37

Running up, my footsteps alert my dad who is bent over in the garden.

"Ariella, is that really you?"

I'm in his arms before I can even reply. "Hey, Dad. What's news?" I give him my usual greeting.

He chuckles and pulls me into the house. "Your mother is going to be happy to see you, but upset that she's already got plans tonight."

"Plans?"

"Is that my baby Ari?" Lexi rushes down the staircase with a bag under each arm and dumps them in the foyer before pulling me into a hug.

I've missed the crushing yet loving hugs of my adoptive parents. I don't think any parents loves their child more than mine do, and they're not even my real parents. I've always known I would one day grow up and move away to be with my mate, but I didn't realise I would miss my old life so much.

"It's so good to see you. Are you staying for long?" Lexi searches my face, taking in all the details of my countenance as if she too has missed the sight of me.

"For a few days. I wanted to be here for Fire Night. Malachi is coming for it too, maybe Friday afternoon if the Alphas agree--"

"Oh, of course they will, Darling! We'd all be happy to have him come here. In fact, I'll talk to Chesca tonight--oh!"

"What's wrong?"

"I was on my way to stay with Chesca and her family tonight, to answer lots of questions she had about the baby and monitor her, but if you're here, I'll stay with you of course."

"No, no. don't change all your plans just because of me. I'm here for a few days anyway, so I'll see you tomorrow and the day after," I argue, not wanting to inconvenience anyone with my unannounced visit. If the Alpha especially is expecting my mom, I don't want her to change anything.

"Are you sure?" Lexi looks between Charles and I. "I could delay a couple hours..."

"No, it's fine. You go, they're expecting you."

She still doesn't look convinced, as if me and dad can't manage at home by ourselves.

"Lex, you go and stay with Chesca and the pups as planned. We'll be fine, and besides, I'll get to have some daddy-daughter time with my little girl."

"Dad, I'm not a little girl anymore," I can't help but whine as he pulls me in close and places big kisses on the top of my head. But truthfully, despite my many protests that I'm all grown up, there's something comforting about being his little girl again, and not having to worry about anything hurting me when I'm with my big strong dad.

"You'll always be my little girl," Charles murmurs and I hear his voice rumble where my face is squished against his chest, and my wolf and I both melt into the soothing sound.

"Well okay then, but don't up and leave before I get a chance to see you." Lexi says goodbye and heads off, leaving just me and dad to spend the afternoon together.

We go for a run, at my dad's suggestion, and it's just what I need. To see the trees and forested paths that are as familiar to me as the back of my hand; to hear the birdsongs that taught my heart lyric and melody; to hear the bubbling stream and learn more of its secrets--this is my home. This is what I've missed. In the back of my mind, Malachi is with me, enjoying each sight that I ache to share with him. I can't wait to show him around my backyard forest and meadows that mean so much to me. They're a part of me, they flow through me, and now I want to entwine Malachi into the makeup of my soul. Friday won't come fast enough for me, but I breathe deeply and enjoy these moments of peace until then.

After warming down, my dad and I prepare a simple dinner together and settle in front of the blazing fire in the living room hearth. It keeps the frosty fall evening at bay, warming the house that holds so many beautiful memories for me.

"You're very quiet this evening," Charles murmurs from his favourite side of the couch, while I recline on the floor with a mug of hot cacao between my palms.

I sigh in contentment, every cell in my body unwinding and relaxing for the first time in weeks. "I'm just so happy to be home. There's not much need for words."

"I suppose you're right," Dad responds with a thoughtful nod. "Although I know you still have a million thoughts going on in your mind. Have you drawn anything interesting lately?"

I look down at my art diary beside me, the pen waiting patiently on top. "Plenty."

"Do you want to show me any?"

I give him a sheepish smile. "I don't think you'd care to see them. They're not very ... pleasant," I search for the right word.

My dad frowns, and I know there's no backing out from this. Either he'll dismiss my fanciful notions with an apathetic attitude, or try and psychoanalyse what is really going on with me. "So you've had some dreams lately?"

