He continues, “I held her as she cried for hours. I heard her thoughts. The pain radiated from her, piercing my heart as if it were my own. I get that you two have things to work out, but at whose expense? She was starting to figure things out, accepting who she's becoming, and you two can't even be in the same room together without causing her distress. You need to figure this out. If not for your benefit, for hers.”
Both shifters shut their mouths as their eyes return to their natural colors. Everything Ford said is true; everything I didn't admit to Rion in the nights following the incident at Travis'. The nightmares came on strong; I didn't know what to do. It wasn't a premonition. There was no one chasing me, trying to kill me. It was simply me, standing in the forest, screaming at the top of my lungs in pain from Cace’s death and the trauma of almost watching Rion die as well. I've never seen so much blood.
Looking closer at Rion, I notice his right eye is swelling and his shoulder on one side hangs lower than the other. I glance over at Wake. His lip is bleeding and his left arm is turning an ugly shade of blue. They need to shift and heal.
All three men are looking at me with sympathy in their eyes. And love. Maybe not all the same kind of love, but love nonetheless.
Taking a deep breath, I try and steady my voice. “Until you two can be in the same room together without ripping each other apart, I'm going to have to visit you separately. That means dividing my time up. I can't do this again. I can't relive what happened.” Rion opens his mouth, but I hold up my hand before he can say what he's thinking. “I know you worry about me, but Wake will not hurt me. Do you think Ford would bring me here if he thought I was in danger?”
“Thank you, princess,” Ford says smugly behind them.
“I will visit who I want, when I want. I will not have anyone telling me what to do. Wolf mate or not. I don't care.” Then I turn my attention to Wake. “You can't give up. I know you want to. I hear it in your mind. You don't see any way you'll be allowed back into the pack. It's destroying you. Give me some time. I'll get it worked out. I'm not sure how, but I will.”
Closing my eyes for a second, I focus on my heartbeat. It’s finally back to a steady rhythm. My chest not feeling so constricted. “I can't keep doing this. I've never had a panic attack this bad before, and I never want to again. This has to stop. I want each of you in my life, but you need to get along.”
Rion is near me again. His sandalwood scent bringing me more peace. He holds my hand, his thumb brushing the back of mine. “I'm sorry. I didn't know.”
“You were too busy tearing into your cousin, for doing nothing other than sitting on the bed, to see what was happening to me.”
“He was doing more than that.”
I hold up my hand again. “I. Don't. Care.”
Glancing up, I look at Ford. He's watching me with so much love, but with it is pain. He wants to be the one to comfort me like he did earlier. It’s his hand he wants in mine. It hurts that I can't return his affection.
“I'll be okay,” he says and offers a sad smile.
“Maybe, but I’m not sure I will.”
13
The two wolves separated, and I took Rion back to his house, while Wake stayed with Ford. The bottom line is that Wake is incredibly sad and broken. He misses his family and wants to go back. He can't do that unless the pack can put the past behind them. But with every step he tries to take in the direction of home, someone is there reminding him of the mistakes he made. Not just the fact that he lost his family but the woman he thought was his mate.
If there were only some way for me to fix all of this. To make Wake feel better while easing the minds of the pack, assuring them he won't come after any of their mates. That things will be civil from now on. That he’s there for them if they need him.
Back at Aries' cabin, I sit down with Rion on his bed. He pulls me into his embrace, strokes his hand up and down my arm, leaving little tiny lightning bolts of electricity in his wake.
“I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking,” he says. I can hear in his tone how sorry he is.
“I know. I just wish you could see what I do about Wake. He's changed. No longer the immature wolf you remember. He knows he was wrong.”
“I'm not sure anyone in the pack will ever be able to trust him again, especially Sevan.”
“Is it that, or that you’ll never be able to trust him?”
“Both.”
