The Somber Call (The Ariane Trilogy Book 2)

by Michelle Dare

I have Ford to thank for my ability to teleport and his mom for my ability to heal rapidly and read minds.

  “I didn't want Orion to know where you were going,” he says, rubbing his thumb over my hand before releasing it.

  “He'll know. We're connected, remember?”

  “I keep forgetting. Oh, well. It will take him a bit to run out here.”

  “I'm not sure he's going to.” I rub the center of my chest where he resides in my heart. I can feel him as if he were standing before me. “He's still outside my house.”

  A guy with messy, dark brown hair and sad brown eyes steps into the room. His feet are bare and his shorts and T-shirt are wrinkled. “Ari?” he asks and rubs his eyes. He must have just woken up.

  I don't hesitate to run toward him, throwing myself into his arms. The tears come freely as I soak in his warmth and comfort. He holds on to me as tightly as I do him.

  Wake was nowhere to be seen when I got back to Rion's that night. I asked about him a couple of times, but Rion just clenched his jaw and clammed up. Ford didn't tell me he was living with him.

  “He had to stay somewhere,” Ford says behind me, reading my mind. “I couldn't let him wander around the forest again.”

  “I didn't know what happened to you or if you were okay,” I tell Wake.

  He leans back but keeps his hands on my arms. “I had to shift a lot to heal.”

  “Thank you for going to Aries and the pack. You saved everyone. Without you…” I shiver as a chill races up my spine.

  “Ari,” he says, drawing my gaze to his, “it wasn't your fault.”

  I look away. “You weren't there.”

  Using his finger, he gently pulls my chin back. “No, I wasn't, but Ford was. He told me what happened.”

  “He's biased.”

  “Normally, I'd agree with you, especially where you're concerned, but not in this case. He saw everything happen. He gave me a play-by-play. You did what any of us would have done. Orion was almost killed. If you hadn't stepped in, he might have been.”

  “And by doing that, I killed Cace.”

  Wake's voice hardens, but not to the point of being menacing. “You didn't kill him, Ariane. Javen did.”

  Shaking his hold from me, I turn and walk to Ford's couch, facing the dunes and ocean I know are there but hidden in the darkness. Tall windows are before me as I nestle into the soft leather.

  Ford sits down beside me. “I know this won't sink in, but I'm going to say it anyway. You have to let this go. The pack will move on. They don't have a choice. Travis and his pack are plotting their next move as we speak. The Avynwood Pack needs you. You're one of them.”

  “No, I'm not.” I shake my head. I might be Rion’s mate; however, we aren't mated. Yes, I have a connection to him, a bond that grows still. I don't feel like one of them. They’re a pack of wolves, and I'm a girl who has powers given to her by vampires. I'm not the same as them.

  “Neither are all of their mates,” Ford reminds me, reading my mind. He knows me almost as well as Rion does. However, Rion can’t read my mind. At this moment, I’m grateful for that.

  My connection with Ford is not the same as the one I share with Rion. Ford hears me call out when I’m in pain or scared. He can also enter my dreams.

  “You're right, they aren't all shifters,” I reply to Ford. “Most of them are mated, though. They’re bonded for life.”

  “And you're not bonded with Orion in some ways?”

  Wake sits down in a recliner near the couch. “Ari, the moment Rion brought you home and told everyone you were his mate, you became one of the pack. Whether your bond is complete or not, you're his and they are all yours. When you have a wolf for a mate, you get the whole pack. It's a package deal.”

  I curl up into the corner of the couch, tired and not in the mood to argue. At least I know Wake is safe now, not starving somewhere, wandering the woods looking for shelter. Ford chuckles beside me.

  “What?” I ask.

  “He's a wolf, princess. He's not going to starve to death or die from the elements. He has natural instincts.”

  “Then why did you take him in?”

  He shrugs. “Maybe because I know what it's like to be alone and need someone to talk to.”

  I turn to face him. “You can talk to me.”

  Ford's grey eyes find mine and soften. “Not about everything,” he says in my mind, then averts his gaze.

