by Amanda Carol
I hear noises coming from the kitchen, so I head in that direction. When I walk around the corner, I find my mom mixing something in a bowl and my dad sitting at the counter watching her with a lovestruck look on his face. They met at a rock concert. My mom was one of those wolves that didn’t want to be in a pack. That is, until she met my father. And, well, they’ve been together ever since.
“I just don’t see why we can’t get one, Alexander,” my mom says, setting down the bowl and narrowing her eyes at him.
“What can’t you get?” I ask, startling my mom.
She places a hand over her chest and shoots me her best “mom” glare.
“Sweetheart, you know better than to sneak up on your mother like that!” she exclaims, coming over to hug me. She’s small, so she has to stand on her tip toes to wrap her arms around my neck.
“I was just telling your father I think we should get a pool. It would help with this Louisiana heat,” she tells me.
She walks back over to her bowl to start mixing again. Fuck yes. She’s making cookies. I don’t even need to ask because I know she’s making my favorite; chocolate chip. I’ve always had a real sensitive nose when it comes to my mom’s baking, especially her chocolate chip cookies. I can smell every time she starts baking them and I always come over to grab some. So, she makes an extra batch just for me. Looks like I came over just in time.
“I think that’s a great idea!” I step over to my mom and sneak a finger in the bowl. I manage to get one good scoop before she nudges me with her hip and slaps my hand away. I chuckle. “It would be nice not to have to drive over an hour to get to the beach when we want to cool off.”
“Not you too!” My father leans back in his chair in mock offense. “Alright, I’ll think about it.”
My mom and I both turn to each other with huge grins on our faces. We both know that “I’ll think about it” means yes. Especially when it’s Mom asking. If I would have asked, I would have gotten a no.
Whenever Mom’s around, my father’s cool. But when she’s not around… Well, my father and I always clash. Mom eases the tension between us. Growing up, I always tried to please my father, but it never seemed to be good enough. Honestly, it still doesn’t seem like anything I do is good enough for him.
“Alright, I know my baking isn’t the reason why you stopped by. So out with it.” Mom waves me on while she continues to put spoonfuls of cookie dough on the sheet.
Here we go.
“There was an accident tonight at Zayne and Declan’s training,” I start to tell them.
Both pause and look up at me.
“Were fireballs involved?” my father asks, then shakes his head. “Never mind. Don’t tell me because I already know. Please go on.”
He leans back in his chair again and crosses his arms over his chest. My father knows all about the fireballs and how much trouble Zayne, Bennett, and I used to get into as kids. He was always bailing us out of trouble. I think that’s why he started to become harder on me than anyone else, which led to my rebellious phase and that infamous dumpster incident.
My father and I got into it bad one night. He told me that he wished Knox were his son because he would make a better Beta and that I wasn’t obeying every rule he had. Which I was. Sort of. I just wasn’t obeying every rule. I was seventeen, for fuck’s sake, and Knox was older.
Don’t get me wrong, Knox is amazing. He’s strong and can make the difficult decisions. Me? I try and save everyone, and I don’t always agree with the Alpha. Case in point: that night in the cemetery when Bennett and I met Aria and Declan.
Anyway, that night, I met up with Bennett and Zayne and we went out on Bourbon Street and got shit-faced. Yeah, we were too young to drink, but we looked older. We also knew which bars carded and which ones didn’t. I was so angry that I didn’t care about anything other than getting drunk and forgetting about everything.
We managed to stumble down some alley where we saw a dumpster, and at that moment, I just wanted to watch the world burn. So, I told Zayne to “light that bitch up.” We were there a little too long and the cops showed up. Luckily for us, my father is good friends with the sheriff, who is aware of what we are. Needless to say, we were up shit’s creek without a paddle and Zayne was told he couldn’t use fireballs anymore. Not that it stopped him, as is clearly evidenced by what happened tonight.
