Wolf's Bane

Beneaththe surface

“Shawn, Shawn……come on, Shawn, open your eyes,” Ariella said, screaming.

Shawn slowly began to open his eyes, “what's happened to me Ariella,” Shawn asked.

You fell to the floor and fainted; I had to drag you to the living room.

Shawn notices and sees himself in the living room.

How do you feel, Shawn? Are you fine now?

“Yes I'm better, thank you,” Shawn replied.

What happened, Shawn? You just fell to the floor when you saw the plant.

“What plant?” Shawn asked.

“Wolf's bane, of course. Does wolf's bane have any effect on you,” Ariella asked suspiciously.

Of course not, it doesn't, why would you say that?

All of a sudden, you fainted when you saw the wolf's bane, Kael; that's why I asked.

“Look, Ariella, I'm sick, okay? Of course, I didn't want you and Dad to know.” Shawn lied.

It's bad enough that you both hate me, so I decided not to tell you.

“When did it start? How long has this been for? Why didn't you tell anyone,” Ariella asked looking worried.

I'll be fine Ariella, this why I didn't want to tell you, I knew you would react like this.

“Why won't I react like this, you're my brother for crying out loud.”

“Just a few minutes ago, you were saying I'm not your brother,” with a sense of excitement, Shawn replied.

I thought you hated me, Ariella; I never said I hate you, Shawn; I just don't like how you act.

Ariella and Shawn continued their conversation; suddenly, they heard a knock.

“Who's that?” Ariella asked, “It's me, Ariella.”

“Who?” Ariella asked; it's Kael.

Ariella opens the door and sees her smiling at her, his teeth white as snow, eyes glowing like lanterns.

She couldn't take her eyes off him for a moment.

Kael smiled at Ariella,“ Are you going to let me in?”

“How did you know where I live,” Ariella asked.

You must have forgotten I escorted you to the junction of your house, Ariella.

“Oooh, I see you now; you are mysterious and attentive,” Ariella said, smiling.

“Who is that Ariella,” Shawn asked.

Come in, Kael, “Shawn, meet my friend Kael; Kael, meet my stepbrother Shawn.”

Shawn recognizes Kael and tries to charge at him, but he stops, so Ariella won't suspect.

Kael looked at Shawn with rage, as he remembered he was the one that killed one of his pack members.

“Mr Kael, what are you doing here?” Shawn asked.

Calm down Shawn, he is just my friend, don't be offensive.

“A friend that comes to our house?” Yes, Shawn, he is a friend that comes to our house.

I'm grown; you don't have the right to question who I want to see and who wants to come to see me at home. Kael stood there, trying not to interruptt their conversation.

Come over Kael, let's go to the varenda, “I'm coming,” Kael said.

As Ariella finds her way to the veranda, Shawn charges at Kael, “I know you, and what do you think you are doing with my sister,”

“Don't think I don't know it was you who killed one of my pack members., I'm aware, and I'm coming for you,” Kael responded.

“Oh, so you're truly the alpha of your pack; I thought they were just rumors,” Shawn gave an evil smile, yes, I killed him. “What are you going to do about it,” Shawn replied.

“Tit for Tat, just remember these words, 'cause one of your members is going down for what you did,” Kael threatened Shawn.

Shawn holds Kael's shirt, squeezing his fist about to blow Kael.

“What are you doing, Shawn? Are you going to be doing this every time, chasing my visitors out,” Ariella said angrily.

“Shawn!!!...... Stop it, leave his shirt alone,” Ariella said; you know you should listen to your sister and leave my shirt alone.

Shawn releases his hand from Kael's hand.

Kael smiles as he walks to meet Ariella.

“Why does he like to chase my friends away,” Ariella said.

He's probably trying to protect you Ariella, protect you say? By chasing my friends away.”

“ He hasn't reacted like this to any of my friends; why does he hate you all of a sudden,” do you know each other?

Kael gave a surprising look. “ No, we don't; why did you ask?”

His reaction towards you is so hateful; it's unlike him, it's like you've offended before.

He is just being protective, nothing more; Kael is trying to hide the real reason from Ariella.

Enough about my brother, what have you been up to? I'm surprised you came to see me today.

“I thought you decided to ghost me,” Ariella said.

“Ghost you!!!, I couldn't stop thinking about you all week.”

You know, I made special jewelry for you, wow. “A stranger made jewelry for me; I'm surprised,” Ariella said smiling.

“Well, when a stranger can't just stop thinking about you, he tends to do things that remind him of you,” Kael said, staring deep into Ariella's eye.

Here's the piece of jewelry you can have, Ariella, “ A token of our friendship,” Kael gives the bracelet to Ariella.

Ariella joyfully collected the bracelet, “ thank you, Kael,” she said.

Ariella gives Kael a big hug, “So why didn't you tell me you have a mean stepbrother, and are you the only child from your mother's womb,”

“Yes, I am the only child my mother gave birth to, but my father initially married before, and she's Shawn's mom” Ariella replied.

Kael nods his head, showing Ariella he understands every detail of what he said.

I don't like talking about my stepbrother because he is always mean to me, since I was a child.

“Is there a reason he acts like that,” Kael asked.

“Yes, he hates the fact that my father left his mother for mine and that I received the fatherly love he doesn't,” Ariella replied. Shawn is on a mission to ruin my life Kael.

You don't have to talk that bad about your brother Ariella, technically he is still your brother.

“Why are you defending him, look at the way he treated you when you came,” Ariella asked.

That's because my sister once thought I hated her, but I was just protecting her from this evil world we live in before she passed on.

This is one of the memories that haunt me, knowing my sister didn't like me before she passed on; Kael’s eyes showed despair and exhaustion.

“I'm so sorry, Shawn, sorry for the loss,” Ariella said; why didn't you tell me you once had a sister?

That's because I don't like to tell people about the loss of my sister; I just try to keep her memories in my life.

Ariella comes close to Kael, holding cheeks, staring right through his shining golden eye, and tears come down Kael's cheeks.

Ariella leaned into Kael, and Kael couldn't stop staring at Ariella.

Hands moving down Ariella's cheeks, Kael's fingers traced the contours of Ariella's face; Kael's lips claimed Ariella's, their passion-fueled kiss leaving them breathless and yearning for more.

Ariella's father walked in, and he saw his daughter, Ariella, kissing a stranger he hadn't seen.

“Ariella!!!!!, Ariella, what are you doing? And who is this?” Ariella's father asked.