“Rion doesn’t have a say over what I do. My life, my body. I do what I want. I may be his mate, but he doesn't own me.”
“You have a lot to learn about the mate bond and how it works.”
“I have a lot to learn about everything,” I scoff then clap my hands together. “Who's ready to go home?” I need to get out of here and away from Desmond’s scrutinizing gaze.
“I'm coming with you,” he states. Of course he is. “They might have chased those wolves away, but I want to make sure no more are lingering.” Okay, that makes sense.
I need to start thinking ahead as he and the rest of the pack does. Not that I’m a shifter or anything, but certain aspects of how they react makes perfect sense. I have to rein my impulsive side in and focus on thinking before I leap.
I nod and teleport him to Paige's first. Ford takes her while I go back for Brayden.
“You can really teleport,” he observes in awe. “I thought I was dreaming that part when you brought me here.”
“Yes, I can.”
“Where are we, anyway? I’ve only seen the inside of this room.”
Taking his hand in mine, I walk him out the door, down the hall, and to the entryway of the mansion. Luckily, no one is down here at the moment. “Does this look familiar?”
“We’re in that author’s home?” he asks, looking around. “Paige wasn’t lying about what she told me?” I shake my head. “I can’t believe this.”
Smiling, I say, “You need to read her books, Bray. It will help you understand everything.”
He groans. “Romance? Really?”
I laugh. “Let's go. I have to get home at some point tonight before my mom flips.”
“Does she know you're like this--this superhuman now?”
“Paranormal and no. Absolutely not. No one does but you and Paige. Well, and Ford, a couple of wolf packs, and Lealla.”
“This is so much to take in.”
“I know,” I say, squeezing his hand. “But now that you're eyes are open to it, you'll be amazed at all you see. You just have to remember that you can’t tell anyone about what you now know.”
With a quick snap of my fingers, we're in Paige's backyard again. Desmond wastes no time shifting into a light grey wolf and puts his nose to the ground, inspecting every scent.
“He's huge,” Bray states. “Like a super jacked-up wolf.”
“They're definitely big,” I chuckle.
Brayden stares in awe as he watches Desmond cover the yard and venture into the woods. Paige walks toward us when Ford comes up to my side.
Not missing a beat, Bray turns to him, his eyes sweeping over Ford. “You're really a vampire?” Ford answers him by parting his lips and letting his fangs descend. “Wow. Can I be a vampire, too?”
“No!” Paige and I shout simultaneously.
Ford retracts his teeth. “Sorry, but I'm not biting you. And the process of changing from a human into a vampire isn't fun. The majority of us are born into it, not made.”
“So, you can have kids?”
“Of course. My parents are four thousand years old. They had me over a hundred years ago.”
“Four thousand?” Bray's jaw drops.
“And his mom is still smoking hot,” I add. This is turning into a lot of fun. I love how Brayden is so amazed by everything. I’m also completely grateful he didn’t faint like Paige did.
“Really, princess?” Ford asks, making a disgusted face.
“Only stating the truth.” I glance around the yard, not seeing Desmond anymore. Pulling my phone out, I notice it's late. “Des!” I call. “I need to get home!” I hope Mom doesn’t yell when I get there. It’s a school night after all.
“Can't you teleport?” Bray asks.
“Yes, but don’t you think my mom would scream at the top of her lungs if I suddenly showed up in the middle of the living room?”
“Point taken.”
Desmond walks back toward us and shifts into a human effortlessly. “Only a faint scent remains. No one’s here.”
“Bray, you can crash here,” Paige tells him. “Ari, do you want to stay, too?”
“No, I need to get home. Des, can you drive me in Rion's car?”
“I'll take her,” Ford says. “You stay here for a bit and make sure they're good. I'll bring the Jag back in a few, then keep watch over Ari until Orion returns.”
“Sounds good.”