“Right, so, long story short, Declan got the power to heal from Apollo. Ciera had gotten burned during Declan’s training session with Z. We were in the medical room when Declan just...healed her. Of course, Kora saw it. Not the actual healing part, just afterward. She didn’t handle it very well,” I explain as Mom scoops the last of the dough on the cookie sheet and puts the tray in the oven.
She turns back and places a hand on the counter. “Well I’m glad Ciera is okay. I’m more worried about Kora. Poor woman is probably on her second scotch by now. But it doesn’t surprise me that Declan has the power to heal. Healing and the power of premonition were Apollo’s biggest powers. So, it was one of the two. Luna had also explained that they could get skills from them, too. Apollo was also the god of creativity among other things.” She grabs a kitchen towel from the drawer and starts cleaning up.
That makes sense. Aria did mention that Declan can play the guitar. I vaguely wonder why Luna left that out at the meeting. I guess it was just because there were other, more important, things to discuss.
“I know, but I’m here about Aria,” I mumble, and for the first time ever, I think I blush.
I look away from my mother’s knowing glare and run my hands through my hair. It’s a nervous tic. I glance back up at my mother, who’s looking at me curiously. I try and act as unaffected as I can, but I see my mom purse her lips, then tip her head back slightly. Out of all the people in my life, my mom knows me better than anyone.
“What about Aria? Has she gotten her power yet?” My father finally speaks.
“No, that’s why I’m here. Apparently, archery was a skill that Artemis had. I was wondering if I could work with her. Maybe getting her to use it will trigger something. That’s what happened tonight with Declan. Wanting to help Ciera must have triggered his power.” I shrug, trying not to give my mom more than what she already suspects.
I’d be lying if I told them that was the only reason as to why I wanted to show her, but I think my mom sees right through me anyway. I'm such a momma’s boy.
She shakes her head and pats my shoulder. “I think it’s a great idea. Don’t you think so, honey?”
My father looks at her, then at me, trying to figure out what was going on. He doesn’t seem to get it, though. Which I'm happy about, because the last thing I want to do is have another conversation about where my focus should be and how I should be more like Knox.
“I think it’s a good start. Let’s talk to Knox in the morning and work out some training time. He told me about training today,” he remarks.
I freeze, hoping that he left out the part where I kind of lost it in the room. I’m known to be a little short-tempered. Luckily, my father continues without missing a beat.
“They both did well. Declan was quick and calculating, and Aria was a bit slower, but still, she succeeded. Sloane is a tough opponent. However, they still have much to learn.”
I disagree with him about Aria. She was amazing considering who she was up against, and I’ve seen her fight a vampire before. But I know there’s no use in arguing with him.
“Alright, cool. I’ll talk to Knox in the morning then,” I tell him, keeping my face blank.
“That all, son?” my father asks, leaning forward on the counter.
I control the urge to roll my eyes. Just like that, I’m dismissed like everyone else.
“Yes, sir,” I bite out, clenching my jaw so tightly the muscle starts to tick.
My mom eases the tension like she always does by handing me a plastic container filled with cookies. I take it from her as she walks me to the door.
“Thanks, Mom. For the cookies.�
� I hold up the container.
“No need to thank me, my dear boy. Just come by more often, okay? Your momma misses you.” She reaches out and fluffs my hair as she always does. “And cut your hair, Hunter Alexander!”
“No fucking way in hell, Mom,” I joke and duck as she tries to smack me.
“You watch your language! You’re an adult now, but that doesn’t mean I can’t still ground you!” she laughs.
I leap down the steps and I turn just as I hit the bottom.
“Have fun training Aria.” She winks, and I knew it. I can’t hide anything from her.
I grin. “Goodnight, Mom! Love you!”
“Yeah, yeah, I know. Love you too. And tell the twins I will work on getting them a cabin soon,” she says and shuts the door.
I open the container and pull out a cookie. God damn, it’s so good. I manage to eat half the container before I get back to my cabin, and it’s less than a five-minute walk. I set the cookies on my counter before heading upstairs to take a quick shower. When I emerge, I throw on a pair of boxers and face-plant onto my king-sized bed.