  Ford admitted he has feelings for me. I haven't told Rion. They fight enough as it is, and I don't want to make it worse. Rion is easily jealous where I’m concerned. The last thing I need to do is add fuel to the fire. There’s also the fact that I don’t return Ford’s feelings. My heart belongs to Rion.

  The three of us sit together in a comfortable silence. Wake's thoughts float to me. He misses his family terribly and wishes he could go home.

  Aries and Cassandra are Wake's parents. After a fallout with the pack, he was cast out. Wake and another member of the pack, Sevan, both wanted Dalia as their mate, but she only felt the connection with Sevan.

  Wake put up a fight, refusing to give up to the point they had to oust him from the pack. He then went to the Diaminsey Pack where they welcomed him with open arms. They hate Aries and his pack. Bringing Wake in as one of their own was a strategic move on their part. Now, Wake is alone. Again. He wants to go home, while I want to distance myself from the pack.

  “I'm looking forward to school tomorrow,” I sigh. I never thought I’d say those words. Reaching behind me, I pull a blanket off the back of the couch. Wait, a blanket? “Why do you have a blanket? You're a vampire. Do you get cold?”

  “No. With all the blood I drink flowing through me, I’m warm.”

  “You always wear a leather trench coat.”

  He grins. “That's because I look hot in it.”

  I roll my eyes. “You're so cocky.”

  “And you've grown to love it.” I ignore his comment.

  “What's with the blanket, then?” It's a sand color and probably the softest blanket I've ever felt.

  He shrugs. “It's for you.”

  “Me?”

  “In case you’re cold.” He’s being considerate of me, and all I can think about is how he has feelings for me—ones I can’t reciprocate.

  When I first met Ford, I would have never thought he'd be as caring as he is. He was sarcastic, liked to tease me, and seemed indifferent to most things. But I've seen a different side of him. One I like a lot better than the other, though I do love joking around with him.

  Orion stirs; I still feel him inside of me. He heard a noise inside my house. Even though he stayed back and didn’t follow me, he’s still looking out for my best interests.

  I stand abruptly. “I gotta go. Mom or Dad is up walking around and I don't need them finding me missing. Thank you for tonight. I didn’t realize how much I needed to get away, even if it was only for a little while.” I turn toward Wake. “If you need me, I'm here for you. Ford can give you my cell number. You can contact me any time.”

  Picturing my bedroom in my head, I snap, reappearing there. I quickly climb into bed. A second later, the door opens and my mom comes in. She pauses by my bed, presses her hand to my forehead, probably checking for a fever, then leaves. If only I did have a cold when I told her I was sick; instead, I was dragging my friends with me into a mission from hell, where one of them would die.

  Curling into a ball on the bed, I hug my knees to my chest and squeeze my eyes shut, trying to rid every awful memory from my mind. It doesn't work. It's useless. Those images, all the blood, it will forever be there haunting me.

  “Ari,” Rion says in my mind. We have the ability to communicate with one another as part of our mate bond, which is clicking into place one piece at a time. “Let me in. Come get me. I want to hold you. Please,” he begs. The desperation in his voice, combined with my need for comfort, has me giving in and teleporting to the backyard.

  Orion is standing before me as a big black wolf with ears ti
pped in white. He shifts to a human in an instant and closes the distance between us. The second his arms are around me, I sag into them and the tears come once more. He holds me tight as his sandalwood scent wraps around me, reminding me of the security I find in him.

  “Come, let's go to bed,” he says softly. “I'll lie with you, and as soon as I hear your parents, I'll wake you so you can teleport me back outside. Or I can hide in your room.”

  I nod and bring us to my bedroom. Rion's tall frame barely fits on my queen-size bed, especially the way it’s set up like a little alcove with walls on three sides of it. I crawl in beside him, settling against his side with my head on his chest. This isn't the smartest thing. I know that. I should keep him at arm's length. I shouldn't have him in my bed, but the immense pain I’m in is crippling. The memories are so vivid. And Rion... Rion feels like home.

  His strong arm wraps around my back. “I've got you,” he whispers as he presses a kiss to my head. “You're safe. No one is going to harm you.”

