Consequences to Crossroads
1517 Words
*Ariella*
We had rushed out of the house quickly, Carter hadn’t even turned the car off when we had run in. Melany luckily hadn’t gotten her stuff moved into the house yet so it was easy for her to leave.
I was thankful for Carter to be speeding toward the pack borders now. Melany leaned over the seat and tapped my shoulder.
“Ari… what happened…?”
“Long story short… I’m…” I paused as I mulled the idea over, still not believing it myself. “I’m pregnant…”
“Pregnant?” She asked, leaning further to look at me, I tried to avoid her eye contact.
“With Gabriel…” Carter finished from the driver's seat.
“WHAT!?”
“It’s… a long story Mel… but I rejected him…” I responded, leaning my head in my hand. I watched the little bracelet slip down my wrist into the sleeve of the sweater I wore. I didn’t have the heart to take either off…
“Ari…” She began pausing, “thank you…”
She knew as well as anyone what would happen should it get out that she killed Gabriel while I was pregnant with his child… I saved her from a brutal execution…
“Don’t mention it…” I murmured as I looked back to the side of the road.
The pack border was coming close. We’d be out of his rule within a few minutes and I was thankful, welcoming the freedom that running from him would grant me. I pressed my hand into my stomach for a moment, trying to feel something. I don’t know what I expected to feel, it didn’t feel like anything…
Until I felt a sharp pain in my chest. I lurched forward as it rang through my body. My chest thudded as my heart rate increased.
“Ah…” I explained as I pressed my fingers into my breast bone over my heart.
“Ar…”
I screamed out as the pain increased, gripping my entire body. Tears immediately burst from my eyes as I clutched my hands over my chest and braced myself against the seat before falling forward and shrinking into myself for a moment. I tried to take a deep breath but it was agonizing. The pain itself made me nauseous.
The car screeched to a halt at the side of the road. I fumbled to throw myself from the seat before I hurled the food within my body into the grassy ditch. My body became increasingly hot, nausea would consume me had I had more in my stomach to throw up. My limbs ached, my muscles burned, my head pounded as if I was being hit in the temples over and over again.
“Ari… what’s wrong?” Carter said as he rounded the car. Melany climbed from the back seat and stood over me as Carter kneeled to me.
“I don’t… I don’t know…” I gasped. Even talking caused anguish and I buckled over. The acidic smell of my own vomit burned my nose and I struggled to pull myself away from it.
“You.. said he rejected you?” Melany stammered as she knelt to me.
I shook my head “No…” I stuttered. “I rejected him…”
“Carter.” She began. “Get her back over the pack border.” She ordered.
“What?”
“Hurry!”
Carter didn’t hesitate after that command, he scooped me up in his arms and sprinted back down the road. Sometimes I forget just how truly strong Carter is. He has no issue holding me to his chest bridal style and sprinting at top speeds, he covered at least a hundred yards without being winded.
As we neared the sign that pointed to town I felt the pain diminish. As soon as we passed the sign my body heaved in relief. I took in a deep, staggered breath as he knelt into a fresh patch of grass at the side of the road, easing me down to sit on my haunches as I clutched my hand back at my chest, the burn of oxygen relieving the pain.
“What the f**k…” I breathed.
Melany soon caught up with us and we both looked up to her.
“What is happening Melany…” Carter asked as he raked a hand through his blond hair.
“I can’t be sure…” she started, “but I heard of this happening to a cousin…”
“What?” I gasped.
“It’s the mate bond… you two have formed a deeper connection…”
“But she rejected him…” Carter protested.
“Right… but he didn’t accept, did he?” Melany countered.
I shook my head. “No…”
“You guys obviously have been around each other for a few weeks, you’ve spent a lot of time with him, you were in heat, it was enough for you to get pregnant…” she listed, “The mate bond, without you realizing it, got stronger… since he didn’t accept your rejection the bond hasn’t been severed.”
“What does that mean…?”Carter asked.
“It means… the further away Ariella gets from Alpha Gabriel, the more painful these symptoms will become… unless and until the mate bond dies down or is completely severed… and that could take weeks… but if you leave too soon, the loss could kill you…”
“So you’re cousin…?” I began. Melany nodded sadly. “I can’t leave the territory…” I whispered in shock.
“Until he accepts the rejection or the bond dies on its own…”
“What do we do now…” I started after a moment of pause.
“I have to get Mel back…” Carter started, looking up to her.
“What? You can’t just leave me here!?”
“I’m not going to leave you here Ari…” Carter sighed, “We can get you into a hotel… your heat is over with… we can put maskers in the room so no one can distinguish your scent… I’ll take Mel home, then come back and stay with you until we can leave.”
“What about Mason?” I choked.
“I’ll deal with him Ar… don’t worry…” Carter smiled. I wanted to cry yet again…
“I’ll go grab the car…” Melany said softly as she turned and ran back to the vehicle pulling it back around to us.
Carter helped me back into the Passenger seat and we headed back toward town. I dreaded being alone again… Carter would leave with Melany, I’d have at least two days alone, and that terrified me…
Carter sent Melany to the store for food and essentials while he checked me into a hotel on the opposite side of town from the pack house. The king sized bed in the suite looked overwhelming when I knew I’d be in it alone…
I pressed my hand into my stomach for a moment, for some reason finding comfort at the pressure it induced.
“Hey…” Carter said softly, seeing my pause at the door as he set my little backpack down in a chair. “I’ll be back soon… I’m just going to get Mel home and come back… okay? You’ll be okay…”
Tears formed in my eyes once more, and I was becoming upset over how emotional I had been over the last few days. I sniffled and squeezed my eyes shut, heaving with a sob.
“Ari…” he wrapped his arms around me quickly. Pulling me tight against his chest and swaying me gently from side to side with him as he buried me into him. “It’s okay Ari…” he whispered.
“Why do I want him so badly…” I whispered into his chest, “I feel so… empty without him…”
“It’s the mate bond Ari…” He answered “It’s going to hurt… but it’ll die down with time…”
I dug my fingers into the back of his shirt, Desperately wanting him to stay with me.
I knew he couldn’t… as soon as Melany came back with a few bags of food and lounging clothes they helped me put the food away in the small kitchenette… Then Carter hugged me again, kissed my forehead and they left me standing in the middle of the room draped in Gabriel’s sweater.
As the door closed and the footsteps retreated down the hall I fell into myself. Collapsing on the carpeted floor on my knees and balling myself into a heap on the ground. I sobbed with my face in my hands. I couldn’t control the tears this time. I must have stayed that way for an hour before pulling myself into bed just to sob even more as the silence of the room overtook me and amplified the lonely feeling in my heart and the pulling feeling of my body toward Gabriel…
What have I done… I thought as I cried, what have I done…?
- Writer
