The Ash Moon (The Ariane Trilogy Book 1)

by Michelle Dare

  “I think he was there last night. A black wolf took out one of the wolves who was chasing me.”

  “I did?” he asks, shocked.

  “Yeah, at least I think it was you. I’m not sure who else is a black wolf that would come so quickly to my defense.” Though, it’s not like I know the color of every other wolf in Avynwood Pack either. “You came in from the sidelines and slammed into him. Of course, a bunch of others were still chasing me, but that was one less I had to worry about.”

  “Rion, did you sleep at all while you were guarding her house?” Ford inquires.

  “No, I was alert the whole time.”

  “Then my theory is proven. That wolf still has his tooth. While Ari returned with it in her thigh, and a very real wound, she is the only one with a memory of it. And me of course, but I didn't see her get bit. I came in, grabbed her, and got out of there.”

  “That reminds me,” Rion murmurs and gets out of bed. He slowly rounds the bottom where my feet are to get closer to Ford. His voice drops into a thick, menacing snarl. “Did you bite Ariane earlier?”

  “Yes. She needs to be able to protect herself in the premonitions, in case I can't get to her fast enough. You should be a happy wolf.” He pats Rion on the shoulder and my whole body tenses. “She has a new way to help her survive.”

  Rion's arm whips out, and in an instant, he has Ford against the wall by the throat, a good foot from the ground. “Don't you ever sink your teeth into her again. If I hear you drank from her, I will end your life. You won't be able to teleport far enough away where I can't get to you.”

  The door to the room flies open, almost hitting Rion in the back. Aries and Desmond are about to pull Ford and Rion apart. I clear my throat and both heads swing to me while Rion continues to hold Ford against the wall. Shaking my head, I tell them silently not to intervene. Ford and Rion need to work this out between them or it’s never going to stop. Aries nods and closes the door after they leave.

  “You know,” Ford chokes out in a raspy voice. “You can't kill me this way. I'm the undead, remember? Unless you're pocketing a silver stake, this does nothing. I'll heal from anything else in a matter of seconds.”

  “We're in a mansion full of wolves. How much do you want to bet there are at least twelve pure silver stakes in this house? I can have one in my hand in seconds. All I have to do is ask.”

  “Furthermore,” Ford continues, as if Rion didn’t say anything. Bringing his foot up, he plants it on Rion’s abdomen then shoves him away. “I’m stronger than you. And one snap of my fingers will have me teleporting both of us to the top of a mountain, where I will leave you to freeze to death.”

  For the love of… I jump off the bed a little too fast, gripping the IV pole, and sway on my feet. Rion is by my side, holding me up. “I'm okay. Just a little tired.” I grip his shoulders to steady myself as the room slowly stops spinning. “As I was about to say, you two need to knock it off. Did you ever think that if you worked together, you'd both be helping me? All you're doing now is fighting with each other, and no one in this room is the enemy. The other pack is. Can we get on the same page, please? Yes, Ford bit me, but in doing so, he gave me the power to teleport. That's not a bad deal.” Ford gets all cocky and smiles wide. “As for you,” I say pointing to him, “next time you think about biting me, maybe ask first before gifting me with one of your abilities.”

  “That I can do.”

  “Fantastic. Can you please tell Kiara I'll be there in a few hours? I need to sleep. I'd rather do it here, without having to worry about my mom coming in and thinking I'm sick or something. Tell Kiara if that happens, just to mumble to Mom something about staying up late reading. That's a common occurrence with me. She'll buy it and let her sleep a while longer.”

  “Deal, but I'm going to pick you up after school tomorrow. We have practicing to do. And no snapping at all until then.” I hope I don't need to snap for some reason. What if there is a situation that requires snapping? Ford snorts with a laugh. “What kind of situation requires snapping?” he asks, reading my thoughts.

  “You never know. And get out of my head!”

  “Not going to happen.” He winks and teleports away.

  “Bed,” I mumble to Rion. He gently helps me back to the hospital bed and crawls in beside me. I quirk an eyebrow at him.

  “You let me lie here before.”

