by Lacey Thorn
“Vic and I are discussing it,” he admitted.
“Good,” Clara said. “I like your mate. She likes to think she’s tough as nails, and in some ways, she is. But I saw the truth of who she is when she looked me in the eye and apologized for setting me up. She might make tough calls when she feels she has to, but it bothers her when someone gets hurt. That makes her a phenomenal mate to have.”
“I’m lucky to have her,” he said.
“She’s lucky to have you, too,” Clara reminded him. “Don’t forget that.”
“Thank you,” Gideon said as they turned to head back.
“For what?”
“Trusting me enough to come to me with this,” he said.
“You’ve always been family to me,” she told him. “You just never realized it.”
“I’m not sure I deserve you, either,” he said, slinging his arm around her shoulder.
“You’re a good guy, Gideon,” she said, mirroring Vic’s words from the night before.
They walked back to the house in comfortable silence. He figured she was probably wrapped up in her thoughts as much as he was in his. It was a lot to think about. Clara had brought up things he was sad to say he might never have contemplated on his own. It made it even more important that he talk with Dillon soon.
Gideon and Clara parted ways at the front door. She had stuff she needed to take care of before she and Logan helped escort Abby to Denver. Gideon almost went in search of Vic, wanting to discuss all that was on his mind with her. But there were two other people he needed to see, first.
He suspected he’d find Ariel and Griffin upstairs in the rooms they’d been given when they’d arrived. He was right. They were arguing when he approached but stopped. He knew they were aware he was there and wasn’t surprised when Ariel opened the door. He was surprised at the angry way she looked at him. She inhaled deeply.
“So it’s true. You mated the blonde bitch.”
“Watch yourself,” he warned with a growl. “She’s my mate, and you’ll be respectful.”
“Congratulations,” Griffin said.
“Does this mean you’re going to head to Oklahoma, now?” Ariel demanded.
“I’m not sure, yet,” he said honestly. “Vic and I are discussing it.”
She narrowed her eyes at him. “If you’re leaving, I’d prefer to stick with you.”
He shook his head.
“I’ll be nice to her,” Ariel stated, looking anything but contrite for her earlier words. “Promise.”
“You’ll be safer with this pride,” he told her.
“They don’t want us,” she said. “Not really.”
“That’s not true,” Gideon countered. “Tah’s made travel plans for you.”
“Yeah, I heard,” she said. “They’re splitting us up. I’m to go with Amia Blane. You really think that’s a good idea?”
“She’s not your enemy,” Gideon said. “Amia went through hell. Maybe you should knock the chip off your shoulder and try to get to know them before you judge.”
“Whatever,” she mumbled. “Ask Griffin if you don’t believe me. They don’t really want us here.”
“Griffin?” Gideon asked, looking at the other man.
“They don’t want us to help,” he said. “I get it. We’re new. They don’t know us. There’s a lot going on. But we could help. Hell, even if it’s just loading boxes. We could help.”
“They’re cautious,” Gideon said. “You can’t blame them for that. But what exactly have you two done to prove your willingness to pitch in? Or have you spent most of the time up here?”
“I’m not staying where I’m not wanted,” Ariel said and crossed her arms over her chest.
Gideon sighed. “We’ll get back to this in a minute. I actually came looking for you guys because I want to talk to you about something.”
“What?” Griffin asked, but Ariel turned around, facing the window.
“Did you two notice anything about Thomas? Maybe something he said or did when I wasn’t around?” Gideon asked.
Griffin shrugged. “Thomas never really paid much attention to me. I wasn’t allowed in the lab when you weren’t there. He said I was your lackey, and he didn’t need me.”
“He said what? Why didn’t you say anything to me?” Gideon asked.
Another shrug was Griffin’s answer.
“What would you have done?” Ariel asked, still facing the window. “If we’d come to you with a complaint about the golden boy? You would have told us to suck it up and move on. We all knew Thomas could do no wrong in your eyes.”
