Chapter Seventeen
23rd November
When she awoke it was still only early in the morning and the rest of the pack was still sleeping. She went back to her room to check her phone and her face lit up when she saw that there was a message waiting for her.
I miss you too. Are you free for lunch today?
Her heart pounded and she quickly replied.
Yes. Where's good for you?
She tapped the side of her phone while she waited for a reply.
There's a café just around the corner from work, The Spoon. Is that OK for you? How about 12.30?
Ariana grinned and confirmed eagerly. She knew the place, it was where she used to have lunch with Ben, a whole other lifetime ago. With a sigh, she headed for the house bathroom to freshen up. She took a shower and gelled her hair, then dressed in her usual clothes and headed for the kitchen to make breakfast for everyone.
Cheerfully, she fried bacon, sausages and eggs. She ate her fill while she kept on cooking vast quantities of food. Gradually the pack joined her and she served everyone with a big grin on her face. Weaver took a plate of food with a knowing glint in her eye and Ariana caught her arm as she started to turn away.
'What? What was that look for?' Ariana whispered. 'Did you see something?'
'No, I don't need to. Love is all over your face.' Weaver smiled warmly and sat down to eat.
Fortune took his food with a mildly suspicious look and he watched her carefully while he ate slowly. Finally everyone had food and Ariana sat down next to the Alpha.
'I was hoping to go into the city today, to see a friend.' She wasn't asking his permission, exactly, she fully intended to go, but she wanted him to give his blessing. She waited patiently while he chewed slowly and thought it over.
'That's fine. But get off the bus in China Town and walk the rest of the way, okay? Don't go to the station. That's claimed territory.'
'Sure,' she grinned. 'I'll do that, thanks for the caution.'
'And Ariana,' Fortune took her arm firmly as she stood to go and wash up the pans and plates. 'Be careful with this friend of yours.'
'I'm not going to tell him anything I shouldn't.' She was a little surprised at Fortune's serious tone and a little offended that he would show so little trust in her.
'It's not that, well, not just that,' he sighed. 'It can be hard to maintain friendships with humans after the change. You're different now, remember that.'
She nodded in acknowledgement and moved to the sink. She refused to let Fortune's serious words dent her excitement about seeing Rhys and she went about washing up, daydreaming about Rhys.
An hour later, Ariana practically skipped to the bus stop, she felt elated at the prospect of seeing Rhys and was happy to be doing something normal for the first time in a week. It was a taste of her old life, which, if she paused to think about for a moment, she was missing. She was no longer free the way she had been, she answered to her alpha and she had obligations that were so important they had to come before every other thing in her life. She had seen already how this life could challenge relationships from the way Eyes was kept from his family, but she had to believe that it didn't have to mean the end of everything she knew.
She did as Fortune had said and got off the bus a mile before reaching the bus station, in the heart of bustling China Town. It was yet another wet day in Caerton, and the streets heaved with heavy traffic. Ariana made her way south, reaching the city centre just after noon. It was such a dramatic change of pace to St. Mark's and she looked at everything with new eyes and new heightened senses.
She remembered what Shadow had said about how powerful the demons and fae here were and she looked at everything with awe. The buildings seemed bigger and older than she remembered, the streets seemed busier, the cars louder and the people seemed almost alien to her.
She walked past a shopping centre and glanced at the wet entrance steps, remembering Fortune sitting there, hooded and strange, watching her have coffee with Ben. It seemed an age ago. Now he was her dearest brother and her whole world was different. She crossed the road and shoved the maudlin thoughts from her mind as she entered the café opposite.
The café was bustling inside, determined not to sit outside in the cold and rain she found a small table in the back corner and got comfortable.
She was only waiting a few minutes when Rhys walked in. She sensed him before she saw him and looked over to the door in time to see him wiping rain from his face. He was just as gorgeous as she remembered, tall and athletic, dark and brooding. He took a quick look around to locate her and when his eyes found her the world seemed to slow down for a moment, then he made his way over to her through the crowd. She leaped up and smiled broadly as he drew her into a tight hug.
'Hi,' she breathed into his shoulder, drinking in his musky scent. 'I've missed you.'
He released her and sat down in the chair opposite, smiling his amazing smile.
'You look really well. Glowing I'd say,' he said with a curious edge to his voice. 'Have you done something different with your hair?'
Ariana reflexively patted her unruly mop and stifled a laugh.
'Thanks. New mousse,' she fibbed and felt a satisfied feeling settle in her stomach that he had noticed her altered appearance but didn't seem too bothered by it.
'How have you been?' he asked, leaning across the table. Ariana noticed that he was wrapped up against the cold and it occurred to her that she should probably start doing the same if she wanted to blend in, though she didn't really feel the cold all that much any more.
