Ariel

by Donna McDonald

  “Hanuk is most likely the reason I was captured by those who experimented on us. One of the women turned is becoming a healer. The other is a visionary. The visionary has seen someone shooting me six times with silver bullets. I nearly lost my life because of it.”

  “Well, you look much better now than when you left the pack. What happened to the gray in your hair?”

  “I’m not sure, but I feel like a wolf in his prime,” Reed declared.

  Travis nodded. His head whipped around as the tall blonde strode into the kitchen fully clothed. She was just as magnificent in human form. “Still mad at me about the gun?” he asked.

  Ariel shrugged, unwilling to admit how much the younger version of Reed irritated her. It was the same kind of nervous Matt made her feel and she didn’t like it. The last thing she needed was another alpha male wanting a piece of her. She stepped forward and held out her hand to get the introduction over with. “Dr. Ariel Jones.”

  “Travis Black Wolf,” Travis replied, holding her hand until he’d earned another glare from her. She was a prickly thing. He almost choked on his coffee though when the Gray Wolf Alpha stepped to her side and put an arm around her shoulders.

  “Are you sure you two are just friends?” Travis asked.

  “Friends-with-benefits, not that it’s any of your business,” Ariel said sharply.

  “So are you having your trial time? If so, why not just say as much?” Travis asked.

  Reed laughed and coughed into his hand. “Ariel has only been a werewolf for a short while. Matt is helping her endure her burning.”

  Travis felt his eyebrows go up. “I see. Lucky Matt that she chose him.”

  Ariel narrowed her gaze on the kid who kept making innuendos. “This isn’t high school. I’m sleeping with Matt because I want to, not because I must. Don’t ever doubt he’s my choice.”

  Travis shrugged his shoulders and grinned. “Did I wrong you in another life, Ariel Jones? Or do you just not have a sense of humor? I swear I was not trying to offend you.”

  “Then stop talking about me like I’m not in the room,” Ariel said, crossing her arms.

  Travis laughed again at her fierce statement. “I see you haven’t learned not to issue challenges to other alphas.”

  “Oh, it wasn’t a challenge. It was merely a statement of fact. Just because I like your grandfather, doesn’t mean you get instant trust. You walked here with a gun slung over your shoulder. I’ve learned the hard way not to trust anyone with one of those. I don’t trust them around Reed either. But I do trust Brandi’s vision about who shot Reed.”

  Travis nodded, sobered by her tone. “My apologies if I seemed too flip about your concerns.”

  His apology made her uncomfortable, but Ariel couldn’t have said why. “It’s okay. Forget about it. I’m having a bad day. Maybe I need to stop talking.”

  Ariel pulled away from Matt’s hug to get herself a cup of coffee. She needed to quit overreacting. Travis was the good grandson, not the bad one. Reed had said so. Needling Travis wasn’t going to conjure up Hanuk in his place. She frowned when she saw Reed hide his smile over their truce behind his hand.

  “Hanuk will not be forced out of power easily. His death may even be necessary. Are you prepared to challenge him for alpha and end his life, Grandfather?”

  Before Reed could answer, Ariel spoke up. “Reed shouldn’t have to kill his own kin. I’m more than happy enough to do his fighting for him. I want to find out what he knows about Feldspar Research. What did he have to gain by aiding Reed’s capture?”

  Travis had to look away so the fierce female wouldn’t see how much admiration he had for her. The Gray Wolf Alpha was still looking at him with narrowed eyes, but he chose to ignore his glare. “So you would kill for Reed, Ariel Jones?”

  Ariel snorted. “I already have once, so I don’t see myself having any problems doing it a second time.”

  “Ariel is the reason we escaped our prison,” Reed explained. “She killed our captors and broke us out.”

  “That sounds like something a Black Wolf Alpha would do. If Ariel has such strong bloodlust, then she’s a natural alpha,” Travis declared.

  “I don’t know what any of that means,” Ariel said.

  “You will in time,” Travis declared. “So when do we leave for the pack, Grandfather?”

  Reed stared at a spot on the table. “We’ll wait on Brandi and Heidi and see if they want to go along. Then we’ll decide what needs to be done about Hanuk.”

  Matt looked between the men. “Reed will need to produce all three women to prove he speaks truth, but they are still too new to how things work. It would not look right if I came with you, but I am unwilling for the women to go without their temporary consorts. One of the males is my second. He is a couple centuries wise. Gareth and Ryan will not get involved in your pack politics, but they will make sure the females come back to us safely.”

  “Matt, I can tell you are upset, but I have to go with Reed. What if Hanuk has some crazy scheme or is in contact with the money behind Feldspar? I can’t let more of us be created. Everything in me says that’s not what nature intended to happen.”

  Matt ignored the strange way Travis was staring at them as he cupped Ariel’s jaw in one hand. “I don’t want you go, but I’m not going to waste my breath begging a natural alpha not to do her duty. You must do what you feel is important and necessary, even if it means you end up running the Black Wolf pack when it’s done.”

