Ariella
I jump off the cliff and fly through the air.
The wind whips through my fur and I feel as light as a feather. I look down and see dad standing at the bottom, getting closer as I fall. I can sense the ground approaching and brace myself to land. Five, four, three, two…
I land perfectly, feeling the ice crunch underfoot. Dad’s smiling hard and I know he’s proud.
“Y’know, you and your mother have been the quickest to learn their wares out of the hundreds that I’ve ever taught.”
I change back to myself. “What can I say? We’re fast learners.” I shrug.
“I guess so. Well, there ain’t nothing else I can teach you now. So I guess we can go home.”
“Home?”
“Yeah. Why? Don’t you want to?” he asks curiously.
I feel anxious about going home. “I might stay out here a little longer.”
He gives me a look but doesn’t push me on it. “Alright, well, I’m gonna go home. I need to speak to the family about Alaska, and Quis and Asha have just arrived,” he says as we walk back towards our little camp.
“That’s cool. I’ll pack everything up and make my way back later.”
“You sure you don’t want me to stay and help you?”
“Nah. I could do with some alone time. No offence.”
He smiles and then gives me a hug. “None taken.” I feel him take a deep breath. “I’m so proud of you, baby. You’ve mastered everything so quickly. Your mother’s proud of you, too.”
“Yeah, well, I still gotta learn to hunt, tell her. I might fail at that when she takes me.”
“We doubt that.” He releases me and then kisses my forehead before running towards home.
I sense him get further away until he’s out of range, then I sit beside the frozen lake and stab my nails into it. I've stayed semi-changed, so I have enough of my claws present to make perfect holes in the sheet of ice.
If I go home now, I'll be way too tempted to contact Davonyé. I'm so fucking horny I could hump a damn tree. My dreams of Davonyé and me together have gotten darker as the days have gone by, and I’ve woken up daily hoping dad hasn’t heard me moaning for him in my sleep.
Shit is bad right now.
I know I can’t, but when I dream, it’s like I can smell his scent, feel his hands on my body, feel that big ass dick deep inside me. I can taste his mouth, feel his beard around my lips... And the shit I’ve been dreaming about has me fucked up. He’s bitten me, spanked me, choked me, tied me up, and I’ve loved it. I swear, if I even touched myself down there I would cum so damn hard, I’d probably die from how strong my climax would be.
Ugh…
I keep thinkin’ about what he came to tell me, too. Dad told me when he was there because of hearing mom’s thoughts. I almost ran my ass home to see him. Trust me, it was hard as hell not to. I wanna know what he wants to talk to me about so damn bad. Maybe he’s missing me as badly as I am him. He said he wanted to see me in his messages, and the thought of him coming out here to see me makes my heart flutter madly.
I should just go home. I've learnt all my skills; I can utilise every ability that I have now, but I'm still worried about my change. Something about how quickly I’ve learnt things seems too easy and I still don't trust myself to go home. If I’m honest, I’ve been delaying it for days. I’ve just been longing everything out.
There must be a catch.
“Ariella?”
I look up to see Aura. “Hey.” I try to sound enthusiastic at seeing her. I actually do feel happy to see her; I just feel like shit.
“Why are you still here?” she asks as if she doesn't know.
“Because...” I sigh. “It’s too easy. I've trained in days, Aura. What's the catch? I know you know.” I narrow my eyes at her and she shakes her head.
“There is no catch. Your mother learned how to control her ware in only a day, why should you be any different?”
“Because I'm not my mother.”
“No, you are not. But you are a descendent of Ariya, the first ever werewolf to exist. Being a ware comes more naturally to your bloodline than any other. It has always been a part of you, even before you changed. Your bloodline does not need to practice these things.”
“Oh. I guess that makes sense.”
“It does. So, I ask again, why are you still here?”
“I don't know. I guess I'm scared of going back to my life and facing the reality that my mate is with another woman. And the thought of having to pretend I'm okay with being the other woman.”
“But you have not spoken to Davonyé recently, have you?”
I stab another hole into the ice. “No. He told mom he needed to talk to me about something, but I'm scared to get my hopes up.”
“You cannot stay out here forever.”
“I know. Ugh...”
“When would you like to receive your magic back?” she asks, and then sits down beside me.
I look at her white gown. “Won't it get dirty?”
She smiles. “No.”
“Do you ever wear anything else?”
She smiles harder. “Sometimes.”
I nod. I wonder what she would look like in casual clothes.
She's suddenly dressed in jeans and a tee, and her hair is up in a ponytail.
Wow.
She could definitely pass for an average person, now. No one would ever know how incredible she was if they saw her now.
“So, do you think it suits me?”
“Yeah, you look beautiful. Not that you don’t usually.”
“Thank you, Ariella.”
