by Jd Huber
Chapter 3
Truth, Lies, or Lost
My dad was tense. Me and him had gotten into a fight the night before so I left the den. My dad was hoping I would come back to try to resolve stuff. But I was at Rider’s den. “Hey sleeping beauty.” Rider smiled. My eyes were still heavy. Although I just woke up I was still really tired. “Morning Rider.” I said back. Rider shifted into a vampire and threw on a shirt. He looked at me with a playful glint in his eye and I also shifted. Rider had ran ahead, and I changed from my cloths that I was wearing the day before. After I threw my hair up I ran outside but Rider was nowhere to be found. I sat by a tree just in case he was going to come back to get me or something and I fell asleep again.
For what seemed like an hour, which what really was a few minutes Rider still wasn’t back? I got up and Rider dropped out of the tree. I jumped back and hit the tree. “Arrai! Are you OK?” Rider laughed. “Yeah. I’m fine.” I replied while rubbing the back of my head. Rider reached his hand out and pulled me to him. “Rider!” Beka yelled. Rider was caught off guard by the surprise visit from Beka. “Are you cheating on me?” Beka yelled again. “What is she saying?” I asked. My heart sank I wasn’t believing what I was hearing. “You and me where never together. When you asked me out I said no because I had my eye on someone else. I don’t like you in the way you think I do.” Rider said. Holding me close to his side. “But you said yes.” Beka said. Rider looked at me and I was looking up at him. He knew that I was trying not to cry and was trying everything in my power not to cry. “Beka, why don’t you just leave me alone? I am not your boyfriend. And I never will be. I am always going to be Arrai’s boyfriend. She is the one I love not you.” Rider said.
“But, Rider, you said that you loved me a long time ago.” Beka whimpered. “OK now you’re making up stories. I never said that.” Rider defended himself. Beka then glared at me and shot me a look of disgust. “How are we supposed to manage with her always say things that you are cheating on her?” I said. “Don’t worry about it. I am working on a little project outside the territory and I think you are going to love it when it is finished.” Rider said while we walked to go to my dad’s den to get a few things for the day. “Arrai, where have you been? I have been worried sick!” Blade said. He looked at Rider and then back at me. “Arrai, I want the truth. Where were you?” He repeated. “Father, don’t worry. After we got in that fight last night I went to Rider’s. I won’t be coming back so you don’t have to worry about me anymore.” I said with a tone that my dad didn’t except of.
“Now, Arrai, I never said that I wanted you to go off and leave the den. I just told you that you need to get out and train more.” Blade defended. “All I can say right now is that I just have to get out and be away from home for a few days. I think we both know that that will be best for the both of us.” I said, not making eye contact with my dad. My dad looked at Rider who was playing with my sister’s pups, Mist, Layla, and Dexin. Rider soon realized that my father was watching him and he stood up and stepped outside. “I’m sorry my lord. I’ll leave now.” Rider said. I dropped my stuff and ran over to Rider. “But Arrai, I am not allowed in the leader’s den unless he gives me permission.” Rider said. “Yes, but I am the leader’s daughter and I say you can come in so there is a difference. Besides it’s only going to be for a few minutes.” I replied.
I had finished gathering my stuff and me and Rider were getting ready to leave when my Father stopped us. “Arrai.” He said. “Yes dad?” I was getting aggravated. I wanted to get out and be on my own. But my dad wouldn’t let me leave. “I know what is going on between you and Rider and I am not going to accept you and him dating.” My dad said. He wasn’t being fair. He wants me to have a steady life with someone who is a really good person and Rider is a really great person. “Arrai, no fighting. I am not going to have it. You are the daughter of the leader. The future leader of the pack I am not going to let you date my messenger.
“But father!” I argued. “No now go say goodbye because you won’t be seeing him after tonight.” Blade said. Me and Rider then stepped outside and I threw my bag off of the ledge that was on the edge of the path way. Me and Rider walked down and sat by a tree. “So are you going to listen to him?” Rider asked. “No. I am leaving I don’t care what he says.” I said. My dad overheard us talking and attacked Rider. “Father!” I yelled. I went to pull the large wolf off of my boyfriend but he was too heavy. I was shaking and scared. The only thought I had was to shift and that was exactly what I did.
Rider had managed to get away from my dad and me fighting. “Rider, go get Keasha!” I yelled. “Who?” Rider asked. “Keasha, she is from my mom’s pack. It should be on the west side of the meadows.” Rider nodded and ran off. “Dad I don’t want to kill you!” I pleaded. “Well good because I don’t want to kill you either. It’s who you are protecting that I want to kill.” My father said. Rider soon came back with Keasha. “Blade! What do you think you are doing?” Keasha snapped. I used Keasha for a good way to get away from my dad. He was too occupied to realize that I had escaped.
