Arianna's Tale: The Beginning (22 page)

My eyes widened, but I couldn’t help the
small smile that slipped onto my lips before I realized how quiet
it was and that the silver was gone from his eyes.

“Really, Farren?” Elisabeth questioned and I
realized just how serious all of them looked, but Farren was still
staring at me when he nodded his head.

“Really, Elisabeth,” he confirmed and I
realized something big was going on that I wasn’t being made fully
aware of, “Let’s not get all serious, here, it’s a barbeque, we
should be having fun.” Those words broke the strange silence and
everyone started joking around again. I wanted to ask, but
something told me I wouldn’t get a straight answer, at least not a
truthful one. “I want to explain to you… but I can’t,” he remarked
softly, the silver once more in his eyes, “I want to… but Alex
forbade it….”

“I didn’t honestly expect you could,” I
whispered, staring at him for a long moment before my gaze shifted
over his head towards the large iron gate, despite the fact that I
couldn’t see it. I looked back at Farren to find the silver still
in his eyes. “Is it really okay for you to tune them out for such a
long time…?”

“I’m not saying anything that effects them;
they could do the same if they chose to do it, most of them just
don’t choose to do it,” he answered with a shrug.

“Hmm…” I murmured, lying back in the chair
and staring up at the slowly darkening sky. I must have spaced out
thinking, because the next thing I knew, Alex was sitting on my
chair next to my arm, his fingers lightly running across my cheek.
I started and darted my gaze to him in shock.

“I wish I knew what you were thinking,” he
calmly recited as I realized his blue eyes were intensely
inspecting my face.

“Can you turn humans into werewolves…?” I
questioned, but his gaze didn’t change any and I sighed, rethinking
my words, “If I marry into your pack… would I remain human?” He
still didn’t budge and I sighed again, “What about children? Would
my children be born human or werewolf? Do werewolf women give birth
to humans or wolves? You said you were full-blooded and that’s why
you turn into full wolves… which implies there are other kinds of
werewolves… can pregnant werewolf women transform while they’re
pregnant?” He laughed then, it was pretty obvious it just slipped
out and he hadn’t meant to, but he laughed.

“That’s what you’ve been thinking about?” he
queried and I shrugged, “I’ll indulge you a little… because that
entertains me… Werewolf women give birth to human children if they
were in their human form when the child was conceived and to wolf
children if they were in wolf form when the child was
conceived.”

“Are you just waiting on the others so you
can spend time with me?” I demanded, making his eyes flicker, “I’m
not going to change my mind… but the more I’ve thought about it,
the more I think that’s what you’re doing…. If you can all
communicate telepathically, the others should already know all
about me and shouldn’t really
need
to meet me….”

“Did Farren put this idea in your head?”
Alex pressed and I stared at him with a confused look on my face
before shrugging, “Food is ready… come eat.”

He’d grilled a bit of everything, but I
picked out some chicken and grilled corn and then found an empty
seat at an empty table on the patio. I was only mildly surprised
that they left me alone. It was rather nice to know that even
though I was stuck in this town, that they wouldn’t be constantly
harassing me; when I wanted space, they gave me space and I
appreciated that.

But halfway through my meal a tremor ran
across my spine and I dropped my corn back on my plate, taking
several deep breaths while I closed my eyes. When I opened my eyes
again, they were all in front of me; well, except for Rayne who I
knew was still in the castle, and Sage who I guessed was on
guard-duty since I hadn’t seen her for hours. I looked at each of
them, thinking long and hard before I stared into Alex’s strange
aqua eyes.

“I need a favor,” I started, taking a deep
breath again. Asking Alex for anything really went against my
better judgement.

“Anything, my dear,” he acknowledged and I
felt the little knot tighten in my stomach.

“Could you please go rescue Jason from the
fight he’s getting himself into… talk to him… take him home to
Austin…? He likes you…” I requested thoughtfully, “He respects you…
I’d go myself, but it kind of defeats the purpose….”

His eyes flashed almost solid silver before
he closed them and let out a faint sigh. “I will be back shortly,”
he decided and dashed off towards the house.

“Is Jason acting out or something?” Jack
queried, falling into the chair beside me as I barely nodded.

