Rising Sun (The Awakened Trilogy Book 3)

by Amanda Carol

  If she didn’t have brand new underwear and bras, I would have definitely gone home. But Abby always has extra clothes that she buys for “emergencies.”

  Once I’m showered, I get dressed in the clothes that Abby picked out, and I have to say that I’m impressed. I mean, she always makes sure I dress in my style. I put on the black tights, then the leather and fabric pleated skirt, followed by the long-sleeved green sweater. Then I use the air element to dry my hair and walk out from the bathroom and into Abby’s room.

  Dani is sitting on the bed talking to Abby when she spots me. “Wow. Hunter is going to flip when he sees you.”

  Abby flips her hair. “I do great work, but…” She pauses, walking over to her vanity, picking up eyeliner, mascara, and a pink lip gloss. “Put this on to the complete the look, and you, my friend, are ready to go.”

  I do as I’m told, then hand Abby back her makeup. “Thanks, Abs.”

  She shakes her head. “What would you do without me?”

  I laugh. “Wear a potato sack.”

  Abby gasps, and Dani laughs, linking her arm through Abby’s. I’m happy that they’re getting along, although it doesn’t surprise me. They both have hearts of gold, but they have also known loss. Dani grew from her experience, and she helped me grow from mine. She’s a wonderful human being that any person would be lucky to have in their life, and I’m really glad that I have her in mine.

  “The boys are waiting on us to start the movie,” Dani says as we all walk out of Abby’s room and downstairs.

  Zayne cat-calls. “Damn, Aria. Lookin’ good!”

  “I know, right? Be careful, Aria. We might just steal you away from Hunter.” Abby winks as she sits down on Zayne’s lap. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know what she’s referring to.

  “I don’t know about all that, Zayne. The last time a threesome was brought up in front of Hunter, he growled,” Kyler laughs, taking a sip of his beer. “Like, actually growled. I mean, he might as well have just stuck his leg up and—”

  “Kyler Christopher Lawson!” Dani shouts, playfully slapping Kyler on the arm.

  I have to hold in the laugh that’s bubbling up in my chest.

  “Okay, I’m leaving now! Enjoy your movie!” I wave, ignoring the rest of their comments and walking out the door.

  I open the link to Hunter. I’m on my way down to our bridge.

  Good, because I miss you. I know I told you to take your time, but it feels like forever since I’ve had you in my arms. And I’ve got a surprise for you, Hunter tells me.

  I close the link and hurry down to our spot.

  I bounce on the balls of my feet, anxiously waiting for Aria.

  I had Declan help me with the “twinkling lights,” as Aria calls them. I wanted to make this night as romantic as possible for her, because she deserves a proper date, especially after traveling to the Underworld to bring my soul back.

  As I stand here, it brings me back to what it was like being trapped inside my mind when my body was dying. I felt isolated and alone with my own thoughts. The longer I was in there, the more I felt dread running through my veins like poison, and the only antidote was Aria. It’s why my thoughts were consumed by her; she was what kept me alive. I close my eyes at the sound of footsteps approaching me from behind, and I just envisioned her walking toward me.

  “Hey, handsome.”

  The soft sound of her voice makes me smile, and I finally turn around. The picture in my mind never does her any justice. The soft glow from the light surrounds her as she crosses the bridge over to me.

  I beam at her. “Hey, beautiful.”

  She comes up to me and pulls me in for a kiss. Her lips part and her tongue darts out and swipes at my bottom lip. The soft, wet touch almost makes me forget why I’m even here instead of ripping her clothes off.

  Almost.

  I reluctantly pull back, resting my forehead against hers. “Dance with me.”

  “But there’s no music,” she whispers against my lips.

  I smile, kissing her once more before pulling away and going over to my backpack. I pull out the speaker that I used for when we first started training together. It feels like those days were a lifetime ago. We’ve both grown so much since then, as individuals and as a couple.

  “I found this song a few days ago, and I meant to share it with you on Christmas, but…well, you know.” I don’t want kill the mood, so I continue. “It reminded me of you. Of us.”