Everyone knows most of my drawings come from my subconscious while I sleep.

"I'd call them weird nightmares."

He pats the couch beside him, and I read a very understanding expression on his face. He has woken me up from many nightmares before, and isn't shocked by the horrors I try and describe to him after. Talking with my dad is maybe just what I need to make sense of what's been going on with my Alpha mate and his mystifying pack.

So without hesitation, I crawl up beside him, curl my legs under my thighs, and give him my art book. The one with all the darkness, death...

And demons.

"He really hasn't changed at all."

"Who?"

"Caleb. Who else would I be talking about!" Lexi placed the stack of plates in a cupboard then wiped the sink dry, and turned a raised eyebrow to her Alpha.

"Oh, right. What about him?" Chesca asked while hanging up the dish towel. The kitchen was now tidy and clean from the dinner preparations thanks to Lexi's help, but she knew by breakfast the next morning, it would once again be it's usual mess.

"I saw him chatting to Miranda the other day, down by the lake. You know the spot by the pines? Private. Romantic. He was standing so close to her like he always used to. Leaning, if you know what I mean."

Chesca groaned and poured the freshly boiled kettle of water into her teapot. Soon the scent of black tea with rose buds permeated the air, and Chesca felt herself instantly unwinding with just the anticipation of a good cup of tea. This time of night, when her pups were in bed, was a part of the day she looked forward to. Because though she loved her family dearly, there was something about peaceful alone time that settled and recharged her.

"So he's still around? Why can't we just get rid of him before he causes any more trouble. I don't have the time or energy to be worrying about him right now," she carried the tea to the living room with Lexi following.

After pouring the steaming tea, she curled up on the couch while her best friend took the other end. It had been a long afternoon, finishing off some school tests with her children before Lexi arrived. They had then spent hours talking all about Chesca's pregnancy, and how Chesca was worried for the unborn pup. He seemed to be unusually active lately, more so than was normal. Lexi discussed possible causes, then joked that maybe the baby was just anxious to get out and play with his brother and sisters. The older pups already adored their baby sibling and couldn't wait for him to be finally born. Chesca prayed every hour of every day that nothing was wrong and all would be well.

"Tell that to your stubborn mate. Why is it that some men are just blinded to reason in certain areas? I heard Kaiden telling Benny that the decision is up to Miranda. If she wants to accept him back into her life, then so be it. But personally, I think Caleb will try to charm her again, and someone will just get hurt. Again."

Chesca had to agree with Lexi, to some extent. "But...Miranda isn't like she used to be. She can see through charm, and she won't forgive him so easily for how he treated her. The years have toughened her."

"As they have us all." With a heavy sigh, Lexi stared at the coffee table, at the intricate scrollwork on the legs, and seemed to be looking back in the past. Things had been so easy as young teens and adults. No pain, no regrets, no responsibilities that came weighed with hundreds of lives. The decisions they had to make weren't often life-changing.

Yet now, Chesca mused as she absently caressed her growing pup in her belly, so many things hung in the balance of the choices they made as mature adults. She herself had four children who depended on her and a mate who relied on her for so many things. Lexi also was responsible for so many lives in the pack, as well as coping with her own hurts and insecurities. Life was so different for her than what she had envisioned, and at times Chesca wondered how she was really doing.

"So you said Ariella is home for a few days?" Chesca prodded, afraid to see Lexi getting too lost in her thoughts.

She snapped her eyes up to the Alpha's. "Yes. Well, I don't know if you would call it home. She lives with her Alpha mate now, so that is her home. She doesn't need to keep feeling tied to this place, to the people..."

"You'll always be her parents. She'll always think of this as home."

"But she's so independent now. Even in the brief time I saw her this afternoon, I didn't miss the way she'd changed. Matured. Her eyes were ablaze with a fire that... that can't be bounded by this place. She's free. Flown the nest. She doesn't need us." Lexi tried to keep the frown from her face, but the astute Alpha saw every scrunch of her eyebrows and every sag of her smile.