He pulls me closer and buries his face in the crook of my neck. I comb my fingers through his soft hair as we lie back and he settles beside me, our bodies pressed together like we're two halves finally whole. It amazes me how something as simple as lying in bed with him can be so comforting. We don't have to do anything, just be next to one another. While everything in my world is far from perfect, this, right here, is what I cherish. Time with Rion, when it’s only us and the world isn’t crashing down around us.
“You've seen what I'll do to keep you as mine,” he continues. “I'd kill anyone who tried to take you from me.” I shiver as my mind goes back to the fight between him and Garrison.
Reaching down, Rion lifts the comforter, pulling it over us, nestling me into this small cocoon of warmth with him. It's only us and the way my heart beats in perfect tandem with his.
“Wake was my friend, but you’re my life—my future,” he says. “There will never be another you. I won't take a chance on losing you.”
“I don't have feelings for anyone other than you,” I reassure him.
“You love Wake and Ford. Sometimes it feels like you connect better with that vampire than you do me.”
“That's not true. It’s a different connection with him. It's like he's always there waiting to save me.”
“While I'm always fighting and not paying attention to your needs.”
“Please don't compare yourself to him. You're two very different people, let alone different paranormals. He's my friend. That's all. But you, you're everything. No one can comfort me or love me like you do. I feel the safest when you're near.”
While Ford can provide comfort when needed, he doesn’t soothe my soul the way Rion does. There’s something so special and intimate between us. Something I know I’ll never find with another person.
“I love you, Ari. So much that it hurts sometimes.”
“I love you, too.”
I’m aware of the pain love brings with it. It’s constantly there, knotting in my stomach, fearful of what could happen to Rion because of me.
With his arms protectively wrapped around me, it makes me want to stay like this forever. If only it were him and me and none of the other stuff going on. No vampires or other wolves. No pack war or people always after me. Just us and this beautiful bond we have. But that’s not our reality. We can’t be an average couple who does ordinary things. We have to fight to live. To protect those we love.
A knock sounds on the door. I try to move and get out from under Rion so whoever it is doesn't think we're up to something in here.
Rion chuckles, his dimples appearing. “No one here cares what we're doing, Ari.” He pierces me with those eyes I could get lost in for days. “Shifters, especially wolves, love with everything we have. And we show our mates how much we love them—often.” A blush creeps over my cheeks as the meaning of his words hit me.
“Would you stop trying to embarrass her?” Aries shouts from the other side of the door. “I know you two aren’t doing anything in there, Ari. Wolf hearing, remember? You're good.”
I let out a sigh of relief and send Rion a mental message. “Whenever we do finally complete our bond, it won't be in here with other people in the house.”
There’s something to be said for trying to keep things positive between us. With everything bad out there, plus me still waffling about what’s best for Rion and the pack, one thing is for certain. I love Rion with my whole heart. I want this with him—to be his mate. But there’s this tiny voice whispering it might not be the best idea. For now, as it pertains to us, I will keep t
hings positive. Because the reality is, I don’t want to let him go. Ever.
Rion laughs. “Come in,” he yells to Aries.
Aries enters and fills the doorway. It still strikes me how similar he looks to his nephew. They share the same eyes and jawline. The big difference between them is their hair color and build. While Rion's hair is dark, almost black, Aries is blond. Rion is also leaner than Aries but still very muscular. Must be a wolf trait. They’re all ripped.
“Lealla wants to see us for dinner,” he states. “You, too, Ari. She wants to talk about what Xeno said.”
I nod and wiggle out of Rion's iron grip so I can teleport to where Ford's SUV is parked. My bag and phone are still in there. I'm back in Rion's bed in under thirty seconds.
“It still amazes me that you can do that,” Aries says. “What I wouldn't give for that power.”
“Ask Ford to bite you.”
He barks out a laugh. “I'm never going to ask that vampire to chomp on my neck. Besides, the giver has to bestow the gift upon you. Me asking doesn't mean I'll get it.”
