The Somber Call (The Ariane Trilogy Book 2)

by Michelle Dare

  Entering our room, Rion closes the door then takes my coat. I'm dry, but my body is shaking from chills. From the dresser, he pulls out one of his sweatshirts and slips it over my head. It's easily three sizes too big, but it smells like him and causes me to relax slightly. He tugs me toward a couch he had brought up here and placed under the window. I'm not sure where he got it, but it's a good spot to sit and look outside as the rain falls, and the sky continues to darken as night settles over us.

  We nestle together on it, his chest to my back as we both stare outside. He doesn't say anything; no words would do right now. Nothing can ease the pain in me. Not today. It's the last day I'm giving myself to be sad. Tomorrow, after Mom and I go to the bank, starts a new journey. We're driving to Travis' brother's pack, and we're going to find a way to sway them to our side. How? I have no idea, but we have to try. The element of surprise during battle will be sure to trip Travis up, though.

  I have no false ideas that lives won't be lost when the war finally happens. I'll lose people I care about. I've come to terms with that. But what I won't do is sit and let it happen without fighting. If I can sway enough to our side, we could win this. And by winning it, the Avynwood Pack would take control of the state. The shifter territory would be theirs. There are no other large packs that live here. No foxes, bears, or cats. There are small families scattered about, and there's the Avynwood Forest, but that's it. If we win, we can restore peace. Shifters and other paranormals can come and go as they please, without worrying Travis or one of his pack will hunt them down when they step outside of the forest.

  Lealla isn't a fighter. Her pack on the whole is not out there to be warriors. Yes, they know how to fight and do so well, but their goal isn't to scare everyone so they can rule the state with an iron grip. They want freedom for all shifters. They want the entire state to function as a refuge for paranormals, not just the forest. Getting rid of Travis and all the evil that comes with him and his pack will do just that.

  Turning on my side, I press my cheek to Rion's chest, listening to the steady thump of his heart. Mine beats in tandem with his—two hearts, one bond—strengthening all the time. It soothes me to hear it. With every beat, I have the assurance that the man I love is here and alive. He's by my side for another day. Nothing is guaranteed, especially in this life I've entered into with the pack. Every day I'm going to cherish what we have. I'm going to love him with my whole heart. Never do I want him to doubt how I feel for him. For he is mine and I am his. Together, we’re whole, and that's the way I always want us to be.

  28

  Luckily, the rain has passed, and the sky is clear for the drive north. It’s early in the morning. Okay, early for me. I had to get up at a reasonable time to go to the bank with Mom.

  Rion and I only packed a small bag each since we don't plan on being gone long.

  “Are you sure you don't want me to come?” Ford asks before I get in the Jag.

  “I'm sure.”

  “I could teleport along the way. You won’t even know I’m there.”

  He's worried about me. So is Mom. I need this, though. Need to get away for a bit. Need some alone time with Rion.

  Instead of responding to him, I reach around his waist and pull him in for a hug. “I'll be okay.”

  His arms wrap around me, holding me close without squeezing me too hard. “If history is any indication...”

  I smack him gently on the back. “Knock it off.”

  “Just looking out for you, princess.”

  Peering up at him, I say, “I know. And I love you for it.” Standing on my tiptoes, I press a kiss to his cheek. “We'll be back before you know it.”

  Aries sent scouts out toward Travis' property, and the wolves here have been monitoring things closely. We shouldn't have trouble with anyone following us. I doubt Travis thinks we'd drive anywhere, given that I can teleport. Also, us visiting his brother is probably the last thing that would occur to him.

  Rion walks around to my side. “Are you ready?”

  “Yeah,” I nod. I said goodbye to my mom earlier. Cassandra came by and said she'd keep my mom busy while we're gone. I promised to text often, and Ford will know by our connection if something’s wrong. He told me he'd stay near Mom, keeping watch.