'Erm, busy,' Ariana stammered, laughing at the understatement.
Rhys nodded grimly in apparent understanding.
'Me too,' he stated solemnly.
They ordered coffee and food and Ariana found herself desperate to know his thoughts. She had glimpsed the depth of power that was available to her, and it occurred to her that it might be possible to gain the kind of telepathy that she had with her pack to use with others. She sighed and tried to think of something to say.
'What is it?' Rhys asked, frowning and starting to smile at the same time.
'Nothing,' she shook her head. 'I'm sorry for not keeping in touch while I was ill and being so crap this week.'
'Don't worry about it.' Rhys reached across the table and offered her his hand. She took it and he squeezed it gently. Ariana felt a tiny spark go through her, a glimmer of hope. She was frustrated at how little she could tell him about her life and wondered how they could possibly have a real relationship now. She chewed her lip while she thought frantically of ways to step around the secrets that filled her life.
'I've made some new friends recently,' she offered as a compromise. He raised a curious eyebrow and Ariana realised she couldn't leave the statement hanging there, she was going to have to construct a careful embellishment. She thought for a moment. 'Just some people in my neighbourhood. We met in my local pub last week.'
'Oh, right,' his voice was full of caution.
She took a drink to delay more of a response. What could she say? Was there anything she could say that would keep her pack's secrets safe and divert Rhys away from this subject?
'So, work has kept you busy then?' Ariana asked, diverting the conversation smoothly onto Rhys and she worked hard for the rest of their lunch to keep it that way.
As they got up to leave Rhys took her hand and held it as they left the café. Ariana grinned to herself as she followed closely behind him out of the busy café and into the wet street. It was beginning to feel easier and as he pulled her into one of his warm hugs she felt that surge of hope again. She breathed deeply against his knit sweater, taking in his scent, feeling his heart pounding against her ear. She felt his reluctance to pull away as he slowly did so but she couldn't help smiling, he was smiling too, but it was a sad smile of goodbye and longing.
'I'm going to be really busy at work this week, probably next week too. But I'll keep in touch by text message and we can try
and meet up again soon. I promise.' He still had hold of her hand and he caressed the back of it with his thumb, sending a warm shiver up Ariana's arm. She managed to nod slowly, the tingle still rushing through her as he gently let go of her hand. 'Bye,' he said softly and leaned close to kiss her cheek.
Ariana's breath became shallow and she felt a wave of intense longing. She didn't want to just be friends with this man, every fibre of her being wanted him and it took all of her will to let him walk away from her. Something felt very wrong and sad about their parting and as Ariana made her way back to the betting shop she had a terrible feeling that she would never see him again.
Darkness fell quickly over the city later that afternoon. The nights were drawing in and the rain was relentless. The attic above the betting shop was developing a strong smell of wet animal hair. That night the pack ate together as usual, though Ariana felt somewhat more sombre than she had done at breakfast. After the meal they went their separate ways. Fortune took Ariana's arm as she started to follow Shadow towards the basement.
'No. I want to take you out.' He released her arm and moved towards the back door. Ariana followed him, a nervous knot forming in her gut. They crossed the veil into Hepethia and Fortune led Ariana outside into the street. Across the road a darkness demon slithered out of sight into the shadows of the building opposite. A shiver crossed Ariana's spine as they started walking. Fortune led them silently north towards Redfield Park. The rain pounded on the street and Ariana was soaked to the skin within a few minutes, but she didn't complain.
She felt eyes on them from the shadows and the buildings towering over them, she felt as though they were being followed and kept glancing over her shoulder, but if there was was something there it was staying hidden. Fortune walked just ahead of her, seemingly confident but ever watchful. She didn't know if he could feel the same things she felt, if he did he was giving no sign of it. She quickened her steps to draw level with him and glanced into his face.
'There's something tailing us,' she whispered.
Fortune inclined his head down towards her, a grim expression on his face.
'Yes, there is,' he stated solemnly. Ariana looked around again, she caught movement out of the corner of her eye but it was gone the moment she tried to latch onto it. She turned and walked backwards, casting her eyes across the road, looking for signs of whatever was following them. The road was slick and wet, deep puddles had formed at the edges of the road and in dips in the pavement, the pouring rain thundered on the wet surfaces causing big splashes with each giant drop, and the spray filled the air.
Ariana focused on a puddle by the side of the road about twenty meters behind them, the movement of the rain on the surface didn't look quite right, something moved in the spray and she stopped still, grabbing hold of Fortune's arm to alert him. He stopped beside her and she pointed to the rippling movement in the rain. Ariana bent down and squinted into the darkness, trying to get a better look at whatever it was. The swirling spray moved suddenly towards her and Fortune and she leapt into a feral and defensive stance. Fortune took a step back and Ariana kept her eyes fixed on the elemental moving closer through the spray. It was without form, but it moved through the rain and spray and the water bounced off it and rolled down its indistinct sides.
