Chapter 4
Arabella Baine
The past three weeks have been great but I couldn’t shake off that feeling of uneasiness and anxiety. What was wrong with me? These people have been nothing but good to me and here I was, being all paranoid.
“Bells?” Ella called out to me. I turned and smiled at her warmly.
“Hey Ells. What’s up?” I asked casually leaning against the tree. It has taken me a three whole weeks to finally make my way outside. The wolf inside me took over, bringing out my love for nature. I basically walked over to the tree and had been here for hours.
“Wow! Congratulations! This is a whole new progress for you,” Ella squealed, hugging me tightly.
“Thanks. I know,” I sighed looking at her carefully. “I know something is bothering you.” I noted as I looked over the dark bags under her eyes and the lines on her forehead. “What is it?”
“It’s nothing to worry about, Bells. Don’t worry about me,” she smiled sadly before hugging me to her side. “Father has talked about adopting you as his own.”
At that, my heart started to swell. These complete strangers housed me in and actually wanted to adopt me as one of their own!
“Listen… I need to tell you something…” Ella trailed off, looking at me worriedly.
“What is it?” I pressed on looking at her seriously. Her eyebrows furrowed as she looked at the ground.
“I’m not always going to be here for me father and mother… You’re a part of the family now, so I would like to ask you to make me a promise,” my heart started to speed up. Why was she telling me this?
“Okay?” It came off more of a question.
“I want you to promise me to fill in for me… If I am no longer here…. I want you to fulfill their needs. I want you to be their daughter,” tears filled her eyes as she looked at me with a heartbroken smile.
“Stop it! You are not going anywhere, you hear me?” I shook her hard, trying to knock some sense into her. I never wanted her to leave. She was like a sister to me already.
“I have to! Don’t you get it? My father has made some mistakes in the past…. It’s either I give myself up or the pack goes to another werewolf’s hands. I can’t do that to my father… I just can’t,” she shook lightly, shaking her head from side to side. “I love this pack way too much. Please promise me, Arabella.” I flinched at the use of my full name.
“I…I…Can’t,” Tears fell upon my cheeks as I hugged her tightly. “I love you like a sister. You can’t do this to your parents. They love you too much.”
“I have to! It’s for my pack! I’d do anything for my pack. Alpha Sauron will be coming in two days,” her body shook violently in both fear and sadness. “He’ll be coming for me soon.”
“No, he’s not,” I stated looking at her. Her eyes were red from crying and fear was still evident in them. I mustered enough strength and ordered, “You will not be coming with him. I am.”
She shook her head lightly, “This isn’t for you to meddle with…. If he finds out you’re lying….You will die!”
“I don’t care. I’ve been through so much already. Dealing with some angry Alpha is nothing new to me. Come on, I can’t let you risk your future. I can’t let you throw away your chance at being an Alpha. Someday, you will be fighting your father for the throne,” I smiled, wiping some of her stray tears away. “Like I said, you and I are like sisters. I will do anything for you.”
“Thank you, Bells. I love you like a sister too. It hurts for me to hear you say that,” Ella stood up, looking at me with some mischievous glint in her eyes. “We should stop talking about this. Let’s go shopping!” She smiled broadly while clapping her hands together. I swear, this girl has some wild mood swings.
Since I really wasn’t used to being out in public yet, Ella pulled out her laptop. We browsed through many websites, looking for things to order. She grinned as she pulled out her father’s precious credit card. Back at home, I wasn’t even allowed to hold money… Not unless it was handed over to me from a customer. I shuddered at the bad memories and looked back at Ella. Her eyes sparkled as she looked through many more clothing and jewelry. This girl really knew how to shop and use her dad’s card!
“I know how much of a kill joy you are when we do these online shopping, so I took the liberty of choosing some for you. Also, more contacts came into the mail today.”
“Thank you,” I hugged her goodbye and headed back into my room. Once inside, I took off my contacts and looked at the mirror. The light palette of green, topped off with black specks stared back at me. My blonde hair grew out and was replace by my original red hair. I closed my eyes tightly, wanting to let go of the pain…
He beat me for having the same hair color as her. He hated me for having the same green eyes as her.
I quickly placed my contacts back as I heard some shuffling outside my room. The door opened slightly as Jackie peered in, “Hey there, dinner will be ready in thirty minutes or so.”
“Thanks. I’ll be right out,” I mumbled, trying not to look at her. Her motherly figure had a way of softening my heart. If I wanted to save Ella from being taken away, I needed to distance myself. I don’t want it to be painful… I don’t want them to get too attached to me.