  Ford gives me one last hug as his thoughts float to me. He thinks it's a bad move for us to go, but he also understands that having Travis' brother on our side would be a good thing. He hates the idea of us driving, however. I could have spent time trying to explain why I'm doing it this way, but I honestly don't want to. If he can't see how badly I need a break, then I doubt explaining it will do any good.

  I give him a small smile before sinking into the soft leather of Rion's Jaguar. Leaning my head on the back of the seat, I buckle the seat belt and try to forget everything for a bit. I want to have some time just for us. No talking of death or war. No speaking about what's going to happen next or who else we can recruit. For this drive, I only want it to be about us.

  Rion slips in beside me and starts the engine. The low hum of the Jag vibrates beneath me. Once he has the car in drive, Rion takes my hand in his, threading our fingers together. Our connection flares to life, reminding me how special we are together—how fate joined us.

  He asked me no less than ten times today if I'm sure about driving to Pennsylvania. The nerves coursing through him are so palpable, they could be my own. But there's this quiet calm over me. Mom is safe at the mansion. Ford is safe with her, not that I really have to worry about him since he’s immortal and all that, but I still do. Wake is on patrol at Paige's house and school. He's going to rotate with Carter and Cash. They are watching over Bray as well. Paige and Brayden aren't aware of their security detail, however. There was concern that if they did, they'd draw unnecessary attention to the wolves. This way, they go about their days, while I rest easy knowing my friends are safe. And Rion is with me. He'd die to protect me and I'd do the same for him.

  When we reach Interstate 95, Rion puts the cruise control on. We have no reason to speed and aren't in a huge rush. This way, it hopefully keeps us away from the police while allowing us to make decent time. There are no plans to stop along the way, outside of bathroom breaks and to get food. Though, the idea of eating fast food in this gorgeous car has me cringing.

  “It's just a car,” Rion says, chuckling, reading my mind.

  “To you, maybe. To me, it's a very expensive piece of moving art. You don't see people in museums eating a burger, letting ketchup drip on the sculptures.”

  “There is no relation between the two. One is a car; the other is a priceless work of art.”

  “This car costs more than some people make in a year.” Money isn't something that matters much to those who have it in spades.

  “Would you be happy if I traded it in and bought a minivan?”

  “Will you buy a pair of dad jeans and tuck your shirt into them, too? Maybe put on a pair of socks that go up to your knees then wear sandals over them?”

  He glances my way, smiling. “I'll do whatever makes you desire me.”

  “Dad jeans aren't the way to do it.”

  He laughs. “It’s still just a car. I'm glad we're doing this, though. And not because we have to or we need them on our side. We do, but it's more than that. I like having you all to myself. No Ford or Wake. No Paige or Brayden. Only us.”

  Lifting myself out of the seat a little, I lean over and kiss him on the cheek. “Me, too.”

  We spend the next couple of hours talking and getting to know each other. We both rushed into this relationship without taking the time to learn about the other. What we like and don't like. What we enjoy doing outside of all this paranormal stuff. Although, I don’t feel like he’s a mystery to me. With our connection and how I can hear and feel him, I know him deep in my soul, but what we talk about is more than that. It’s about finding out what his parents were like, and what he remembers of them. Our favorite foods and what we like to watch on television.

&
nbsp; This is what we needed. I didn't realize it wasn't only me who could use the break. So much has happened since I met Rion, and I haven't been thinking of him and what it's doing to his life. Not only was mine completely changed, but I'm his mate, and everything in his world tilted as well. He puts me first now, never himself; and I need to remember that. I need to take care of him, too.

  “When's your birthday?” he asks. That's a good question. Something we should know about the other.

  “December fourteenth. When's yours?”

  “July ninth.”

  “We'll have to do something fun for your birthday.”

  He shakes his head. “No, thank you. I'm not big on celebrating it. When you know you could live up to a thousand years, celebrating birthdays becomes pointless.”

  “What do you mean could? You’re going to live that long.”

  “You don't know what's going to happen. Not now and not in the future. Our lives aren't guaranteed. Especially with this war coming up.”