She didn't know if it was hostile or not, it could have been a messenger, so she remained defensive but waited. The elemental stopped in front of her, she could see its height now as the rain bounced off it just higher than her own head. A sudden movement caught her eye but not in time and she felt the impact across her face, an ice cold slice to her cheek and she stumbled sideways.
Rage mounted inside from her gut and she let out a roar as she shifted form, growing in height and sprouting thick fur all over her body, her muscles stretched and strengthened, her face became a snout and her teeth were long and sharp. Her clothes had melded into her body, but her swords remained strapped across her back, the straps had stretched around her enlarged torso. She stood shaking in the pounding rain, she was the beast she feared. But she was fuelled by the impulse to defend herself, so the fear abated and she struck out at the illusive fae. She hit only air and rain and she stumbled forward into the space that the rain elemental had occupied only a moment before.
She spun around and sniffed the air, but the rain disguised any hint of a scent the fae might have had. Ariana centred herself, fighting the beast in her chest and subduing it enough to still herself and focus on her surroundings. Fortune stood on guard a few meters away, but looked calm, watching the scene carefully, also trying to locate the fae.
The next hit landed across Ariana's back, a whip of ice sliced through her fur and skin, stinging and causing her to take a reflexive step forwards away from the pain and its perpetrator. She twisted and reached out her arms, catching the invisible fae in her grasp, probably somewhere around its middle, and with a roar she wrestled it to the ground but it slithered from her grasp like water escaping through fingers.
She leapt up and snarled but was promptly knocked back to the floor by a solid blow to her shoulder. Thinking quickly she jutted a leg out and spun quickly around, knocking the fae over and where it landed the puddles sprayed up, revealing its form on the road. Like lightning she pounced on it and ripped with teeth and claws. Again, the elemental seemed to leak away from her and she groaned with frustration when she could no longer feel it under her thighs.
A cold sensation crept over her and she felt the creature covering her, moving all around her and then it was gone, the fae had passed over and around her and reformed behind her. Spinning around, she drew both of her swords. The rain bounced off the blades, making an almost musical sound, and they looked so small in her hands now that she was transformed into a great, hulking Agrius – half human and half bear. She lunged at the elemental with her blades outstretched and felt them slice through something, pulling it apart. With a roar of satisfaction she leapt again and struck out with her deadly blades but it evaded her. She knew it was injured and allowed herself to pause, waiting for a sign of its location.
There was a sound nearby, the sound of water trickling down a drain and she focused her sharp eyes on the spot the sound was coming from. She could make out its hunched form in the spray of the rain, it quivered with its injuries and the puddle beneath it was growing too rapidly.
With a final burst of fury Ariana bounded over to the elemental and went in for the kill, driving her swords into its middle and slashing outwards, ripping the creature into pieces. She felt the cold essence of its being all over her as it disintegrated under her attack, ice chips flew as she ripped it apart and they stung her as they showered over her face and body.
She was still roaring when she felt Fortune's presence behind her and instinctively she leapt to turn on him, but as soon as her eyes came upon him she felt calm wash over her and the rage began to subside.
Ariana, Ariana, calm down. It's Fortune, your Alpha. Shift down. His voice was inside her mind, and slowly her form shifted back to human. She stood shaking from the adrenaline coursing through her. She could feel the spirit matter lingering on her body, it was more than water, there was something of its being, like blood, still on her skin and clothes and she felt a jumble of emotions about the kill. Fortune gently placed his arm around her and pulled her to him in a warm embrace.
'Let's get back,' he whispered against her hair and he led her silently away.
Ariana sheathed her swords and Fortune slung an arm over her shoulders.
Ariana was intensely satisfied that she had made her first kill, her blood pounded in her veins and she knew she had done her job, done what she was born to do. But she was frustrated at herself for being caught off guard and for not being able to contain and subdue the elemental on her first strike. She also felt a strange sense of remorse and sadness, as though something precious was gone from her now that she had fought for more than competition and personal satisfaction. She had felt the rage in her, just as she had the first time
she changed. It frightened her and she felt again that she had lost a part of herself to the beast. She had killed now, albeit a supernatural being and not a human. The human law would not care and in terms of supernatural law she was in the right, but she had a sense of sadness about taking a being from the world, a being that had as much right to exist as she did. She let that gnaw at her on the walk home and she knew that Fortune would be picking up some of it, but he did not say anything and she was thankful for that.
As they entered the house and crossed the veil again Fortune released her and watched her carefully for a minute.
'You did well, your training is coming along nicely,' he said softly.
