Ariella
We get home around four and then make our way to the main house. Everyone’s gone, except my parents, and now I feel like shit is gettin’ real...
Dad’s sitting at the island holding Amarey, and mom’s at the stove, but she drops the spoon she’s holding onto the side before appearing in front of me. She pulls me against her and hugs me tight. It feels strange cuz there's no bump to keep us away from each other anymore.
“Why did you leave last night? And what did you mean ‘you're sorry’?”
I pull out of her arms. “Because I ruined yours and dad's moment with Amarey. I didn't mean for that to happen. You both know that Aura had literally just given me new skills. I hadn't even practiced controlling them yet. And then when Uncle Dee was teasing Davonyé, I kinda just...”
“Lost it,” Dad finishes.
“Yeah. I'll do better, but it doesn’t help that I’m having breakthrough moments where I manage to do something that I didn’t know was on the list of approved skills.” I shrug.
“Aura trusts you to have the skills you do. You'll practice and you’ll be fine. We all know that my little shit brother can't control his mouth. That's his own dammed fault.”
That makes me smile, but I still feel bad.
“We aren't mad at you Ariella—and you didn't ruin anything.” Mom kisses my cheek and quickly returns to the stove.
I wash my hands and then make my way over to Dad and Amarey. My heart bursts with love for him. Davonyé didn’t even get a chance to meet him earlier.
“Here,” Dad says, passing him to me.
He's fast asleep; all pouty lips and beautiful dark skin. I can smell his scent already; a perfect mix of baby and him. Mom's not long fed him, so I can smell her milk on him, too. I kiss his forehead and briefly close my eyes. “So sweet.”
“Congratulations,” Davonyé says to my parents as he stands beside me. I look up and he's looking down at Amarey. “He's cute.”
“Thank you,” my parents both say.
Dad looks at Davonyé. “You wanna hold him?”
“Uh, yeah.” He washes his hands and then sits at the island. I pass Amarey over and watch him holding my brother.
Shit, that makes me feel a kinda way.
The room is silent, and I notice both mom and dad staring at Davonyé.
“You got that look,” Dad comments. “You better watch him, Baby Girl. He’ll be tryna breed you.”
I laugh nervously because that's something we'll have to be careful of. Changing into wares when fucking. “We’ll be careful,” I say, quietly.
Davonyé’s miles away and I really wish I knew what he was thinking right now. I really hope we can hear each other’s thoughts after he changes.
“Is work all sorted, then?” Mom asks.
“Yeah,” I answer for Davonyé, who’s still admiring Amarey in his arms. “He has three weeks off.”
“Good. That's plenty of time. You gonna help me train him?” Dad asks.
“Nah. I'll leave that to you. You're the expert. I'll have school anyway.”
“Not from tomorrow you ain’t. I spoke to the school. I need your help with something down at the holds. You ain't back for a week.”
“Oh, okay. Is it to do with that ware? You want me to try sniff him out?”
He looks hesitant. “I don't want you feelin’ like we're using you, Princess, but—”
“Of course I don't think that, Dad. I thought exactly the same thing. I wanna find the informant as much as you and Mom do. I'm good to go whenever you need me to. Besides, this is kinda my job now, isn't it? Being an elder, helping out, guiding you on what you need to do. This ain't no joke to me.”
“We know, Sweetheart,” Mom says. “Once we find maximus, all this will be over.”
“Then we can go whenever you're both ready.”
“Go where?” Davonyé asks, finally returning to the room.
“Nowhere while you're awake. I'll fill you in later.”
“Aight. Here.” He hands Amarey back to me and I settle him in his bassinet beside the window.
I turn my attention back to the others. “So... this bite.” My eyes flicker to Davonyé and I feel my stomach clench with nerves.
“Yes. The bite,” Mom says, looking at him. “How you feeling about it?”
He shrugs. “Good. Now everything’s set, I just wanna get this movin’.” He gives me a look and I know he's referring to his being as strong as I am so that he can fuck me up in the bedroom.
I look back to Mom so I don't start blushing, but she gives me a look as if she knows exactly what we're thinkin’.