  “Don't say that. I don't want to hear you speak of dying. That's not acceptable.”

  His hand squeezes mine. “It's the life we live, unfortunately. You know as well as I do how everything can change in an instant. But what I won't do is take a second of this life I have with you for granted. Every day I wake up and thank fate we're together. That you're safe in my arms and love me as much as I do you. Do you know how afraid I was that you wouldn't accept me when you found out what I was?”

  I turn to him. “No, but I can understand it. Not everyone is going to take seeing a human shift into a huge wolf well.”

  “No, they aren't. I thought you were going to leave me in that clearing.” He chuckles.

  “I thought I needed medical intervention.”

  “We’ve talked about this a lot, but after everything, would you go back and change it so we never met?” Do I have regrets? Obviously. Do I wish I could change things so my dad and Cace were alive? Of course. But with that bad, there was also good. I have Rion. Wake has been reunited with the pack. Plus, given everything I know now, I think I would have been dragged into this world one way or another.

  I shake my head. “No, because I have you and everyone else. And I think that even if we hadn't met, my dad might have died. Travis probably had it out for him for a while and took his chance on getting rid of my dad now, before he went into the protection of the pack. Also, wondering what might have been different won't do me any good. I lost him. And Cace. I almost lost you and Bray. Wake could have starved himself to death. Me wishing things were different won't make it so. I need to face what happened and learn to live with the consequences of my actions.” Rion opens his mouth, but I put my hand up. “I know it isn't all on me. A part of it is, however. It's why I'm doing this—going with you to Pennsylvania. Recruiting more to our side. Travis can't win.”

  “He won't, Ari. We'll take care of him and the rest of his pack. If they want a fight, we'll give them one. This has been a long time coming. Aries might have gotten revenge for the death of my parents, but I never have. I'd love to have the chance to rip Travis apart and watch him bleed out in front of me. He doesn't deserve to live. This has to end, and the only way for that to happen is to remove him from the world.”

  He's right. This won't stop until Travis is dead. We have to take down those in the pack who wish to do us harm, as well as those who’ve sided with him. If we don't, none of this will stop. Travis will keep growing his pack and killing those who get in his way. If he wins, he'll have the entire state under his command. I shudder to think what will happen to the Avynwood Forest, or Lealla. All she's done for the paranormals and the other packs she houses. Plus, she's human. She needs to be well guarded. Same with my mom.

  “There's a room in the basement at the house made of concrete. When the war happens, all the humans in the house will be moved there, including Paige and Brayden. We can't take a chance on Travis going after them.”

  “What if Travis wins?” I ask. “What will happen to them?”

  “There will be a vampire with them who can teleport them out and to a safe place far away,” Rion states. “I have no interest in letting Travis win. We're doing this as a pack, and we're going to give it everything we have. Mages, vampires, other shifters. I even know a few fae who are coming as well.”

  “What if Travis’ brother won't agree to join our side?”

  “Then we fight with who we have. Nothing will change. The goal is still the same.”

  29

  For the most part, the drive is boring. Not being in the car with Rion but watching other cars, the road, the scenery. Hours in the car—a little car where there isn't much room to stretch. We stop when needed, but we don't spend a lot of time at any one location.

  Eventually, we make our way to eastern Pennsylvania. The mountains in front of us begin to grow. The temperature is cooler here than it was in North Carolina, dropping more the farther north we travel. We exit Route 33 north in Belfast. I still have no clue where we are; I’m only reading signs. The road we’re on winds us around as the GPS tells us where to go. Finally, we arrive at our destination. Except, I'm not sure what we're doing in the middle of the woods where others are hiking.

  “Where are we again?” I ask.

  “Jacobsburg State Park. This is where the Quivakond Pack lives.”

  “Where people are walking along trails with their children?”

  He smiles. “No, they’re deep in the forest. Aries gave me a hand-drawn map of how to find them. A mage put a ward up around the area they reside in. Should anyone stumble upon their home, they wouldn't be seen. There are no trails near them, only a creek. It won't be easy for us to walk it, though.”