'Was that a test?' Her eyes flicked up to meet his as she sat down at the kitchen table, dripping water on the floor from her sodden hair and clothes. Fortune tossed her a kitchen towel from a nearby drawer and she began to dry her hair.
'It doesn't matter if it was or not. Every time you step out there you have a job to do and you did it tonight. Demons and fae have to be subdued and controlled. If they step out of line, including attacking us without provocation they have to be put down.' He sat down opposite her and they held each other's gaze for a long moment before Ariana shook her head a little with relief.
The two of them sat and talked, they went over the brief fight and carefully analysed it. They celebrated her victory and Ariana soon felt good about what she had accomplished. They were still dissecting it when the pack entered late in the evening from their patrols and training sessions.
'Ariana made her first kill,' Fortune cheered as they entered and she was met with lively congratulations. Shadow patted her firmly on the back and leaned over her shoulder to congratulate her solemnly.
'I'm proud of you.' His words shot to her heart and she choked back the threat of a sob of gratitude.
Fortune patted Shadow hard on the shoulder and grasped his hand and arm to shake and congratulated him on training Ariana so well.
'You should take her to meet your friends, Shadow,' Fortune said with a sly grin on his face. Ariana looked between her two mentors, curious. Somehow the idea of anyone having friends outside of the pack seemed very odd, but she remembered that Weaver had other friends too, that she had been prevented from seeing after she was bitten. Shadow regarded Fortune carefully for a moment and then nodded.
'I'm meeting some of them tomorrow night. We have an event the night after and have some preparations to discuss.' He gave Ariana a reassuring nod and a small smile on seeing her puzzled expression.
Fights-Eyes-Open sat down next to her and leaned in close.
'So? Tell me about it?'
Ariana laughed.
'Honestly, I probably didn't do as well as I should have. Have you gotten into a fight yet?' she asked in a low voice. Eyes grinned and nodded.
'Fortune took me out a week after I joined the pack too. I think he's been rumbled.' Eyes chuckled, Ariana sighed and glanced across at the Alpha as he talked animatedly with Flames, Stone and Weaver.
'I thought it was a test.' She shook her head and suppressed a small laugh. 'Afterwards, it just felt like he stood back and let me deal with it.'
'Was it a rain elemental?' Eyes asked shrewdly, taking in her wet appearance. Ariana nodded. 'With me it was a derelict building construct. Big hulking stone thing with wires and cables sticking out of it. I tried crushing it by knocking a wall down on it but that made it stronger. I literally had to rip it to pieces.' His eyes lit up as he remembered the fight and Ariana smiled at him, loving the energy buzzing from him. She recognised him as a kindred spirit, he fed off the thrill of the fight, thrived on it. 'Fortune will have tested you in a different way,' he said suddenly, his wistful expression changing back to his shrewd one. 'You're not just about brute strength. You're like Shadow, cunning. I bet a rain elemental was quite an elusive challenge for you.' He grinned at her and she laughed in response.
'You could say that. I can't say I'm eager to come up against any kind of water elemental again.'
'Wait until you have to fight fire,' Flames-First-Guardian spoke softly right behind her and she whipped around in her chair to look at him. His eyes had that far-away glaze that she was becoming accustomed to and she didn't probe more deeply into his comment. She turned back to Eyes.
'You know, you don't look like the brute force type.' She cocked an eyebrow and tugged at the lapel of his suit jacket. Eyes chuckled.
'Looks can be deceiving.' He winked at her and she giggled. Fights-Eyes-Open was of a medium build, but she could tell he was strong beneath his smart clothing.
'Why do you wear a suit?' Curiosity piqued and Ariana couldn't help asking. 'What are you when you're not a werewolf?'
'A barrister.' They both laughed but she knew he was serious. She had a sudden mental image of him in court, smart, articulate and passionate. He had the big house and the nice car. It all fit. Their laughter subsided and she wondered how easy or difficult it would be for him to go back to work now.
'Have you been to work since you changed?' she asked quietly, unsure she wanted to know the answer, fears about her own future gnawed at her as she asked.
'No,' he said, shaking his head. 'But I need to go back this week. I took annual leave and my time is nearly up. It'll be interesting to say the least.' He gave her a quick smile and she tried to return it.
Their lives really weren't their own any more, but she was encouraged that she wasn't the only one who was willing to try.
Ariana allowed herself to enjoy the attention of the pack, the requests to recount the fight and the way the pack rallied around her. She was relieved though when Stone drifted away to get some sleep as it gave her a window to do the same. She didn't sleep with the pack that night, she slept in her little room, cradling her phone in her hand, hoping for a message from the outside world. She dreamed of the rain and of the elemental she had destroyed. In her dream it didn't slip through her fingers, she was fierce and in control, she remembered all of her training. She was perfect.