“I can always come back if you forgot something. Or even buy you a new whatever,” Ford says.
“It's okay. I think I'm good. Let's grab Mom and go.”
23
First, I teleport my mom to the driveway in front of the mansion, then I go back quickly for our bags. Between Ford and me, we grab everything and are back to the mansion, bags in tow, in under thirty seconds.
I've barely dropped my duffel bag when Rion is rushing me, pulling me into his arms. I clasp him as if my life depends on it. I need him right now. I need the comfort only he can provide.
“I'm so sorry, Ari. So very sorry,” he says softly as he holds me.
Fresh tears spring to my eyes as I bury my face in the crook of his neck.
“It's okay,” he murmurs. “I've got you. No one is going to hurt you or your mom. You're both safe here.”
Ford clears his throat beside us to get my attention. Pulling back, I notice my mom standing next to him, crying as well. In all that's just happened, I never took the time to hug her. I rush over and embrace her. Together we hold each other and cry for the loss of the man we both loved.
A howl pierces the air, setting all the hair on my arms on end. I release Mom and turn toward Rion. He shifts into a wolf. My mom doesn’t even flinch. There’s so much we need to talk about.
Wake comes rushing from the mansion. “You need to get inside. There's someone on the property who doesn't belong.”
Ford grabs the two suitcases my mom brought while Wake picks up my duffle, suitcase, and backpack. We walk briskly inside. The doors shut behind us, Orion still outside.
“Is he coming in?” I ask.
Wake shakes his head. “As long as you're here and there's a threat out there, he'll remain in wolf form, guarding the house. You're safe with us, but he won't rest until whoever is there is gone. Out there, he can defend you and your mom. No one will get inside.”
“I'm not worried about me. I can defend myself. I'm worried about him.”
Wake chuckles. “I think you sometimes forget he's a wolf. This is what he's made to do—protect his mate.”
My cheeks quickly heat as I look to my mom. She waves me off. “Oh, please. I've known what he was from day one. We weren't exactly thrilled by your pairing but not surprised. We were hoping you'd find a human boy and steer clear of this world. I guess that was too much to ask.”
Ever since I was able to read minds, I've tried to read Mom and Dad's but only got boring, everyday stuff. Nothing that would lead me to believe they knew about Rion or any of the paranormals.
“You have a block on your mind, don’t you?” Ford asks my mom.
“Yes. Everything to do with the paranormals has been blocked. A mage put those in place so if anyone would ever read our minds, they wouldn't know we were aware of paranormals existing. Will and I could openly talk, but Ari or any other paranormal couldn't read what we thought if it pertained to this world. Well, unless we chose to speak of it to them. Then we became open to that paranormal.”
“Hold on,” I say. “How long have you known?”
Mom taps her finger on her chin. “Since I met your father.”
“What?” I yell. “You knew and never said anything to me?”
“Why would I? This world is dangerous. I didn't want you to be a part of it. But then Orion showed up, and I knew there was no keeping you away.”
“How did you know he was a shifter?”
She gives me a knowing look. “There's no way to miss a wolf pacing in the backyard, Ariane. Or the hushed conversations you had in your room with him or Ford.”
“I need to sit down,” I mutter. My head is spinning. Everything I thought I knew about my parents was wrong.
The front door opens. Rion and Aries walk in. “It was only Xeno giving his condolences on the death of your father, Ari,” Aries says. “I'm so sorry.” He walks up to me and engulfs me in a big hug. He then turns to my mom. “June, Will was an amazing man. We'll get revenge on Travis and his pack for what they did.” He hugs her as well.
“You know Ari's parents?” Rion asks. What is going on here?
“Yes. Ari's paternal grandmother was a wolf shifter. I met her once when I was letting my wolf run. I ran into her in the woods. She was alone. Once we shifted and she introduced herself, I went on the defensive. I remembered her name being associated with Travis’ pack. But she assured me she left years prior. She told me of her daughter, son, and daughter-in-law. It was a nice talk even if it wasn’t a long one. She was a kind woman.”
