22

"I'm sorry, I had no idea."

"Don't be sorry. I'm okay. It was so long ago and Charles and Lexi have been the most loving and real parents to me. I have nothing to be ungrateful for. We all have tragedies in our past, and my adoptive parents have taught me how to be strong despite them."

They arrived back at the estate in silence, but when Hamilton carried her things upstairs to her room, Ariella thought she saw a hint of admiration and respect in his gaze towards her. It buoyed her steps and lightened the cloud in her heart. Maybe the cynical Beta Hamilton could become her ally in this pack after all.

After two hours of arranging her things neatly in Malachi's room, Ariella headed down to the kitchen to begin dinner preparations. But it wasn't long before she caught Malachi's scent outside and rushed to the front door to meet him. Flying down the steps, she wrapped her arms around his neck before he even reached the house. Her actions might be impulsive, but she didn't really care.

"I missed you so much today," she breathed against his neck.

Malachi pulled her close against him, and she felt him press a kiss to the top of her head. "I missed you too."

Smiling, she replied, "I wish you could've come with, Malachi."

"Maybe next time," he chuckled and rubbed small circles on her back.

Ariella pulled back to look at him front on, "I'm gonna hold you to that." She lifted her hands between them. "I picked these for you." The small bunch of flowers brushed his face.

"Lavender?" He leaned in to smell the dusky purple blossoms.

"You said you liked the scent."

"Hmm, because it's your scent," his lips tugged in a grin that was still obscured by the flowers in his hands. "Thank you, Ariella. They're beautiful," he gave her another squeeze around the waist and her heart soared. As she moved to walk inside with him, the porch light fell on his face and she finally took a good at look at her mate.

Her eyes widened in shock. "What happened to you?"

His hair was mussed, a dark bruise was blooming under his right eye, and a long red scratch traversed his jaw. A few more red marks were apparent on his neck, even under the thick collar of his black shirt that he'd pulled up high.

Malachi tensed and turned away from her, his arms releasing to hang by his side. "I had a disagreement with one of the Older Wolves." His fists clenched along with the muscles in his shoulders.

Ariella's heart sank and squeezed in concern. "Harlow mentioned them... how they don't respect you. But how dare they hurt you like this?" Lifting her hand to brush back his fringe, her fingers gently caressed the bruises.

"It's okay. Don't worry about it," he pushed her hand aside and hurried through the front door.

His mistreatment by his own pack members cut Ariella as if she herself had been hurt. This wasn't fair. Sure, he was young, but so had her own Alpha been young when Aunt Chesca took over the Alpha responsibilities. Duty demanded them to take the role of leader, and respect had to follow. The pack members had to recognise Malachi as their leader or else the whole pack would fall apart.

But Malachi didn't want to talk about it. Ariella kept biting her tongue while she finished making dinner. They were soon joined by a serious Hamilton and a scowling Harlow. Ariella could only guess what had gone down between the siblings. She could see that Hamilton cared about his sister, so maybe he thought it his duty to keep her in line, if she even had stepped out of line for a moment. From what she had seen, Harlow was strong-willed and independent, and wouldn't take too kindly to an older brother checking up on her.

It wasn't long when Luna Seneca also presented herself for dinner. She swept in with her usual stately appearance, black casual yet classy clothing hanging around her figure. Still, she looked like a queen, and it weighed on Ariella that she had an impressive position to fill if she ever thought of taking the Luna's place as Alpha Female of this pack.

With determination and a bright smile, she gave Seneca the soft pink peonies she'd picked for her.

The Luna eyed them carefully, her hand not moving to receive them. "How do you know I'm not allergic to flowers? How do I know you're not trying to harm me with this seemingly innocent gesture?" her perfectly styled eyebrow rose in question.

It wasn't the first time Ariella's flowers hadn't been accepted by someone she cared about. But she couldn't blame Seneca for her misgivings.

"Mom, seriously? You can't even take some flowers from my mate?" Malachi stood and laid a hand on Ariella's shoulder.

"I will take them," Seneca slowly and deliberately took them between her slender fingers. "I just want to know why she is giving them." Her eyes once more centred on Ariella, who found it difficult to breathe under her intimating scrutiny.