“You're welcome.” We sit in silence for a moment and I feel happy that Aura for once, doesn’t appear to have to rush off straight away. “Have you ever been in love?”
She turns her attention towards the lake. “My life’s mate is due to be born any day now.”
“Oh, my God, really?” Shit, and I thought dad had waited a long time for mom to come along.
Her face lights up. “Yes. That is another reason why you needed to become like me. I must protect her and make sure that no harm comes to her before she is old enough to protect herself.”
“Her? Your mate is a woman?”
She nods once. “Yes.”
Awww. “Well, congratulations, Aura. You must get lonely with all the travelling you do.”
“No, I do not feel lonely because I am always busy, but I am very much looking forward to experiencing the incredible miracle of love.”
That makes me feel sad, especially considering how old she is. She must be thousands of years old. “I think deep down, everyone wants to be loved.”
“They do, in some way shape or form.”
“You’re such a mystery, Aura. I feel like I know you so well, but when I try to remember things about you, they slip away.”
She turns to face me. “Your new memories will return once you receive your magic back. Have you decided when that will be?”
“I have some questions.”
Her eyes swirl black, so I brace myself to hear her tell me she’s gotta leave. But then they stop. “I will answer them.”
I sigh in relief. “Okay, so will I know everything? Like, will my life be all mapped out once I get the magic back?”
“Hmm, that is a good question. To a point, yes, but seeing life as it is meant to progress is a skill that you will have to learn and also control. You will not always be able to act on things when you first see them. You will have to let certain things run their course before you can act. You can choose to see what will happen in your own life, or you can choose not to. The lives that are most important to connect will always be available for you to see, but at first, we will not focus on those elements. Our first task will be teaching you how to control the magic that will course through you at all times. We will start slowly, and over time, you will have more freedom over what you can see and do.”
“Alright, and what about this problem in Alaska, will I be involved with sorting it out?”
She smiles. “Possibly.”
“Possibly? You ain't giving me much, Aura.”
“Nor have you. When will you receive your magic?”
“Okay, give me a week. Then I’ll be ready.”
“Very well. Then it is time for you to go home. Your family wishes to discuss the trip to Alaska, and you should be there.”
“Are you gonna tell me why?”
“No.” She stands and reaches a hand out to me to help me up. “Davonyé needs you, Ariella. Do not make him wait too much longer for your connection. As an Elder, your connection to your mate is stronger than most.”
“He needs me?” Why does my heart flutter madly at hearing that?
“Yes. It is not fair to leave him struggling how he is. Your happiness depends on one another.”
Oh, God, is he that bad? That makes me feel awful. “I won't.”
“Good. I will see you in a week.”
And then she is gone.
The way she does that is so damn cool. I actually can't wait to be able to do it myself. I just need more time as just a werewolf. I feel like I’m still adjusting.
I walk towards the house after packing away all of mine and dad's things. There are so many questions I didn't ask Aura when I had the chance. Like, if I'll live forever, and if I will, what about Davonyé? I can't believe I didn't ask that shit.
As I approach the house, I hear my family talking more clearly with each step.
“We should go tonight,” I hear Uncle Demetrius say.
“I agree,” Dante says. “We need to at least try to find his hideout.”
“You don't think he's using Samson’s old hold do you?” Aunt Asha asks.
“Who knows.” Dad sighs. “But we should at least check.”
“It will be hard for you all to return there, especially after what happened,” Grandad Gamba says.
“I am more than happy to come, too,” Grandad Victorio says.
“No,” dad replies. “I want you, Junia, and Asha here to protect Abriya. My men from the holds are already on their way to protect the house up to a five-mile radius. That gives you enough time to reach the chopper that I’ll have on standby for her, just in case. I won’t risk the baby.”
Everyone agrees.
“I’ve requested the seven, Victorio, and I hope you don’t mind. But there aren’t many others that I trust more than them to help protect Abriya and my unborn child in my absence.”
“Of course not,” Grandad replies. “They will protect her with their lives.”
“That, I know. I want you to call us on the GPS phone if you so much as sniff a ware you don't recognise. Do you understand me?”
“We will, Clarence. I promise,” Aunt Asha replies.
“You know as much as I do, if Abriya goes into labour while I’m gone, I won’t make it back in time.”
There’s a short silence.
“We will not let you down, Clarence,” Grandad Victorio replies.
“Good. The seven will arrive by nightfall. I'll have our helicopter here soon after. We go and come back as quickly as possible.”
“Agreed.”
“I'll wake Abriya and let her know what we've decided.”
“What about me?” I ask as I step inside the house. They're all standing around the kitchen island but turn to face me when I move towards them.
“Welcome home,” everyone says, smiling at me.
“Thank you,” I reply, but then my eyes find dad’s as I await his answer.
“You will come with us.”