by Amanda Carol
He smiles wide at me, both dimples on display.
I can’t help it; I lean down and kiss them. “I’ve wanted to do that since I first saw them.”
He laughs. “I wouldn’t have stopped you.”
I giggle as Hunter gets up out of my bed and gets dressed. He gathers my clothes and hands them to me. I get dressed and take one last look around my old room, my old life, feeling so much lighter. I walk through the house, turning off the lights, and meet Hunter by the front door. We both step out into the night, and when I lock the front door, I say a silent goodbye. Saying goodbye isn’t easy, but it’s necessary, especially when grief is the one thing holding you back from moving forward. I lace my fingers in Hunter’s, and we leave my past behind us.
It’s around ten when we finally make it back to Dani and Zach’s house. The lights are on as we pull in the driveway. When we get out of the car, I tell Hunter to grab his guitar. We step through the front door, and everyone is sitting at the kitchen table playing a card game. I’m guessing it’s poker, based on the money sitting on the table.
“Welcome back. Did you have a nice trip?” Kyler asks when he sees us.
I flush as my eyes connect with Hunter’s, then I turn my attention back to Kyler.
I give him a small smile. “Yes.”
Zach smirks as he glances between me and Hunter.
“I just bet you did,” he says under his breath, but the whole table hears him.
“From the looks of that sorry pile of money sitting in front of you, I wouldn’t be placing any more bets.” I quirk a brow as he looks down at his pile.
That comment makes everyone in the room laugh. I mean, he would totally win that bet, but what he doesn’t know won’t hurt him.
“Anyway, mind if we go out back?” I ask when everyone calms down.
Dani glances down at Hunter’s guitar case. “Mind if we join you?”
I shake my head and we all make our way out back and sit around by the pool. Zach turns the pool light on and sits down on a lounge chair with Haylee between his legs. Kyler sits down in a chair and pulls Dani onto his lap. Hunter sits on the diving board and I take the seat next to him. He starts to play a-Ha’s “Take on Me.”
I use the water element, lifting tiny water droplets out of the water like I did last night. The girls have already seen it, but seeing the awe on the guys’ faces makes this moment more magical.
I sing while Hunter plays, and when I get to the chorus, Dani joins in. She’s got a beautiful voice and we sing the harmonies perfectly. The lyrics have a strong meaning for the both of us.
I glance over at Zach and Haylee. His hands are resting comfortably on her stomach, his chin on her shoulder as they watch us. I lean back against Hunter and rest my head on his shoulder as we close out the song. We play a few more before we call it a night and head into our respective bedrooms.
“There’s one more thing I need to do before we leave,” I say, cuddling up next to Hunter in the guest bed. “I need you to take me to say goodbye to my parents.”
When I wake up the next morning, I pull Aria closer to me. There are no words to describe how incredible last night was. She opened up to me about her past and finally let herself feel everything she’s been holding back. It damn near broke me when she collapsed in my arms. She let over three years’ worth of grief out, which was a huge step for her.
I’ve been trying to tell her I love her for weeks now, but for some reason, I always held back. It never felt like the right time, because she wasn’t in the right mindset to hear it. If I’m being honest with myself, I’ve been in love with her since she asked me if I was a good boy. It was in that moment, lying on the ground and laughing with her, that I knew she was it for me. Her laugh is magnetic; it draws me in, and I can’t ever hear enough of it. Her smile lights up my world and I’ve been fighting like hell to see it again. And, finally, it worked. The girl I love is back, and she trusts me enough to give herself to me: mind, body, and soul, as she so cleverly worded last night.
“I wish Declan was here. I mean, I'm glad you’re here, but he hasn’t been back either. I just always thought we would do this together.” Aria rolls over in my arms to face me.
I didn’t even know she was awake; she’s been so quiet.
“Declan and I decided to have a closed casket funeral. We were told by police that their bodies were too…” she trails off, casting her eyes down at the bed.