  I pull out my phone and hook it up to the speaker, clicking on the song “Hunger” by Ross Copperman, then gently set the speaker down on the ground. A smile forms on her lips as I walk back over to her and hold my hand out.

  She places her hand in mine, and I pull her to me, linking our fingers together and resting my free hand on her waist. I’m a terrible dancer, but I don’t care. I take a step forward, she takes one back, and we dance around the small space by the stream with the lights gleaming up above us.

  Aria closes her eyes for a moment, and when she opens them, her pale green irises are sparkling with unshed tears. I glance around us, and I realize she made it snow again.

  I spin her outward; her platinum blonde hair flows out around her as she turns. Then I pull her back to me and repeat the process of dancing and spinning her around. I grab her waist and lift her up as I slowly spin around, then gently set her back down on her feet and take the lead again. I twirl her out once more, and then when I pull her back to me, I dip her. I hold her there for a moment, and our gazes lock.

  Her eyes flick down to my lips as I lean down to kiss her. When she runs her fingers through my hair, I deepen the kiss. Cradling her head, I slowly stand back up; her arms wrap around my neck as I drop my hands to her waist.

  “You are the ember that ignites my flame,” I breathe. “Thank you for saving my life, and for being the leader my pack needed when I couldn’t be.”

  “Our pack,” she whispers.

  I pull back. Did she just say what I think she just said?

  “We’re in this together, Hunter. I never wanted to overstep my bounds when it came to the pack because I’m not a wolf. But after what we’ve been through these past few months, I realized that it wasn’t the pack who didn’t accept me as their leader. It was me. I never thought I could lead them. But after tonight, I realized just how stupid that way of thinking was. They’ve always thought of me as one of their own, and it’s time I stopped thinking of myself as an outsider. I’m not a shifter, but I am connected to the wolves, and I will fight for them and with them to the very end.” Aria cups my cheek as she looks deep into my eyes. “And I’ll do that standing right next to you.”

  She stands on her tiptoes and kisses me gently.

  “Aria Elizabeth,” I breathe against her lips. “You truly are the moon to my wolf.”

  I can feel her smile. “Always.”

  I lean in for another kiss.

  “Can we just…talk tonight?” she asks, looking up at me. “I really want to talk to you. About everything that happened down in the tunnel.”

  I nod. “Sure. As long as I’m with you, we can do whatever you want.”

  I’m glad she wants to talk about it. I can tell by the look in her eyes that whatever happened down there haunts her. And I’m relieved that she wants to get it out instead of just bottling it up inside like she used to.

  I pack up the speaker and grab my backpack, then lace my fingers in hers and lead us back to the cabin. As soon as we walk in the door, Aria goes upstairs to change while I make us some hot chocolate. When I come back into the living room from the kitchen, she’s sitting under a blanket on the sofa, rubbing her temples.

  “Headache?” I ask.

  She nods. “Yeah. I haven’t gotten one like this in a while. Not since before I could use the link.”

  I run upstairs to the bathroom and grab some ibuprofen, then quickly go back down and give it to her.

  “Want me to start a fire?” I ask.

  She nods as she takes the medi
cine.

  It’s been unseasonably cold around here lately. I wonder if that has something to do with what’s coming, but I try not to dwell on that too much.

  After I get the fire started, I take a seat on the couch next to her. She’s staring down at her mug, toying with the handle. We sit in silence for several beats before she lets out a loud breath.

  “I have no idea where to even start,” she says.

  “Start wherever you need to.” I grab her feet and pull them onto my lap, starting to rub them to help her relax.

  “When I was down in the tunnel, all I could think about was you and getting you home. Declan and Ciera told me that in the books he got her for Christmas, it talked about a creature called a Crocotta that lived in the tunnel to the Underworld. He said it could imitate human voices and even read minds. I’m glad he warned me about it, but nothing could have prepared me for what I heard. That Crocotta sounded exactly like you. It…” She trails off, looking away at the flames in the fireplace.

