents’ place since they live in Maryland. Just give them a call when you’re close. They’ll be there housesitting. MaiKy
and his girl will be there too. I kind of gave them a heads-up about what’s going on.”
I nod.
“Don’t worry. I’ll talk to Knox and Z. We’ll look after Declan. Just go spend some quality time with your girl.” Bennett claps me on my shoulder, then walks away as I get in my Impala.
I start the car and start driving down the rocky road, out of the Compound. I stop right at the end of the driveway and glance down at my girl. I caress her cheek and tuck a stray hair behind her ear.
“I’m so sorry, baby,” I whisper, swiping my thumb across her cheeks, wiping away the tears that are starting to dry.
Then I turn my blinker on and drive us away in the middle of the night.
We’ve been on the road for hours. I just set the GPS to take us to Maryland and it’s telling me that it’s about a sixteen-hour drive. I still haven’t figured out what I'm going to tell Aria when she wakes up. I just hope she doesn’t jump out of the car and take a bus back to New Orleans. When I look over at her sleeping form, I start to feel guilty for having her go through that. I should have tried to convince her to leave with me instead of using a sleeping potion.
All of the events from the last twenty-four hours have kept me up, but now I think it’s time to stop for the night. I managed to at least get us to Atlanta. I see an exit for a rest stop and take it. Once I get Aria and I settled into a hotel for the night, I’ll check in with Bennett. I pull into the parking lot of the first hotel I see, which happens to be a Comfort Inn. I put the car in park and grab Aria’s hand and kiss her palm. I leave her sleeping in the passenger seat and I go to the lobby to check to see if they have a room available.
“Hi, hon. How can I help you tonight?” the receptionist behind the counter greets me as I walk up to the desk.
“Hi…” I look down at her nametag. “Nichole. I was wondering if you had a room available for tonight?”
“Just one night?” she asks, clicking away at her computer. Her short reddish-brown hair falls in her face, but she tucks it back behind her ear.