Aries turns to me. “I didn't think I'd ever cross paths with your parents, but I saw them in town one day. Your grandmother looked just like your father. I introduced myself. They explained what the mage had done to their minds to keep their connection to our world hidden, and I agreed to never say a thing about them.”
“What?” Rion and I both yell at the same time.
“You knew about Ari's family and didn’t tell me?” Rion asked. “How could you?”
“It wasn't my place to say anything. That was a family matter between them.”
I spin on my mom. “I can’t believe you never told me.”
“It was better that we played innocent. We both thought we would be safe if we did.”
“Are you serious right now? Wolves could have eaten me, and you sat by like it was nothing.”
“Stop being dramatic, Ariane. You're practically immortal. If you'd let Ford bite you one more time, I bet he’d try to turn you into a vampire.”
“This isn't real, right?” I ask Rion. “I'm in some kind of parallel universe where everyone is insane and it's not just me.” Then a thought occurs to me and I face my mom again. “If you knew, then why didn't you tell me, or Aries for that matter, that someone was following Dad? We could have prevented the accident. He could still be with us!” Someone from the pack could have watched over him. He could have been safe. None of this would have happened.
She rests her hand on my shoulder. “We knew one day it might come to this. That we might die to keep you safe. Looking back, maybe it was foolish to think we'd be left alone. The scope of your involvement in this world is larger than either of us could have imagined. We knew you were taken care of by Rion and Ford. We thought we were safe. That is until a couple of days ago, when someone started following your dad.”
“Did he say who it was?” Aries asks.
“He didn't give me a name, but said he recognized him from Travis' pack.” Her eyes find mine again. “Your grandparents were once part of the Diaminsey Pack. Your grandmother fled in the middle of the night with your father and aunt after they killed her mate. The pack was going downhill. Women were being abused. Children were being trained from an early age to fight with the rest of the pack. She didn't agree with what was going on. But your dad, he never forgot the faces of the men in the pack. Your aunt, as you know, is younger than he was. I’m not sure what she remembers.”
“Then why didn't he ask for help if he knew he was being followed?” I inquire.
“Your father was a stubborn man, Ari. He didn't like to seek help ever. He probably thought he could handle it on his own. You get your stubbornness from him, you know.”
Ford lets out a single laugh behind me. “We’re all aware of how stubborn she is.”
“That's the part of Will in her. He'd rather face anything head on than involve more people in his problems. I even talked to him last night about calling you, Aries, but he refused. Said they haven't done anything yet but follow him. He thought they were watching to see if he'd come here. Or maybe go to Travis with information, but Will would have never done that.”
Just when I think I have a grasp on everything going on around me, something else happens and makes me question how much I truly know. I remember when I found out about this world and my head felt like it was spinning nonstop. I’m back to that. I didn’t miss feeling like this.
My grandmother was a shifter. A freaking wolf. Does that mean?
“Was Dad
a shifter?”
“No,” Mom replies. “Neither is your aunt.”
My aunt moved west many years ago. I wonder if it had anything to do with wanting to get away from the paranormals who live in this state. Last I knew, she was living in California somewhere.
“What about me? Am I a shifter?” I ask.
My mom shakes her head. “We thought you might be, but you never shifted.”
“Our children learn to shift from an early age,” Aries says to me. “Their first shift is usually when they are toddlers, and they’re not sure what’s going on, but as they grow and accept their wolf, the bond solidifies. By the time they’re thirteen, usually the wolf and child are one. If you were a wolf, you would have shifted by now.” Same old boring Ari, as usual.
“You’re not boring,” Rion states. “You can teleport. You have the strength of a vampire, and you can read minds.”
“Whatever,” I wave him off. “I’m still dull.”