I cock my head to the side. “Really? He gives me his powers so freely. The same with his mom. I figured he would for anyone in the pack as well.”
“I'm guessing that has a lot to do with his feelings for you.”
Glancing down, I rifle through my bag, looking for my phone. Also, I want to avoid Aries' knowing gaze. I feel like I’m under a microscope. Everyone seems to know everything about my life.
“Is everyone aware of how he feels about me?” I ask, keeping my head down.
“Pretty much. He's never told us, but we can see it clear as day.”
“He needs to stop staring at her like that,” Rion growls from beside me. His hand gently rubs my back beneath my shirt.
Dropping my bag on the floor now that I've found my phone, I sit back on the bed. “Didn't we just talk about this? I only want you.”
“Give him time,” Aries says. “I think some of this is driven by his wolf. He doesn't like anyone else getting close to you.”
“Well, his wolf needs to get himself in check. I love Rion. No one else.”
Rion repositions himself to sit behind me, his legs on either side of mine as his arms wrap around my stomach. “And if I were to tell you there's a female shifter who is showing interest in me?”
I turn to face him. “Who is she and where do I find her?”
“Exactly,” he murmurs before placing a kiss on my lips.
Oh, how he loves turning the tables on me. I’m not going to pretend another wolf sniffing around Rion wouldn’t cause me to rage with anger. It would. I’d probably use my super vampire strength to drive home the point that he’s not available.
I decide to change the subject, now that I have Aries here. The issue of Wake needs to be discussed. Good or bad, something has to be done. I can’t bear to watch him in agony for much longer.
“We saw Wake today,” I state.
There's no way I can miss the pain that etches across his face at the mention of his son. “How is he?”
“Not good. I had to force him to eat. And today he got into a fight with Rion in Ford's house. Ford had to pull them apart. He misses you and Cassandra. He wants to come home.”
Aries scrubs a hand over his face. “I'm not sure that's the best idea. If he and Orion can’t get along, there's no telling what will happen when he’s back in the pack house.” I need to get Wake home. Figure out a way for Aries to see how much he needs his son back. As much as Wake wants to be here.
“But Rion is threatened by my friendship with Wake. For some stupid reason, he thinks Wake is after me.”
“It’s not stupid,” Rion growls in my ear. I pat his arm, not bothering to respond to him.
Instead, I focus back on Aries. At the end of the day, he makes the choices for the pack. It would ultimately be up to him if Wake could return.
“Wake saw Carter and Dante last night,” I quickly add.
“I heard. It was kind of him to help chase those Diaminsey wolves away.”
“That wasn't kindness. That was loyalty. You might think he was truly aligned with the Diaminsey Pack, but he wasn't. If he were, he wouldn’t have come to me to offer advice. He did it because he never stopped being one of the Avynwood Pack, and he knew I was Rion’s mate. I've seen his thoughts, Aries. It's dark in there. He's lonely. He--he doesn't want to live like this.” The idea of Wake wanting to starve himself to leave this world has that knot in my stomach getting bigger. He's a good person who did something he thought was right. He's trying to make up for it. However, no one will give him a second chance.
Aries steps forward and sinks to the ground beside the bed, taking my hands in his. “Please help him. Do for him what we can't.”
His thoughts float to me. How much he’s hurting without his son here. The fact that he’s out there wanting to end his life is causing Aries immense pain. I’m sure Cassandra is hurting, too.
Tears well in my eyes. “But you can.”
He shakes his head. “You don't understand how the pack works, Ari. I have to do what's best for everyone, not just my son. I'm the alpha. I need to keep peace among our wolves. Adding Wake back to the mix, it's not the best idea. There would be fighting. We don't need that now with the pack war looming over us. Travis already has an edge on us. Their pack has been training, doing what we should have been. We started to, but losing Cace…” His eyes move to the floor. A tremor rolls through him, gently shaking my hands where he holds them. “We haven't been able to bounce back from that yet.”
