He shakes his head. “Aries didn't tell me.”
“I'm sorry,” I lean over and hug him.
“For what? You didn't do anything.”
“But my grandmother was there.”
This whole situation is horrible, no matter how I look at it. My grandmother was there when Rion’s parents were killed. I understand she wouldn’t have been a match for them. Had it been me, I’m not sure what I would have done. I can’t imagine standing by while all that took place. However, she also had her family to think about. What a mess.
Rion moves so he can meet my eyes. “Ari, she couldn’t have done anything to save them. If she had, Travis might have gone after your dad and aunt as punishment. Then, you wouldn’t be here.”
“We lived, while your parents died.” Focusing on Ford again, I ask, “Why wait until now to come after my father? Travis could have had revenge years ago.” Maybe he saw more in there that can help me figure this out.
“I didn’t, and I can't speak for him. But if I had to guess, he’s still getting revenge for your grandmother not staying with the pack. You and your mom are the only ones left with a tie to his pack, and your mom’s is only by marriage. Your grandparents are gone. Your dad. Your aunt is an average human, who is living in California or wherever. Travis won’t bother crossing the country for a human. It’s you he’s after. And by what your mom saw, she was being followed, too. I bet she would have been the next one to be killed. You being a part of this pack and having a shifter for a mate makes it personal for Travis. No wonder he tried to sway you to his side. His best friend was your grandfather, and your grandmother refused to go back with Travis, where he thought she belonged.”
“But my dad wasn’t a wolf. And I’m not either.”
Rion answers. “No. When one parent is human and the other is a wolf, there is only a fifty-fifty chance of the child being a shifter. Both of your parents are human. There was zero probability you would be one. But I’m a shifter, and you’re my mate. You’re in our world now and on our side. Next time we're near Travis, I bet if we read his thoughts, we'll find hurt and betrayal there. He sees your grandmother leaving the pack with her children as the ultimate treachery. They were all his. And now he’s lost a member of his pack—you—to us.” This is all too much to take in.
I lie back down beside Rion. “Ford, you don't have to stay here with us. I've caused enough problems in your life already.”
“It's like you don't even know me, princess. Your life is in danger, so I'll be where you are. Just another layer of protection of the blood sucking, teleporting, vampire kind. Besides, my brother won't leave my house, so this gives me an excuse to be here.”
“I'm going to kill him,” I mutter as my eyes close.
Ford chuckles. “If nothing else, he's going to fight on our side during the pack war.”
“Is he really?” Rion asks. “Because if I see him, I'll kill him myself for laying a hand on my mate.”
“Believe me, we had a long talk and it wasn’t pretty. We ended up throwing fists over what happened. Once we were both exhausted, he told me how much he liked Ari's personality and would stand by her if she wanted him to.”
“I'm still going to kill him,” Rion mumbles.
I yawn. “Not if I get to him first.”
“I'll see you two tomorrow,” Ford says. He opens and closes the door behind him.
Rion pulls me close as he settles in beside me again. I wouldn’t blame him if he wanted nothing to do with me. My grandmother stood idly by while his parents were murdered. How can he not be upset by that? I’m still not sure how to feel.
“You need to stop thinking that,” he murmurs, reading my mind. “You’re not seeing it from her side. Her family comes above all else. Think about where your dad and aunt would have been had your grandmother not left the pack when she did. Would they have been pawns in Travis' game? Would Travis have raised your dad and aunt with a hidden agenda? Your grandmother got out and that gave her children a chance at a better life. Your dad met your mom and had you. Every time I saw your parents or heard them talking inside while I watched over your house, one thing was evident—how much they loved one another. At the end of the day, that's the most precious thing anyone can ask for. To give freely of yourself to another. To offer unconditional love. Not everyone gets that kind of love in their life. Your parents had that.”
“I want that kind of love.”
“You already have it from me, Ari. I will love you every day of my life.”
“I love you, Rion. Thank you for not leaving me.” Bringing up one of my legs, I drape it over the top of him. “And thank you for being here for me.”