  Glancing down at my well-loved sneakers, I know they'll do fine. Besides, I can always teleport through the forest if I need to.

  “Once we reach the trail and venture off it toward their home, I'm going to hand you the map and shift,” he says. “I can scent them better that way.”

  “Won't they perceive you as a threat?”

  “They will regardless of what form I'm in. Not many know about them.”

  “How does Aries?” I ask.

  “When Aries was alone, before he met Lealla, he traveled through here. The pack was welcoming to him and allowed him to stay the night to rest.”

  “Hopefully, they're nice to us as well.”

  “Only one way to find out,” he winks before exiting the car. Here goes nothing.

  Stepping out of the Jag, I'm immediately hit with cool air. It's April, but you wouldn't know it up here. There's a definite chill to the air that has me shivering as the wind blows through.

  Rion opens up the cargo area of the car and pulls out a sweatshirt. At least one of us thought to pack something warm. I was under the illusion that if it were warm at home, it would be warm here. Boy, was I wrong. At least there’s no snow on the ground, and I don’t need a full winter coat.

  “Once we start moving, you'll warm up,” he tells me.

  Glancing around at the people coming and going, I notice them in T-shirts and even a few in shorts. Are they insane? It's freezing. No way would I wear shorts.

  Rion leans toward me. “They're used to this weather. This is probably warm to them.” He has a point.

  We take our time walking along one of the trails behind a few other people. As we walk deeper into the forest, Rion slows me down as we begin to put distance between them and us. Fortunately, there's no one behind us. When they’re completely out of sight, we venture off the trail.

  The beginning of plants coming back to life surrounds us as we step over fallen trees and our feet crunch on sticks. The various trees looming high above us allow light to filter onto the ground, giving the vegetation some much needed sun. With the trees not in full bloom yet, there isn't as much cover as we need. We keep walking until we're far from the trail.

  Rion stops and hands me the map. “I'm going to shift. Wolves are going to come at us, Ari. They are going to warn us to
stay away. But I need to be able to protect you, and I can do that better in wolf form. You'll have to talk to them. Tell them who we are and why we've come. Get them to understand why we need to see their alpha.” Well, that doesn’t sound hard at all. How am I going to get wolves to listen to me when we’re on their property? I’ll have to say something to convince them.

  “I'll do my best,” I mutter, with zero confidence in myself.

  He nods then places a quick kiss on my lips. In the blink of an eye, he's a gorgeous black wolf with white-tipped ears. I run my hand down his back, loving the way his fur feels.

  He glances up at me.

  “Let's go,” I tell him. “No time like the present.”

  Orion leads us through the forest. I look down at the map but still have no clue where I’m going. At least Orion’s wolf has a good sense of smell. He’s leading the way.

  We walk for quite a bit. I'm half wondering if this forest is never-ending or if we'll just appear on the road at some point. We begin to follow a stream and wind along with it through the trees. Every curve, every ripple it makes over rocks, I watch as we go. The only sounds in the forest are my feet crunching on sticks and old, dead leaves. Somehow, and I honestly have no clue how, Orion's movements are almost soundless. If I stop, I can barely make out his imperceptible steps as he half walks, half runs ahead of me.

  Then he pauses. Quickly, I rush up behind him, wanting to be close in case someone jumps out.

  “There's a wolf up ahead. They've caught my scent and are approaching,” he says in my mind.

  I don't have time to reply, because a second before I speak, the wolf comes into view. His legs are tan and white, as is most of his body. He has black over his face and around his ear. Along his back is a strip of black that continues to the tip of his tail. What a different combination of colors, but they work so well together. He’s gorgeous. He stops when he's about ten feet from us. Rion leans into me, wanting me to speak.

  “Hi,” I start. “I'm Ariane, and this is Orion. We're here from the Avynwood Pack in North Carolina.” Seriously, what does someone say to a wolf so they don’t lunge and bite them? This is one of the oddest conversations I've ever had.