I can’t help the nervousness that courses through me at being alone with Ford after everything that happened tonight. There’s no going back to being naïve Ari. My vampire best friend is in love with me. He wants me in the same way Rion does. Every day brings a new challenge. Or a hundred.
We get into the Jag, the key fob still in the car. No one's going to steal anything out here in the middle of nowhere North Carolina.
Ford doesn't pull into the driveway when we get to my house. He parks on the street. This way, it keeps the light above the garage off the car and the headlights from bouncing over the windows. Also, if my parents look outside, I don't want them to wonder who's in the car with me. They only know Rion, not Ford.
“Listen, about earlier,” he starts.
Reaching over, I take his hand in mine. There's no familiar spark. No jolt of excitement. But there is the comfort of knowing he's one of my best friends, and even though our connection isn’t the same as Rion’s and mine, we still do share one.
“I never want you to feel like you can't talk to me,” I say honestly. “I'd rather you tell me what you're feeling than me having to dig around your head to get answers out of you. I don't like being intrusive.”
“It's kind of fun, though.” He smiles, but it doesn’t reach his eyes. He’s falling back on jokes instead of discussing this with me.
“Always joking.”
“I can't help it. I love teasing you.”
“Are we good?” I ask. He told me he loves me. I mean, I knew it before, but he flat-out admitted it tonight. I don't want anything to change between us. However, that’s wishful thinking at this point.
“I've loved you from the start, Ari. Nothing's going to change. I'll always be there for you.”
“You know I'll be there for you, too, right? I'll come when you need me.” He turns away from me, and I do my best not to pry in his mind. I want him to talk to me because he wants to.
“I'm sure your boyfriend would love that.”
“He doesn't get a say in it. Why does everyone think he rules my life? This is ridiculous. I'm my own person. If being mated to him means I lose my sense of self and can't make decisions on my own, I'm out. I refuse to lose my independence.” I’m serious. There’s no way I’m going to live the rest of my life with Rion over me, making all of my decisions.
Ford’s head turns my way. “I'm on board with that.”
“Of course you are.” I playfully shove his shoulder but end up slamming him into the side of the Jag. “Okay, I need to get a grip on this strength.” I hope I didn’t just damage the inside of Rion’s car
“Just put a fraction of the effort into what you're doing and you'll be fine.”
“Got any other vampire traits I can have, without actually needing to turn me into one?”
His voice deepens. “Say the word, princess. I could bite you over and over again.”
There's something very seductive about Ford. If I wasn't with Rion, I could easily see myself falling for him. Vampire or not, he's been there for me day in and day out. We have a lot of fun together. He also drives me completely insane. Although, he doesn’t do it to be malicious. It’s all because he loves me. I hold back a sigh. What am I going to do about him?
“So, does this mean you're staying with us and not going back to your normal life?” he asks, trepidation evident in his voice.
“I'm not sure. Bray was almost killed tonight. You were poisoned. And all of it was because of me.”
“Bad things will happen, whether you're in the picture or not. You’re viewing things wrong. What if y
ou decided you wanted to go back to your old boring life and left this world behind?”
“Hey, my life wasn't boring!” He quirks an eyebrow. “Whatever. Make your point already.”
“The paranormal world already knows about you. The Diaminsey Pack has you in their sights. You can't reverse the past and undo meeting Orion. So, if you decide you want to go back to the way things were before, the rest would still happen. Brayden would have still met that nasty fox. The wolves from Diaminsey would have still come, but you wouldn't have been there to get your friends to safety. If you were your normal self, you'd be at home reading, not triple dating with your friends. They would have been dead had you not been there. Do you get what I'm telling you? Brayden, Paige, no more. Gone.” My stomach knots at the thought.
“Okay, I get it.” He's right. With me or not, the pack war is still coming. The Diaminsey wolves are preparing to go to battle. And I'm going to sit home and read like I know nothing about it? I’m going to ignore it all? I can help. I can get involved and use these powers I have to keep more of the people I care about safe. But what if they come after my family or other kids at school? It's a vicious cycle, and I'm not sure how to break it.