I grab her chin between my fingers and bring my lips to hers, trying to kiss away her pain. She pulls back and our eyes lock.
“We don’t have to do it today,” I reply, watching her face as she works it out in her head.
“No, it’s okay. I want to go.” She gets up from the bed and I watch as she grabs clothes from her suitcase. “I’m going to take a shower and get ready. But we should head back today after we’re done there. We’ve been gone too long, and the pack needs their Beta.”
Once Aria finishes in the bathroom, I take my shower and pack my Impala with our things. Dani gives me a container full of her cinnamon buns.
“You’re the best.” I give her a hug and say my goodbyes to everyone else.
“When this shit is over, you guys better come back to New Orleans,” I say to Zach and Kyler.
“You bet your ass we will.” Zach slaps a hand on my shoulder. “You guys stay safe out there.”
I nod my thanks just as Haylee and Aria walk out of the house. Aria is wearing a black dress and black Converse. Her hair is perfectly braided to the side; she looks absolutely stunning.
She says her goodbyes and exchanges numbers with Haylee and Dani. I overhear them tell her that if she needs anything or ever wants to talk, they are just a phone call or a text away.
My father doesn’t allow humans on the Compound because he doesn’t think they are loyal enough. But I disagree; I’ve met humans that are more loyal than some of the members of our pack. These guys here, not only are they taking care of each other, but they have kept our secret, and that, to me, makes them part of my pack.
We get in the car and I carefully place the container of sweets between us. With one last wave, we leave our human friends behind and drive toward the cemetery.
I pull my Impala into the cemetery lot and park it next to a sedan. I reach for Aria’s hand and bring it to my lips, and we just sit in silence for a few minutes. Then Aria inhales sharply and opens the car door. I meet her by the hood and wrap my arm around her shoulders, giving her all of my strength. As we approach the gates, there’s a platinum blonde man waiting with a bouquet of yellow roses in his hands and Aria freezes.
“Declan?” she breathes.
I let her go as she takes off running toward her brother. He cradles her head as she throws her arms around his neck. Before I handed the phone to Aria on that first night we stayed with Zach, Declan told me he was going to fly out and meet us at their old house, but his flight was delayed. He arrived late last night, so I texted him early this morning while Aria was in the shower to let him know she wanted to go to the cemetery. He told me that he would meet us there.
“I can’t believe you’re really here,” she cries into his neck.
“I wasn’t going to let you do this alone,” he whispers to her.
He gives me a “sorry” look, but I wave him off. He should be here to do this with her.
“Ready, little sister?” he asks as she pulls away.
She nods, and he grabs her hand and leads her into the cemetery. She stops and turns her body, holding her hand out to me. I don’t question it; she needs her brother, but she needs me too. I lace my fingers in hers and we make our way through the grassy terrain, past all the numerous headstones, until we come to a stop in front of beautiful marble stone underneath a willow tree.
We stand there, with Aria resting her head on Declan’s shoulder, her hand still in mine. Declan steps forward and places the flowers in the grass by the middle of the headstone. He kneels down on the ground, silently saying his goodbye. He scr
ubs a hand down his face, wiping away the tears, then takes his place next to Aria. The breeze is blowing, birds are chirping, and off in the distance, you can hear cars driving. The world continues on as Aria and Declan stand still, remembering the two most important people in their lives.
“I miss them so much,” Aria whispers, then starts sobbing.
I want to hold her and kiss the tears away. I hate that bastard Ronan for taking Aria’s parents away from her.
Being a shifter means taking risks, and sometimes those risks cost you your life. I’ve lost too many close friends in this world, but losing Axton hurt the most. I can’t imagine losing my parents, though. As much as I don’t like my asshole of a father, I do still love him and I’d still miss him if he ever passed away.
Declan sniffles as he pulls her to him. “Me too.”