"I give flowers to everyone I care for, especially my family. Malachi is my mate, so as his mother, you too are now family." She spoke with as much courage and sincerity, letting it come from her heart.

Seneca allowed herself a smile. "How quaint." Then she took her place at the head of the table.

They'd all only just sat down to eat when Malachi bristled, a cold look entering his eyes. A moment later, loud voices could be heard coming from outside the front. The Alpha and Beta were instantly on their feet, leaving the women to scurry after them.

"He's dead! My mate is dead!"

The anguished cry reached Ariella as she ran down the hall, but the broad figure of Malachi blocked her from seeing the distraught shewolf out the front.

"I—I found him... found him down by the river. His entire body was..." a strangled sob cut the voice short.

Ariella could see her now, a middle aged woman with grey streaks in her brown hair, her hands pressed to her face as she crumbled to her knees on the Alpha's steps. A few others were supporting her, their faces pale and their movements skittish with the news of the tragedy.

"Tell me exactly what happened," Beta Hamilton commanded when Malachi took a moment too long to gather breath. With a glance, Ariella was surprised to see him staring at the women with...fear.

"He never came home after his shift," the shewolf managed between sobs. "I heard from Stacey that he had gotten in a fight with the Alpha," her eyes turned cold and accusing as she said this. "Then I felt... I felt my soul break. He was gone. He was gone!" She shrieked and launched herself at Malachi, but Hamilton managed to hold her back, grasping the shewolf gently yet firmly as grief wracked her body in spasms of fury.

"I'm sorry, but I don't.." Malachi began. His voice was shaky, Ariella could tell. But with a shiver of determination he straightened his shoulders and let steel seep into his tone. His dominating Alpha tone. "What time was this?"

"About half an hour ago, shortly after he ended his guard shift."

"And where did you say you found him?"

"His bo...his body was so broken.." she choked on a sob and tried again. "I found him down by the river," her hand flew to her mouth as if she was seeing the grizzly scene all over again.

Ariella could only imagine the pain of seeing your soulmate dead, bones broken and flesh torn. A faint horror tugged at her memories, of her parents' bodies lying in the dirt, the copper scent of blood filling her nose, her little hands stained with their death. Her world shattering around her.

The unfamiliar emotion wrapped around her, causing her to sway with dizziness, and she clutched Malachi's hand for support. Tingles of security ran up her arm as he wrapped his fingers around hers, and she leaned into his rigid body.

"I left him by the guard house when we were done talking," Malachi stated flatly. "I assumed he walked straight home."

"Talking? Stacey said she saw you assaulting him."

"You say I was assaulting him? My own pack member? As much as we may not see eye to eye, I would never do that to him. Or to any of you. No, it was Archie who threw the first punch. I was defending myself and my position as Alpha."

"Alpha?" The woman's eyes flashed with hatred, her grief momentarily forgotten. "You will never be my Alpha. Not after what you did to my mate."

"What are you saying, Hila?" Malachi pinned his most serious gaze on her, his fingers squeezing Ariella's until they almost hurt.

"I'm saying Archie is dead because of you. I'm saying you killed him."

"That is a very serious accusation, Hila," Luna Seneca stepped forward and leveled her darkest gaze on the shewolf, who then shrank back and relinquished some of her anger. It seeped from her heaving shoulders, and Ariella could almost taste the tension and bitterness in the air.

The newly widowed shewolf was shocked, grieving. Pointing a finger of blame would either help her deal with the tragedy, or stir up a deeper resentment towards the young Alpha.

"How else do you explain it?" Hila tentatively raised her eyes to her Luna. "This is the fourth death in the last few months. No one has found the killer. Which means, he is among us still."

Malachi tensed beside Ariella and his eyes flashed, "We are doing everything we can to solve this."

"Are you? Are you really?" Another shewolf spoke, the one that Ariella assumed was Stacey. "When? When will you solve it? After more people die? After I lose my mate too?" her lips quivered in the fading light, her arm wrapping around Hila to give her support.

"Maybe if you all trusted me more, we wouldn't have so many problems," Malachi stepped forward and shook his fist in the air. "If you must know, Robert and Leo were out past the danger zone when they were killed. If they hadn't disregarded my rules--"

"Your rules are pathetic, young pup--"

"My rules are meant to keep you safe!"