"Maybe so. But it's just when the fire is growing strongest and her wings spread the widest that she needs her family to keep her grounded."

"How can you be sure?"

"Because I know when I was her age, so fearless and ready to take on the world, that I wished for my parents the most. I needed their gravity, and it was only with the help of you and Charles and the pack, that I was able to keep a level head. Still, I made bad decisions, but I don't want to imagine how bad it could've been without you guys."

"I guess. But still, I feel.... I feel so redundant. Empty. These last few weeks without Ariella at home, without her looking to me for advice or just chatting about her day, I feel so alone. I know it seems silly, but I had always wished..." Lexi trailed off, her hand slightly hovering over her own barren abdomen for the briefest of moments, then she dashed it away and held her mug in both hands.

Her fingers still trembled over the ceramic, and Chesca's heart ached for her best friend. They had always discussed, as young girls, how many pups they wanted and how fun it would be for them all to grow up together, cousins and best buddies like their parents. Chesca got her dream, but Lexi was left with broken wishes. With what could never be.

"There's still hope," Chesca reached her arm around Lexi and pulled her close. "You'll find what your heart is searching for. Already you're pouring out your nurturing soul to all the expectant mothers in the pack. You're looking after them as a mother would. And I know it might not be as fulfilling as actually having your own babes in your arms, but time will show you how to live the destiny you've always had in store."

"You really think?"

"I've always been praying for your own special miracle, Lex. Whatever it might be, I know you'll find it."

Lexi smiled. Whether she believed it or not, was up to her.

___🖤🖤____

Malachi cursed the frustration that built up behind his eyes and manifested in a throbbing headache. Pulling off his glasses, he slammed his laptop lid closed with so much more force than necessary. Uncaring, he bounded from his office, down the steps and out the door, and jogged at a fast pace to the training field.

It was a beautiful afternoon, but the weightless emptiness stifled his view. All he could see it seems were dark clouds hovering on every horizon, threatening to rain and bring storms he'd rather do without.

It had been two days since Ariella left.

Only two, yet why did it feel like so much longer? Two weeks, two months... Two years? He didn't realise how calming her presence was to him, until it was no longer here. He didn't realise how much he adored her smiling face in the morning until he no longer saw it.

He didn't realise how her floral scent permeated their room with hope and bliss until only a lingering trace was all he could detect.

He didn't realise how much he wanted to hold her close, until she was gone so far away and he no longer had the choice in his hands.

Of course, he could run over this very instant and see her in ForgedHearts Pack, but that would defeat the purpose of her trip away. She needed space, and he needed to give her that. That was his every intention of what he'd said to her, about giving her the choice to be with him or not.

While his mind went over and over these thoughts, his eyes absently watched the warriors on the field. A few of the older wolves were working with the younger generation, strengthening them and teaching them new things. Hamilton looked pleased with everyone's progress, giving pointers and supervising them all with his usual serious observance. He was a good Beta, his best friend, and Malachi was so grateful to have him in his life.

When the sun had sunk to just near the horizon, the wolves were finishing up and leaving one by one. Soon Hamilton jogged over to him.

"You're thinking about her, aren't you?"

"What gives you that idea?" Malachi scowled, keeping his arms loose against his chest and his ankles crossed, leaning back against the guardhouse.

Hamilton stood with hands on his hips, giving equal attention to his Alpha and the remaining wolves on the field. "Well, I don't know. It's not like it's written all over your face with a black marker. You give dark and brooding Alpha a whole new meaning."

"Thank you for the kind observation." Malachi turned the aforementioned dark stare onto his Beta.

Hamilton threw up his arms in defence and smirked. "Hey, just telling you the truth, brother. And honestly, I've been thinking about her too."

"You have?" Malachi threw him a suspicious glare.

"Hey, not like that. I was just thinking about how good she's gotten at fighting and sparring since we've been training her. She's getting so strong. Remember the other day she was training with me, and ended up knocking me down? She's doing good," the Beta nodded in approval and admiration.