“I won't leave you. Ever. You're it for me. One day you'll realize it.”
“I don't deserve you.”
“You have that wrong. It is I who doesn't deserve you.”
He places a kiss on my head and relaxes against me. The contentment he has at knowing I'm in the mansion, safe amongst his pack, makes him happy. Every day he worried about me. He is still worried, from what I can tell, but it's muted now—a background thought. Having me under the pack roof gives him hope for us, our future, and that of the pack. I can only hope I live up to whom everyone thinks I am, because I still view myself as plain Ariane Sanderly.
The pack war has gotten personal. Not that I wasn't angry before, knowing how Rion's parents were killed and how Cace died. But my grandparents’ role in this adds another layer of anger. I’m mad at Travis and all he's done. I only have the tip of the iceberg. I'm sure there's a whole glacier's worth of information out there that would dig a deeper hole for Travis and his pack. They don't deserve to win this war.
I hope my aunt is safe and far away from here. Dad rarely spoke of her. Maybe the distance between them was a blessing in disguise.
I'll give myself time to grieve the loss of my dad. I'll be there for my mom and do what she needs, but then it's game on. Travis doesn't deserve to live after all he's taken. No way will I let him take over the pack Lealla and Aries worked so hard to build. This is my family now, and I'll protect them with everything I have.
25
The next morning, I wake early and take a moment to think back on the day before. It seems like a dream. A horrible nightmare I wish had never happened. My dad is gone. Truly gone. Tears spring to my eyes again as I try to muffle my cries and not wake Rion. But it's no use. He wakes and pulls me into an embrace while whispering words of comfort. And by comfort, I mean all the ways he’s going to kill Travis and his pack for what they've done to both of our families. Those are comforting to me, however.
I'm not sure how long we lie here, me unable to stop the tears. Eventually, my mom comes in and takes over for Rion. She wants to be there for me. We both cry until our faces are red and our eyes are sore from wiping the tears away. Then she tells me stories about my grandmother and dad. Ones that have us laughing like crazy. It's what we need. To grieve together and celebrate the lives they both lived. I wish I could have gotten to know my grandmother. She sounds even more amazing than I used to think. Mom informs me I can't let Travis get away with what he's done. That she believes in me and to use my abilities to get a jump on him.
I also tell her about Cace and what happened that night at Travis' house. I let out every feeling of guilt over his death and how awful I feel that Lena is now without a mate.
All that's happened since I met Rion, it’s amazing but also heartbreaking. It’s as if years have gone by, but nothing could be further from the truth. This is also the closest I've ever felt to my mom. We don't just talk about the bad, but the good, too. I tell her about Rion and Ford. About Wake and others in the pack.
Wake has been welcomed back into the Avynwood Pack with open arms, or paws, as it were. Sevan and Dalia are the ones who feel the worst about what happened, but none of it was their fault. They were simply victims in Travis' sick game.
I asked about my aunt, if she was coming to say goodbye to my dad. Mom said they haven’t
spoken in a long time, and she wasn’t holding out hope she’d respond to the message she left.
Mom and I eventually climb from bed and get dressed. Downstairs, we find the large dining room. There are only a few pack members left eating since it's late in the morning. Eaton is here with his mate, Fiona. They are from book seven in the series, if I remember correctly. This is my first time meeting them. Before we sit down, both come over and hug us and offer their condolences. They leave after, giving us space. Ford teleports into the room as I'm reaching for eggs and pancakes, which were just brought out by one of the cooks the pack has on staff.
The pack employs a large number of people to help keep things running smoothly. They have cooks and maids, drivers, and someone who does the landscaping. Sure, each member of the pack also pitches in with their specialty but given all that's going on with the pack war coming, they've brought on more to help around the house so they can focus on the task at hand.
All the employees are human but aware of the pack and the paranormal world. Some are relatives of pack members who want to help, while others are retirees who found out about the shifters one way or another and love the family feel of the group.
Ford takes a seat across from me as Rion and Wake come in. Rion sits on my right, Mom on my left. Wake rounds the table to come up behind me and hugs me with one arm around my upper chest.