It’s missing one thing, though. Or, should I say, one person. I close my eyes and dream of a certain green-eyed blonde.
I wake up the next morning feeling excited about what the day will bring. I’m hoping that Hunter was able to convince his dad to let us work with the bow and arrow. I’m so excited that I’m actually up before Declan, who is still asleep on the couch in the living room. I shower and change into my workout clothes, toss my hair into a ponytail, and quietly make my way downstairs. Careful not to wake my brother up, although the thought is tempting, I make my way into the kitchen for my favorite thing in the world. Coffee.
“Someone’s in a good mood this morning.”
I jump, spinning around to find Declan standing in the doorway in his gym shorts and t-shirt, his hair sticking up in different directions. It’s a sight to see, honestly.
“Wouldn’t have anything to do with a certain blue-eyed wolf, now, would it?” he smirks.
“No,” I lie.
“Bullshit.” Declan makes his way into the kitchen, opening cabinets until he finds the mugs. He grabs two and sets them down on the counter next to the pot. “I’ve seen the way you two look at each other. He seems like a good guy, Aria. You should go for it.”
I scowl at him. “Why is everyone so interested in my love life all of a sudden?”
Declan gives me a pointed glare. “Do you really want me to answer that? I mean, you two make googly eyes at each other, and I swear your face lights up every time he enters the room. Not to mention he looks at you like he wants to—”
“Okay, I get it, enough.” I giggle, leaning up against the counter.
I do feel a strong connection with Hunter. It’s just, I haven’t been with anyone in a long time, so it feels like all new territory.
When the coffee is ready, he pours himself a cup, adding cream and sugar. He turns his back to the counter, his fingers tapping on the mug.
“Honestly, I think we should stay here for a while.” He glances over at me, his face serious.
“And that doesn’t have anything to do with a certain female?” I cross my arms over my chest as he shoots me a look. “Wow. I’m guessing you’ve thought about something serious with Ciera then?”
He smiles. “It’s only been a few days, but yeah. I really like this girl. She’s smart, funny, caring, beautiful—”
“An angel,” I mimic his words exactly like he did on the night we arrived.
He gives me another pointed look. “Cute, Aria, but yes she is. Plus, it’s nice that she knows our secret and what’s out there. It makes it easier to be with her, you know? I don’t have to hide who I am.”
He looks down at his mug, and the sadness that creeps over his features tugs on my heartstrings.
“See, I told you one day a girl would walk into your life and change it.” I grin as I nudge his shoulder, trying to cheer him up a bit.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah, spare me the ‘I told you so,’ okay, little sis?” He sets his mug on the counter as he turns to face me, placing his hands on my shoulders. “For the first time, in a very long time Aria, I’m happy. And I think you deserve some happiness too. Don’t think I don’t know part of the reason why you ran almost every night was to make sure I got what I wanted. Yeah, sex made happy, but not like this. This is different.” He pauses. “Let Hunter in.”
He kisses my forehead before picking up his mug and leaving me alone in the kitchen. I stand there staring after him.
He totally just called me out on my shit.
Maybe he’s right. Maybe I should try and let someone in.
After Declan gets ready, we head over to the barn to start training. I have an unusual pep in my step this morning. When we walk through the training room doors, I immediately spot Hunter, who is talking with Knox. As if sensing my presence, Hunter’s gaze flicks to me, and when our eyes meet, his lips tip up into a smile. Knox must notice that Hunter is distracted because he turns and spots Declan and I standing just inside the door. Knox rolls his eyes playfully before they make their way over to us.
Knox looks between Declan and I. “Good morning. You’re both here a little early. Training isn’t supposed to begin for another fifteen minutes.”
I shrug, trying to hide my eagerness to get started. “What can I say? The early bird catches the worm and all that jazz.”
Declan snorts next to me and I shoot him a glare. Although, even to my own ears, that was kind of funny. I hardly ever show up on time, let alone early, to anything if it’s in the morning.
“Right,” he drawls, amusement flickering across his face. “How are you feeling today, Aria?”
