Hey guys! Sorry I haven't uploaded for a while :/ In this chapter we're back to Aria's POV, hope you didn't miss her ;) Anyway... I'm going back to school tomorrow so it might be a while before I upload again, sorry, hopefully I won't get that much homework and I'll be able to write for you lovely people :D Enjoy! Alice x
Chapter Four
I walked along the corridor, hearing it echo off the wooden walls and off the polished wooden floor. Blaine was by my side, matching my pace stride for stride. We’d left the others back at the house, of course they hadn’t been happy about it but we’d made it final.
We continued to walk until we were met with a set of great double doors, which we both knew lead into the Elders’ conference room. Two werewolves, both in human form, were stood either side of the door. Upon our arrival they reached out for the door handles and opened the doors for us to enter. With one final glance at Blaine I walked forward, facing the Elders.
The table was circular and had around thirty chairs, all of which were filled with the parents of members in every pack. The Elders were sat at the north, east, south and west points of the table. Sure, I was an Alpha and so was Blaine, but it was these guys that really held the power and authority over our packs, whatever they said went and there was no complaining. They were the previous Alphas, and when the time came and they had passed down the rank to us, they became Elders, advisers with as much control over the pack as ever.
I spied Blaine’s parents sat at the South end of the table, now filling the chairs where my parents had once sat.
Upon our entrance the whole table had turned to look at us, all thirty or so pair of eyes on us. I instantly felt small. Blaine nudged me reassuringly as we headed around the table. He and I took our places behind his parents, standing while they sat. His mother smiled up and him briefly before turning to me.
“Hello dear.” She smiled at me sweetly, I’d always liked Blaine’s mum.
“Hi.” I whispered back at here
“Right, now that everyone concerned is here, we shall begin.” Every month a meeting was held between the Elders, and each time a different pack would take charge in the meeting. This week it just so happened to be the Earth pack, Jase’s pack. Great.
There were mumbles of agreement from around the table. Jase’s dad stood up and I could clearly see Jase stood behind him, his eyes fixed on mine. Beside him stood his Alpha female, Georgia, and beneath them sat Jase’s parents.
“Does anyone have anything to offer to the council?” Nathan’s voice echoed around the room and I could feel Blaine’s shoulders stiffen.
“Yes.” At the sound of my voice Nathan glanced up at me, his face devoid of any emotion. Jase’s dad didn’t like me one bit. I couldn’t care less.
I took a breath before beginning. “Recently I have been looking into my parent’s death...” I instantly had everyone’s attention, “A few days ago I went to a Hunter’s residence where I tried to find any documentation of contracts for the murder of my parents, or something,” this caused a stir within the room but I continued on, “I was then knocked out by a pair of Hunters and taken to their basement where I was left chained up for several days. Eventually I came to consciousness and they began to question me. However, they moved to go and call the Guard so I shifted.” I quickly glanced towards Blaine who was urging me on with his eyes, “I killed the older of the two, and made the other forget.”
As soon as I finished the room was in an uproar, shouts coming at me from every angle. Even Blaine’s parents were shouting. I stared at Jase, I hadn’t spoken to him since the night before and his expression was devoid of any emotion. If he felt guilty about trying to take advantage of me, he didn’t show it.
“Do you know what you have done? You’ve brought the Hunters down on all of us!”
“This will only give them an incentive to go to war!”
“Enough!” I glanced at Blaine’s dad, who had spoken. He sat to my right, a well-built man who had known my parents for years and formed the Flame pack together. I liked him but stayed out of his way, we had a silent agreement. “Let Aria speak for herself.” He nodded towards me.
“He was just a boy, I couldn’t do it.” I blew the breath I didn’t realise I’d been holding out. “I just wanted answers; I didn’t intend to go there to kill a Hunter.” My wrists had begun to burn, I’d been ignoring them for the past few hours, but my head began to churn.
I felt a hand on my arm, Blaine.
“I- I’m sorry.” Pain flared in my wrists again.
“Aria?!” My vision was blurring slightly and the figures in the room began to dance around me. I felt arms come around me but I’d become weightless and could feel my body sinking to the floor.
The next thing I knew, I was laid down on the floor, staring at the ceiling.
“Aria?! What’s wrong?” I turned my head slightly, towards the voice, but my eyes were closing.