  Ariel shook her head against Matt’s hand. “I don’t think I’m cut out for the kind of ongoing leadership such a role requires, but I am determined to solve the puzzle of my creation. I can’t move forward or figure out what to do with the rest of my life until I know who was helping Crazy Crane. My instincts are saying it was a werewolf.”

  ***

  Brandi ran a hand through her hair and stared back at the deck where all the males were standing and talking. “This shit is crazy. Reed smiles at me and I want to crawl into his lap for a hug. All I want to do with his clone is kick his ass and make him leave. Are you sure this is the good grandson? I’m not getting a good vibe off him.”

  Heidi frowned. “I’m having the same reaction, which is strange, because he’s extremely good-looking. I usually don’t react so negatively to men who look that good.”

  “He knows how good he looks and I’m sure he uses it every chance he gets. That doesn’t make him the bad grandson. It just makes him…young,” Ariel decided, stating the obvious in disgust. “You two still haven’t answered the question I dragged you out into the freezing cold to discuss. Are you willing to tag along with us to Reed’s pack or do you want to hang back here? I’m okay either way.”

  “What does Matt say about it?” Heidi asked.

  Ariel sighed. “Matt says Reed’s credibility will be higher if he produces all three of us. He knows I have to go no matter what. After Reed kicks Hanuk’s ass off the Black Wolf Alpha throne, I want a chance to interrogate him about what he knows about Feldspar.”

  “What are we going to do if we’re traveling and need a fix of our guys?” Heidi asked.

  Ariel chuckled. “Already taken care of. Matt’s sending Gareth and Ryan with us if you two go. I’m the only one with a problem. Matt can’t go at all. Apparently, that would be bad pack politics.”

  Brandi snorted. “I don’t need Gareth to go. I’ll be fine.”

  “Maybe I could borrow him then,” Ariel said, laughing when Brandi’s eyes flashed. “I was kidding and you can’t get by without him yet. You may still not like it, but Gareth is necessary for you, Brandi. Unless you want to do the tango with Travis or someone like him.”

  “Eww…don’t even joke about that,” Heidi whispered.

  Brandi snorted. “I don’t think so, Ariel. It would feel like incest or something else equally as gross. I’ll keep Gareth for now.”

  “So are you two coming along?” Ariel asked.

  Two heads solemnly nodding were finally her answer.

>   Chapter 12

  They stood outside Matt’s office talking and loading the two vehicles they were going to take. Ariel headed to drop her bag of clothes into the back seat.

  “Matt’s loaning me his pickup. I’m driving Reed and Gareth’s driving the four of you. Reed says it’s a four hour drive up there from Wasilla.”

  She threw the bag into the truck and slammed the door. At the back of the truck, she saw six females staring non-stop at her. She walked their way and all but the prettiest one backed up. Her hair was midnight black, straighter and longer than even Reed’s. Her face was quite beautiful if you could overlook her wild-eyed, angry stare.

  “You are an unnatural alpha. You don’t belong here. Matt deserves someone better than you warming his bed, ” she said.

  Ariel glared at the dark-haired, dark-eyed beauty giving her the evil eye. “Isn’t it Matt’s decision about who warms his bed? He’s twice my age and your pack alpha. I figure that means he knows his own mind.”

  “Matt cannot be blamed for giving in to a typical male weakness for a female. You have deceived his senses. He does not see beyond your magic.”

  Ariel huffed, more indignant about the female’s word choices than her threats. “Magic? What the hell are you talking about? Get a grip on yourself. This is not Salem, Massachusetts and I’m not a freaking witch.”

  “No one knows what you are. You reek of strangeness, even though you are a werewolf. Leave with the Black Wolf Alpha—the ancient one who created you. You do not belong here with us.”

  Ariel glared defiantly. The woman was merely pretending to be clueless. Hadn’t she seen her loading her stuff in the truck to leave? She was minutes from heading out with Reed, but didn’t want to confess it.

  “Look—I don’t have anymore time to waste arguing with you. If you have a problem with what Matt told me, or our relationship, you need to take it up with him. Now I think you need to get out of my face before I lose my urge to be polite. My wolf is getting upset.”

  “Your wolf must never be freed again. Receive my gift so the world can be done with you.”

  It didn’t occur to her to back up when the woman stepped close. But she did flinch when the woman blew black dust into her face. She coughed when she got a mouthful, and then inhaled to try and get a breath. But she couldn’t. It was like someone had pulled the breath right out of her. Without breath, the world turned dark in moments. Ariel sunk to the ground, glaring at the woman’s smile.

  ***

  “Ariel.” Brandi yelled her name as she watched Ariel’s body hit the ground with a thud.

  She turned to Heidi. “Go. Get Matt. Run, Heidi. Now.”

  Heidi spared one tortured look at the fallen Ariel before bolting.

  Brandi jumped in front of Ariel before she’d even realized she’d run to guard her. The five who had stood with the confronting woman took off running in fear. But the woman stood looking at Ariel’s fallen body with a pleased smirk lighting her face and gaze.

  “What the fuck did you do to her?” Brandi demanded. Turning back to Ariel, she stooped and checked her pulse.

  “Her heart is still beating, but her breathing is shallow,” Brandi said aloud, needing to hear the words to believe them.