He kisses the top of her head and looks over at me. He’s crying too. I go to pull away to give them a moment, but Aria’s grip on my hand tightens. After a few minutes, she lifts her head up from Declan’s shoulder, staring straight ahead, but still clutching both of our hands. She squares her shoulders and lifts her chin; tears are still slowly falling down her cheeks.
“There’s one thing about the night Isabella kidnapped me that you both should know. It’s what’s been giving me nightmares.” She doesn’t look at us as she speaks.
Declan and I take a step inward and face her.
“Isabella told me something right before I passed out. She told me there was a traitor on the Compound,” she continues.
What the fuck?
“Did she tell you a name?” Declan asks.
Aria nods.
I stare at her, and if it weren’t for the look on her face or how she’s been acting since we saved her, I’d have a hard time believing her. But I trust Aria with my life, and I know that she would never lie to me.
She pauses for so long that I start to think she’s not going to say who it is. Declan and I exchange a look, and then Aria’s tearful gaze locks with mine. One last tear slips free as she whispers a name.
“Luna.”
Declan and I take turns driving back to the Compound, no doubt breaking a few laws to do so. When Aria told us that Luna was the traitor, my first thought was to get back to my pack. We were rushing to the car when Declan told me she was still at the beach and wasn’t due back for a few days. We dropped his rental off and headed back to the bayou. The car ride is mostly quiet until we cross the border into Louisiana.
“What are we going to do about Luna?” Declan asks from the passenger seat.
Aria stays quiet in the back. Since Declan I were taking turns driving, Aria offered to sit in the back.
“I'm not the Alpha, so it’s not my call. My father is going to kick her out when he finds out, but I think we need to lock her up, see what else she knows,” I say, gripping the steering wheel.
My pack was put in danger, and the culprit was right under our noses. My gaze connects with Aria’s in the rear-view mirror. She and I will be having a chat later too. I need to understand why she kept this from me. But that needs to happen in private, not when her brother is in the same car.
“I agree with you. This isn’t like Luna. We’ve known her basically our whole lives. She used to pick us up from school on a Friday and take us to the beach and bring us back that Sunday night. When our dad had to go away on a business trip, she and Abby would come stay with us. Luna and our mom were best friends. But I guess we didn’t know her as well as we thought. What should we do about Abby?” Declan asks.
“Leave Abby out of it,” Aria chimes in sternly from the backseat.
Declan turns and looks at his sister. “What if Abby is working with her?”
“Abby doesn’t know anything,” she says flatly.
“How do you know?” I ask her.
“I’m trusting my instincts, remember? Abby is too kindhearted. Besides, you can’t fake a reaction like the one she had when we found Sloane. I’ve been putting the pieces together for weeks. Abby doesn’t know anything,” Aria explains.
Before I have time to ask her to elaborate, I turn into the Compound, kicking up dust as I speed down the driveway.
I open the link to Bennett. Grab Knox and meet me in the lot.
I close the link again, and when I pull into the lot, my headlights shine brightly on Knox and Bennett who are standing there waiting. I throw the car in park and the three of us get out of the car. I storm past them, leading the way to my parents’ house.
“Hunt, what’s going on?” Bennett asks, flanking me to my left, Knox to my right.
Declan and Aria fall back behind them.
“We need to have a chat with the Alpha,” I spit out. I rush up the steps and forcefully push the door open, scaring my mother.
“Hunter, sweetheart.” She glances around me. “What’s wrong?”
“Where’s the Alpha?” I ask, ignoring her question.
“He’s in his office…” she answers.
I storm down the hallway, bursting through his office door. Everyone else stays quiet behind me.
“The Compound has been compromised,” I say walking to stand in front of his desk.
Bennett and Knox curse under their breath behind me.
My father looks up. “Excuse me?”
“We have a traitor on the Compound. Someone we trusted our safety with.” I pause as he stands up from his chair, staring at me in disbelief.
He rises to his full height, looking me dead in the eyes.