“Or something…” I murmured, staring down at
my corn, “Alex won’t bring him here… right?”

“No. He respects your wish to keep Jason out
of things,” he reasoned simply while everyone else kind of wandered
away, back to their own tables, “But Jason isn’t making it easy…
the fight he picked… he picked it with pack members…
Fifteen-year-olds… Caiden’s brother’s group, who are a handful to
begin with….”

“Rai’s just going through a rebellious
stage,” Caiden interjected from his table and I giggled, “What?
It’s my fault because I don’t spend enough time with him….”

“So spend more time with him,” I suggested
nonchalantly, finally picking my corn back up to finish it, but I
flinched, “Alex wouldn’t hurt Jason… would he…?”

“No more than necessary to keep him safe,”
Jack replied with a shrug, “He’s very careful with humans… well…
humans that aren’t you… he’s not as careful with you because he
forgets….”

“That’s not very reassuring…” I mumbled but
Jack slid his hand across the table to lightly hold my wrist, “When
is he going to let Rayne out…?” Jack’s hand twitched on my arm
before he sighed. “I don’t expect to see him… it’s just not fair
that he has to stay in that castle all the time….”

“Rayne will be released tomorrow at sunset
when he’s completed his sentence,” Jack stated, darting his emerald
eyes up to mine, “He’s aware of his sentence… we’re all aware of
the sentences if we break pack rules… so Alex isn’t being harsh on
him or anything.”

“That’s good to know…” I sighed, pushing my
plate across the table to lay my head on the cool glass top. “I
wish your other elite members would hurry up and return so I can
stop thinking all of these things knowing I won’t get any
answers….”

“He’ll answer all of your questions once he
gets their permission, so you might as well keep asking them. I’m
getting back in the pool, would you care to join me?” he questioned
and I started to shake my head.

“I just ate… that isn’t safe, right…?” I
queried but he chuckled and shrugged.

“We never wait… that’s some old wives tale,
I think… but I’ll be with you, I won’t let anything happen to you,”
he assured and I hesitated a moment longer before unwrapping from
my towel, draping it over the back of the chair and walking down
the steps into the cool water of the shallow end.

The moon was high in the sky when Alex
finally returned to the house and found me drifting around the pool
on a float, staring up at the star-speckled sky. Most everyone else
had gone inside a while earlier, except for Farren and Jack. Jack
was on his own float, but Farren remained in his chair out of the
pool. I couldn’t decide if they were keeping me company, or keeping
watch on me.

I wasn’t completely surprised when Jack
dragged my float to the shallow end and up on the steps while he
climbed out and Alex stepped onto the first step, sitting on the
side of the pool. Jack and Farren disappeared inside before I could
blink and I found myself sighing.

“I wish you wouldn’t do that…” I mumbled,
climbing off of the float to sit on the top step on the other side
of the handrail, “You could ask them out loud to leave… I get the
feeling you mentally ordered them to go….”

“I did… if it makes you feel better, I will
try to ask them aloud,” he responded and I looked back at him to
find his aqua gaze focused on the water. “Your little brother
picked a fight with members of my pack… which is not a good idea to
begin with… but he won’t be able to again… I made sure every last
member of my pack is aware of who he is and no matter if he tries
to start fights, they are not to engage in them… they can befriend
him… but no fighting…. I’m not sure I was the best choice, because
he’s mad at me…. He thinks I’m the reason you’ve turned your back
on him….”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t even consider that,” I
admitted, my own gaze shifting to the sparkling waters, “Is he all
right now…?”

“I took him to the park; we sat on the
swings and talked. I told him if he needed to blame someone, I’d
take the blame; but that you’re safe with us and I won’t let anyone
hurt you… I told him he needed to quit being so selfish,” he paused
as he laughed, “He didn’t like that… I also told him he was being
childish, and he hated that… but that he needed to consider your
feelings and let you do what you needed to do. You wouldn’t stop
caring about him, no matter what, but you needed your space right
now. I hope I didn’t step out of line with that….”

“No, you didn’t,” I acknowledged, “I’ll
always love Jason, which is why I don’t want him involved in your
pack problems.”