“You're in this now,” Ford tells me, reading my mind. “You can either embrace it, like you did tonight, or run from it. But either way, it's going to find you. Travis and his pack are coming. If you think they’ll destroy the Avynwood Pack and leave you, your friends, and your family alone, you’re wrong.”
“Why can't I have all of you, the powers, and peace?” This is so much to take in. I’ve lived my whole life not knowing another world existed. Now I’ve been given a gift. I’ve been given Rion and his pack. Ford. Kiara. Ford’s words rattle around my mind over and over.
“Since when does the world hand you what you want?” he asks. “There's always someone fighting. Always a problem to solve or a life to save. What would have happened that night when I first met you in your dream if I never showed? You would have died, Ari. Not only in your premonition, but in real life. All because I ignored the call for help.”
Leaning my head back against the seat, I close my eyes, letting his words wash over me. “Why did you come to me that night? Why hadn't we met sooner?”
“I never heard your voice before,” he admits quietly. “I'd never been called into a dream state like that. Sure, I'd go walking around in them if I was bored, but I've never been summoned before.”
“I don't remember calling out for help.”
“You might not have said the words, but your soul knew who could save you and it reached out to me. We're connected. Not like you and Orion are, but there's a force stronger than us pulling us together. I'm not sure why you were put on my path, but I don't, for one second, regret you being there.”
This is one way Ford and Rion are similar. They always know the right thing to say. The thing that will reach my heart and settle there. Who knew I could care about two people so much?
“I never believed in fate before all of this,” I murmur.
“Me neither, but there's no denying it exists now.” He takes a deep breath then slowly lets it out. “Can you make me one promise?”
Turning my head, I meet his eyes. Even in the darkness of the car, I notice them and the way they pierce right into my soul. “Anything for you.” And I mean it. Ford would set the world on fire if it meant keeping me safe. The least I can do is promise him something, even if I don’t yet know what it is. I’m taking a leap of faith and solidly putting my trust in him.
“Don't forget about me once you and Orion are officially mated. Don't cast me aside. I think that would be more painful than anything else. I can't have you. I know this, but I don't want to lose you as a friend.”
Unbuckling my seat belt, I lean over the center console and wrap my arms around him. He does the same as he holds on to me as if his life depends on it.
“I'll never drop you, Ford. Ever. You're stuck with me.”
He holds me tight, his hands fisting the back of my shirt. Doing everything in my power, I stay out of his head. If I heard his thoughts right now, they might break me. I hate hurting the ones I love. And I do love him, just not like he wants me to.
11
I sleep soundly through the night. It was easy to do knowing Rion and the others were okay. Had he been injured, or in trouble, no way would I have been able to sleep. The connection we have isn’t so bad. I can feel him inside of me and know instantly he’s all right. I also shut my alarm off and went back to sleep. In fact, I don't wake until Paige shows up.
“Ari! Get a move on! We're going to be late.”
“But I don't want to move,” I groan.
My mom even came in twice to wake me before she had to leave for work. Apparently, school isn't one of my priorities today. How can it be when I have the weight of a pack war bearing down on my shoulders?
Paige throws clothes at me. “No time for a shower,” she says, dragging me from the bed. “And your boyfriend is waiting at the bottom of the stairs for you.”
That has me jumping up and getting dressed quickly. I never got to see him last night. After Ford dropped me off, I came upstairs, checked our connection, did my homework, and passed out. Well, I also got a stern glare from my mom, who was still awake when I got here. All this paranormal stuff has me exhausted.
I apply minimal makeup as Paige combs through my tangled hair and braids it.
“You're a lifesaver,” I tell her.
“Yeah, yeah.” She waves me off. “Just get moving. We’ve gotta go.”
I run around the room, gathering my bag and shoes, before descending the stairs like a mad woman. Rion literally catches me when I hit the bottom step.
“Good morning, beautiful,” he greets in a husky voice.