Dinner time was very awkward. Eric glared at me secretly as he tried to break through his wife’s cold demeanor. She has been cold and unforgiving towards him when she found out about what happened back in the whore house….
“So… Arabella. My husband and I were thinking about officially adopting you. I know how we had documents already made for you, giving you our family name….But I really want it to be official now,” Jackie looked at me nervously, fidgeting with her food. Eli reached out to her and placed his hand over her tenderly.
I shook my head slightly, “I’m sorry. I cannot accept your offer.” I stood up and continued staring at the table. I didn’t want to see the sadness and heartbreak in their eyes. “May I be excused, Alpha?”
“Yes,” he muttered softly. Without another glance at them, I stood up and headed back into my room. My stomach growled slightly, because I wasn’t able to eat that much.
A few hours later, I heard a light knock on my door. Ella pushed the door opened and looked at me. She gave me a small smile. “May I come in?”
“Sure,” I replied, looking at the intricate patterns on the ceiling.
“I brought these for you. I know you haven’t finished your dinner,” she placed a tray onto the nightstand and sat down beside me. “What’s happening to you?”
“Nothing,” I replied bluntly before munching on some toast.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes!” I snapped, looking at her fiercely. “Please let me be for a while!”
“Okay,” she muttered sadly giving me one last glance before heading out.
I threw my fists onto my pillows. Why do the fates hate me? They take away my mother, my father and now this new family. The family that has shown nothing but love to me!
With another thought of how screwed my life was, I curled into a ball and fell asleep. Nightmares haunted me again… My father… He wanted me back. I woke up with a jolt.
“He can’t be here! It’s too soon!” Jackie shouted.
“I didn’t know, okay! He’s on his way right now, damn it! His flight arrived a little too early,” Eli retorted. “I’m sorry, Jacks.”
I stopped prying into their business and jumped into the shower. Once done with the warm shower, I put on some casual clothing and was greeted by the whole pack in the living room.
“I’m sorry but there is nothing we can do,” Eli stated sadly.
“What’s going on?” I asked one of the members.
“Yes there is! You know it! He wants me! I can give myself up and-“
“No you can’t, Ella! He’s a cruel man. I won’t let him take you away,” Eli ordered sternly.
“Then I’ll go,” I spoke out as they all turned to me in shock. “I kind of have the same hair color as Jackie. Given the right color of contact lenses, I can pass up as her daughter.”
“No! You just got out of danger and-“ Jackie tried to protest but I cut her off.
“You are all like a family to me now. My decision is final,” I said with full authority in my voice.
Eli tried to open his mouth to speak but he couldn’t. “How the hell?” Eric questioned, looking at me closely.
“I may not be able to shift, but I sure as hell have some Alpha blood in me,” I shrugged, plopping down onto the couch.
The crowd dispersed, moving on with their daily lives. I closed my eyes and waiting for my impending doom. Minutes later, a knock was heard at the door. I opened one of my eyes and watched as Eli greeted three men.
None of them stood out… Until he stepped in. His blue eyes landed on mine, instantly pulling me in.
‘Mate,’ a voice in my head whimpered.
“I see that your daughter has bloomed into a beautiful woman,” his mesmerizing topaz eyes stared at my faux brown ones. “What’s your name?”
“Arabella,” I whispered breathlessly.
“Come with me, Arabella,” he pulled me into a soft hug and sniffed my neck. My name is Rylan,” he placed a soft kiss onto my neck.
“What the hell?” Eli took my away and placed me behind him protectively.
“She’s mine,” Rylan growled fiercely.
“I didn’t tell you that I was giving her up,” Eli challenged back.
“Either way, I’ll be taking her away from you. The little darling is my mate,” he declared, moving in an inhumane speed and taking me into his arms again. “She is mine. I have no use for your pack. Keep it, but you have no say in this anymore. She will be coming with me.”
He pulled me towards the door. I craned my neck to look at a distraught and shocked Eli. Breaking away from Rylan’s hold, I ran back to Eli and hugged him.
“Thank you,” he whispered lightly.
“Tell Ella and Jackie I love them. You’re the best father a girl could ever ask for,” he kissed my forehead and reluctantly let me go.
Rylan gripped on my arm tightly and pulled me into his car. Once inside, his true colors surfaced.
--------------------------------END OF CHAPTER FOUR-------------------------
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