“Never better,” I reply truthfully. With the amulet off, I healed much faster than usual.
He smiles, but it doesn’t reach his eyes. “That’s good to hear. Aria, look, I’m sorry about pairing you up with Sloane.”
“No need to apologize. Yeah, it was a tough fight and she’s one hell of a fighter. But I’ve been in tougher situations. In the end, I still kicked ass, though.”
I grin, but my gaze drifts over to Hunter, whose blue eyes start to glow faintly. A muscle in his jaw ticks, he blinks, and his eyes are back to normal. I frown, remembering how pissed off he was yesterday.
“Anyway, it’s fine.” I look back at Knox, giving him a small smile.
“Both of you are strong fighters. But let’s get to the point, shall we? Aria, I’ve made some changes to your training schedule. You’ll be training with Hunter from now on. We discussed it this morning and I think it would be best if you continue training just one on one, so he can show you how to properly use a bow and arrow,” Knox explains.
I can’t help the growing excitement. I get to practice with a new weapon. I resist the urge to jump up and down.
“When do we start?” I ask.
“Today.” It’s Hunter who answers, and I can’t help but admire his dimples again. “Ready?”
I grin up at him. “Absolutely.”
“Okay, wait here. I’m going to grab a few things, then we can get out of here and get started.” Hunter turns to leave before I can say anything more.
“If you’ll excuse me.” Knox nods, leaving us to walk back up to the front of the room and pick up a clipboard.
“Well, that’s perfect. You must be thrilled,” Declan says from next to me.
The door opens behind us. Bennett walks in and wraps his arms around our shoulders, popping his head in the middle.
“Thrilled about what?” he asks looking from me to Declan.
“Nothing,” I say, avoiding his gaze.
“She’s thrilled about getting one-on-one time with Hunter,” Declan tells him.
I glare at him.
“Am not,” I lie again. Man, at this rate I wouldn’t be surprised if my nose started to grow.
“Sure you’re not, Blondie. All we have to do is say ‘Hunter’ and your face lights up like fireworks on the
fourth of July,” Bennett teases and, on cue, I flush. “See, there it goes. You like him, he likes you. Just go for it.”
He lets go of us and looks up.
“Ah, speak of the wolf. Hey, Hunter.” He emphasizes the name as Hunter approaches us.
He’s got a backpack, a bow and a case full of arrows. He shifts the case of arrows to the hand holding the bow and they do the “bro handshake” thing.
“Well, Dec and I must be off to train and shit. You two lovebirds have fun. Make good choices,” Bennett loops his arm around Declan’s neck, pulling him away from us.
I can hear them trying hide their laughter, and I glare at the back of their heads. Hunter clears his throat, grabbing my attention.
“Right. So, let’s get to it.” He walks past me and holds the door open. “Ladies first.”
“Such a gentleman.” I smile up at him as I walk out the door.
He winks. “My momma taught me well.”
We descend the steps of the barn. The sun is bright and beaming down on us now. Should have worn sunscreen.
“How come we aren’t training in there?” I ask as we get further along the path that leads to the woods. I realize we are headed for the clearing I was at last night with Kat.
“Well, we’re going to start practicing with the bow today and we don’t have space in the training room for that,” Hunter explains.
“Meaning you’re afraid I might take someone’s eye out?” I joke.
He chuckles softly. “Yeah, something like that.”
We finally reach the clearing and he sets the case of arrows and bow down, then reaches for the back pack. He places everything neatly by a boulder.
“So, coach, what are we starting with?” I ask, stretching my arms.
I lift them over my head to stretch my back and I feel my tank top lift slightly. Hunter’s eyes start to glow faintly as they slowly trail down my body before narrowing in on the tiny sliver of skin showing. Desire pools deep within my belly, causing me to press my legs together. He’s making me feel things that I wasn’t sure I was capable of feeling anymore.
He shakes his head and clears his throat again. “I figured we could warm up for a bit and then we can go over your blocking technique.”
