The Crucial Shift (The Ariane Trilogy Book 3)

by Michelle Dare

  “I love it when you pull your hair back,” Rion says quietly, placing soft kisses along the side of my neck, setting off a firestorm of sensation throughout my body.

  Not being able to resist him, I lift his shirt and begin to trail my fingertips over every hard ridge of his stomach. He kisses a path from my neck to my lips, taking possession of my mouth and effectively blocking everything out but us. No one has the ability to do this but Rion. His touch, his lips, his scent, they all drive me crazy.

  A loud groan reaches my supersonic wolf ears, causing my lips to drop away from Rion’s. My ability to block it all out must have fallen when Rion started kissing me. “Wake,” I mutter. He came to get us but didn’t need to knock. He picked up on the little whimpers I made when Rion’s fingers began to skate up my side.

  Rion rests his forehead on mine. “One day, it’s only going to be us in our own place, far away from other wolves, vampires, fae, or whomever. Then I’ll be able to have you all to myself with no intruding ears.”

  “So, tomorrow?” I ask teasingly.

  He chuckles. “I wish.”

  Brushing his lips over mine one final time, he leans back and lifts me from the bed, effectively pulling me back to our dreary reality. Until Travis is found, none of us are safe.

  “You can come in, Wake!” I call. Though, I’d only need to whisper and he’d hear me.

  The door opens, and Wake leans heavily on the frame, his hands in his pockets, his head down. Quickly, I scan his mind to find the reason for his sadness. It doesn’t take me long.

  Striding over to him, I place my hand on his forearm. He doesn’t flinch away from my touch as he would an unmated female. “You can come if you want. I’ll have to hold on to you and Rion with one hand. No one is forcing you to stay.” Until I’m certain Rion is solid in his teleporting, or it’s an emergency, I’m holding on to him when we teleport. I’ll have to grip them both tightly.

  “Dad said it might be best if I don’t go.”

  My eyebrows knit. “Why would he say that?” I don’t bother scanning his mind. There are some things I’d rather he offer to tell me. I fear one day I’ll be so used to listening to people’s thoughts, I won’t think twice about diving into their minds. That would be an intrusion I don’t want to make a habit of doing.

  “He’s worried about me. Wants me to stay here where it’s safe under the ward over the mansion. I want to go with you two. I don’t want to be left behind.”

  “No one is leaving you behind. We’re just going to check on everyone and make sure they don’t need anything. I think he’s nervous because right now you’re protected, and Travis has shown time and time again that he likes to manipulate you. He even did it to both of us in our sleep.”

  His arm tenses beneath my palm as his eyes lift to mine. There’s a fire burning deep in those brown depths behind his glasses. “I’m not a child. I know Travis better than most. When will he start taking me seriously?”

  I keep my voice even, gentle. “He loves you. It almost broke him when he had to ask you to leave the pack. You could have died when you were with Travis or during the war. He doesn’t want to lose you.”

  “We’re only going to Portland. I fail to see how that’s a dangerous task.”

  Aries steps up behind Wake and lets out a long sigh. “Ariane is right, but if you really want to go, I can’t stop you. You’re a grown wolf, Wake.” He wraps his arm around his son’s shoulders. “But I’ll never stop caring or worrying about you. We live in a volatile world, especially right now. You’re my only child. I will fight every day of my life so that you may continue to live yours.”

  Wake closes his eyes. “If you don’t want me to go, I won’t.”

  “It’s all right. If it’s important for you to come along, then do so. I don’t want to hold you back, only keep you protected.”

  “Can we go already?” Ford asks from behind Aries. “Fairyn said she’d make us breakfast. I’m starving.”

  All the wolves who have their mates in Portland are chomping at the bit to see them—to be permanently reunited with them again—but Aries decided it was for the best not to teleport there often and possibly draw more attention to the house. If Travis happens to come back here and finds a way inside, he’ll know something is up with Ford and me gone. Also, there’s no way he’s not clued in that all the humans are gone. He’s smart enough to realize Aries would have never kept them here with the war at his doorstep.

