Fighting her instincts to protect her freedom

Chapter 9

Author's Note: Since I got a comment in the previous chapter and the first vote for this story, I decided to post another chapter =) 

Fighting her instincts to protect her freedom - chapter 9

During a cool June afternoon, Ariel was walking through her university lost in her thoughts.  Suddenly, she realized she had walked far away from her art classrooms and was now near the Sciences faculty. To her left she saw the little road that lead to the Mathematics classrooms. Her curiosity got the better of her and she arrived there just as the bell was signaling the end of a period.

Since she was a werewolf her eye sight was great, so she just sat on a rock and watched the students coming out of the classrooms, looking for one in particular. When she saw Sebastian, her heart missed a beat. And just like that she felt her wolf wake up and urge her to go join him. She was actually considering going to talk to him when she saw a girl running towards him and attach herself to his arm. She was flirting shamelessly with him, even though he didn't seem to pay her

too much attention. Ariel felt her blood boil from jealousy and she had to suppress the urge to go and rip off the head of that girl. That girl who was touching her mate. But then she remembered, it was her who pushed Sebastian away, and sadness filled her heart. Was it too late for them now?

As she was reflecting on this, Sebastian seemed to realize that a girl was touching him way too much. He was friendly, but not that friendly. He gently removed the girl's hand from him and looked up. That's when his eyes met Ariel's. He saw the jealousy in them and smiled. "He actually smiled! The jerk likes to see me jealous! I bet he flirts with all the pretty girls!", Ariel thought. She still kept her eyes on him and watched him enter another classroom and greet a guy, one of his friends probably. Before entering the room, he winked at Ariel and smiled softly again. Ariel didn't know what to make of that. The wink hadn't been cocky, it seemed more like a sign of complicity, as if she

was supposed to know something. Except she didn't! She felt confused and sad.

She left the university early, not wanting to talk to anybody. She didn't even pay attention to her wolf. She felt depressed and at the same time, she felt it was her own fault. She couldn't blame him for

seeing other girls when she herself had said that she wanted to see other guys. She even asked him not to be jealous and possessive if she dated someone! And now the tables had turned. She was the jealous and possessive person who didn't know how to act. She was relieved that she didn't share any lesson with him, but at the same time she wanted to see him.

She turned on her laptop, wanting to get distracted. Her mailbox was full so she started reading her e-mails and replying. Finally she read one that surprised her slightly. The time to plan for another trip had arrived! Her friends wanted to book her tickets and hotel rooms for Cuzco.

She called them and arranged to meet them all at her place. They did the same as last time since the same group was going to travel. Even Jorge had confirmed his attendance. Patricia seemed pleased by this. He wasn't her mate, but she liked him and he was interested in her too, so they had began dating. As soon as they got everything booked, and got the permission from the Alpha of Cuzco, the ordered a couple of pizzas and watched a movie. It was weird for Ariel to feel lonely surrounded by so many people. Patricia noticed and asked her to help her bring more beverages from the kitchen. When they were alone she whispered to Ariel "don't worry, a trip to Cuzco heals any wound to the heart". Ariel could only hope that was true because at that moment, she felt heart broken. She still tried to appear happy for her friends sake, and nobody, except Patricia, knew how sad she really felt.

The days and weeks passed quickly. Everybody was busy with their exams and projects, so when the semester finally finished, they breathed as if they had ran a marathon. Claire was going to leave soon and the group felt sad about it, but they tried to focus on their trip ahead. Cuzco was waiting for them and they knew it was going to be a fun experience. Even the Peruvians were excited: "it  doesn't matter how many times I go, it always feels a new and fresh experience", said Mariana.

They took a plane, even if it was more expensive than a bus trip. They didn't want to repeat the awful trip by bus through the Andes. When they arrived, they were picked up by a chauffer from their hotel. They settled in and rested for a while. Being the only single girls of the group, Claire and Ariel shared a room. Ariel was glad because it meant she would spend a little more time with her friend before she left the country.

- Ariel, do you think you'll visit Europe soon?

- I hope so, I'd like to visit it and maybe even visit you too...

- I'd love to see you there Ariel. If you ever come to Belgium or a country nearby like France, let me know!

Ariel smiled, the idea of not ending her friendship with Claire was a happy thought.

An hour later, the werewolves felt like going out again. And again the humans looked surprised. They still felt sick even after drinking their coca tea. So only Patricia, Claire and Ariel left the hotel. Her two friends wanted to go for a run, but Ariel didn't feel like it. So they separated and agreed to meet again in two hours at the hotel. 

Ariel slowly walked to the "Plaza de Armas" of Cuzco. She was surrounded by Peruvians and foreigners alike. People from different origins all had converged in that place, and it felt normal. Cuzco means "the center of the world" in Quechua and it really felt like it. She chose a bench and sat down while she read a book. She felt her heart calm down and all her worries go away. Maybe Patricia was right, maybe this trip would heal her wounds. She smiled to herself and continue reading her book under the blue sky.

The next day they visited some ruins near the city. While they were climbing long stairs to get to the top of one of them, she lifted her head and saw a familiar face smiling at her.

- Hey Ace!

He continue to smile while she cursed under her breath.