"Then why is my mate dead?!"

"Enough!" Seneca spoke softly but her voice carried enough power to make Ariella cringe. "I will not allow you to disrespect my son like this, Stacey, Hila," she turned her sharp eyes on them both, her shoulders held back with firm authority. "Go home and bury your dead. Grieve for your broken soul. But leave my son out of your self-pity and cruel blame."

The shewolves shrank back, fading into the night as their quiet whimpers trailed behind them. Only when the courtyard was silent once more did Ariella dare take a breath.

"What are we going to do?" she looked up at Malachi who ran a shaky hand through his hair.

"I'm going to figure this out," he murmured, sharing a dark frown with his mother before she went back inside.

The Beta stood stoically to the side for a moment before he came to an understanding with Malachi. "I'll run the perimetre, check for any clues." Then he left, padding down the path with Harlow in his shadow.

As Ariella processed the reality that someone had just been killed on this territory, not far from the Alpha's own home, a shiver of fear snaked down her spine and curled in her stomach. "Mal, we have to find who did this." Her voice was a tiny whisper.

"I've got it under control," he muttered and headed inside, his head down in thought, his fringe casting his face into dark shadows.

"But shouldn't we all be out there searching? Whoever did it can't have gone far--"

"I said I've got it under control! Just forget about it. I want you upstairs and safely away," his words came out low and rough, full of authority that would make any wolf cower in fear.

But Ariella was his mate, and she refused to feel subject to his steely tone. "Malachi, I'll be safe by your side. Just tell me what's going on, and I can help—"

"No! Just no, okay!" He whirled on her, his eyes flashing and his jaw ticking with held back emotions.

The force of his words pushed her back a step, and Ariella bumped into the wall of the hallway. Blinking, she stared at him in the dim light of the corridor, watching the angst and confusion play across his face. He was a contrast, with his tall intimidating posture, but turmoil clouding his dark blue eyes that flickered with a crimson flame. She could almost see the angst fighting inside him, and she just wanted to claw it out into the open, finally see some truth.

"I don't know what you're keeping from me, or even why, but I won't leave your side. You've just had a pack member get killed, and you've been blamed for his murder. Whatever is going on, we're going to work it out together," she said with as much confidence as she could, reaching for his hand.

"That's where you're wrong. I'm going to work it out, along with my Beta and trained warriors," he stepped closer with each sentence until he was towering over her, his height seeming so much more as his shadow played on the walls behind. His voice was deep and held the edge of a growl. "Now leave. Me. Alone." With a tug, he pulled his hand free and marched down the hall, disappearing around the corner.

Ariella stood breathless.

Beyond the thudding of her racing heart, all she heard was the monotonous tick-tock of a grandfather clock somewhere in the mansion foyer. And the ache in her chest bloomed heavier than the blossoms of Belmaryn flowers.

"Why won't you let me in?" she whispered, pressing a palm to her forehead, her back sliding down the wall until she rested on her heels. Fighting back a sob as the surprise and adrenaline of the evening's events seeped from her bones, Ariella rose weakly to her feet and wandered down the hall. Without minding where she was going, her feet took her to the kitchen and dining room.

"Hey, Ariella! I was just— Are you alright?"

Startled, Ariella looked up and saw Beta Knight leaning against the kitchen counter. He instantly moved towards her and stood in front.

"You look pale. Here, sit down before you faint and I'll make you a drink. You want water? Tea?" His voice was a flurry of concern, as he checked for her wellbeing.

"I'm okay. It's just ... just a shock..." she mumbled as he eased her onto a stool. "I don't suppose you heard what happened?"

He shook his head. "I just got back from visiting a friend. Tell me," he placed a cool glass of water in front of her before taking the other seat. His emerald gaze locked on her with his full attention.

"Another man has been killed. Just this afternoon, after the guards finished their shift. His mate found him, and she is now accusing Malachi of killing him since someone saw them arguing."

Knight let out a low whistle. "That is terrible. How could she say that of him? Why would an Alpha want to hurt his own pack members?"

"That's what I was thinking. But it was one of the older wolves who don't respect him.."

Shaking his head, Knight tutted, "And he's been nothing but courteous towards them, even though they've given him such a hard time. The poor kid. How's he taking it?"