  “Death will eventually find her. I bound her unnatural wolf in her body. She will now forget who she is and what she is. Normally, this sort of punishment was only done to those who had committed pack treason. It was my idea to use it on the abomination.”

  Before the woman could blink, Brandi was beside her, her talented thumbs pressed against the woman’s throat cutting off her air. “Don’t even think about it. I’ll kill you before you manage to shift,” she warned.

  The woman didn’t struggle against her grip, but Brandi didn’t think she was quite right in her mind at the moment. Her eyes were wild-eyed and dancing. She needed to make sure the woman understood how serious she was.

  “Before I was turned into a werewolf, I used to kill people for a living. I did it as a human—often with my bare hands. Killing someone like you won’t bother me a bit, lady. Now I’m going to ask you again and you’re going to give me specifics—what the hell was in the dust you blew at Ariel?”

  “Stop. I will tell you. It was wolfsbane, mountain ash, and mistletoe. It doesn’t matter if you know what was done. It’s far too late to stop what is happening to her.”

  Brandi loosened her hold, but just enough to grab the woman by the hair. She drug her forward with it just as Matt and Gareth came running outside. She threw the woman at Matt’s feet, pleased when she screamed in pain as she hit the dirt.

  Seeing Ariel’s body on the ground, Matt’s growl shook nearby building windows as he lifted the groveling woman up by the front of her clothes. His anger brought people running outside to see what was happening.

  “I don’t know why I ever thought you might be worthy of mating anyone in my pack. Your heart is black with envy and you hate what you don’t understand. I have been patient in hopes you would change, Cheryl. My patience has now ended.”

  “What wrong have I done to you, Matthew Gray Wolf? She is an unnatural creation of the ancient one. The blonde alpha is not worthy to be your mate,” the woman protested.

  “She is my choice. If Ariel dies, you and your friends will follow her quickly—I promise you that,” Matt said fiercely, his gaze going to where Heidi was working on Ariel. “Gareth, lock Cheryl up. I want a guard on her until the other five turn themselves in for what they helped her do. Everyone involved is going to be punished—openly—so the pack knows I will not tolerate this kind of interference in my choices. There will be an official pack meeting about it as soon as the others are found.”

  Imitating Brandi, Gareth grabbed the woman by the hair of her head and made her call out again.

  “Wait,” Brandi said. She peeled off her coat and then her shirt. Grabbing the woman’s arm, she wiped the remainder of the black dust from her hands off on the shirt. Maybe Eva or Heidi could use it to find out what the shit really was. “I don’t know why the stuff she used on Ariel isn’t taking her down too. It’s all over her hands. You’d think it would have the same effect.”

  “Cheryl’s training is in herbal remedies. She’s probably shielded her skin with some kind of protection,” Matt said, moving forward to where Ariel was lying.

  Brandi followed Matt to where he knelt. She held her shirt out to Heidi. “This is a sample of what she used. It looks like coal dust. She said it was a mixture of wolfsbane, mountain ash, and mistletoe.”

  Matt’s vicious swearing over what he heard had him rising and pacing away. His anger was making his whole body shake.

  Heidi glanced Matt’s way once, then back at Brandi. “I think Matt is about it to lose it, but I can’t afford to get emotional. Now don’t judge me for what I’m going to do. I’m following my instincts…I think.”

  She morphed into her wolf, and pushed Ariel to her back. She put two paws on Ariel’s shoulders and lifted her chin to howl. The eerie sound she made was piercing and seemed to vibrate forever. Everyone in human form grabbed their ears and bent forward from the pain.

  Heidi looked down at Ariel and growled, pawing at the front of her. Then she hopped twice, letting the full force of her wolf land on Ariel’s chest. Suddenly, Ariel seized and coughed up what looked like a ton of black smoke. Heidi backed off just in time for Ariel to turn her head and start retching up the rest.

  Brandi looked at Heidi. “Nice howl you got going on there, party girl. I don’t even sound like that when I’m hitting the high notes with Gareth. Maybe I should have chosen Ryan. The man obviously has some serious mojo in his juju.”

  Heidi snarled at the offensive comments, but still leaned against Brandi’s leg in relief. They watched as Ariel kept coming around, the more she got the vile concoction ejected from her system.

  Brandi rubbed Heidi’s head and laughed when Ariel sat up and swore viciously.

  “What the hell did the stupid ass she-wolf blow on me? Ne
xt time I see her, I’m going to kick her butt to hell and back. Then I’m going to carry her beat up wolf body around town in my teeth just to embarrass her in front of everyone she knows.”

  Matt looked at Brandi and Heidi in disbelief, then walked forward to drop to his knees besides Ariel. “Do you know who you are? What you are?”

  Ariel shook her head. “What do you mean? I have a bad headache from whatever the hell just happened, but I don’t think the fall gave me a concussion.”

  Matt snatched Ariel up in his arms and held tight. His relief about her being alive had no words. He knew many full-bloods who had been killed by the mixture Ariel had just coughed up.

  “I thought you were gone. It scared me to realize it could actually happen.”