“Clarence,” Davonyé says. “I wanna thank you for gettin’ me that time off school.”
Dad nods. “You’re welcome, but it wasn’t any trouble.”
Ugh… Davonyé’s manners, though.
“Well, I appreciate it, and while I'm livin’ with Ariella, I wanna contribute to the house.”
“Baby,” I say, drawing his attention to me. I shake my head. “I thought we discussed that.”
He gives me a look. “No, you spoke, I listened.” He looks back at Dad. “I ain't gonna live wit’ Ari for free. I ain't no little boy. I wanna pay my own way.”
Dad gives me a quick glance; I warned him… “I respect that, Davonyé. I really do. And I'm glad you brought that up cuz I been meaning to ask you something. How much you like that job of yours?”
Davonyé frowns. “It's alright. You already know I got plans of my own, though.”
“We do, and Abriya and I have been talking—and before you start thinkin’ the worst, Ariella don't know nothin’ about this cuz we haven't discussed it with her.” He rests his elbows on the island. “How would you feel about putting your paycheck aside for a couple months and then partnering up with me to get your clothing brand up and running? Now hear me out, cuz I know from what you just said, you ain't gonna take no handouts—and I ain’t about to give you any.
“So I was thinking we could go into it fifty-fifty. You can create a business plan; work out initial start-up costs, suppliers and all that stuff. Decide whether you want a premise or if you'll set it up from home. Work out all the admin stuff like the website, advertising, and all that shit. We'll go over it all together, work out the finer details, and then we’ll set it up. Now, I'll be more of a silent partner, but I'll be here to help if you need it, and then once it's off the ground and you’re making it successful, I'll give you the opportunity to buy my share back from me.”
Wow. Dad's really thought about this. I hold in a smile; he just always thinks of everything.
I look between the both of them, probably looking as shocked as Davonyé does right now.
“If we do that,” Davonyé starts, “everything's gotta be even between us. I know money isn’t an issue for you cuz Ariella’s told me, but I wanna do most of the work.”
“And you will. Like I said, I'd be a silent partner, only offering help if you needed it.”
Davonyé goes quiet again. Shit, I hope he says yes.
He suddenly smiles. “Alright. I’m in.”
I smile as Dad offers his hand to Davonyé over the island and they shake on it. “Then after training, get started on your plans and we'll get it rolling.”
“I’m good with that. Thank you, and you, too, Abriya.”
“You’re more than welcome, Davonyé,” Mom says, smiling at him. “Clarence has started many businesses over the centuries. You’ll be in good hands with him. And I know you’re independent, but make sure you make the most of his brains. No point making mistakes when you have someone here who knows how to avoid them.”
“I will.”
“Congratulations,” I say to Davonyé. “Now you gotta think of a name for it.”
He gives me a look. “I already got one.”
I'm intrigued to know what it is, but I won’t ask him now. I want us to have that conversation in private so I can find out what he really thinks of all this.
“Are you hungry?” Mom asks him. “Would you like to eat before we do this?”
“We already ate, but thanks.”
“The bite's gotta be deep,” Dad says to him. “It will sting but not for long. We'll guide Ariella through it. After a minute, you'll fall asleep and then wake up in a couple hours. You'll feel perfectly normal up until tomorrow night, but you might be hungrier. Once the moon is at its highest, you'll change. So anywhere from Thursday around eleven thirty-ish up till one. We'll settle Amarey and then wait around in the yard. Your heart will begin to race and then you'll know it’s about to happen. I don't know what Ariella’s told you about the change part, but you saw her, and heard her, so you know that the pain ain't no joke.”
“I know.” He shudders. “I don't think I'll ever forget her screams.” He looks at me and I feel a rush of sadness come from him. I smile weakly. “But I still wanna do this.”
Ugh... Davonyé...
“We’re good to go then,” Dad says, before he looks at me. “Where you wanna do this?”
“The sunroom? I'll hang around here while I wait for him to wake up. If that's okay?”
Mom and dad both glare at me. “This is your home, Ariella James. Don't even start that shit,” Mom snaps.