He leans down to peer into my eyes. “You’re not dull. You’re beautiful and fiery. You wear your heart on your sleeve and fiercely defend those you care about. I would never describe you as dull or boring.”
Tears pool in my eyes. There’s so much emotion swirling inside of me. Pain from losing my father tonight. Love for Rion and Ford for being there for me. All the information about my family’s connection to the Diaminsey Pack.
Rion holds me again. His scent is wrapping around me, pulling me into his love and acceptance of everything I am. I still can’t believe my grandmother was a wolf. I never did get to meet her but have seen pictures. Dad told me stories of his childhood, though none of them involved wolves or vampires and such. I guess it makes sense they kept it from me, but I wonder how much he told me was the truth. Didn't I try to do the same with Paige and Brayden? Them being in this world has only brought danger. Paige was kidnapped, and a fox shifter almost killed Brayden. However, if Mom and Dad knew I wasn't normal anymore and had these abilities, plus having a wolf for a boyfriend and vampire for a best friend, you'd think they would have said something. Maybe if they had, Dad would still be here.
“Or maybe you all would have been killed years ago,” Rion says in my mind. “You might not agree with their reasoning, but what they did kept you safe and alive.”
“Why don't I show you to your rooms?” Aries asks. “You can unpack before meeting the rest of the pack for dinner.”
Aries and Rion carry our bags as we ascend a flight of stairs, turning left at the top.
“I'm putting you both in the middle of others. This way, should someone get into our home without us knowing, however unlikely that may be, you'll be surrounded by the pack.”
The first room he brings us to is for my mom. It has beautiful cherrywood furniture in it: a queen-size bed with an ivory bedspread, two nightstands, a long dresser, and two chairs by a big window, which looks out over the drive in front of the house. There's even an attached bathroom for her.
“Ariane will be directly across the hall from you,” Aries states.
She follows us to the other side, where we find a room a little larger with an ebony king-size bed. The comforter is a soft blush color. This room also has two nightstands and a dresser. The window on the far wall overlooks the woods at the back of the house.
“We're not taking anyone's rooms, are we?” I ask.
“No. We have more than enough rooms in this house. About a quarter of them are empty. One day I hope to have them all full as our pack continues to grow.” That's good. The last thing I'd want to do is put someone out by taking over their room.
Rion places a kiss on my forehead. “I'll be right back. You're safe here.”
“Where are you going?”
“Home. I want to grab some things so I can stay here with you.” Uh, I'm not so sure my mom will like that. Peering around Rion's muscular frame, I glance at her.
She holds my gaze. “You're eighteen, Ariane. I'm well aware that you're an adult now, and you're in a serious relationship.”
“Then, what was all that talk about curfews and leaving my bedroom door open?”
“We had to play the part of protective parents.” She winks, causing my mouth to hang agape. “That doesn't mean I want you over here making babies or anything. You're too young for that.”
“Mom!” My cheeks quickly heat, and I have no doubt they’re a deep shade of cherry. Sure, let's discuss my personal life with Rion in front of his uncle.
24
I sat with my mom for a while, talking about my dad. We spoke of the good times. Then, at the end of the conversation, grief slammed back into me at the loss of him. I ended up crying in my mother's arms for over an hour. She cried, too, but I think she tried to hold most of it in for me. Eventually, she fell asleep after taking a call from the police, who weren't able to find her at the house. She told them she was traveling and I was staying with friends. They relayed the news we knew was coming—my dad was really gone.
There’s so much left we have to talk about. Questions I want answered. But I let her sleep. She deserves what little peace she can get after losing the man she loved.
Aries is handling the arrangements to get Dad's body moved to the mansion. We're going to have a shifter ceremony for him, like the one they had for Cace. My mom said he would have wanted it this way. While it wasn’t a world they continued to live in together, it was how he believed we should leave the earth.
When I finally stumble across the hall to my room, Rion is there waiting for me. He's lying on the bed, shirtless, in a pair of low-slung pajama pants with my tablet in his hand.