Gideon felt a stab of pain in his heart. Was Thomas the person Clara feared he was? Or was there more they weren’t seeing? He had a feeling nothing would be clear until they found Thomas.
“Did he hurt you?” he asked. “Either of you?”
“He didn’t have much to do with me,” Griffin said, but Gideon saw the way the other man’s gaze went to Ariel’s back.
“Why don’t you go out to the trucks they’re loading,” Gideon told Griffin. “Vic will be there. Tell her I sent you to help.”
“They won’t let me,” Griffin said but headed toward the door, anyway.
“Tell my mate,” Gideon said. “Trust me.”
Griffin nodded and opened the door.
“And Griffin,” Gideon called.
“Yeah?”
“You’re not my lackey,” Gideon told him. “You’re my friend.”
The look the other man gave him made Gideon even more aware of things he’d been clueless of. It was clear how much those few words meant to Griffin. Gideon was sorry he hadn’t thought to say them sooner. But then he’d been busy, and he never would have suspected Thomas would say something so cruel.
Gideon stood there for a moment after Griffin left him alone with Ariel. What damage had Thomas done to her? It surprised him when she was the first one to break the silence.
“Thomas found me crying once,” she said. “I’d woken from…one of my dreams. It was so real, as if I were back there, feeling…” She shook her head, and her shoulders hunched in. “It was like living it all over again.”
“What did he do?” Gideon asked quietly.
“He’s the one who found me afterwards, when they left me to die. For the longest time, I think I saw him as some savior.” She gave a harsh laugh. “Sometimes, I think he made a point of showing me differently, so I would leave him alone. He certainly did after my dream.”
“What did he do?” Gideon asked again.
She turned then. No tears, but there was such pain on her face it made Gideon take a step back.
“He said we all get what we deserve in the end. The things that happen to us are because of who we are, what we’ve done. Some of us are victims, and that’s all we’ll ever be.”
“Jesus Christ,” Gideon said, hating Thomas for the words he’d dared to say. How could he have said something that harsh to Ariel? Knowing what she’d suffered and making her feel as if it were her fault?
“I hated him after that,” Ariel said.
“I don’t blame you,” Gideon said. “I’m so sorry. You know he’s wrong. Something horrible happened to you because the people who did it were bad. Not you. You were young and innocent.”
She shrugged.
“Listen to me,” Gideon urged. He kept his distance. He could tell she wasn’t in the mood to have anyone touch her. “What he said was horrific and wrong, so incredibly wrong. We’ve all been victims at some point. We’ve all faced things that haunt us. Those moments are not what defines us.”
Her head lifted, and her gaze met his.
“It’s what we do afterwards that defines us. We can choose to remain victims, or we can grow stronger. And the woman I see in front of me right now, she’s one of the strongest I know.”
She closed her eyes, and he saw one tear trail down her cheek before she swallowed and wiped it away. For that alone, he’d willingly beat the hell out of Thomas.
“This is a
new chance for you,” he told her. “These people, that blonde I mated, they won’t judge you or make you feel the way Thomas did with his words. If you let them in, they might just be the best friends you’ve ever had. All you have to do is give them the chance to get to know you, make the effort to get to know them.”
“I’m not sure I can,” Ariel whispered.
“I hope you try,” Gideon said. “Clara told me she learned something important about friendship and love when she arrived her. I think you and I could learn the same.”
“I still want to go with you, Gideon,” she said. “Please.”
“I’ll talk to my mate,” he said and saw her shoulders hunch farther. “She’s not a bad person. She agreed to be my mate, that has to tell you something about her.”
“That’s she’s crazy?” Ariel quipped.
“In all the best ways,” Gideon stated. “I will promise you something.”
“What?”
“You can always come to me,” he swore. “With anything. If you don’t feel like you have any other friends in this world, at least know you have me.”
“Thanks,” she said, and he heard her sniffle.
“Want to come outside with me?” he asked.
“I think I’ll stay up here for a little bit,” she said. “But I’ll be down soon.”