  I tilt my head. “It’s okay. You’re safe now. Finish telling me what happened.”

  Her gaze flicks to mine. “It sounded like you were being tortured. You were begging me to make it stop. The screams, the cries for help…it all seemed so real. Honestly, if it hadn’t been for Bennett, I probably would have been Crocotta chow. We couldn’t see a damn thing in that tunnel until that thing was dead. It imitated Bennett’s voice too, b-but the screams… I’ll never forget the screams.”

  She’s trembling as tears start to fall down her cheeks, so I reach over, take the mug from her hands, and set it on the coffee table. Then, I pull her into my lap, cradling her head on my chest.

  “It wasn’t real, baby. I’m fine. Nothing happened to me,” I soothe her as she cries softly.

  “I know, but it felt real. I guess that’s why they call it the tunnel of the senses. Everything was different down there. Sight, smell, sound, touch,” she explains.

  I just listen. I can’t even begin to understand what she went through, but I can tell it scared her just from the sound of her voice. Now that I think about it, even Bennett looked a little off earlier.

  “Bennett’s the one who got us in the door to the Underworld, though,” she continues. “A secret of the heart was the key, and he…he told me that he loved me.”

  I chuckle softly, and Aria sits up, getting off my lap and lifting a brow.

  “I totally thought that when I said that, you were going to growl and kick his ass, even though it’s not what you think—”

  I cut her off with a kiss.

  “I know,” I whisper.

  “How could you have known? It was his secret!” she all but shouts.

  I can’t help laughing. “I’ve known Benny for almost my whole life. What he’s like with you is how he is with Ciera. And I already knew he loves her. It wasn’t hard to put the pieces together. You have to understand, Bennett doesn’t let just anyone in. He doesn’t go out of his way for people he doesn’t truly care about. I mean, he wouldn’t leave an old woman in the middle of the street, but…” I pause, trying to find the right words. “I’ll put it to you this way. He wouldn’t have sat with just anyone down at that fire pit. Ciera and I are his family, and he thinks of you as such now too. So yeah, he does love you. In his weird Bennett way.”

  Aria laughs.

  “I mean, I can still go kick his ass if you want,” I joke.

  She playfully pushes me.

  “It wasn’t like that. I didn't want you to kick his ass, because that’s exactly what he told me too,” she says, crawling back onto my lap.

  I kiss her temple and allow her to continue to tell me all about her time with Hades in the Underworld. It infuriates me to find out that the dagger needed to kill Isabella was taken, but I’m relieved to find out that Ares took it back from Persephone. It makes me wonder if Isabella still thinks that it’s down there. And if she does, I think we just may have found a way to be one step ahead of her.

  I tell Aria about the meeting I’m having tomorrow morning with the other Alphas. It’s vital that we all work together and get on the same page. In order for us to succeed we all have to agree on one plan, and then have backup plans. Each Alpha has experienced different things, but only a few of us have taken on Isabella, so we can combine our knowledge.

  “After the meeting, can you come with me to visit my mom? I’d like for you to meet her,” Aria says, then yawns.

  I smile. “Of course. I’d love that. But let’s go get some sleep.”

  She nods, and we both get up from the couch.

  I start to head for the stairs, but then Aria cries out in pain. I spin around to find her clutching her head, and I catch her just as her knees buckle.

  “Aria! Baby! What’s wrong?” I yell, cupping both her cheeks, holding her body close to mine.

  A figure shimmers in right in front of us. Artemis reaches out, grabbing Aria’s hands and pulling them from her face.

  “What’s happening?” I ask hysterically. I thought this was over.

  Artemis ignores my question and tries to get Aria to calmly breathe in and out. But Aria ends up crying out in pain again, squeezing her eyes shut.

  “You have to let it in, Aria,” Artemis commands softly, then looks at me and smiles.

  I start to wonder why she’s smiling at a time like this, but then I feel a powerful force trying to get into my head. As much as I want to deny it, I can’t, and I open the link.