  “Let’s get this show on the road,” Aries states.

  Ford steps into the room. His jeans are tucked into his black boots, and his leather trench coat covers up most of the grey shirt he has beneath it. His scent of leather and ocean hits me the closer he gets. Maybe one day I’ll get to visit his house on the Outer Banks and not worry about breaking up a fight or getting attacked. I do love the salty air and the waves lapping the shore. It’s very peaceful.

  Ford’s eyes find mine. “You can visit anytime you want. You never have to ask.”

  I nod then take Rion’s hand in mine. I don’t miss the way Ford’s jaw clenches at seeing our linked hands. Wake comes over and weaves his hand in with ours so I can teleport them both at the same time. Ford clasps his large palm onto Aries’ shoulder.

  “Living room,” Ford states. He doesn’t want us popping up outside in case someone is lurking around the property. Though, if they were, we’d hear about it. Everyone there has a phone and can easily call or text us. Plus, there’s the bond the mates share. They could send a message telepathically. The wolves protecting them would also surely hear an intruder.

  Ford and I both snap at the same time as I picture the living room of his Portland home. We appear in the middle of the room, but it’s empty. I release their hands and walk to the kitchen as others peer around the inside of the house. No one is here and no food has been made. No sound is heard. Seconds tick by before I hear a faint cough and a loud slap like someone got hit in the face.

  Quickly, I dart through the house to the back door, Orion on my heels, having shifted into his black wolf. Ford gets outside first via teleportation.

  I almost slam into his back when my feet hit the pavers of his back patio. I try to move around him, but his arm shoots out, his hand gripping my forearm, holding me in place. Growls come from all around me as Wake and Aries have also shifted, thanks to the sight before us.

  “You’re finally here,” Travis croons. “I’m glad. It wasn’t the same without you.”

  He’s sitting on a chair at the far edge of the patio. A slender woman with long, light blonde hair on his lap. His fingers press into her upper arm hard enough that she whimpers in pain. Ford takes a step forward, and in turn, Travis grips her harder. That’s when I look around and see everyone else. All of the women and men. Humans from both the Avynwood and Quivakond Packs. They’re tied to trees in the back of the house, their mouths bound with duct tape. My friends, Lealla, my mom, my cousin. They’re alive.

  But what makes a strangled cry leave my lips is the sight of Kiara dead at Travis’ feet and four wolves also dead around them. Kiara’s arms are broken, lying at odd angles at her sides. Her eyes are wide. Dried blood down one side of her mouth. But none of that was what killed her. No, it was the silver knife protruding from her chest.

  “Let. Sienna. Go,” Ford says in a hard tone.

  Sienna? That name triggers a memory I’ve long forgotten. I was about five or six and my best friend’s name was Sienna. She was the same age as me and we were inseparable. Then one day she moved away. No warning. No letter left behind. Her house was empty and I never heard from her again. But she can’t be the same girl, right? I mean, Sienna is a common name.

  “She is the same,” Benedict confirms, as he walks out of the house behind me. Slimy, pain in the butt, creepy as all get out, vampire!

  I spin. “Would you just die already? I’m so sick of looking at your smug face and that horrible white hair of yours. Cut it off or let it grow, but for the love of all that is good, stop pull
ing it back into that pitiful ponytail. It doesn’t work for you.”

  Travis laughs loudly, trying to pull my attention back to him. But I won’t take my eyes off Benedict. He’s the one I need to worry about. He’s the one who can teleport and do all kinds of other things. Travis is merely a shifter.

  Slowly, Benedict walks in a wide arc. He pauses to sneer at Mira where she’s tied to a tree in front of him then moves around us until he stops at Travis’ side.

  “Are you ready to have some fun?” Travis asks.

  20

  “Ford,” Sienna cries softly. “Help me.”

  I glance at him, wanting to figure out how she knows him. Without even trying, everything slams into me. All of Ford’s thoughts and feelings regarding Sienna. But they are fleeting. I can’t grasp on to one for long.