“I'm so sorry, Ari.”
I squeeze his forearm. “Thank you.” He walks back to the other side and sits next to Ford.
There’s nothing more I want at the moment than to hide out in the bedroom and stay there for a month. My dad is gone, and I’m sitting here about to eat like everything is fine. But I can’t curl up and hide. There’s an alpha out there who is bent on destroying my family. I won’t sit idly by and let him come for my mom next. So, I‘ll eat, function, and do whatever else I need to so one day I can end Travis’ life.
“It's nice to see you back with the pack,” I tell Wake, to keep the mood light.
He smiles. “It's great. I've missed everyone. Plus, now I know I wasn't really a jerk to Sevan and Dalia. The rest of the pack, too. It wasn't anything under my control.”
“I'm glad we got it worked out. I didn't like seeing you so upset.”
“Thanks, Ari, for all you've done.” He turns and claps a hand on Ford's shoulder. “You, too. Thank you.”
Ford uses his fork to push Wake's hand off of him. “I don't do affection.”
In truth, Ford will miss having Wake at his house. He filled a void that was there for far too long. Now Ford's alone again. Maybe that's why he's in the mansion with the rest of us.
He shakes his head. “Wrong again, princess.”
I sigh and take a sip of orange juice. “Is nothing private in my head?” I send him.
“Not unless you put that cement wall of a block up. Rion and I can hear everything you think.”
I grumble and slowly build the wall up in my mind—one cinderblock at a time.
“I brought a bag of your things,” Ford tells Wake. “It’s over at your house.”
“Thanks,” Wake smiles. I love seeing him like this. So light and jovial. “Who would have thought I'd have a vampire for a friend?”
“You're using that term far too loosely,” Ford replies.
I pluck a grape from the bowl in the middle of the table and throw it at Ford. It bounces off his forehead, making me chuckle.
His eyes slowly rise to mine as a wicked smile graces his face. “Game on, princess.”
Grabbing a fistful of eggs, he throws them across the table, hitting Rion and me, but somehow avoiding my mom. I do this weird half screech, half yell thing and lunge for all the food on the table I can gather as Ford does the same. We throw pancakes, French toast, apples, slices of cantaloupe, whatever we can find. Wake and my mom join in, while Rion growls and seeks refuge under the table.
I kick him and yell, “Stop being so uptight!”
His hand shoots out to grip my ankle, pulling it out from under me. Luckily, he reaches out to catch me before I crash to the ground. A laugh escapes my lips as he pulls me under the table. It's cut off when Rion's lips meet mine in a punishing kiss. My body quickly lights with a blaze only he can ignite. But it's broken all too soon.
“I'm not uptight,” he says with a smirk before mashing oatmeal all over my face. Where did he get that from? I spit out the little bit that gets in my mouth and search the floor for something else that's fallen as the food continues to fly above us.
A door opens. Two sets of feet are visible at the end of the table. “Food fight!” Carter screams. Cash gives a war cry before the two of them jump into the fray.
“Off your butt, Rion. This is one of the few chances you'll have to smash food all over Ford. Take advantage of it while you can.”
“I heard that!” Ford shouts. Next thing I know, syrup is being squirted on us underneath the table.
“Oh, it's on now,” I say.
Quickly, I crawl out and jump to my feet. Grabbing a spoon, I take a huge scoop of butter and launch it at Ford like a catapult. It hits him in the eye. Rion busts out laughing beside me but is quickly cut off when a pear hits him in the jaw.
Dante crashes through the door like a wrecking ball. “Are you serious right now?” he yells in a deep voice. All of us stop and turn toward him. None of the wolves dare throw anything at their beta, but I'm not one of them.
“Ari started it,” Ford states, pointing a finger across the table at me.
“Hey! Thanks for ratting me out!”
“I don't care who started it,” Dante growls, “but I know who's going to clean it up.”
Nope. He's not going to ruin this little bit of fun.