“My… wrists.” I managed to mumble. I felt my body start to shiver and my wrists burned white hot as someone touched them.
I screamed. My vision had gone black, and I was consumed by pain.
I heard someone gasp, but it was faint.
“She’s been poisoned.”
Then I blacked out completely.
I opened my eyes before shutting the immediately again. White, artificial light blared into my sensitive eyes. As a blue image danced across the backs of my eyelids I carefully pried open an eye once again.
I tried to sit up and instantly regretted it as my wrists flared in pain and my head spun. What was happening?
I opened my eyes further. I looked around the room, seeing I was in a hospital ward of some kind. I turned my head to the side, it was only then did I notice the dark figure looming over me.
My vision was blurred, so I couldn’t make out the person’s face.
“Blaine?” My voice came out weak and raspy and the movement caused my stomach to roll.
I tried to look down, but found I was only able to tilt my head slightly. I was pinned against the bed, but there was nothing restraining me. I tried to struggle against whatever unseen force was holding me down, but I was weak.
The figure’s hands grasped my wrists and I cried out in pain as they began removing the fresh bandages around them. Who was this guy? And why was he doing this?
I opened my mouth to shout, but nothing came out. I could feel magic swirling around me, his magic. I could feel pressure in my head too, no doubt his doing. I was trapped.
I could only stare as the man moved onto my other wrist, moving around the bed and repeating the same process. The pain was excruciating.
I wasn’t prepared for the pain that shot up my arms as his hands hovered over my wrists. My vision blurred further as I started to lose consciousness with the pain, I stayed awake though.
My arms began to quiver as the pain radiated through my entire body, stabbing at my heart. My breathing was ragged, and I opened my mouth in a silent scream. This was torture, I was going to die.
Tears streamed down from the corners of my eyes hot and wet as they ran down my cheeks. Grey lines began appearing on my arms, tracing my skin. I was fighting to stay awake, staring at the man with pleading eyes. I had no doubt he was a Hunter, come to murder me.
I watched as a hand reached into his pocket. I was shivering like there was no tomorrow.
He retrieved a needle and a small vial from his pocket and before I could even brace myself, stabbed the needle into my arm.
The sharp pain was nothing compared to the agony that spread around my body.
The vial clicked into place on the needle, and a silvery liquid began to pour into the empty glass container. Silver.
I knew in that moment that I was going to die, but why was the silver coming out of my body? I didn’t care. As the silver continued to pour into the vial, I closed my eyes and let death take me.
“Ari? Ari?” Blaine’s voice filled my ears.
“Blaine?!” My eyes shot open, to stare directly into amber eyes. But the man... the silver?
He pushed me back down onto the bed, worry clouding his features.
“What happened?” I looked over myself, looking at the fresh bandages that were wrapped around my wrists. I was so sure it was real...
“You passed out in the Elders’ meeting.” I could vaguely remember falling towards the ground in a room filled with people. “We rushed you to the hospital where they figured out you’d been poisoned.” He paused, staring at my expression. I didn’t look at him, just stared at the clean white sheets.
“My wrists?”
“It wasn’t your wrists, no, but they didn’t help. The blood loss meant you were weak anyway and then the wolfsbane made that even worse.” That still didn’t explain how I’d been poisoned, I’d been trained against Wolfsbane since I was little, sure it hurt but it doesn’t poison me... I gave him a questioning look and he continued. “It seems the Hunters have been mixing tiny amounts of silver in with the wolfsbane and that’s what they injected into you.” Silver...
He was giving me a strange look that I couldn’t understand; he kept on looking me up and down.
“What is it? What’re you not telling me?” He sighed in defeat.
“The doctors thought there was no way you’d make it. If they’d realised the silver was in your system when you got back maybe, but you’d had it in your system for a day or so. The silver’s there to make sure you die eventually.” Only then did I realise that the look on his face was relief, and astonishment.
“You honestly thought I’d let you get rid of me that easily?” I smirked at him. I’d been so sure it’d been real, the man, the silver. Maybe it had had something to do with my recovery.
My mind was wiped of all thoughts of the man I’d now deemed a figment of my imagination as a chorus of voices erupted into the room.
“Ari!”
My pack had finally arrived.
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