Malachi let a small chuckle escape. He remembered. It had become his habit the last few weeks to come down here after working in his office, and watch the new warriors training. But especially it was Ariella that caught and held most of his attention. There was something mesmerising about watching her spar with the others, her beautiful brown hair with the colourful ends flying around her shoulders, her slender figure gracefully dodging and ducking the play punches and kicks that came her way. She even managed to make falling to the ground look beautiful, and more than once Malachi had resisted the instinct to race over and help her up.

She faced a fair amount of struggles, learning the difficult evasion and defence moves, but she was tough. Stronger than she thought, and Malachi was beginning to see what a strong warrior heart she had beating in her chest.

"Yes, she's good, but are you sure you aren't going too hard on her? The other day before she left, she had bruises on her ribs. Not that she showed me. She'd never admit to being hurt. But maybe you could go a little easy on her, and not let the others fight too hard against her."

Hamilton raised his eyebrows. "Go easier on her? If I don't watch my back, she'll be outdoing us all soon enough. That girl is a viper dressed in sheep's clothing."

"No," Malachi disagreed, shaking his head with a faraway look in his eyes, knowing his stunning mate was anything but a poisonous snake. "She's a daydream wrapped in starlight."

Hamilton swivelled his head and looked at his Alpha sharply. "That is....awfully poetic. Are you feeling okay? Have you bumped your head or something?"

"I'm sorry, I think I just zoned out. I thought I heard you insulting my mate," Malachi growled.

Hamilton just chuckled.

Malachi shared a laugh, then sobered, motioning for his Beta to stand closer. "I worry about her, Hamilton."

"She's fine. Every bruise will only make her stronger. I'll keep training—"

"That's not what I'm talking about," Malachi paused, taking a deep breath before continuing. Hamilton was his closest friend, close as a brother, and he had to confide in someone. "I've... I've dreamt about her. I've had the same dream a couple nights now. She's hurt. Stabbed in the chest. Blood... blood everywhere..."

Malachi closed his eyes against the images that kept playing over in his head. Ariella in the Alpha mansion in the main hall with moonlit shadows creeping all around her. A dark stain growing on her chest, spreading through the white cotton dress that hung loosely on her thin shoulders. She was sitting on the throne-like armchair that his father usually occupied when presiding over pack disputes. The members would file in, bowing and bringing their arguments before Dennison as if he were their king. His dominance and arrogance demanded it.

But instead of his powerful and authoritative posture, Ariella shrank into the back of the chair, a look of terror in her eyes like a hunted animal. Malachi stood in the doorway, his feet fused to the marble floor as he watched helplessly the wound that gaped on her chest. Then he would wake up, covered in sweat, his throat strangled with silent screams.

"Sounds like your daydream is actually a nightmare."

Malachi stared at Hamilton cooly, at the flippant way that he'd brushed off his confession.

Hamilton continued quickly. "Dreams are dangerous, man. They're not real, but they get stuck in your head. Wriggle themselves into your mind and make you think they're real. They make you worried and grow sick over nothing."

Malachi heard his words but discounted them. "I have a feeling about this, Hamil. This isn't just nothing. I've had the same dream, over and over, every so often for a few weeks. It can't just be meaningless."

"Okay, sure. Whatever you say. But Ariella will be fine. We'll keep her safe. You'll protect her, won't you."

It wasn't a question, but Malachi answered emphatically. "Of course. That's all I want to do; protect her from this. From whatever is haunting her."

"And you wouldn't do anything to hurt her, would you?" Hamilton clenched his jaw and gave his Alpha a very pointed stare.

Unsaid words passed between them, and Malachi swallowed hard, rebuking his suddenly dry throat. "Of course not."

"Good." Hamilton took a deep breath and released it slowly before repeating, "Good." Then he tilted his head and regarded the Alpha in a way that made him uneasy. "You do know, that in order to keep her safe, you have to keep her close, right?" He lifted his hand and pushed back lightly on his Alpha's chest.