I hold my hands up. “Sorry. Davonyé? Let me talk to you for a second?”
He nods as he stands and then I take him up to my old room so we can talk in private.
I stand by the door and look up at him. “Are you sure about this?”
He touches some of my loose curls. “I'm more than sure.”
I take his hand in mine instead before raising it to my cheek and closing my eyes. “I don't wanna hurt you,” I whisper.
“Ari, you said it only lasts a second. I can handle it.”
I open my eyes to find his again. “But it's what comes after that, too. I had my whole life to prepare for my change. You've barely had any time.”
His hand slips into my hair. “I wanna do this. Don't you want us to be together without restrictions? I know you barely touch me cuz you're scared to hurt me. I know you can't lose yourself in us when we're together. Fuck all that. I want your hands on me, and…” He smiles. “…I wanna tame that inner wolf.”
That makes me smile. “Oh, so that's how it is, huh?”
“Fuckin’ right. Now let's go get this shit done so that when I wake up I can make you cum a million times. I know you're gonna miss me for two days.”
My chest tightens. “I am. More than you know.”
We go back downstairs to find Mom and Dad waiting in the sunroom for us. Amarey’s still in the kitchen; I can hear him breathing.
We all look at Davonyé as he slips off his jacket. “Lie on the couch,” I tell him, my heart racing like hell.
“This is where your Uncle Dee bit your Aunt Cecile,” Mom says.
“Really?” I replay the memory of it in my mind. “Wow.”
“Wow, what?” Dad asks.
“I just watched the memory of it.”
He looks surprised. “You can do that?”
“Yeah.”
Mom just smiles and shakes her head, but I nervously walk over to Davonyé to sit beside his side. He gets comfortable, but he's tall as fuck and his feet hang off the edge. I can't wait to see how he's gonna be after his change. My God...
“Alright, so you know you need to bite him deep,” Dad says.
I look Davonyé in the eyes, sensing his growing apprehension. “Uh, huh.”
His hand finds my side and I know he’s tryin’ to reassure me. No matter what he's said, I know he's still anxious about this, and that’s what’s killing me most.
“You good?”
He nods. “I will be.”
I roll my eyes but suddenly feel overwhelmed by emotion. “This means so much to me. You know that, right?”
I feel his hand tighten on me. “You're worth it, Ari.”
“Awww, you two are so sweet,” I hear Mom gushing behind us. “Ain't they, Baby?”
“Yeah. He better look after my Princess. That's all I'm sayin’.”
Ugh… “Dad…”
Davonyé looks over me, to him, but quickly looks back at me. “You ain't gotta worry about nothin’.”
I reach my hand to the collar of his tee, pulling it down a little to expose his neck. “I know.”
“Alright, Baby Girl, change enough to lengthen your full canines and then bite into the neck, as close to the windpipe as possible.”
I take a deep breath—ignoring the penetrating instinct inside me that’s telling me not to hurt my mate—and then change enough to feel my canines against my bottom teeth.
I turn my head to Dad and he nods. “You’re good to go.”
I look back at Davonyé, but I still hesitate. I can’t help it.
“It's good, Ari. Do it.” He pulls on my side, so I lean over him and hold onto his shoulder. He doesn't close his eyes, but I do as I turn my head. I position my canines directly above his windpipe and then pierce them into his skin, lightly, not wanting to bite his windpipe out.
Davonyé groans a little as I sense dad stand beside me. “A little deeper.”
I sink my canines into him a little more, causing another groan to come from him. I close my eyes tighter and slip my hand to his arm to hold him, and then I feel the bane begin to secrete into his body.
I sigh in relief, knowing it’s almost over.
“You'll know when to stop,” I hear Dad, and then a second later, I feel my canines begin to retract.
I pull back from Davonyé and open my eyes. “It wasn't that bad,” he says, but I can see his eyes beginning to drop.
I hold his face as I feel tears in my eyes. “Maybe not for you.”
He nods, sleepily.
I rest a kiss on his lips as his eyes fully close. “Sleep. I'll see you soon.”