Davonyé
We arrive back at the house, and after I wash up, I change into some grey sweats so that Ariella and I can go over to the main house. I’m feeling uneasy, but not because of this pain I keep gettin’ warned about, but because Ariella’s quiet; she has been since we christened her car.
“Ari.” I grab her hand before she opens the door. “What's wrong?”
She don't look at me and turns to face the door instead. “Nothin’.”
I tug her hand again. “Why you lyin’? Tell me.”
She shakes her head, so I step around her and pull her body around to face me. I feel a way cuz I see tears in her eyes. “Bae, what the fuck?”
She closes her eyes and a tear slips down her cheek.
I brush it away. “Talk to me.”
“I... I just worry about you.” She buries her head against my chest, so I hold her.
Damn… “You survived it, and so will I. I'm good, Ari, I'm good with everythin’. It's only gonna hurt this one time. You ain't forced me into nothin’ so don't feel bad for me.”
She looks up at me and more tears fall down her face. “I can't help it.”
I lower my lips to hers; tasting her, and her salty tears. She holds me around my back and pulls me closer, giving me her all. The way she holds me tells me she's struggling with her emotions.
I deepen the kiss; telling her I feel the same, telling her I understand. I push her against the door and press my hardness against her navel. She moans and I grab her waist; I want her, but I know we ain't got time.
I reluctantly pull my lips from hers, but I rest a single kiss on her forehead before looking into her dark eyes. “When I wake up.”
She nods, understanding what I mean.
“I love you, Ari.”
“I love you, too.”
My heart feels heavy as I wipe the tears from her face, but she gives me a weak smile before we make our way to her parents’.
They’re in the kitchen, sitting at the island, but there's no sign of Amarey.
“Where the baby at?” I ask Ariella.
“In his crib,” Clarence answers.
“We can hear him,” Abriya adds. “Don't worry. Soon you'll be able to hear things far, far away, too.”
“Yeah, in approximately twenty-eight minutes,” Ari says, sitting down at the island.
I sit beside her on one of the stools and feel all eyes on me.
“Any last minute questions?” Clarence asks.
I shake my head. “Nah. I just wanna get this over and done with now.”
“Well, there isn’t anything you can do to stop it even if you wanted to now,” Abriya says.
I wouldn’t want to, anyway.
“Mom, Dad, before we go outside, we need to tell you something.” She looks up at me quickly before looking back to her parents. “So, y’know Davonyé’s sisters are werewolves?”
“Yeah,” they both reply.
“Well, they told Davonyé that apparently, Maximus’ pack are headed their way.”
“What?” Abriya says, looking to me.
“Yeah. I told them I was changing, and they were all thankin’ God that you’d had your baby cuz of that ware out there that’s snatching up people.”
“What part do they live?”
“Barrow.”
“And did you tell them to leave?”
“Yeah, course I did. They wouldn’t, though.”
They both sigh. “They really should…” Abriya looks to Clarence. They must be talkin’ to each other.
Clarence looks at me. “We’re gonna shut down the holds to find the informant tomorrow. We’re hoping to find out some information that could help us, but talking to your sisters might help.”
I take my phone out my pocket and give it to Ariella. “Here. If you need to speak to them, their numbers are in there. Clarisha and Tinashe.” She nods and I look back at her parents. “They’ll help you with anything you need. They basically worship you both.”
They both shake their heads at that. “Thank you,” Abriya says. “I hope you’re ready for chaos once you wake up. I’ve seen you fighting, y’know.”
I remember that Abriya has visions. “Really?”
She nods. “You’re gonna be quite the ware, Davonyé.”
“Yeah, and speaking of Davonyé being a ware,” Ari says, looking at me. “We should go outside.” She looks sad again, but quickly looks away as she gets off her stool.
Bae…
We go outside and Ariella stands beside me in the same spot that she was when I saw her changing. She looks up at me, her emotion etched on her face. “I know it’s cold, but you need to strip down to your boxers.” Her voice trembles but I act like I don’t notice it. I'm tryna be strong for her.
I take off my hoody and feel the chill in the air straight away. Shit is cold as fuck. I pull off my sweats and then Ariella hugs me tight. I hold her against me and kiss the top of her head. I know she’s silently crying, and it kills me.
“It’s alright, Ari. You know it is.”
She nods before suddenly stepping away from me. She wipes her face. “You’re sure?”
I know what she's askin’. “A hundred.”
“Okay. I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
I see her hands clench into fists as my heart starts to race, and I know it's coming.
Abriya and Clarence step towards me. “Don't focus on the pain,” Clarence says. “Listen to Ariella's voice. She'll talk you through it.”
I look back at Ari. “I will.”
She suddenly gasps and the air is ripped from my lungs as pain erupts in my chest.
I take a step forward but fall to the hard, cold, icy ground.
Fuck! It hurts…
‘Baby,’ she cries, but it ain't out loud. She's said it inside my damn mind.
I groan in pain, my body shaking.
Focus on her voice…
I clench my eyes shut as I try not to think about how much this shit is hurtin’, but I yell loud as fuck cuz there ain’t no ignorin’ it. I grip the ground for some kinda outlet to this shit but grasp at nothin’ but ice and blades of grass.
Ari appears beside me, on her hands and knees, and then lowers her head to catch my gaze. I can smell her scent stronger… Fuck… she smells so damn good, but so different, too… I swear it takes the edge off my pain.
‘Can you hear me?’ she asks. Her lips don’t move, and she’s cryin’.
‘Yeah...’ I groan but soon start gasping for breath. My body feels like it’s burning, and shit… something’s wrong… I can’t breathe…
“Whatever you do, breathe, baby. Breathe...”