Darkness Sheds into Light {Watty 2012}

Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Ariana opted to bunk with Kid, she didn’t want him out of her sight even for a second. They had come close to facing some serious danger and it was a risk she didn’t want to face again anytime soon.

Kid lay out in his twin size top bunk. “You’re either really freaked out and mother hening me, again, or you’re avoiding the alpha. What gives?”

Ariana shook her head, he was really too smart. “All of the above. Did you manage to save any of your stuff?”

“Of course.” He patted a duffle bag at his side. “I didn’t waste time with clothes. I got everything on the portable hard drive and grabbed my backup laptop before destructing the other stuff. The union won’t find anything useful.”

“That’s good; we got some breathing room now.” she started to pace.

“You’re itching to run from here.” It was a statement and not a question. “The alpha’s been giving you mushy I want to see you naked eyes.”

Ariana chuckled. “His name’s Marc, we aren’t wolves and he holds no rank over us. We’ll hold down here for the next day or two and then we hit the wind. I know you know better than to tell our plans to anyone.”

“Of course.”

Shelby walked away from the door and went up to her Uncle Marc’s office to tell him what she heard. It had been a quick five minute job that was going to give her a big tasty payment.

“What did you learn munchkin?” Andrew asked as he lifted her into his arms.

“She talked about leaving in a day or two and the boy pointed out Uncle Marc is looking at Ariana with I want to see you naked eyes.”

Marc shrunk under the nine year olds glance and blushed like a fool. “I don’t know what that means.”

“Me neither.” Shelby said. “Can I have my payment now?” Andrew sat her down and grabbed a bag of Oreo cookies. “Thank you.” she ran out of the room and back downstairs to the TV.

Andrew crossed his arms and turned back to Marc. “Is it low to use a little girl to snoop? And what’s with the naked eyes? Now that she mentioned it you do smell like sex.”

Marc dropped his head down to the desk with a loud bang. “She pushed it and I’m a weak pathetic ass. She knows about Jax, she’s remembered some stuff and saw him with Christina earlier. She was very clear on what she wanted and what she felt but I still feel like I could’ve fought harder or in the very lease stop wanting more of it.”

“Whatever happens there is none of my business. What is my business is the well being of the pack, should we be worried about hunters knocking down our door?”

Marc lifted his head and finished his pity party; it was time to get work done. “It’s not just hunters we have to worry about. Clive’s been serious about trying to kill me.” he told his second about the run in outside of the café including the skill Ariana fought with. “It’ll take a few days for them to heal.” 

“Ariana Warrior Princess?” It was easier for Andrew not to address Clive.

“In the middle of being in awe it’s pretty scary seeing this girl who grew painfully excited for a new book wielding a knife and slicing into a man without batting an eye. Hal and his men did a number on her.” Marc used to keep himself warm at night with the vicious thoughts of the hell he could put Hal Ellis through, seeing Ariana again and the tortured shell she was of her former self only added fuel to the fire of hate inside of him. He should’ve killed Hal when he had the chance before all of this happened. He hadn’t wanted to hurt her by killing the father she loved and now she was paying the price for his weakness.

“I’ll double up the security around the cabin and put everyone on alert for any lurking dangers. If I see Clive….”

Marc couldn’t imagine the hell Andrew lived with seeing his mate ripped to pieces in front of him. “Just be careful.” 

Andrew nodded and neared the door. “I’ll check back in with you later. Try not to do anything you’ll regret too much.”

Marc wished it was that easy.

Ariana stood in the kitchen taking in every little detail. She had gone to grab something to drink, something with lots of caffeine, and instead she was memorized as a memory pulled at the surface.

               “Something smells really good.” She commented as she came and stood to his right. “Do you need any help?”

                “Not unless you want something to go along with these pancakes.” Marc spoke

             She thought it over before meeting his eyes. “I make some mean scrambled eggs.”

              “Get to it then.” 

She heard his steps behind her. “Are you ok?” Marc asked.

“We’ve cooked together in this kitchen.” Ariana closed her eyes and remembered the scent of the spice pancakes like it was yesterday.

“Yes, once. Do the memories come back to you easier if you’re in the middle of something familiar?”

“Sometimes, the memories have been stronger since I got into town. This is a nice set up you have here with your pack. It must be nice for them to have somewhere to belong to.” The hard masks she normally carried were gone for now, maybe she was too tired to guard herself or maybe she realized she didn’t have to.

“You belong somewhere, you belong right here with me.”

Ariana shook her head no and looked around the kitchen again. “Maybe once but not anymore. How did this even work? I was with Jax but a true mate to you?”

“Jax met you first, you fell in love and became chosen mates before I was ever in the picture. I knew the moment I laid eyes on you who you were supposed to be to me but I lied and pretended it wasn’t there. I helped you and Jax get back together and explain what our life demanded when you were young and naive about shifters. Jax is like a son to me and a brother and I gladly let you go to be happy together and I’d do it again.”

That was noble, Ariana thought, far too noble, and she wasn’t sure she could do the same thing had she been in his shoes. “You’re a good guy and when I’m gone trust me you’ll be counting your lucky stars you’re not mixed in with my trouble.”

“I don’t care about trouble.” Tears glossed his eyes. “Jax found his true mate, and I can’t stop hoping this could be our chance.”

Ariana’s head began to throb as a warning of what was to come. “I can’t do this right now.  You want a girl that’s no longer here and will never come back, when you accept that you’ll be better off.”

“No.” his arm locked around her waist before she could walk past. “I’ve spent every day waiting for the moment you’d be back in my arms and now with you here I can’t just let you go.” His kiss was soft and slow over her mouth.

Ariana gripped the front of his shirt and didn’t want to let go. She rested her head down over his chest and focused on his heartbeat as a focal point.  “My head is about to explode. The doctors did a lot of enhancements on me and this is the price I pay when I feel too much or try to remember the past.”

“What are you feeling?” his arms came up and held her tight.

“I don’t want to let you go, I don’t want to walk away, I want…” her head swam. “I wish things could be different.”

“They can be.”

Marc was creating a fairytale based on half truths; he didn’t know why she was back in town and the hell she planned to unleash. There’d be no happy ending waiting for her at the end of it. She was living on borrowed time.