I ran and got my stuff and me and Rider had ran away. “Arrai, are you OK? Did he hurt you?” Rider asked. I looked at him with a face that says ‘What do you think?’ Rider was taking me back to the meadows. I froze and Rider turned to see me not moving. “Arrai? What’s wrong?” Rider asked. “Y...you're going to leave me. Aren’t you?” I replied. “No Arrai. I’m not going to leave you. This is where your surprise is.” Rider comforted me. We walked up to the big oak tree in the middle of the meadows. Rider told me to sit and be comfortable till he got back.
He ran to the south of the meadows and disappeared. He came back with a brown, black, tan, and white wolf that looked like him. “Umm Rider who is this?” I asked. “This is Justin. My brother.” Rider answered. “Hello. You must be the special person in Rider’s life.” Justin said. I nodded I wasn’t sure what I what I was going to say. “Justin why don’t you go and get everything ready. Me and Arrai will be there in a little bit.” Rider said. I was surprised when me and Rider got to the surprise he had waiting for me. It was a house. Me and Rider stood in one place for a long time. He had spent all the time he had when he wasn’t in battle or training building this. It was the most beautiful thing I have ever seen.
Rider opened the door for me and I walked in. It was almost as beautiful as the outside. “Rider, it’s beautiful! I love it!” I said giving my boyfriend a hug. “I’m glad you like it because I built this house for you and me.” He smiled. Me and him? What did he mean by that? He just asked me out. “Arrai? What’s wrong?” Rider asked. “Nothing. I am just stunned that you gave up your free time for this.” I lied. Me and Rider walked around. I looked at every inch of the house. The last room we looked at was the front room. After we were done looking around we sat down on the couch. “Rider.” I said. “Yeah? What’s up?” He replied. I looked at him and hugged him. “I never told you how I feel. You have told me but I never told you.” I said. “OK go ahead. I have been wondering how you feel.” Rider urged me to say what was on my mind. “The only place I belong is in your arms. The only place where I am accepted is in your company. If you died I will die to.” I said cuddling up to Rider.
Rider smiled, it seemed like he was going to cry because he had never heard those words before. “That was really sweet Arrai.” Rider said. I looked at the clock. It was almost midnight. “Rider we have better get some sleep. He have training in the morning.” I said. I was actually tired but I didn’t want Rider to think that I was wimping out on him. Rider yawned, I could tell that he was up all night trying to get this house done but I knew that if he didn’t get sleep tonight he would be sleeping in more than he did the days before.
Rider got up and walked into the room next door. He closed the door which said ‘Rider’ in big bold letters. I turned to a door that was a little further down the hallway and in bi
g bold pink letters it said ‘Arrai’ and ‘Princess.’ I went to walk down the hall to my room when I see that a letter had fallen out of Rider’s pocket. It was addressed to me. I opened it and it said:
Arrai,
You may not know who this is. That is fine. But I need to see you at sun rise at the Big Oak Tree in the middle of the Hidden Meadows. This is not a fight, its just some information that I want to talk to you about. If you are not able to make it then I will just explain a little bit here in this letter. Anyways I am from the village of Vampires. You may have heard of us considering we have helped out your father’s pack a few years back.
I have received news that you are to live with a full blood family till you are old enough to live on your own. We need you to live there under cover till then for some research. We would have someone else do this for us, but you have more experience with the full bloods so you are fit for the job. But we have 3 others already with this assignment and you are the right one for the role of human love and education. The other three that are going to the human world are, Luna Azmear, Braylie Black, and Someone close to you. The last name is classified for right now for it might get in the way of the research. You all will be stationed in the same area so there is no reason to worry. I hope to see you at the Big Oak Tree at sun rise so I can explain more. And congratulations on being picked for this role.
Sincerely,
Alexander Jay Hunter
Why did Rider have this in his pocket instead of giving it to me? I went into my room and put the letter on the side stand. I got into bed and went to sleep. The next day I got up at sun rise and snuck out to the kitchen. “Arrai? Where are you going? Training doesn’t start for another seven hours.” Rider asked rubbing his eyes. “Uh nowhere. Just going for a walk.” I covered. Rider walked back into his bedroom and went back to sleep. I threw my jacket on and ran to the oak tree. A tall guy with black hair turned around and said, “You must be Arrai.” I nodded at Alexander’s Question. “Nice to meet you, I am Alexander Jay Hunter. But you can call me Alex.” He said.
