Arabella's Pov
I waved at Orion as I got into the car. Autumn was asleep in the backseat. I liked to drive to my destinations early while she was asleep. She would always cry. I don't know why she didn't like cars during the day time but it put her to sleep at night. That was the only way I got her to sleep as a baby. I would put her in the car and drive in circles around the apartment. She liked staring out the window and she soon went to sleep. It always worked.
My brother met me when I was close to the cave. He leaned against my car before telling me to get out.
"Sorry, I have to check you for weapons. It's my job," he said. He patted down my legs and my arms.
"I get it," he grabbed onto my chin and stared into my eyes. I frowned and pulled away from him.
"You haven't had enough blood. You have shadows under your eyes. Do you not have enough?" He asked. I picked Autumn out the car while he grabbed my bags.
"There's enough. I just don't drink it. It... It sounds crazy... But it smells really horrible," he laughed and shook his head at me. I followed him into the house. He walked up the stairs then put my suitcase down on the floor beside a bed. I guess this was where I was supposed to be staying the week.
"It's blood. It doesn't smell all fancy. Say, do you not have the craving for it anymore?" I put Autumn on the bed when he asked. He just stared at her. He's never seen her before. I don't even think he knew I had a daughter. I don't think Orion ever told him. The same as he never told him I was going away for two years. It didn't matter,"Orion never told me you went away. Why'd you go without telling me?"
"I didn't have much of a choice. He made me keep it from everyone. He didn't tell me I was going away until the day I had to pack," I murmured. I sat down on the bed.
"Why'd you leave?"
"His brother tried to kill me. I was pregnant with Autumn. He sent me away to protect both of us," I put my hand on my stomach. He frowned at me then looked to the door.
"Jared, leave me alone with my daughter," my mother stood at the door. Jared stood up.
"When did she become your daughter Cassandra?" He asked. His eyes darkened and his fangs came out.
"When she asked for my help," she sat on the bed and picked up Autumn. Jared left and closed the door.
We sat in silence for awhile. She rocked Autumn and murmured some song under her breath. I watched her then stood up and went to look from the window. I think this was the only window in the house. They weren't immune to the sun. Only I was.
"Now, tell me why you're here. You and I both know that your father is dead and that I killed him," she looked down at Autumn. I nodded at her.
"I'm supposed to be on my heat this week."
"Why aren't you?" She frowned. I looked at the ground.
"I'm three months pregnant and I'm trying to keep it from Orion," I whispered. She just stared into my face.
"You should've told me that earlier," I ran my hand through my hair.
"I don't know what to do. If he knows I'm pregnant, he'll send me away to protect both of us. He's done it before, he'll do it again," I ran my hands through my hair.
"Okay, stay as long as you need," she put Autumn down on the bed,"everything you need will be sent to your room."
"Thank you mother," I whispered. She nodded at me.
Orion's Pov
I was sitting in my chair in my office when Will walked in. He sat on the chair in front of me. He opened his mouth to say something then closed it.
"What do you think of a wolf tattoo on my shoulder?" I asked, ignoring his looks.
"I don't know, depends on the wolf," he shrugged. I put the picture in front of him that I printed out an hour ago.
"This one," he stared at the picture then looked at me. He nodded at it.
"I like it," I took the picture back then stood up.
"I'm going to get it done. You want to come with me?" I asked. He stared at me then nodded again. What was his issue? Was he hiding something from me again? He wouldn't. He always told me everything.
"Sure."
"Tell Holly to pick up Arie's wedding dress from her mother," I grabbed my keys from off the table and followed him out the door. He looked down at his phone then got into the passenger seat.
I drove to the tattoo artist on pack grounds. We couldn't get normal tattoos. The skin always healed. We had to get a tattoo with a silver tipped needle so it didn't heal. It just hurt like hell. That's why I didn't get a tattoo after my first one.
"Have you ever gotten a tattoo?" Will asked me as the tattoo artist started wiping my arm. He made me take my shirt off first.
"Yeah, I have one on my thigh. It's a quote," I watched him prep the needles. Will looked down at his phone again.
"What quote?" He ran a hand through his hair.
"We're all mad here. From Alice and Wonderland. I got it when I was younger," I leaned back in the chair,"Arie has her name on her lower back. She says she regrets it."
"A tramp stamp," he laughed and covered his mouth. I couldn't help but laugh.
I closed my eyes when the tattoo artist started to use the needle on my arm. Yep. It still hurt like hell.