“Are you reading my books?” I ask.
“I'm trying to understand what the appeal is in all of these romances. I understand Lealla's books, but the others I'm not sure about. They all seem… unrealistic.”
“Those books seem unrealistic, but the ones about wolves shifting into humans are believable?”
“Yes.”
I roll my eyes then dig through my suitcase for a pair of pajamas. My eyes are raw from crying. My throat hurts. My head aches. I'm on autopilot as I get ready for bed and climb in beside Rion.
He doesn't say anything. His arm wraps around me, pulling me to his side as I soak in his warmth. He puts my tablet on the nightstand and shuts off the light.
A soft knock sounds on the door. I don't bother lifting my head. It's Ford. His thoughts floated to me before he knocked, uncertain if he should bother us, jealousy filling him at Rion being with me.
“Come in!” I call.
The door creaks open and Ford steps in, closing it behind him. “I'm going to lie down for a bit. Is there anything you need before I do?”
“You don't have to stay here. I shouldn't have to uproot your life as well. It's bad enough my dad's dead and my mom is living with wolves because of me.”
“Ari,” Rion says softly. “Your dad isn't dead because of you. The bad blood between your family and Travis goes back many years. We’re only finding out about it now. From what Aries told me earlier, you being the granddaughter of a woman once in his pack, with a shifter for a mate, put you on his radar. Travis always had a soft spot for her.
“After her mate was killed, and she was left alone to raise your dad and aunt, the pack stepped in to help, even Travis. But this was at the same time he was doing other things she didn't agree with. He and the pack got worse and worse, to the point she finally left because she knew it wouldn't be the best place to raise her children. Your fate in all this was sealed before your parents even met.
“Aries apologized for not telling me. He recognized you when you two first met. He remembered what your mom looked like. The reason he kept quiet was that it wasn’t his place to tell you. It was your parents’. He also wanted to make sure you'd take to this life well. On top of that, he’s been very good at shielding certain parts of his mind. Both of our hearts were on the line.”
“It makes sense when you step back and think about it,” Ford adds. “You weren't born into t
his life, Ari. Why throw you into it unless you found it on your own? You were safe in ignorant bliss.”
“I can't fault my grandmother for leaving. She did what she thought was best.” I just wish I had known.
“She did,” Ford says. “But you emerging in our world brought all those bad feelings to the surface for Travis. He wants you to return to his pack. In his eyes, that’s where you belong. Your grandfather was human. He died many years ago at the hand of one of the wolves in the pack after a deal they made went bad. Most importantly, Travis was his best friend. Travis was never one to get his hands dirty, but he personally killed the one who murdered your grandfather.”
I sit up. “What? How did you find that out?” I knew my grandfather died long before my grandmother but was told it was from natural causes. Yes, they told me that to protect me, but how many more lies have I been told?
“Now that your mom has revealed to us what she knows, her mind is open. The spell is broken. I went poking around her head to see what I could find out.”
“I can't even be mad at you for that. The way she hid things...”
“I didn't even get to the most important thing I found out. Your grandmother was there when Orion's parents were murdered. She didn't take part at all, but she was there that night, hiding around the side of the restaurant. She saw the whole thing but couldn't do anything to stop them. Even as a wolf, she was no match against three male wolves. She also didn’t want Travis to know where she was. She knew he had no interest in her children since they weren’t shifters. But she didn’t want to take any chances.
“She did make a fatal error, however. She stepped out of the shadows too soon, and one of the wolves saw her and reported it back to Travis. He found her quickly after and begged her to come back to the pack, but she refused. The next day she told your father what happened. She was killed that night. While your parents never found out the exact details, there were no suspects other than Travis and his pack.”
“I-I don't know what to say or think.” Turning to Rion, I find his eyes cast down. “You didn't know this, did you?”
The Somber Call (The Ariane Trilogy Book 2) Page 17