  “I'm not worried about me,” I whisper as tears continue to fall. “I'm worried about you and everyone else in the pack.” I haven't voiced my feelings to him about what happened. This is the closest I've come, but I’m sure he feels my pain like I do his.

  “You don't have to worry about us. We're wolves. We know what to do.”

  “That's the part that scares me.” They know what to do to keep their pack safe, with zero regard for their own lives. There is so much nobility in that. But with it is my fear of who will be next.

  Neither of us says another word. Rion's heartbeat slows and syncs with mine as we both find peace in each other's arms. There’s something about our connection that has us in perfect tandem. It’s comforting and frightening.

  I wake to Rion's gentle stroking of my long hair. “Your dad just woke. I should go.”

  What do I do? Stay with Rion and jeopardize him and his entire pack, or go back to the life I had before he entered it? There's no easy answer. On one hand, I lose the only person I've ever had feelings for, and on the other, I could lose more people I care about. This is a lose-lose, no matter how I look at it.

  I quickly teleport him outside and turn my head in time so his lips meet my cheek. If he kisses me on the lips, I'll break. He makes me melt into him when his mouth touches mine. I don't say anything before snapping my fingers and climbing back into my bed.

  It's early and I have another half hour before I have to get up and get ready. A half hour to think over what I should do.

  How can I let him go? How can I walk away from feelings so intense I don't think I'll ever have them again? If I stay, who will die next? Aries? Carter? Desmond? Rion? There are so many risks.

  “I love you,” Rion says in my mind. I choke back tears at his words. They are everything I want. Him. His love. A life like I've never known.

  “Can we run away?”

  “Where would you like to go, little mouse?” I used to hate that nickname until he explained why he gave it to me. Now I love the term of endearment.

  “Anywhere but here. Rion, I...” I don't get to finish my sentence before my mom comes in to make sure I'm awake.

  “It's early,” I groan.

  “That may be, but Paige just pulled up. Does that girl ever sleep?”

  That has me sitting up, wide-eyed, ready to move. Why is she here an hour before she normally picks me up?

  3

  Paige bounds into my room like she's had fourteen cups of coffee. Her long, red hair is pulled back into a high ponytail. The jeans she's wearing hug her every curve, as does her tight, hunter green T-shirt.

  My mom closes the door behind her as she leaves.

  “What's going on?” I ask Paige. “You're wide-awake and here too early.”

  “I had an epiphany,” she states with a smile.

  “Have you slept?”

  “Not at all.” And yet she looks beautiful. Her makeup is done to perfection, she has no bags under her eyes; even her nails are polished.

  “Did you take some of your mom's pills?” The last time I saw Paige, she was much like I am—a mess.

  “No, I'm serious, Ari. I had a thought and I had to tell you.” She pulls me down to the bed beside her. “Okay, I know how you're torn. You love Orion, but at the same time you don't think you're good for him.”

  “Hold on. I never said I loved him.”

  She rolls her eyes. “Please. I'm your best friend. I know you better than you know yourself.” And now Rion has heard our whole conversation because he's still outside my home in wolf form, with those keen ears of his. I internally groan. If he was going to learn I loved him, I wanted it to be from me.

  I gloss right over her statement. We’re not talking about this. “Get to the point.”

  “You're not going to get anywhere keeping all these feelings inside, and it's not fair to Orion. Tell him what you're thinking. Let him help you through this. I don't think anyone else can.”

  “I talked to Ford earlier.” Rion knew I left but now I admitted it out loud. This gets better by the minute.

  “He's not your mate, Ari.”

  Rion enters my mind. “I think you need to listen to her.”

  “This whole mate bond, ‘you talking in my head’ thing, is getting old.”

  He chuckles. “It gets better every day. I'll pick you up after school. Desmond will be nearby in case you need something or another wolf appears when they shouldn’t.”

  “I don’t want anyone there. You know what happened last time.”

  “This isn't the same. I need you protected. The whole pack wants you safe.”

  “I want them safe.” I’m not sure why I’m bothering to argue over this. There’s no way I’ll win.

