Chapter 4
1581 Words
“What’s going on?” Her mouth was thick from sleeping for two days. Mac was the only one from the pack left in her room, sitting in the chair where Nick had parked himself for the last two days. “Where did Nick go?”
Mac rubbed his face tiredly. “He went to speak to Liam. To form a plan on what to do next to catch those bastards.”
“Please,” she said weakly, “I don’t want anyone getting hurt because of me.”
Mac leaned in and grabbed her hand, squeezing hard. “You listen to me, missy. No one’s going to hurt you like this and get away with it. It would take a direct order from the Alpha himself, and even then, I’m not sure Nick would obey. You know he loves you, Ari.”
The way her heart leaped in her chest at those words was almost painful. If only Mac meant it the way she wanted him to. “I know he does. He considers me like a little sister. That’s why I don’t want him rushing into a confrontation and getting hurt. Or worse, killed. Not because of me.”
Mac snorted. “Well, I’m afraid you’ve got no say in the matter. Our kind is very territorial and when one of our own is attacked, retribution is necessary. Otherwise, Liam will be seen as weak. Others will challenge his right to lead.”
“I know all that. I just wish…” She trailed off, starting to feel her medication wearing thin. Her eyes closed. “I don’t know. I wish a lot of things.”
Mac squeezed her hand again. “You get some rest now, Ari. Let the pack take care of the rest. I’ll be right here if you need me.”
“Can you ask the nurse for more pain meds? My whole body is hurting.”
He jumped up, probably eager to get out of the room for a second. “I’ll be back.”
In the quiet, Ariana opened her eyes again and expelled a breath. Taking the small compact mirror from off the table next to her, she moved it around looking at her battered face. Her left eye was purple and swollen shut, her lip was split on the bottom, jaw swollen and bruised. There were marks around her neck too. Someone must’ve choked her when she was unconscious. Why? And why not kill her when they had the chance? It didn’t make sense.
Maybe someone interrupted them, she thought, when they were trying to kill her. There was no other reason for her to still be alive.
Was there?
*
“I’ve sent Dillon, Marcus, and Luke out with a lead. They found something at that parking lot that might be a clue as to where Jason and his son are hiding.”
“Why now?” Nick demanded. “It’s been twelve years and not a word or whisper out of them. Why come after Ariana now?”
Liam looked at him for one long second. “There was something I never told you. Or her. Or anyone, really.”
Nick quieted down at his tone. This was serious, he could tell but Liam’s expression, and it wasn’t good. “What is it?”
“I’ve told you Ariana's father was like a brother to me, right?”
Nick nodded.
“Well, he sent word to me sometime before he was killed about an offer that had been made by the Alpha of the Blue Mountain pack. Apparently, he wanted their daughter to marry his son. Unite their packs.”
“Ariana?”
Liam nodded. “Her father refused, of course. She was only a mere nine, I believe, at the time, and anyway, he would never sell out his own daughter to make an alliance. His distaste for the Blue Mountain pack was legendary.” Liam laughed a bit before sobering. “It’s what got him killed in the end. Jason must’ve took the rejection personally.”
Nick slowly stood up, an idea forming in his mind. “So, when we found her that night alive… that was because Jason wanted to take her? But why kill the whole pack and then try and make an alliance?”
“I have two ideas on that one. First, it was a way to get back at Dolph, Ariana’s father, for not giving Jason what he wanted. Second, the entire pack wasn’t destroyed.”
Nick blinked. “What?”
“Jason forced some of the Black clan to join the Blue Mountain pack. I assumed he was going to use Ariana’s and Derek’s betrothal to keep them in line.”
“Wow. Does Ariana know?”
Liam shook his head. “I haven’t told her any of this. You know how she is. She would’ve blamed herself for her parent’s death.”
“But if she knew some of her pack was still alive,” Nick protested.
“I made a decision and stuck to it. It’s done,” Liam snapped, rubbing a hand over his face. “Now, what I need you to do is take care of Ariana. From now on, you don’t leave her side. Day and night, watch over her. They’ll try again to take her and it’s your new job from now on to make sure they don’t.”
Nick gave a half-laugh. “Right. Good one. I’ll have Mac do it.”
“I said you’ll do it. This is a direct order, Nicholas.”
“I’m not a babysitter, Liam. I’m your second-in-command. I need to be out there finding Jason and killing him, not--not… Put her in a bedroom here. No one would dare attack this place.”
“No. We go on as usual. He was just playing with us--this attack on Ariana, it was a message for the Silver Moon pack. He would’ve known that our pack would’ve sniffed out their scents in the parking lot. He knows we’re onto him and we can use that.”
“How?” Nick demanded.
“A trap. Let him think we're afraid, circling the wagons, so to speak. He’ll think he’s winning. And while you’re keeping Ariana safe, the rest of the pack will be hunting Jason down. We have friends, far more than he does. He won’t stay hidden for long.”
“This is hardly a plan. I say we send a message of our own to the Blue Mountain pack and attack their stronghold.”
“We don’t know their numbers yet. It’s been twelve years. Who knows what he’s been up to all this time? He could have double the pack we do. It’s not smart to just rush in. Not until we know everything first.”
Nick turned away. “I can’t. Find someone else. Please.”
Liam was silent for a moment. “I would’ve thought you’d want no one else by Ariana’s side but you. You’ve been protective of her since she was a child and she adores you. I think she might even love you,” he chuckled.
“Yeah, she might,” Nick bit out, clenching a fist. “You know, she’s not a child anymore.”
Another heartbeat of silence. “No. She’s not. Is that what’s worrying you?”
Nick tightened his jaw and said nothing.
“You know my decree and I know you’ll abide by it, no matter what the circumstances.”
“Of course I would. She’s like a sister to me.” But lately… lately, there’d been a slight shift, Nick acknowledged, in their dynamic. It was very slight, but there nonetheless. Lately, he’d been noticing things he shouldn’t. Like the way a lock of her hair would always fall in front of her face when she was cooking or reading. Or the way she always ducked her head before smiling up at him. Or her beautiful hands.
Or the million other things that made her beautiful and perfect and off-limits.
And what the f**k was he thinking? These were not brotherly thoughts. He turned around. “I just would feel more comfortable if someone else was assigned to her.”
Liam’s eyes narrowed for a moment and then he turned around and walked back over to his desk. “It’s an order. I’m done talking about it. See yourself back to the hospital. Relieve Mac and send him to me. I have a special assignment for him.”
Nick wanted to argue but the tone in Liam’s voice was final and he knew better. He had to obey even if it ended in disaster.
- Writer