Very slowly, I reach for a pancake on the table then lob it at Dante. It lands on his head like a hat. There's no holding back my laughter. Everyone else joins in as Dante stands there with a pancake on his head. Syrup drips down from the edge of it and falls onto his nose. I lose it and laugh so hard I'm afraid I'm going to pee.
Aries enters, stepping up next to Dante, surveying the scene. Then he lifts his finger to swipe the syrup off his beta's nose. He licks the sweet liquid and says, “Mmm, blueberry.”
Dante turns with death in his eyes and blazes Aries on the spot, who in turn lifts the pancake and dips it into the remaining syrup on Dante's face. After taking a bite, he grins. If Aries wasn’t his alpha, I swear he'd throttle him on the spot, but he doesn't move.
Between clenched teeth, Dante asks, “Who's going to clean this mess up?”
Rion flicks a grape at him. It bounces off his cheek then lands on the table and rolls to the floor. Dante’s face is a lovely shade of red as he cuts his gaze to Rion.
“You better run, pup,” Dante growls then shifts into his grey wolf. Widening his stance, his eyes are only on Rion.
Rion shifts as well then takes off through the house. My eyes follow them as Dalia comes through the front door of the mansion, almost getting run over as Orion speeds past her. She doesn't have a chance to shut it before Dante follows suit.
“I'm not missing this,” Carter says, a second before he shifts as well.
Cash and Wake do the same. The three of them take off out of the mansion leaving Mom, Ford, Aries, and me.
“Whose idea was this?” Aries asks in a hard tone. If I weren't able to read his mind, I'd think he was serious, but he loves what just took place.
I raise my hand slowly and straighten my back, not for one second regretting what I initiated. “It was all me. But in my defense, Ford's attitude started it.”
“Hey!” he yells. “Way to throw me under the bus!”
Grabbing a can of whipped cream from the table, he sprays a large pile of it in his hand. There's no time for me to run. Ford teleports to my side and shoves the entire thing in my face. I'm not going to let him get away with it, though.
Wiping the fluffy cream from my eyes, and licking it from my lips, I spin on him. With the bottle of syrup I stole from the tab
le without him looking, I lift it over his head and rain the sweet, sticky liquid down all over him. He shakes his head in retaliation, causing syrup to go flying all over everyone, even Aries.
“You're lucky I love you, princess. No other paranormal would be able to get away with what you do,” Ford states with a smirk.
I wipe more whipped cream from my face and drag it down the front of his shirt with my hand. “The feeling is mutual, vampire.”
My mom is beside me, covered as much as I am. I love seeing the smile on her face.
Aries walks over to us and peers down at me, smiling. “Thank you, Ariane.”
“For what?”
“For bringing fun back into the pack. With all that's happened and what we're facing, sometimes it's necessary to blow off steam. I don't remember any time recently where a bunch of my wolves ran from the house, chasing one another in play. They needed this.”
He leans in to hug me, but then notices the mess I am with whipped cream on my face, oatmeal on my neck, syrup in my hair and on my shirt, and decides not to hug me. Instead, I grab him around the waist and wipe my face all over his shirt.
Pulling back, I glance up at him. He quirks an eyebrow in question.
“I didn't want you to feel left out. Now you're as dirty as the rest of us.”
26
We spent hours cleaning the room from top to bottom. There was food everywhere, including the ceiling. At least it was a joint effort. Everyone who was involved helped clean, plus Dante and Aries.
My mom offered to make dinner tonight for the pack. She said it's the least she can do for them putting us up in their home. Aries insisted she didn't have to and assured us we're part of the pack.
I won't be going back to school. It's too risky. Mom has me enrolled in homeschooling, though. At least this way I'll keep my education going so I can graduate on time. I texted Paige and Brayden to let them know I won't be returning. Ford was nice enough to teleport them to the mansion after school let out, where I got to explain to them face-to-face what happened. Paige cried with me. Bray wrapped us both in an embrace. My dad was a huge presence in Paige’s life since she spent so much time at my house.
The Somber Call (The Ariane Trilogy Book 2) Page 18