  “Yes, because if I didn't, I was afraid you were going to shift and attack Desmond or Aries.” He moves to stand, but at the last second, I grip his shirt and pull him back down. “I changed my mind. I don't want to be in here by myself.”

  “As long as there is air in my lungs, you will never be alone.” If I weren't so exhausted, I'd let out a breathy sigh at how sweet he is. But I am tired and need sleep. I’m also grateful he’s not talking to me about what just happened with Ford.

  A chill works its way up my spine and down my arms, causing goosebumps to break out. Rion reaches toward the foot of the bed and pulls up the blankets that were covering me before Ford popped in.

  “You should sleep, too,” I say while yawning. “We're in a mansion surrounded by wolves. No one is going to attack us here.”

  “I'll agree to sleep if you agree to stop talking so you can rest, too.”

  “Works for me.”

  My eyes flutter closed. Rion's hand finds mine and our connection flares to life once again. When it calms to a low hum, I finally float off to sleep.

  Voices drift to me, rousing me from a deep sleep. “What's going on?” I ask sleepily.

  “Ford's outside the door. We need to get you home. Your mom has been in your room twice, and Kiara isn't sure how much longer she can stall her,” Desmond states.

  That wakes me up fast. Sitting up, I'm grateful the room doesn't spin this time. I toss the blankets aside and again curse myself for not putting on pants. My shirt is covered in blood from where I touched my leg and smeared it on the shirt, or from when Rion held me after wrapping his shirt around my leg. Desmond hands me a shirt that looks similar, but not exact to the one I’m wearing. It’s an oversized unisex shirt. It’ll work.

  I quirk an eyebrow at Desmond and Rion. Both turn around so I can change without their eyes on me. Quickly, I slip out of my ruined shirt and into the one Desmond handed me. It smells of the woods and crisp mountain air.

  “All right, I’m good.”

  Both men turn back around. Rion moves to stand before me. I give him a quick kiss. Any more than that and I'd be lost in him. There's no time for that. I need to get home.

  “Come visit me tonight after eleven,” I say. “I'll sneak out to see you quick before I go to sleep.”

  “Sounds good, little mouse.”

  Ford opens the door to the room, obviously not caring if he's wanted or not. “Let's put a move on it, princess.” I roll my eyes.

  Rion clenches his jaw, but I don’t have time to reassure him that I’ll be fine. Ford is by my side and teleporting me back home before I even have a chance to thank Desmond.

  19

  Who knew one day I'd look forward to going to school? Sure, I get tons of looks now that people have seen Rion pick me up in his super expensive car. There is something nice about normal, though. My weekend was anything but.

  After Ford brought me home from the mansion, I was still exhausted. At least I showed my face at breakfast then crawled into bed for a few hours. Later that night, I met Rion outside for a little bit, but I was still tired and crashed not long after coming inside.

  Paige picked me up this morning, immediately asking for the details of every moment I spent with Rion. There was no way that was happening. I did tell her we had dinner with Lealla, though. I had to give her something. Sure, she was upset about not being invited, although she calmed a bit when I said Lealla is his neighbor and they’re close. I didn't bring up all of the other wolves I met. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to meet any more of the mates during my time at the mansion. Not all the mates are shifters, though. Some are human.<
br />
  I'd love to be able to talk to Paige about all of this. It would be a relief to get it off my chest and get someone else's perspective. Someone that isn't immersed in the world of paranormals.

  At the end of the school day, I gather my belongings and head for the front of the school. Guys have been asking me out since Rion showed up. Like I’d dump Rion for any of them. Fools. I've lost count how many I've turned down. It's getting ridiculous. No one was interested in me until they saw someone as gorgeous as him show up. They think they’re missing out on something amazing with me. Ha! If they only knew. They'd pee themselves and go running to Mommy at half the stuff I now know.

  There's a deep pit of dread in my stomach. Ford will no doubt be outside the school. While I'm excited about exploring my new power, the rumors that are going to fly at seeing him with me will be insane. I'll probably be called a slut for having two men after me. Back to being picked on, I guess.

