The Alphas Assassin (Complete)

The Test

*Ariella*

“Ari!” Mason breathed a sigh of relief as I entered his office. He practically ran around the side of his desk and wrapped me in a bear hug, squeezing out tears as he held me tightly to him.

“I’m… sorry Mason… I couldn’t do it…” I gritted as tears threatened to fall from my eyes. “I… just… I don’t think I’m ready… you were right… I need more training…”

“That’s okay Ari…” he sighed softly, releasing me finally and steadying me with his hands on my shoulders. His blue eyes held worry. “I’m… gonna send Mel to complete the task… she will be on route tomorrow…”

I nodded. Melany had good self control, unlike me… she could keep her head about her and get the job done the way it needed to be done…

“Don’t worry Ari…”

“I’m sorry Mason… I’m really really sorry…”

“Hey, calm down…” he urged, “I’ve forfeited out of a job before… Carter has too… a lot of agents have… most everyone fails out of one at some point… and it’s okay…”

“I just…”

“Hey… Ari… go get some sleep… I can debrief you later… you look exhausted.”

I nodded and sighed, dropping my eyes to the ground as I heard Melany round the corner to the office door.

“Mason… you wanted to see me Sir?”

“Go Ari… get some sleep.” I nodded and passed Mel with a smile. She smiled back as our shoulders brushed passed each other.

“How did it go…?” Carter asked as he hauled my duffle bag in my room for me.

“Fine…”

“Did… you tell him everything…?”

I paused, after a moment I sighed and shook my head. “No… I just… told him I couldn’t do it…”

Carter nodded.

I sat on my full bed and put my head in my hands over my lap and groaned. “My head is killing me… I still feel sick.”

“Get some rest… I’ll check in on you in the morning…”

I don’t remember falling asleep. But I woke up abruptly at about 2 am with a lurching feeling in my stomach. Forcing me out of bed before I threw myself into my bathroom, hardly making the toilet before my stomach heaved up the contents within.

My bathroom door flew open. For some reason, Carter's scent was aggressively more noticeable than usual as he dropped beside me. Our bedrooms were next to each other, and he had ears like a hawk. He pulled my hair back over my shoulder away from my face as I heaved again.

“Calm down…” he said softly as my body shook. I gripped the toilet seat desperately trying to get my bearings back as my mind spun. “C’mon, let’s get you cleaned up…”

Carter ran my shower and helped me undress, my body felt heavy, to the point where I couldn’t lift my own limbs without struggling. He helped wash chunks of food out of my hair where my curls had fallen into the line of fire as I threw up.

I was dizzy, disoriented, I felt like I’d fall when I didn’t have anything to hold on to. Carter helped me pull on shorts and a loose top before he helped me back to my bed.

“Need anything?” He asked.

“Can you stay…” I asked softly.

He nodded “Of course Ar…” he climbed into bed and let me lean my head against his chest. The warmth from his body was soothing. And the swirling in my head calmed as he let me rest against him.

Carter and I had always been fairly comfortable with one another. We had experimented together when I was a teenager and before he realized he wasn’t all that into women. Right now, I was thankful to have someone I was comfortable with comforting me while I felt so sick…

But I had to admit, I begged for the touch of Gabriel, I found myself craving him to be the one comforting me currently. The smell of his sweater still surrounded me and burned from the pile of clothing I had dropped to the floor when I got back to my room earlier in the night. All I wanted was for Gabriel to put his arms around me… run his fingers through my hair while he showered me… be the one to hold me much like Carter was doing now to comfort me… I cursed myself and my wolf for wanting him so badly right now…

Carter stroked his finger gently on my side. While his other hand gripped mine on his chest, his thumb rubbing the tops of my fingers. I settled into his body, staring at the bracelet for a few moments before my eyes became too heavy to keep open. He kissed the top of my head and we both fell asleep, his light snoring creating an almost familiar white noise to me as I dozed off.

Carter and I woke up a few hours later to the 6AM alarm. Carter jolted and I twitched as he tightened his arm around me with his surprise.

“f**k…” he groaned, “Turn it off.”

I rolled over and clicked the button on my alarm and sat. My head throbbed painfully, it felt as though my whole body swayed with every movement.

“Time to get up…” I said softly.

“Hey, no way!” Carter said as he sat beside me on the edge of the bed. “You aren’t training today after getting that sick.”

“I’ll be fine…” I responded and he shook his head putting his hands on my shoulders as he stood up before me.

