MATED TO SERIES COLLECTION 2

63. ARIANA: STILL BREATHING

I felt like shit.

The pain medicine were doing the job it was supposed too but the downside to it was the fact that it made me feel sleepy and slowed my reflexes.

I only had one wound that was still healing—the one on my thigh. The fact that it was healing at a human rate because of the Wolfsbane was not something I liked at the moment. I had to depend on either Eva or Granddad David to get me what I wanted. Dad was too busy taking care of the mess left behind by the hunters to stick around for long.

Luckily the changes he made gave the pack the upper hand because the hunters weren't expecting it. I wasn't really interested in the pack at the moment.

Lucas was the only person on my mind but it wasn't like I could ask anyone if they had seen him or not. Eva mentioned that he had been at the hospital when she woke up but that he left a few seconds before Dad showed up. Dad knew that he was back and he had probably already ordered some men to search for him.

Had he already gone into hiding again?

I frowned down at the book I held. It had seemed like a good idea to start the book because I couldn't really do anything else. I've managed to read a total of two pages in three hours. No matter how much I tried to read, my mind kept trailing off to Lucas.

"Is there anything I can get my two lovely girls?" Grandma asked as she breezed into the apartment. "How about I make you some cookies?"

"Brownies will be tastier," Eva said, making Grandma laugh.

"Brownies it is then," Grandma muttered. "I'll make some cupcakes too."

"Chocolate chip cupcakes?" I enquire.

She planted her hands on her hips and stared down at us with narrowed eyes. Grandma was trying to be stern but her twitching lips gave her away.

"Since you're throwing out orders I expect you to help."

A groan fell from Eva's lips, making my giggle. There was no ways I would be able to help but Eva had no excuse. It seemed to be her lucky day because at that moment Granddad David walked out of the office.

"I'll be happy to help but only if I get to lick the bowls out," he told her.

She rolled her eyes as she headed into the kitchen and immediately started pulling out the ingredients.

"Do you need anything?" Granddad asked me softly. "A blanket, water, snacks. . .or?"

I'd like for you to find Lucas before Dad. "No," I said softly. "I'm okay, thank you."

With a nod, he headed into the kitchen.

I swallowed, and tired to keep the tears at bay as I stared at them. Grandma stood at the island, adding flour to the bowl. Granddad walked up behind her and slipped his arms around her waist as he buried his face to the crook of her neck.

What was it going to take for me to find what they had?

They made me think of Mom and Dad which in return made me thing of what Lucas had said to me the night I confronted him. Bitterness flooded me.

My eyes locked with Eva's when I looked away. Was my eyes mirroring the longing in hers?

We shared a small smile before she focused on her phone and I focused back on the book.

We were born to be together but maybe we weren't meant to be.

***

Something was off with Dad.

I studied him from beneath my lashes as we ate.

He usually participated in the conversation, but he sat silently, staring down at his plate. Although he was eating, he was noticeably eating a lot less than he usually would.

Was it because we couldn't go back home until the house had been cleaned?

We were staying at the pack house on the top floor where the Alpha usually stayed. It was like our own little apartment but on pack grounds and surrounded by Lycans instead of humans.

Dad lowered his fork and pushed his plate away as he cleared his throat. "Thank you for dinner, Mom."

"You barely ate anything." Grandma frowned at his plate.

"I'm not that hungry."

He leaned back in the chair. For a moment his eyes locked with mine and then darted away. Why was he acting so strange? I thought that we had managed to talk everything out between us.

As I studied him, a thought hit. "You found him, didn't you?" I questioned.

His eyes snapped up to mine. "Ariana—"

"Just answer the question, Dad," Eva interrupted him.

Dad pursed his lips as he turned his head to look at her. His hand curled into a fist as his lips parted and for a moment it looked like he was going to answer but Granddad Devon spoke up instead.

"Val, David, it's getting late. We should head home."

Granddad David nodded but Grandma scoffed. "It's barely six," she muttered. "Besides, this is a family matter—"

"Not your family matter," Dad growled as he glared at her. "It's between my daughters and me."

For a moment it looked like she was about to argue with him, but then she gave him a nod and stood. Dad stared down at the table as they left. The silence that settled between us after the left was so tense that it could've been cut with a knife.

"Dad?"

He blew out a breath, and then slowly raised his head to glance between us. "Yes, I found him."

My mouth dropped open and my eyes widened in shock. Lucas was still here. He hadn't left like I thought he had.

"I-is he dead?" Eva questioned softly.

His eyes darted away. "He doesn't deserve to live."

"You're the one who always says that there need to be proof before—"

"There was proof!" he yelled.

"But you haven't allowed him to explain why he had those photos," I pointed out.

"What difference will it make?" he questioned.

I stared at him silently for a few seconds before I pushed my chair back and struggled to my feet. A hiss slipped past my lips before I could stop as pain shot up my leg the moment I put weight on it.

Eva reached for me but I slapped her hands away. "I can do it on my own," I growled.

"Let her help you, Ariana."

"I can do it myself!" I glared at him. "You've already pointed out—"

"Don't," he growled softly. "You're not a kid anymore so don't make me start treating you like one."

There were a lot of things I wanted to yell at him, but doing that would be a waste of time because he wouldn't pay much attention to it anyway. When Dad had his mind set on something there was no talking him out of it.

Lucas was still alive and around here somewhere which meant that I could get answers from him and hopefully try to change his mind about destroying our family.