  I open the front door and walk smack into a mob of girls. There can only be one reason why. I have to shove through them to get to the front of the crowd. Ford is sitting on the hood of a grey Mercedes SUV, which I can only imagine cost more than every car in the parking lot. Girls are drooling all over him and his SUV.

  “Princess!” he calls out when he sees me. He lifts his stylish sunglasses to reveal grey eyes, which match the paint on his vehicle. He's wearing his black leather trench, even though it's warm enough today that no coat is needed. His boot laces aren't done all the way up and his jeans are bunched at the top of them. His hair has this sexy, messy thing going on. Oh, he's attractive, that's for sure. But not as attractive as my wolf.

  Hopping down from the hood, he stalks toward me like the predator he is. “Are you ready to have some fun?” he asks, smiling. Wicked vampire. He knows what he’s doing. All the girls around us let out a breathy sigh in unison. I wonder what they think when they see me with these guys. I’m nothing special in my faded black T-shirt and jeans.

  I'm about to answer Ford when a familiar black Jag pulls up in front of the Mercedes. Rion is out of the car and immediately walking toward me. This should be fun.

  “Have you come to join us?” Ford asks.

  “If you thought you were going to do anything with Ari today without me, you’re wrong. Nice try on the flat tire, though. Maybe next time you'll remember we have an in-house mechanic, who can patch stuff like that up rather quickly.”

  Ford puts his hand to his chest in mock astonishment. “I'm appalled you think I would do such a thing.” I quirk an eyebrow at him, causing him to drop the façade. “Okay, fine, I admit it, but I don't regret it.” He leans in close so only we can hear him. “This attention I'm getting isn’t so bad.”

  I roll my eyes. “Can we please go?” All the people surrounding us are making me uncomfortable. I don't miss the whispers about a fight possibly breaking out. If they only knew what would happen if it did. None of them would ever be the same.

  Rion's arm wraps around my waist. “Ari will be with me.”

  “Fine by me,” Ford replies. “We're going to her house. She needs a familiar place to practice.”

  Ford spins on his heel and faces at least a dozen admiring girls. I'm more than ready to get away from this circus. Rion's hand finds mine and our connection flares to life. We walk to his car where he opens the door for me.

  “Hi,” he says, with his crystal blue eyes holding mine.

  “Hi,” I whisper back.

  He dips his head to brush his lips against mine. As quickly as they’re on me, they're gone. What I wouldn't give to have extended that kiss. Then I remember where I am, and the fact that I don't want to give the mean people of my high school more ammunition about me. It's bad enough Ford will be talked about all day tomorrow. How I not only have one hot man but two.

  I'm glad I'll be graduating soon. Had this been any other year, I would have begged my mom to homeschool me. Maybe tomorrow Cace, Cash, and Carter will show up and make the entire school think I'm getting it on with a whole group of men.

  After two hours of practicing teleportation, I'm exhausted. It's also far easier than I imagined it would be. Ford said it gets trickier when I've never been to the place I'm going, but jumping from one spot to another place I've previously visited is simple. All I have to do is visualize my destination and snap. Nothing to it.

  He did have me teleport to places I've never been to so he could see if I could do it. Of course, he held on to me every time, in case wherever I landed wasn’t good and he had to get us out of there fast.

  There has to be a strong desire to find a location you've never seen before. For instance, Ford's house. I've never been there and have no clue what it looks like, but the nosy part of me wanted to see if he lived in some palatial estate or a dark house in the middle of nowhere. To my surprise, it's a three-story, oceanfront home in Duck, North Carolina. I doubt anyone in the Outer Banks realizes there’s a vampire living amongst them. Who would have thought it would be the location he'd choose to live? A vampire. On the beach. It's a good thing he can be out in the sun without worrying about burning up. That’s another myth. Vampires can easily be out in the sun with no ill effects.

  While I've never been to Ford's house, I have been to the Outer Banks countless times. It wasn't hard to imagine the scenery, but his specific house was difficult. I had to mix what I knew of the area with what Ford told me about the home. I still say it's sheer luck I ended up in his kitchen.