  The first time he met Sienna in Portland and discovered she was a paranormal. The first time they held hands and when they kissed. The first time they were together in the little red roadster he has in his garage. Then when his heart broke because she said she couldn’t be with him anymore and was in love with another. His pain is palpable as much then as it is now.

  I realize two things at the same time. One, Ford is still madly in love with her, no matter how much he tells himself she screwed him over and shouldn’t let her occupy space in his heart. The love he has for me pales in comparison to what he feels for her. He loves me, there’s no doubt, but it’s nothing like what he feels for Sienna. Two, Sienna is a fox shifter.

  And right now, he’s trying to calculate a way to rip Travis’ head from his body.

  “Ford!” I yell with my mind, trying to break through his thoughts. “You can’t make a move. Everything Travis does is calculated, and you overreacting right now could cost her life. Plus, I’m sure that’s what he’s waiting for you to do. Remember, he’s not alone. Benedict is here, too. And all the humans. We have to think about the overall picture in front of us.”

  “I’m going to kill him,” he hisses in my head. “Rip his head from his body. And when I’m done with him, I’m going for Benedict.”

  “Think before you act. He’s counting on you to mess up and let your heart lead, not your mind. He knew about her and you. He knew about my connection to her. This is all part of his plan.”

  Ford turns sharply toward me but still keeps Sienna in his peripheral. “You know her?” He must have been so focused on her that he hadn’t heard my thoughts where she was concerned.

  “She was my best friend when I was little. One day, she moved and I never saw or spoke to her again.” She didn’t go to the local elementary school with me. I was told her mom was homeschooling her. I didn’t think anything of it at the time. Who does when they’re that young?

  “I had no idea. I met her when she was seventeen.”

  “Hold on,” I say, directing my words to Travis. “Why drag her into this? She never did anything to you. You have my mom and my friends. Pack members. Why add Sienna to the mix?”

  His eyes settle on Ford. “You didn’t recognize Gair during the battle? You don’t remember his furry red fox form attacking Ariane?”

  “Gair is Sienna’s father’s name,” Ford says to me.

  Wait... There was a fox that attacked me, but I shifted to take care of it, along with Ford’s help, and my wolf killed it. No! I killed Sienna’s father! My eyes widen as they find Sienna’s.

  Travis watches as realization dawns on me. A slow smile forms on his face. “Daddy didn’t come back did he, Sienna?” I’d yell for Travis to stop talking. To not tell her anything, but it wouldn’t work. He’s out to destroy everyone and everything around me. This is a stepping stone to get him closer to what he wants.

  My eyes well with tears. “I’m sorry, Sienna. I didn’t know he was a shifter or your father. I was being attacked. I defended myself.”

  “And you killed him. Isn’t that right, Ari?” Travis asks.

  Tears stream down Sienna’s face as she ducks her head. My heart constricts in my chest. I killed her father. And he wasn’t the only one I killed during the battle. Each paranormal was someone’s family member or friend. Each one had someone who loved them. And yet the two people who care about no one but themselves are still alive to rain terror down on everyone in their path. My pain turns to anger. People I love are tied to trees. Travis has someone I considered my best friend in his clutches. Kiara and members of the Avynwood Pack are dead. And Travis played us all.

  “This has to end,” I growl.

  I relent and let my wolf come out. She doesn’t hesitate in taking the reins from me. She’s not foolish, though. She won’t attack unless she thinks Sienna can get away. There’s no one she wants to hurt besides Travis and Benedict.

  “It’s so nice you let your wolf come out to play, Ariane.” Travis smiles. “Couldn’t keep her in check?”

  I snarl and snap at him. What I wouldn’t give to get to his neck.

  “He’s mine,” Ford hisses in my head.

  “You’re going to have to fight me for him. He killed my father. He killed Rion’s parents. I want his blood.”

  “He’s holding the love of my life, Ariane. I’m the one who gets to kill him.”