“I’ll watch for you,” he said.
From now on, he’d make a point of watching out for her. Maybe Vic could help him figure out a way to help Ariel heal.
Chapter Thirteen
Vic swore the tension in the air was going to drive them all crazy. Everyone had been on edge from the moment Tah, Abby and the others headed to Denver. And she knew they’d stay that way until they heard everything went okay. What would be a normal trip for anyone else took on dangerous elements for a shifter or the mate of a shifter. They had to worry about things other than traffic. Their concerns were more about someone trying to attack, kidnap or even kill them because the sad reality was a hunter could be anyone out there.
Reno stayed close to the house, pacing as he waited to hear from Tah that all had gone well and the group was back on the road, headed to Oklahoma. Amia stayed with him. Murphy and Finn were down with Dillon. And Vic had Ariel and Griffin helping her move boxes so they’d be ready to cart them out to where the truck was parked. Ariel told Vic that Gideon was down in the labs with the Professor.
Ariel was still rude and often standoffish, but after what Gideon had mentioned about her seeing the worst in humans and shifters, Vic was willing to cut her some slack. She let her comments go and spoke with Griffin. He was a nice guy, smart as hell. And if she wasn’t mistaken, he was going to be an asset in the labs for Diane and the Professor. Gideon had trained him and that said it all. According to Diane, Gideon was a whiz in the labs.
She was lost in thoughts of Gideon when Ariel walked up.
“I want to go with Gideon,” she said. “And you,” she tacked on.
“Go with us?” Vic asked then caught on. “You mean when we leave here?”
Ariel nodded. “I don’t feel comfortable going with anyone else. And it doesn’t matter if you go to Oklahoma or not. I just…”
“You trust him,” Vic said. “I understand that.”
“It’s not that I don’t like Reno or Amia, I’d just prefer to be with you two,” Ariel said.
“Do you know why Tah wanted you to go with Reno and Amia?” Vic asked her.
“From what I overheard, it was to keep the two of us apart,” Ariel said, but she didn’t sound as antagonistic about it, now.
“I promised I wouldn’t kill you,” Vic said and held back a grin when Ariel snorted. “Most likely it’s because he thought you might need a friend. Amia has been through hell. She’s been tortured and put through things that would leave scars on anyone— physical, mental and emotional.”
“I don’t know Amia,” Ariel said.
“Look, Ariel, you have to decide if you really want to be a part of this pride, or not, and being a part means getting to know people. I know you told Tah you did, but we all know you’ve held back.”
“I haven’t,” she argued.
“You’ve stayed in your room for the most part,” Vic challenged. “I’m not blaming you. I’m stating a fact.”
“No one wanted me around,” Ariel muttered.
“I didn’t see you putting forth much effort to change their minds. These guys, they’re the best out there. But you have to give them a chance,” Vic said. “If you really want to go with Gideon, I’ll leave that between you two. But if you want to be a part of this pride, you’re going to have to start trying.”
Ariel didn’t say anything, but Vic could tell her words had hit the mark. They worked for a little while in silence when Finn walked out.
“Jesus,” he said. “You two could be sisters,” he stated, looking between Vic and Ariel.
They did bare a resemblance. Ariel had a cap of short blonde curls, as well, but her eyes were a warm whiskey color.
“Well, you’re the shorter, baby sister,” Vic said and bumped Ariel with her shoulder.
“You forgot prettier,” Ariel said, and Finn laughed.
“I like this one,” he said. “She’s got sass.”
Vic shook her head as he slung an arm around Ariel’s shoulders and gave her a casual squeeze then let go. He headed toward the house.
“Who wants to help with dinner?” he called to them.
“I’ll go,” Ariel said then shrugged when Vic gawked at her. “I like to cook. It relaxes me.”
“Well, come on,” Finn said. “I’m starving. You like to cook. Are you good?”
“Yes,” Ariel said.
“Do you bake?” Finn asked, and Vic grinned.