  Several of the Alphas’ voices filter in through my head, but there is only one that stands out.

  I can do this. Breathe, Aria. Just breathe.

  I stare at her, my eyes growing wide, and when I look at Artemis, she’s only smiling wider.

  Was that Aria? Am I the only one who heard that? Gunner asks.

  No, I definitely heard it too. It’s Oliver this time.

  One by one, we all start to figure out that we heard my girl at the same time.

  Everyone, shut the fuck up, I command.

  If what I think is happening right now is actually happening, then I don’t want to overwhelm her.

  “That’s it. Breathe and let it in,” Artemis coos, trying to hold Aria steady as she trembles in my arms.

  Aria takes in a few calming breaths, and then she stops shaking.

  “Open your eyes,” Artemis commands.

  Aria doesn’t open her eyes right away, but when she does, I’m stunned into silence.

  Her eyes are glowing a beautiful florescent green as they lock with mine.

  She inhales sharply.

  Um…hi, everyone? Aria says to all of us.

  I can’t help it. I laugh. That was really fucking cute.

  Goodnight, everyone. See you in the morning, I tell them, and close the link off.

  “What just happened?” I ask. “No, that’s not right. I know what just happened, but how did it happen?”

  Artemis stands. “Only one of the seven Alphas can use the link to communicate with the whole pack at a time. But because you have the power of the moonstone and have merged as one pack, the rules have changed. Aria’s demigod nature allows her to share in your power, making her able to communicate with the others, just like you. But it’s only with the other six Alphas. You two really are a force to be reckoned with.”

  Artemis shimmers out, and Aria and I are still sitting on the floor.

  “Wow,” Aria finally says.

  “Baby, your eyes are still glowing,” I say.

  She springs up out of my lap.

  “What?!” she shouts, running up the steps into the bathroom.

  I quickly follow after her and stand just in the doorway of the bathroom.

  “Holy shit…” She tilts her face from side to side, looking at her reflection. “Oh, my God! How do I turn it off?!”

  She spins to me, horror crossing her features, and she shoots me a dirty look when I laugh.

  “You need to relax,” I say calmly, walking over to her. “Close your eyes and take a deep breath. Think
of it like your magic. Summon it back into you.”

  That’s the best advice I can think of. I’ve always been a shifter, so it’s like second nature to me to get the glow under control.

  She closes her eyes and her brows furrow in concentration. When she opens them again a few moments later, the glow is finally gone. She turns to look at herself again, and I can visibly see the relief wash over her.

  “It’s cool and everything, but a little weird. I’m totally okay with opening up to people now, but I’m not sure I need people to see it. But now I know that I can control it,” she whispers, then turns back to me.

  “Oh, really?” I smirk, standing up straight and taking my shirt off.

  Aria sucks her bottom lip between her teeth, and…there it is.

  “I find that look very sexy on you,” I admit as her glowing green gaze checks out my abs.

  And it’s the damn truth, because they aren’t a bright neon green like the shifters with green eyes have. It’s a subtle glow, almost like when the sun shines in her eyes, only much more beautiful.

  And did I mention hot?

  She covers her eyes with her hands. “Damn it, Hunter!”

  “What? I was being serious.” I walk up toward her in the dark bathroom, my glowing blue eyes meeting her green. “I do find you incredibly sexy.”

  I lean down like I’m going to kiss her, but then I grab her legs, lifting her up into my arms. She squeals as she wraps her legs around my waist. Then I carry her to bed, and I begin to show her just how incredibly sexy I think she is.

  The alarm from my phone goes off, and I lazily reach to turn the damn thing off. Even after all this time, all the changes that I’ve been through, I’m still not a morning person. I roll over to curl up next to Hunter…only his side of the bed is empty.

  “Hunter!” I yell, panicked.

  I know he’s alive, but the part of my brain that knows that he’s alive is still asleep, so the other side panics.

  I feel the tug and open the link.

  I’m downstairs making coffee before the Alphas come over.