“Well, I got him home, and Austin and I had
a short talk about him, and here I am,” he sighed and I looked back
at him, “I find myself wishing you hadn’t gotten yourself pulled
into this… but it can’t be helped now….”

“I thought you wanted me stuck to you,” I
faintly laughed and caught the slight smile that tugged at one
corner of his lips, “Thank you, Alex… thank you for getting Jason
home safely and for asking your pack to help keep him out of
trouble….”

“I told you I’d take care of you,” he
dismissed nonchalantly, “You’re part of our pack now… unofficially,
as of yet, but still… I’ll take care of you.”

“Were they with me for company, or as
guards…?” I cautiously questioned and Alex laughed, his eyes
lightening as I watched him.

“Jack was to keep watch of you… but he
volunteered, because he enjoys your company… Farren chose to stay
completely of his own accord. I told you, my pack likes you,” he
reasoned, but I tilted my head to one side and kept a close eye for
the flickers I expected when I spoke.

“Except Samantha,” I stated and his eyes did
indeed flicker to almost black they grew so dark, “Samantha doesn’t
like me… why?” The ring of silver formed around his pupils, the
first I had seen such a thing on him. From what I could gather, he
kept himself rather open to his elite group.

“You took her spot,” he finally revealed,
seeming to think through his words before he spoke them. “She had
the attention of all of the male pack members… she was the popular
one… she was the one they fought over… She’s a bit unique… So you
came here, drew our attention with how different you are, and have
taken all of her admirers and friends away… even the other girls
like you… She’ll get over it, eventually… and she won’t do anything
stupid… I’ve made it very clear to her that if she bothers you,
she’ll be punished….”

“Oh….” It was the only word I could think of
in my jumbled mind; I felt a bit bad, even though I hadn’t tried to
take her spot in the pack at all.

“It’s late, Arianna… perhaps you should go
to bed?” Alex calmly suggested and I shrugged as I stood up. He was
suddenly standing beside me with my towel open and my dress draped
over his arm and I looked at him with narrowed eyes.

“Exactly how fast can you guys move in human
form? Are you faster in wolf form? I know you’re extremely fast as
wolves… and you’ve freaked me out more than once as humans…” I
murmured, but his gaze was unmoving and the silver was gone from
his eyes so I chalked it up to more unanswered questions and
sighed, wrapping up in my towel and taking my dress from him. “Is
the room I’m staying in… mine while I’m here, or will I be
monitored even while I’m in it?”

“It is yours unless you give the outdoor
guard reason to have you monitored,” he stated and I sighed before
I went into the house and up to my new room. After a quick shower,
I climbed into pajamas and bed. It took a while of staring up at
the ceiling to get used to the utter silence of the house before I
finally fell asleep.

I had the wolf dream again that night. But
at least this time it made more sense… except we were at a clearing
in the woods and rock music was blaring around us from nowhere
while little lights darted around the air. One light darted
straight towards my face right before I woke up, and I swear I had
seen a little person with wings.

When I woke up, the house wasn’t quite as
silent as it had been the night before. I was curious by the faint
sounds I was hearing, and got dressed before I slipped downstairs.
I was confused by the time I got to the kitchen and found Alex
cooking breakfast, because I could still sense the activity in the
house, but I didn’t ever see anyone besides him. He nodded for me
to sit at one of the stools around the island in the middle of the
kitchen and set a plate of food on the counter in front of me.

“Eat. And Malcolm would like to meet you,”
he recited nonchalantly, but I blinked up at him, surprised.

My eyes scrunched in confusion, but he was
still staring at me. “Okay…?” I hesitantly responded and his gaze
only briefly darted to the opened doorway leading back into the
living room before a large guy stepped into it. He was all muscle,
and big, like a super hero kind of big and I knew I was staring at
him agape. It took me a moment to look past his build to see he had
short cut light brown hair and eyes that almost looked black.

“Hi,” he said in a perfectly pleasant voice,
not exactly what I had expected after sizing him up as he walked
over to me and held out his hand. “I’m Malcolm,” he continued while
I shook, or rather, he shook my hand, my hand disappeared into
his.