“I'm sorry. That's all my fault. If I hadn't gone there and he hadn't come with me...”
Aries squeezes my hands, his eyes finding mine again. “I know Rion has told you this, as has Ford. It wasn't your fault Cace was killed. Even if you hadn't interrupted that fight, we would have lost someone that night. If Orion had been killed, Cace still would have fought them. And say you didn't even go to dinner. Travis would have brought the fight to you. The weight of that night shouldn't be on your shoulders.”
I sniffle as a tear falls down my cheek. “I don't know how to let it go. When I think of that night and how I almost lost Orion, then watching Cace die in front of me, it's too much. He shouldn’t have lost his life. And when I think about Lena, she lost her mate. He was her entire world, and now he's gone.”
If only I had gotten to know Cace better. The entire pack has lost many years of having Cace with them. He could have had children with Lena. He would have been an amazing father. Saying that what happened is unfair is an understatement.
“Nothing in this life is guaranteed,” Aries replies. “We could all die tomorrow. You can't keep walking around with his death looming over you. You're strong, Ari. You were brought to us for a reason. Cace wouldn't want you to beat yourself up over this. He would have wanted you to find a way to help us win the war, not sit and wonder if you being here is putting us all in danger.”
My head snaps up to meet his eyes, his words reminding me of others I heard. “How do you know about that?”
“Orion told me.” I turn and glare at him, but Aries' voice pulls me back to him. “Don't be angry with him. He didn't tell everyone. Only me. And only because he wanted help. He wasn't sure what he could do to make you understand. The more you're with us, the more you'll see how we work as a team. How we protect our women and children with everything we have. Cace died with honor that night. What you need to do is not let his memory die by backing down to Travis and what he wants to do to our pack. If he has it his way, we'll all be killed and he'll take over the land here. He'll oust Lealla, pushing her back to the forest she once lived in with Charles. He wants power, Ari. Taking our land and everything we have will give him that. It will also give him a stronger hold on the state. The more Travis has, the more damage he'll do.
“He's not out there to better the lives of everyone. He only thinks about himself. That much is evident by him letting Garrison die by fighting for you. There was no chance he'd hav
e won. Travis knew that. Garrison's life was a cruel loss in the game Travis is playing. He's testing us. Seeing where our weaknesses lie. Fate put you and Rion together for a reason. Your journey isn't over yet. We have to stop Travis, and we need your help to do so.”
14
I stay at Rion's until dinner. I texted my mom to let her know what I was doing and not to expect me until later, that I’d be eating with them.
Teleporting us over to the main house, or mansion as I like to refer to it because that's exactly what it is, Rion and I arrive on time. The house is grey stone and three stories high. It’s longer than it is high. But then again, you need something this big for a pack of wolves, their mates, and children.
Carter’s red wolf almost barrels into us when we stand in the entryway. He nudges me with his nose in greeting before resuming what he was doing. Then Cash whips by in wolf form. If I didn't meet them before like this, I'd probably never be able to tell them apart. But Cash's tail is tipped in white. That’s the only way I can recognize who is who.
“Do they always chase each other as wolves?” I ask.
“Yes,” Rion chuckles. “They argue a lot, but it's all in fun. Then it escalates and they end up shifting and running through the house. If you stand here long enough, Dante will come out and make them stop.”
I glance over my shoulder as Aries and Cassandra come through the front door. “I could have teleported you.”
He waves me off. “We’re good shifting and going for a short run.” The mansion isn’t far from their cabin.
Carter and Cash fly by us again. It's amazing how neither of them slips on the marble floor.
Aries watches them go by but doesn't make any move to stop them. I bet it doesn’t bother him nearly as much since he isn’t here constantly watching them do this.
“You're not going to stop them?” I ask.
“No. They're blood brothers and wolves. Sometimes it's better to let them be.”
The Somber Call (The Ariane Trilogy Book 2) Page 10