“Yes,” Ariel said again, but the way she tilted her head made Vic suspect Finn was being given a questioning look.
“I think you’re going to be my new best friend,” Finn drawled.
Ariel cast a nervous glance over her shoulder at Vic but walked into the house with Finn. Maybe Tah should have sent her with Finn and Murphy. Vic had a feeling the brothers would take a shine to her. It seemed as if Finn could see Ariel had a wounded soul. Vic knew firsthand how great of a friend he could be. Murphy was the same.
“Wow,” Griffin said, drawing Vic’s attention to him. “I’m surprised.”
“I gather she doesn’t warm up to people,” Vic said with a shake of her head.
“I wasn’t talking about her going in to cook with Finn,” Griffin said. “She really is a great cook. I’m surprised she listened to you.”
“She did, didn’t she?” Vic said.
“I’d definitely say she’s decided to try,” Griffin stated. “I’m not sure she’ll want to ride with Amia and Reno, though.”
“We’ll figure it out,” Vic said.
“You know, I’d be okay with trading places with her,” Griffin said. “I’m supposed to go with Finn and Murphy. I’d be happy to go with Reno, Amia and the Professor. I’d probably have more to talk about with the Professor, anyway.”
Vic nodded. “That’s a great idea. We’ll see what Ariel thinks about it.”
“Shouldn’t we talk to Gideon?” Griffin said.
“No,” Vic told him. “Ariel needs to make this decision for herself.”
Griffin nodded. “We’re done here. Anything else we need to do?”
She shook her head. “Why don’t you go check on Murphy? Let him know Finn’s conned Ariel into cooking. I’ll go see if Reno’s heard from Tah, yet.”
Vic headed into the house. She could tell by the smile on Reno’s face that good news had come in.
“You heard from him?” she asked.
“All done and they’re on the road,” he said. “Money’s set to be transferred to a bank close to Riverton in a few days. Actually, it should make it to Oklahoma before they get there.”
“How’s Jess?” Vic asked.
“She, Cody and Michael showed up,” Reno said. “Tah said she fell i
n love with Regan and has declared herself the official godmother. She’s already planning visits.”
“That’ll be good,” Vic agreed. “The Professor would enjoy that.”
“I think he needs it,” Reno said. “He’s hasn’t been himself lately.”
“I think we’ve all noticed that,” Vic stated.
“Abby’s worried,” Amia said. “Tah, too.”
“Do you think something’s wrong? Something he hasn’t told us?” Vic said.
“If you mean is he ill, then no,” Reno said. “We’d be able to scent the chemical change in his body if he was. It’s his obsession with research and finding answers. He’s working too hard and not sleeping or eating like he should. It’s starting to take a huge toll on him. He worries too much, about all of us.”
“Griffin knows the labs,” Vic said. “He could be a real asset in Oklahoma.”
“Clara said that,” Amia agreed. “It would help if Gideon were planning to go.”
“We’re discussing it,” Vic said. “Either way, I’m going with him. I wanted you to hear that from me.”
“We knew that the moment the two of you mated,” Reno said. “Tah said to tell you Riverton, Oklahoma will always be your home, both you and Gideon.”
“I know that,” she said.
“I’m hoping you two come to Oklahoma,” Amia admitted. “We need all the people we can get there.”
“Speaking of that,” Vic said. “Ariel isn’t comfortable riding with you.”
Reno and Amia shared a look.
“Is she planning to go?” Amia asked.
“I think she is,” Vic said. “She’s in the kitchen right now, cooking with Finn.”
“Finn’s connected with her?” Reno asked.
“He’s definitely trying to,” Vic said. “Griffin suggested he and Ariel trade spots for the trip. He thinks he’ll have more to talk to the Professor about.”
“Makes sense,” Reno said. “I don’t see a problem with it. As long as Ariel is comfortable with them. Murphy and Finn will treat her with kid gloves.”
“I think they might be good for her,” Vic said. “I’ll see you guys later.”