“Lay back down…. I’ll get you some food…”

“I’m fine Car…”

“Don’t make me tell Mason and have him order you…”

“Fine…” I reluctantly caved. I laid back down and dozed while he went to fetch breakfast. He brought us both back a plate of eggs, hash browns and fresh bowls of fruit.

“Mel is on her way to Full Moon Territory… Mason said she should be there by tonight, she already applied for one of the kitchen staff jobs they had posted and said they had a phone interview and practically hired her on the spot…” I ate about half of my food before I suddenly became queasy again and had to push the plate away from myself.

“I’ll be back after training… text me if you need me…”

“I will…”

My nausea persisted through the rest of the day and into the next morning. By the third day Carter resorted to bringing me crackers and orange juice, the only things I could keep down.

Louis peeked his head in behind Carter as he came in that morning. He gave me a small nod and a sympathetic look as he stepped in with Carter. Louis was a tall, dark skinned man with beautiful chocolate brown eyes. He had a head of kinky, bouncy curls that seemed to defy gravity. He was always dressed in hipster style clothing, always with the next best trend type of guy. He was a very clear opposite of Carters more old school personality, but they melded well together.

“Hey Ar…” he said as he knelt beside my bed. I sat cross legged nibbling on a cracker.

“What?” I said as I raised an eyebrow to his concerned look. He looked at Carter and he nodded, handing me a shopping bag. I pulled a small pink box from the bag and sighed, shaking my head.

“No…”

“Ari, please, it’s just to eliminate any possibilities…” Louis pleaded

“No. I’m not doing that… I’m not pregnant…”

“Ari… you’ve been in heat… you had s*x with the alpha… the time line matches…” Carter added.

“But… he didn’t ever like… finish… inside…”

“Yes he did…” Carter interjected, “you said the first time he did…”

“Oh… f**k you’re right…”

“Just… go take it, Girl… just… so we know…” Louis urged, flicking his finger against the box. “Mason is already getting concerned about you being absent and we’ve run out of excuses.

I sighed and stood from my bed. Angrily shaking the pink box in my hand as I walked into the bathroom where I read the instructions thoroughly before unwrapping the white stick.

Carter paced nervously across my room, his finger tips in his mouth as he chewed his already nonexistent nails.

“Carter, Baby, don’t pace…” Louis said to him before wrapping his arms around Carter's waist. He was tall but Carter still stood over him by a few inches. Louise reached up and pecked his lips gently.

“I don’t get why you are nervous… you’re not the one waiting on the test…” I rolled my eyes.

“You know he is a nervous Nelly…” Louis responded, rolling his eyes. I laughed and nodded as I turned back to the bathroom. I shook my head with a laugh.

“This is ridicul-…”But my smile faded as I stood and pulled the white stick from its packaging again, staring at one bright pink line and one faintly visible… but it was there. “Oh…”

Carter gave me an expectant look and threw his hands up. “Are you kidding me Ari?” He growled, “Mason sent me with you to protect you! He told me to not let anything happen to you!”

“You didn’t…” I sighed, still looking at the test. “I… did…”

“Ari! SERIOUSLY!?” Carter practically fell to the ground, dread overcoming him as he panicked.

“What!?” I asked, shrugging.

“Mason told me to keep you safe!” He repeated, “Oh my Goddess… what is he going to say when he finds out…”

“Carter… calm down…” I breathed

“Calm down? Calm down!?” He shook his head frantically, “What is he going to do to me! I was supposed to prevent anything from happening to you! I was supposed to bring you back safe from your mission! What is he going to do when he finds out I brought his little princess back pregnant!?” He practically hissed the last word, making it sound like the most sickening thing he had ever thought of.

“Don’t call me Princess… ” I groaned as I shook my head and held my hand up to stop him.

“Mason is going to kill me…” he said in realization.

I paused at the word… “Oh Gods…” I paused, Carter and Louis both looked at me in question. “Melany…” I started with a stuttering voice, “If… if she kills Alpha Gabriel…” I paused and both Carter and Louis’ eyes widened in realization.

“She’ll…”

“We have to stop her…” I responded by cutting him off, not wanting to think about it.

“She’s already gone Dark, there’s no way to stop her without alerting anyone…”

“We have to get back to Full Moon… Now…” I responded. I turned to head out the door before Louise grabbed my arm.

“Ari, you can’t shift…” he started, knowing that’s exactly what I intended to do… We moved faster on foot as we could traverse every terrain rather than following a road.

“f**k…”