"Holly says her mother will only give the dress to you," Will said. I opened my eyes.
"I'll get it in a few hours," I said quietly. He nodded at me.
"We got the flowers and decorations ordered. A lot of decorations are sitting in Holly's house so Arabella doesn't see them. The cake is ordered and so is your tux," he ran a hand through his hair.
"Hey, will you be my best man?" I asked. He just stared at me for a second.
"Really?"
"You're my beta Will. You already are my best man," I rolled my eyes at him.
"Okay. I'm sure Lily and Holly will be her bridesmaids. The Luna from the silver pack will be her maid of honor. Autumns the flower girl. The only thing we have to get is the wine and fix up the ball room for the meal afterwards. I'm sure Arie will like an outdoors wedding," he sat up in his chair then looked down at his phone again. I've never seen him so occupied with his phone before. Who was texting him?
"How are you going to light it up if it's New Year's Eve night?" I asked. I tensed when the tattoo artist put the needle on my arm again. Get it together Orion.
"Purple and white Christmas lights. Holly thought of everything," he murmured. I nodded at him.
"Did you track down her real dad?" I shifted in the chair.
"Her dad died eighteen years ago Orion," he said quietly. I opened my eyes to look at him. What? She said her mother was going to help her find her real father. He was dead. Where was she going?
"Natural causes?" I murmured. He shook his head no.
"He was stabbed twenty times. The case is cold, no killer," he shrugged. Does Cassandra know about this?
"Talk to her brother. Talk him into walking her down the aisle. Don't let him spoil the surprise," he nodded at me then got out the chair,"talk to the Luna and Alpha of the silver pack. See if they'll come."
"Okay," he walked out the room with his phone held against his ear.
I sat in the chair a few more hours until the tattoo artist wrapped a bandage around my arm. He gave me instructions on how to care for it then let me go.
I got into my car and drove to the cave. Holly was sitting in her car when I got there. The vampires checked me for weapons before sending us both to Cassandra's office. I hated how they didn't have any windows anywhere because the sun killed them. It made me feel trapped. It made me pace around her office like a wolf paces in a cage. It made me feel like I was locked in. I hated it.
"Reed," Cassandra nodded at me when she walked into her office. Where was the dress?
"I'm here, can I have the dress now?" I asked. She smiled at me.
"Let me be there. Just let me be there when she gets married," she said quietly. She looked at the door when she was talking.
"Of course I was going to let you be there," I turned to the door when a man brought in a dress bag. He put it in Holly's arms,"why do you want to reconnect with her now after all these years? Did you know her father died eighteen years ago?"
She got out the chair and sat on the edge of her desk.
"Who do you think killed him?" She looked down at her fingernails then looked up at me again. She killed Arie's dad. Why?
"Why?"
"Arie doesn't remember. She just remembers her going into the foster system. She went there because I was arrested for his death. I had to disappear because I would've gotten life. I don't age. They'd know something was up. I disappeared which left her," she shrugged then looked at a piece of paper on her desk. She killed her father, but why? Why didn't she tell her that she killed her father? Why?
"Why'd you kill him?" I asked her. She looked at Holly then to me again.
"Arie came to me when she was seven. I was sending Arie to him on the weekends because we shared custody. She came to me and said daddy touched her. He touched her. I lost it. I went and found him. I killed him for hurting my daughter," she crossed her arms over my chest. I looked at the ground. It was the same as I wanted to kill the guard that hurt Arie. I understood her.
"Thank you for the dress. Make sure she doesn't know I was here. Don't ruin the surprise," I left with Holly. Holly watched me when I got into my car and drove away.
I drove back to the pack house and went up the stairs to my office. I sat in my office and leaned back in the chair. Why was Arie spending the whole week there? Was she trying to avoid me? What was so important this week that she had to go? What was happening this week?
Orion's Pov. Age 7.
"Mommy, what's wrong with Angel?" I whispered. Angel was siting in a hospital bed. Mommy was crying. Why was she crying? What was wrong with Angel?
"He's just sleeping baby," she cried when she turned to look at me. What was wrong with her? What was wrong with Angel?
"Why won't he wake up?" I asked. She turned to look at me again then put her hand on my face.
"He'll wake up baby. Don't worry. He's just sleeping and he'll wake up soon. He just hit his head a little too hard," she kissed my forehead," promise me that you'll always wear your helmet when riding your bike?"
"I promise mommy," I whispered. She nodded and kissed my forehead again.