I peer up at him, taking a moment to get lost in those crystal blue eyes of his. He's been running half the night, the other half guarding me, and he still looks amazing. Not in the least sleep deprived.
“Actually,” he replies, hearing my thoughts. “I went home and slept last night. Ford stayed around, in case anything happened. All that running wore me out.” Right. Ford. I forgot he said he would watch over me until Rion got here.
“That was nice of him.”
“It was.”
“Did you two talk?” I ask while chewing my bottom lip, wondering if and what they said to each other. Was any mention of Ford's feelings for me brought up?
“I know how he feels about you, little mouse. I can't blame him for loving you. But I also know where your heart lies, and that's with mine.”
“Huh. I thought you'd be raging with jealousy.”
“Oh, I'm jealous.” His eyes flash green to drive his point home. “I won't deny it but voicing that to you every time Ford is near won't bring you closer to me. It will only push you farther away. I have to accept him in your life.” I swear he has a book somewhere that tells him all the right things to say at the right time.
“That's very big of you.” Sitting down on the step, I pull on my sneakers and tie them. “Had this been the other way around, I would have ripped whoever wanted you in two. Literally. I can do that now.” No sense in hiding that I have a new power. He’s going to find out sooner or later.
“Can you please stop asking that vampire to bite you?”
“It's for the greater good. I'm stronger than you now.”
“Not for long,” he says, effortlessly lifting me to my feet.
Oh, right, the mate bond. Rion will get my powers and I’ll get to live for a thousand years, as long as I can keep my head attached. Where’s that manual when I need it? Oh, right, it’s in my freaking head, where there’s no way I can remember all that I’m told. Stupid paranormal world and all the stuff that goes along with it. If only I could have actually written up a manual on this stuff. I bet Brayden would appreciate something like that right about now.
“It's true,” Paige says as she breezes past us. “You’ll exchange powers.” She must have gotten si
ck of me blocking her exit.
“Since when did you become an expert on all things wolf?” I call out to her as she exits through the front door of the house.
“Wake told me!” she hollers back. When did he tell her that?
“I don't like her knowing more than me.” I pout. “I liked having some advantage. Wake told her in front of you, didn’t he? You should have told me I lost my edge.” Rion smirks, and I smack him on the chest.
“Owww,” he calls out, rubbing the spot where I hit him.
“I'm sorry! I forgot I'm stronger now.”
He smiles. “I'm joking. You didn't hurt me at all.”
“Jerk.” He laughs. I lunge for him. With next to no effort, he sweeps me up in his arms, his face only an inch from mine. “You know I can’t resist you.”
Closing the remaining distance, I press my lips to his and take a few seconds to appreciate him. How he feels so right with his body pressed to mine. How his hands are possessive, gripping my hips, but so gentle at the same time. I’m not even going to get started on that wicked tongue of his. Pulling away from him takes all of my willpower.
“So does that mean I'll become a wolf shifter when we’re mated?” Wait, that's not true. If it were, then the human mates of some of the pack would all be wolves.
“No, you won't be able to shift, but you will get other traits of mine. Like a longer life. We're designed in such a way that, regardless of who we mate, we'll age at the same time. So, say I were to mate with a vampire, I'd essentially become immortal.”
“Maybe I should become a vampire,” I mutter. “We could live forever.”
“No, little mouse. I don't want you to be a vampire. Then you have to drink blood.”
“True,” I say, tapping my chin. “I wouldn’t be too fond of that part.” But this also means that once we’re mated, I get to live as long as Rion. How freaking cool is that? I hope I age well.
He slings his arm over my shoulders. “I'm driving you to school today and will be hanging out nearby if you need me.”
Glancing up, I notice Paige is gone. I'm glad she came over to wake me and pick me up, even if she didn’t need to drive me to school. I really don't want Rion having to rouse me from sleep when my hair is crazy and I appear half dead.
The Somber Call (The Ariane Trilogy Book 2) Page 8