  I'm also fortunate no one saw us as I was teleporting all over the place. He had me picture places I've never been that were most likely empty, like his house. Or deep in a national park.

  All in all, I had a fun afternoon learning my new power—my only power. Well, except for Rion being miserable. I hate seeing him unhappy. Every time Ford and I disappeared, he growled. Or when Ford held my waist. Or told me to teleport to his home on the beach. I think Rion growled pretty much the entire time. There were countless times his eyes flashed green. I had to keep reminding him it was for the greater good. If I can master it, then I can escape my premonitions while I sleep. No more wolf bites. That calmed him a little, though not enough.

  Ford and Rion both left twenty minutes before my mom got home. I have no doubt Rion ran back to my house in wolf form to watch over me.

  Paige texts me as we're sitting down to dinner. I get the stern look from my dad, reminding me no phones at the table. I'm sure she heard about Ford showing up at school today and the almost fight between him and Rion. If only they knew we weren't close to a fight. At least Ford wasn't egging Rion on too bad this time.

  I eat fast and go up to my room, saying I have more homework to do, when in fact, I want to read Paige's text.

  Paige: Who’s this?

  She attaches a picture of me standing between Ford and Rion, who is at my back. Of course someone from school took a picture and posted it on social media.

  Me: That's Ford. He's a friend of Rion's.

  Paige: Two things. One, I'm not liking this whole other life you have outside of me. We need to fix that. Two, to make it up to me, you're going to introduce me to Ford tomorrow. I'm going to drive you home after school. Not your boyfriend or your new boy toy. Your best friend. I want details, and I want to meet Ford. I’m feeling neglected over here.

  Me: Fine by me.

  There's no way I can get out of it. Paige is very persistent when she wants to be. I'll have to find Ford tonight and ask him to come to the house tomorrow. If I can't appease Paige, she won't drop it. Then, there is no chance of me being able to practice teleporting more. I can't do any of that with her here.

  Paige: I'm glad you agreed. I was prepared to use persuasive tactics.

  Me: I'm sure you were.

  Paige: Bray is coming, too. He's been asking about you and was none too happy to hear you left school with two guys today.

  Me: Since when did he become so protective of me?

  Paige: Ever since he and every other guy at school finally realized how hot my bes
t friend is.

  Me: Oh, please.

  Paige: I only speak the truth, my friend.

  Me: I don't believe you. Bray has never had a thing for me.

  Paige: Whatever. He's our best friend and he cares about you as much as I do. Tomorrow. Me, you, Bray, and this hot Ford guy. We'll all meet so we can stop worrying about you.

  Me: You aren't worrying.

  Paige: Worrying, jealous, same thing.

  I laugh and toss the phone onto my bed. It's time to dig in to my homework. I've got a mountain of it and got nothing done this afternoon, thanks to all the teleporting. If Ford doesn't pop by tonight, I'll pay him an unexpected visit. I’ll leave a note on the counter or something. Now that I've been in his house, I can visit him whenever I want. Time to drive him as crazy as he drives me with all of his popping up unexpectedly business.

  20

  Ford is in my driveway, waiting for us, when Paige pulls up the next day after school. She turns to me. “How many friends do you have that are exceptionally wealthy?”

  I laugh. “This question coming from you is funny.”

  “You don't see me driving around in a car that costs well over a hundred grand.”

  I level her with a glare. “You would if your parents would give you one.” Money hasn’t been a concern for Paige and her family for a long time.

  “That's so not the point,” she says and flips her hair over her shoulder. She's out of the car before I can respond.

  We walk up to Ford, who is standing next to his Mercedes AMG G 65 SUV with a little yellow sticky note in his hand. He holds it up in front of my face. “I can't believe you left me a note.”

  I smile. “I don't have your phone number. I couldn't exactly text you.”

  He reaches into my bag without asking and plucks out my phone. After gesturing for me to unlock it, he quickly types in his contact information. It’s then I take him in. He’s wearing the same thing he always does. His closet must be rack after rack of the same T-shirt and jeans.