Darkness Sheds into Light {Watty 2012}

Chapter 23

Chapter 23

Jax found Ariana sitting outside on the middle of the long porch steps. “Did you talk to Marc?” he asked as he sat beside her. “I want to talk to him too but I think I should wait.” He knew the decision he was making was the right one but he still hated that Marc would always have to suffer for it. They sometimes didn’t see eye to eye about a few things but no matter what happened in the past he loved his uncle and more than that respected him as his alpha.

“He knew the minute we got back that something changed between us and he accepted it and wished us luck. We didn’t make any promises to each other so it wasn’t like we had to break up but I wanted him to get angry or something. I know how to handle anger and arguments, not understanding and a good heart.” She buried both her hands through her long hair as she continued to think over the conversation she had with Marc. It stumped her.

“He’s a good guy and sometimes it’s a pain in the ass.” He softly agreed about his uncle and all the reasons they couldn’t stay mad at the guy. “Christina is packing her things and leaving to her parent’s house tonight.”

 “Can’t blame her for being pissed, I’d probably punch you in the gut if I was her but seeing how I am in love with you I’m glad she didn’t damage any of your parts.”

It put Jax on cloud nine to hear Ariana again admit she still loved him even with partial memories of their relationship. He didn’t like it at all that for that happiness Marc and Christina were suffering but he knew eventually they’d find someone they could love and mark as their mate and they’d be happier for it in the long run. In his opinion it was sweeter when you got to know the person and decide for yourself whether you wanted such a commitment with them. He refused to believe some fate knew his heart better than he or Ariana did.  “What happens now?” he gently asked.

“I’m waiting to see what Kid can dig up and then I’ll figure out my attack against the union.” She turned her light hazel eyes to his face. “Are you asking what happens next between us? I still don’t have an answer for that until I know more about what happens tomorrow and the ones I do have you don’t like.”

“I’m not walking away and I’m not letting you push me away either. We’ve wasted enough time doing that in the past and we tried to kid ourselves before into thinking we can just be friends. I’m in this with you a hundred percent.” He knew with all his heart there was no way they could be fully together until her grudge with the hunters was settled and he was going to help her do that so their life together could start.

She nodded and accepted his words with no fuss. “I’m going to check in with boy wonder and get this ball rolling again.” She stood, dusting her pants off as she glanced around to avoid eye contact. “I don’t want you to regret this.”

“I won’t.” he gripped her hand tight before letting go.

Ariana sat with Kid at the table in the kitchen, she was silent as he continued working on his computer that was more apart of his brain than some piece of technology. “I got into their database,” the young boy began. “and I installed a software that will copy anything they try to delete or move from the base. I can’t find anything about project I and hopefully since we crashed their party last night they’ll be antsy to hide something.”

“When you go off to become the world’s genius I’m taking credit.” She smiled and ruffled his hair. So she was missing big chucks of her life and there was a group of people that wanted her and everyone she loved dead but in hindsight she was glad she went through all her traumas and hells if it meant she was there to save Kid from a life worse than nightmares were made up of. “Like you said hopefully they give us something to work with and we can plan accordingly. I want to know what their secret weapon is before they can use it against us.”

“I’ll let you know when something happens.”

“Is that code that you want me to leave you alone?”

He smiled sheepishly. “Maybe.”

She stood from her chair and decided to humor the kid and find something else to do. “Don’t go surfing for porn.”

He played along. “Damn it how did you know?”

She laughed as she walked back into the living room and parked her butt on the couch. Everyone was either in their room or in Shelby’s case asleep. She sat there alone and let out a long sigh. Life is crazy, she mused, she had one set of plans only to have them blown out of the water and something different, bigger, and much more important, taking their place.

She never wanted to let herself dream because of the fear she would never see them come true but right now here in this cabin she let herself dream. She had hope of surviving tomorrow and getting that life Jax wanted them to have. She had hope of helping Kid finish growing up and finding his own place in life. Her stomach, no her womb, ached as she thought of having a family with Jax, a child to call their own.

Tears pricked her eyes but before she could try to understand this sudden burst of emotion she was no longer alone.

Christina stomped down the last few steps. Her brown eyes were nearly black with all the fury behind them. “I hope you’re happy.”

Ariana stood from the couch and met the girl’s anger head on. “I didn’t want to hurt you but my life was ripped away from me and everyone I loved along with it. It’s not your fault or mine but it happened and before that Jax was mine. We were going to have a life together.”

Christina wasn’t backing down, her anger growing bigger by the second. “You’re not meant to be together.”

“Who says?” the tears that stung her eyes just minutes ago returned. “His wolf, my panther? They don’t get to decide what’s best for us neither does your wolf.  We do belong together.” It was strange to finally vocalize the truth she had been running from, fearing all these days, years as she tried to forget the faint images of him left with her broken memories. “I love him and I’ve loved him since I’m seventeen. I’m not breaking you apart or taking him away from you, if anything you took him away from me.”

 “You’re going to regret this. Like I told Jax there’s a reason so much keeps happening to keep you apart but when you both finally wise up there’s not going to be anyone left to want you.” She was quick to dry her tears before they ran too far down her cheeks. “I mean think about it, your dad turns out to be a hunter who takes you to train after you lose your baby and he erases your memories for damn sake and still here you are! I don’t know if its true love or some twisted nightmare but it’s not my problem anymore.”

Ariana had stopped listening halfway through her rant. “What about a baby?” everything inside of her went still and lifeless. She lost a child? Is that way she always thought about them with such a longing she couldn’t understand? Why she felt a need to protect Kid from everyone like a mother would? Another big chuck of her life just hit her in the face and like the others she wasn’t sure how to handle it.

She looked toward the door as she heard it click closed. Jax was coming in from outside where she left him sitting. She looked at him with a pleading look to help her understand how any of this was possible. “I didn’t want to tell you on top of all everything else that’s been happening.” He confessed softly, having heard what Christina revealed. “The baby miscarried after your first shift.”

Ariana shook her head as a blur of memories gripped her skull with a sharp force. “No.” she cried. “My baby isn’t dead.”