“Sir, it’s Luna,” I say in answer to his unspoken demand.
“How did you acquire such information?” he asks.
“Me,” Aria answers, and I whirl around as she walks forward. “Isabella told me the night I was taken.”
My father walks around his desk and up to her. “And you’re just now telling us this? How am I not supposed to believe that you aren’t working with her, given that you’ve held onto this information for weeks?”
Aria squares her shoulders, standing a little taller. “Her betrayal to me and my brother is just as bad as her betrayal to the Compound, if not worse, because her target is us. Isabella already got what she needed from me. It’s Declan who she wants now, and she’s working with Luna to get to him.”
“A member of my pack was attacked and almost died, and another member was killed. Tell me how her betrayal to you is just as bad, as you and your brother are both living and breathing. Maybe if you would have opened that smart mouth of yours, Axton would still be alive,” my father growls at Aria, but she doesn’t back down.
Looks like my girl is back.
“I want you off the Compound,” he hisses through clenched teeth.
Then he puts his hands on her shoulders and she winces at how tight his grip is but doesn’t make a sound. My blood boils and I fight the urge to shift as I take two strides forward.
“Get. Your. Hands. Off. Her.” I grip my father’s arms and rip them off my girl and wedge myself in between them.
Bennett comes over and takes a stance next to me, and Knox takes the other side. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Declan taking a stand next to his sister.
“You will do well to remember your place, boy,” my father growls, glancing between the three of us.
“And you will do well to remember who the real culprit here is.” I glare at my father. “She goes, I go. And you know what?” I step up to him, our noses almost touching. “How many members of your pack do you think would follow me?”
His eyes widen at the threat. I nod my head back as I watch my father glare at me. A muscle ticks along his jaw, his eyes glow faintly.
“This girl’s got your balls in an iron vice,” he spits. “You are next in line to be Alpha, Hunter! Your loyalty to this pack needs to come first. But ever since she and her brother got here, you’ve been thinking with your dick instead of your brain.”
“It’s more like you’ve been looking for any excuse you can think of to get rid of them,” I spit back. “What is yo
ur problem with them? Really? And what is your problem with my relationship? You’re married to Mom, and somehow you still manage to lead this pack just fine.”
“My problem with them is that they’ve made you lose sight of what’s important!”
Actually, more and more, I’m thinking that he’s the one who’s lost sight of what’s important. He’s been so fixated on criticizing my relationship with Aria that he’s failed to notice how much she’s helped me and how much stronger I am with her. She’s not a liability; she’s my greatest asset.
“No, sir. I know exactly what’s important,” I grit out, taking a step back and reaching for Aria’s hand.
She laces her fingers with mine, and I turn to leave. Bennett, Knox, and Declan flank us.
“Luna is your problem now!” my father shouts just as we get to the door.
Good. I was counting on it.
After we left my parents’ place, I told Knox and Bennett to take Aria and Declan back to their cabin. I needed to be alone for a while.
I’ve fought with my father, but I’ve never threatened him before. I’m not sure why he let me have any control in this situation. It almost feels like he’s trying to set me up to fail. Like he’s using this pack’s safety to try to make a point to me. Again, talk about losing sight of what’s important.
I brought my Impala to my garage because working on it helps me think and I’m too wired to go to bed. I’ve just finished buffing out a scratch when I hear a knock on the garage frame.
“Bennett said you might be in here,” I hear my girl say.
I look over at her. She’s freshly showered, wearing a long-sleeved shirt and skinny jeans, hugging her curves in just the right places. She better not have walked over here by herself.
“Don’t worry. Benny walked me over.” She shoves her hands in her back pockets and walks further into the garage. “I’d ask if you’re okay, but I know you’re not. That fight with your dad was intense and I'm sorry for my part in it.” She tucks a strand of damp hair behind her ear. “I know you probably want to be alone right now, but I just wanted to thank you, for what you did in there.”