  Before I can react, Ford teleports behind Travis and everything happens at once. Rion and Aries lunge forward. Both of them lost someone, thanks to Travis, but I’m not so sure they’ll get to him. I’m more calculating. I could easily rush in, however, that’s not the way right now. He’ll see them coming. It’s predictable. If I want a chance at him, I have to start thinking before reacting. Watch his moves. Try and figure out what he’s going to do next.

  Travis stands, handing Sienna over to Benedict. Benedict bends her neck and bites into her flesh, drawing a deep pull from her vein as her body goes lax in his arms. Oh, that’s it. So much for thinking first. That vampire needs to die.

  I shift back to a human, teleporting directly in front of him while Ford, Rion, and Aries chase Travis in wolf form. Wake runs up behind me.

  “Drop her,” I seethe through clenched teeth.

  It’s subtle, but I notice his hand moving. He’s about to teleport away. Quickly, I grab his wrist. He’s not going anywhere without me. We’re teleported inside the house. Clever. I expected him to flee halfway around the world. No one would think to look in here.

  “Untie the humans,” I say quietly, knowing Wake will be able to hear me since he’s still near the back of the house. He’s got that excellent wolf hearing and all. He’ll know I’m inside, but Benedict will think I’m talking to him.

  At least someone is aware of where I am. Rion knows I can handle myself, and as much as he’d love to fight by my side, letting Travis get away could be deadly for many paranormals.

  Benedict wrenches his arm free as his fangs withdraw from Sienna, who appears lifeless.

  “Put her down and fight me, you coward!” I need him to drop her—to forget all about her—and focus on me. She did nothing to deserve this.

  He licks his fangs, getting the last drops of her blood off of them. “Coward? I may not fight the same way wolves do, but every move I make is for a reason. Take this girl.” He drops her to the ground. She doesn’t move when her head bounces off the hardwood. “She means nothing to me, or to Travis, but she does to you and Ford and that’s worth a lot. So while I might not fight you in a conventional way, I do have other tricks up my sleeve.”

  In a flash he’s on me, his hands over the top of my head, his thumbs on my temples as pain a thousand times greater than any shifter bite assaults me. My head is about to split in two. My knees buckle, tears stream down my face as the pain wrenches breath from my lungs, and stars begin to dance behind my eyes. Rion is trying to call to me, but I can’t answer. The pain is too much. I can’t do anything other than scream silently at the top of my lungs with what little air I can get out.

  Benedict jerks my body around. Someone must be fighting him. I don’t know who, but somehow I muster the strength to whisper, “Get Sienna out of here.”
There’s no one watching her, no one protecting her at the moment.

  Blinding pain shoots through my head in one final push of the brightest, whitest light I’ve ever seen. Then I’m on the warm, wood floor, weak and quickly slipping from consciousness.

  “No, Ari, no!” Rion yells, but I’m too tired to do anything. I can’t even move my fingers or twitch my toes

  My body is lifted limply from the ground. The only thing keeping me from slipping off to the sleep that’s calling to me is Rion’s sandalwood scent and his warmth. It’s all around, enveloping me.

  “Stay with me. I need you to come back.”

  The pain slowly recedes, leaving me a shell of myself. This isn’t what death feels like, is it? I can’t die this way. I still have my head. I should be healing. Yet, I can’t communicate anything to my body to get it to move, nor can I send messages to Rion. Nothing is happening.

  Wake’s voice floats to me. “What happened?”

  “Benedict did something to her, but I can’t wake her up. She should be healing from whatever it was he did.”

  “Where’s Ford?” he seethes.

  “He went after Benedict. As soon as we both teleported in here, Benedict put his hand on Sienna and tried to teleport Ari and her away, but I was able to wrestle Ari from him before he fled with Sienna.”

  Their voices get louder, my body becoming warmer.

  “Maybe if you get her to shift, she’ll heal faster,” Wake suggests.

  “That’s not how things work for Ari. She has the power to heal like a vampire. Shifting won’t help. Besides, I can’t feel her wolf. I can barely feel her.” Rion’s voice breaks on the last sentence. I hate that he’s upset. Hate that I can’t comfort him.