  “This isn't up for debate.”

  “Are you talking to Rion inside your head again?” Paige asks, pulling me from my conversation.

  “Yes, he's infuriating. Desmond will be at the school today to keep an eye on me while Rion sleeps. He won’t be out in the open but will be in wolf form. Rion wants to make sure I'm protected. They all have mates. They should be watching over them, not worrying about me.” It’s true. How did I get on the priority list for the pack?

  “None of their mates are in school and specific targets of a rival pack. I don't blame them for watching over you. The rest of their mates are home, guarded by many other wolves. One of them can afford to slip away for the day, without leaving others unprotected.” Freaking Paige and her logic.

  “But Desmond is the doctor of the pack,” I counter. “What if something happens to him?”

  “And what if we get hit by a car on the way to school?”

  “Hey! That's no way to think!” I can’t let my head go to Paige getting hurt again. Nope.

  “And you believe the way you’re thinking is better?”

  I stand and grab a shirt and a pair of jeans from my closet, not caring if they match. Shutting the bathroom door behind me, I sag against it.

  “She's right, you know,” Rion says in my mind.

  “Get out of my head, wolf!”

  He laughs in reply.

  Groaning, I quickly strip and jump in the shower, cleaning myself in record time. I sweep my hair off my shoulders into a wet, messy bun and throw on the clothes I brought in. Jeans with holes in both knees and a shirt with Lealla Raines’ logo on it. Seriously? I'm going to look like a groupie today. And in front of Desmond: a sexy model on one of her book covers. I used to wear this shirt all the time, but now that I know the reality behind the books, I feel stupid wearing it.

  Tugging the shirt down, I look at myself in the mirror. My eyes are a little puffy and I’m pale as all get out, but the shirt looks good. Screw it. I’m wearing it. I do need makeup, though. Without it, I’m afraid everyone is going to take in my appearance and think Rion and I fought. I don’t need that.

  Flipping through my tiny makeup bag, I grab mascara, foundation, and deep red lipstick. If I’m going all out, I might as well do it right.
/>   Paige is lounging on my bed, flipping through my tablet when I come out. “Whoa, you look hot.”

  I scoff. “Right—in my ripped jeans and groupie T-shirt.”

  “The makeup, genius. It looks good on you.” Oh.

  “I had to do something so I don’t look like a zombie.”

  I'm slipping on a pair of grey sneakers when she turns the screen of my tablet toward me. It's the cover of book eight of Lealla's series—Desmond's cover.

  “I can’t believe I get to see him again,” she says. When Paige initially met him, it was because he was looking her over, making sure she wasn’t hurt after everything. Plus, Paige wasn’t exactly focusing on how he looked then.

  “I don't think we'll actually see him. He's going to be there, just in case, but might not make himself known.”

  “But he's so hot.”

  “And so taken. I don’t think Josephine wants to fight you for him, but I’m sure she will if she has to.”

  Grabbing my bag, we stop downstairs to inhale food before heading out the door. We arrive at school a few minutes early. Paige is sure to scan the area, looking for a hot man. At least she keeps me entertained and my mind on happier things.

  I did ask her on the short drive how she went from being upset and sad to being happy and upbeat. It's something I could sure use. She said that we have two choices in life. We can let the past consume us and cloud every day going forward, or we can find something to be happy about and live each day to the fullest. She's right. We could have died. Well, she could have, and I could have, if Travis had severed my head. While that's in no way easy to forget, dwelling on it won't do any good. So today, I'm going to try not to cry. I'm going to try not to let this dark cloud keep me down. The death of Cace still weighs on me, and I'm sure it always will.

  Her advice about telling Rion everything is good. Everything he's done since we met has been for me—for us. I committed myself to him as his girlfriend. I’m giving myself over to him a little at a time. We need to talk. While the pack deals with loss and other things differently than me, I have to find my way to come to terms with what happened. Rion lost both parents, thanks to Travis and his pack. Maybe death is a common occurrence for shifters, but I don't want it to be in my life. I want all the people I love and care about to stay healthy and alive.