"He's mad. Really mad. He didn't want to talk to me or let me help or anything," Ariella spread her palms on the bench and gave him a look of hopelessness. "What can we do? Beta Hamilton has gone to check the area with Harlow, and Malachi is ... wherever he is," she waved a hand around her, indicating his unknown whereabouts.

"Probably his study. The boy spends lots of time there when he wants to be alone. Either there or the gym downstairs. He's used to dealing with so many things in his own quiet way. Maybe just give him time to sort this out."

Ariella nodded, sipping the cool water and feeling her heart rate slow down. "Thank you, Knight. But...I don't want him to go through this alone. I get the feeling he's already dealt with so much by himself, and I want to be here for him now. Comfort him, you know?"

Knight regarded her with a smile of amusement in his eyes. "Ariella, you're going to make a great Luna, you know that?"

She dropped her gaze from his and studied the glass between her hands. "If I ever come to understand this pack, and will be accepted by them. Then I might make a good Luna."

WIth a shake of his head, Knight disagreed, causing Ariella to frown before he explained himself. "You don't have to be accepted by them before you can serve people. To be a leader, sure. They need to respect you. But you can serve them first. A good leader, a wise master, is also a good servant, putting his people first to earn their trust. Then you will understand the pack and what they need from you."

"That sounds back to front. Isn't a leader meant to be served by his followers?"

"How will they want to serve you if they don't know you're worthy to be served? Show them first that you care about them. Then they will trust you."

The concept turned itself over in Ariella's mind, as she viewed it from different aspects. "Okay, I suppose that makes sense."

"Great. Now," the former Beta rapped his knuckles on the table, "I reckon Malachi has had enough alone-time to brood. You should go find him."

"Sure. Oh, if you're hungry, there's plenty of dinner left on the stove," Ariella pointed out as she made her way out of the kitchen.

"Don't worry about me, girl. I can smell a delicious meal from ten miles away. Especially if it's one you made," he winked as he got up and moved to the shelf. "Now shoo!"

She laughed, shaking her head, and made her way down the hall. It wasn't hard to follow Malachi's warm and toasty scent, and it led her down a few corridors and to a closed oak door. Ariella knocked, the smile slipping from her face as worry again crawled around her heart. It nearly choked her as she waited for a few moments, nothing stirring from inside the room. Swallowing her hesitation, she opened the door and prayed Malachi wouldn't still be angry towards her.

"I said to leave me alone."

All she could see was his broad back as he sat in a chair behind a desk, his elbows presumably on his knees as he stared at the floor. His voice was husky and muffled, tugging at her heart. The need to take away all his hurt sprouted within Ariella and pushed on her walls for freedom.

"I did. And now I'm back." The determination in her voice came out stronger than even she expected, and Malachi sat up quickly and turned on the swivel chair to look at her.

"Well, you shouldn't be," he growled, his face a sketch of dark lines and shallow lights. She wasn't sure how he'd respond to her presence, but she guessed this was as good as she'd get. "Just leave. Go."

"Go where exactly?" She crossed the room and stood in front of him, daring to put a hand on her hip.

"Anywhere. To bed. A guest room, if you like. Or even your parents place," Malachi muttered darkly, his brows furrowing in a deep frown.

"You don't mean that. And even if you did, I wouldn't do it anyway," Ariella stepped closer, her fists curling in on themselves, trying to stop his words from cutting her heart. "I said this morning I'm staying by your side, and I mean to do what I say. So just let me be here, like you promised to give me a chance."

The Alpha stared at her for a long moment, his eyes betraying nothing but a cold defiance, while his jaw clenched over and over. Then, it was like a dam broke and his emotions tumbled out with his loosening of the hold. Malachi closed his eyes and rubbed the bridge of his nose, before completely burying his face in his hands.

"I don't think there's much you can do, Ariella," he spoke in a halting voice. "Hamilton has searched the area and there's no traces of the attacker. He'd be long gone by now."

"Then I can just be here for you," she sat on the edge of his desk, facing him, and took his hand between her own. He reluctantly let her hold it. "Whatever is on your mind weighing you down, just talk to me about it. Let me feel it too." Her fingers glided over his rough palms and drew circles of sparks.