"She needed the distance. I needed to let her go," Malachi instantly defended, shoving his Beta.

"Okay, I get that." Hamilton automatically slipped into his fighting stance, and watched Malachi for his next move. The two had sparred like this many times before, talking out their issues while refining their bodies into skilled fighters. "But how much space are you going to give her? She can't get to know you from a distance, man."

"And she can't get to know me up close, either!" Malachi snapped, lashing out at Hamilton with a well placed kick.

The outburst surprised them both, and Malachi looked away in apologetic shame. "You know why I'm doing this."

Hamilton pursed his lips and slowly nodded as he got up, rounding on Malachi with a sly move that sent them both rolling onto the ground. "It still doesn't feel right—"

"Nothing about this is right!" Malachi was the first to regain his feet, and tackled Hamilton around the waist. "Thanks to my prideful and arrogant father, we are still paying for his mistakes."

Hamilton took the fall before adjusting his momentum and springing back up, behind Malachi. Sweat rolled down his muscles, glistening in the glow of dusk as he exerted himself. His hands hung loose by his side as he spoke, "I know. But we can't keep letting the past affect us negatively like this. Someone once told me that the pain of the past can break us and make us weak. Or it can forge us into something even stronger."

Malachi wondered where he had heard those words, unsure if he should believe them. Nevertheless, they resonated somewhere in his soul before he pushed them aside. "That's not an option when the past is eating at us, draining us. And what are we left with? Scars, and disloyalty. Distrust. Death. Ongoing problems that are threatening us right now. My father's ignorance to the truth, his blindness, has done more damage than even we can know," he spat to the side at the distasteful words, then he leapt towards Hamilton with a clenched fist.

Hamilton couldn't argue. They all knew the problematic legacy left by the previous Alpha. He deflected the blow by grabbing Malachi's wrist and twisting it around. He spoke in uneven breaths, panting from the exertion he used against the strong Alpha. "Then that's why you need your mate to work through it together. You're stronger with each other--"

Malachi started to contradict him, but Hamilton pushed on, pushing him down to a crouch. "Listen, man. You can't keep pushing Ariella away. I get that some crazy stuff is going on, but that can't be the reason to ruin things with your mate. Everything that's happening, the deaths and disrespect, is just extra. It's just life. But the bond between you and Ariella is sacred. It's eternal. Don't lose sight of that." He released Malachi and took a step back, giving the Alpha some space to process the contradictions in his head.

Malachi dug his fingers into his hair, lowering his head until his arms rested on his knees and he was staring at the vibrant green grass between his feet. "You make it sound so simple."

"It has to be. Or else everything in life would be so complicated. Mates are meant to make it all easier."

"That's not how it worked for my dad."

Hamilton snorted. "Your dad was some sort of twisted exception."

"He failed three women. I don't want to fail even one." The Alpha's voice was quiet, muffled even.

"And you won't. You won't fail Ariella."

"You're sure right, I won't. Which is why..." Malachi rose quickly and angled his body for another attack, giving Hamilton little time to ready himself. But the Beta was always ready for anything. Malachi knew what he was doing, so he feigned his move and swung his body around the other way at the very last second.

Hamilton took the hit and fell heavily, having missed reading his Alpha correctly like usual.

"You okay, bro?" Malachi extended his hand to help him up.

"Just got word from Jasper," Hamilton huffed, explaining the brief diversion of his focus. "He's been patrolling the crag by Sunset Falls. Says he caught sight of a rogue lurking around the border. You remember Zander?"

"Rogue Zander?" Malachi snapped his eyes to Hamilton's, and read the same agitation in them that he now felt. Both wolves were instantly alert and ready for the threat.

"The one and the same."

Taking a deep breath, Malachi let a hundred thoughts run through his head. This kind of trouble was the last thing they needed. "Did he say what he wanted?"

Hamilton shook his head, but replied anyway. "I think we all know what he wants."