Only Mine

Chapter 16; Worm

Arista POV: 

My body ached as my eyes fluttered open. I was laying against Zander whose back was pressed into the only clear spot in the glass covered ground. Licking my chapped lips I rose unsteadily, trying to be quiet. Zander's chest rose but his eyes stayed firmly shut. I smiled. It had taken forever for him to sleep. 

He was still whimpering when he buried his face in her shoulder. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry." He had whispered. I held him tightly, crying softly. 

"I'm right here. It's okay," I had whispered. 

"Tell me something," he had asked, his eyes begging. I had broke. I had told him everything. The small stories of my childhood. Family vacations. Stuffed animals and pretend games. And then suddenly I was talking about my dreams. How many kids I wanted and what I would name them. I talked about where I wanted to travel and what I had wanted to do after college. I talked about how I wanted to be proposed to. And married. And soon enough I fell into my dreams and into sleep. 

I crept towards the bathroom, my scraped knees making their injuries painfully clear. Closing the door softly I sat on the edge of the tub turning on the water. The clear water flowed into the tub. Carefully I stuck my leg under the faucet. I gasped quietly as the water hit my injured limb. Slowly I begin to wash off the dried blood. Cringing as each drop hit me I moved slowly, biting my lip. 

"You'll need to bandage that." I turned suddenly, pulling the leg out of the water, relishing the cool air. I didn't say a word as Zander moved gracefully towards the cabinet and extracted a First Aid kit. He had taken off his shirt, his scraped chest on full display. I bit my lip again as I quickly averted my eyes from his body. 

He knelt in front of me. I reached back and shut the water. He turned my leg towards him. He dabbed cleaning alcohol on a large cut on the side of my leg. I hadn't noticed it was still oozing blood. I gripped onto the edge of the tub, my knuckles turning white. Zander wrapped a bandage around the wound slowly, his hand grazing my leg and sending goosebumps down my skin. He closed the kit as he finished. I reached down and stopped him. 

"You need to bandage yours." He didn't move. Didn't raise his eyes. 

"I'll be fine." 

"Zander..."

"I'll be fine," he shook his head. I crossed my arms. If he wanted to play hard we could play hard.

"Sit down. Now!" I ordered. His eyes widened. There was almost slight anger in them. I could guess that his wolf hadn't appreciated my order. I sighed putting my hand on his face. "Please." Reluctantly he sits pulling his shirt off his bloodied chest. My eyes don't widen this time I just stare at his face. He doesn't meet my eyes. His head is bowed down. I stand on my knees soaking a piece of cotton in alcohol. He didn't flinch as I cleaned each wound. I didn't speak. I didn't know what was happening. 

"Arista..." he starts when suddenly there's a banging on the door. 

"Are you guys fully clothed," Seth called. I rolled my eyes moving away from Zander's bare chest. Zander grumbled annoyedly. Before either of us could answer he burst through the door grinning like a Cheshire. 

"There's a present for your girl, Zan-Zan."

***

"I still can't believe he called you Zan-Zan,"I chuckled as we glided downstairs. Zander rolled his eyes the easiness falling between us again. After Zander had put on more suitable clothing we had gone to go see my 'present'. Seth refused to tell us anything till we got there. Only saying that it would be our choice what to do with it. Zander now had my hand in his. His grip was tight yet gentle. Almost as is he kept making sure I was there. 

I still couldn't forget that image of him. Broken from my rejection. Covered in blood. The fear in his eyes.  All my fault. I couldn't ever face that fact that I had caused that. And if he had done something worse... My heart burned at even the thought of losing him. I wouldn't ever let that happen again. I couldn't. 

"Arista," someone suddenly called. "Arista." I looked up, watching the pack spilled, forming a path. And at the end was a bruised man, kneeling on the ground. His hair matted to his forehead and his hands pulled behind him. My expression grew serious. Callista's voice suddenly echoed in my mind. Trying to advise me. I wish I could put her on mute sometimes. 

"What happened, Seth?," I asked. This was not what I had been expecting. The bruised man was still looking at me expectantly. As if waiting for recognition. But I didn't. "Tell me." 

"Ask him," Seth nodded his head towards the man. I took a step forward when suddenly something held me back. Zander was still holding onto my wrist his untrusting glare narrowed in on the unknown man. I nodded at him once and he let go reluctantly. He was in no state for an interrogation. I strode forward, every bit the Luna and bent down in front of the man. Face to face. His features were stained purple but I could see violet colored eyes and a sharp jaw. He was a young man. And obviously a hot one. His gaze didn't move from mine.

"Who are you?"

"A wolf," he responded. "Who saw his wrongs and only wishes to amend them."

"Thanks for the shit, now tell me. Who are you?" I thought I saw him smirk. 

"Diego Lartnel. A Rogue," the pack waited for my reaction. But I didn't give them one. "I saw you when the Alpha took you. I tried to save you. Stand up for you but he beat me and locked me up. I escaped a few days ago. I didn't know where to go so I came here." He didn't turn away the entire time. No bruised man had the audacity to look a Luna in the eyes. Something wasn't right. 

Your call love, Zander's voice came softly in my head. I stood, turning my head to Seth. 

"Take him to the pack doctor," I turned to wear a pack member was about to remove his handcuffs. "And don't remove the cuffs." Diego's gaze didn't waiver for me till the members had disappeared from the door. I turned to Zander as the pack began to leave. Going about their usual activities. 

"You think he's hot?" he raised an eyebrow as I saw me. I blushed. 

"You heard?"

"Yeah," he replied seemingly offended. I laughed and kissed his jaw, which was the closest thing I could reach without standing on my tippy toes. "Well, I think you're hotter. And kinder. And have a way better body..."

"I love you too," he chuckled leaning down to kiss her on the lips. I smiled against him, grinning like a fool as he pulled away. 

"So what do you want to do?" I sighed resting my head against his chest. I didn't trust the man that was sure. But he had undoubtedly been through something. And he had information. Useful information about the people who wanted to kill my mate. So I wouldn't kill him. But was I going to keep him prisoner or as a friend? 

"I don't know."

Diego POV: 

She was pretty. Carried an aura of a Luna. I could see it in the way she walked and talked. And for some reason, it had hurt to see his hand in hers. There was something pulling me towards her. No, not me. My stupid wolf. The  Moonlight pack hadn't been too rough with me but I was surprised when their Luna ordered to heal me. 

Dreven had roughened me up for the plan. The plan. Exactly, the plan. I ignored the tugging in my chest and the whispers of my wolf. I narrowed my eyes on the paths. They hadn't even bothered blindfolding me. Amateurs. Her face comes into my mind. The plan. That was what I came here to do. And that was what I was going to do. 

Hey, I know it been a while since I posted but thank you all for reading my story. I'm definitely gonna finish this by July. Love you all!

-Fae