ARI
Clink. Clink. Clink.
I groaned and turned away from the noise but then once again.
Clink. Clink. Clink.
When the memories flooded back into my mind, I gasped and stood up too fast. I grabbed my head and moaned in pain.
Clink. Clink. Clink.
"Shut up." I told the man behind the bars in irritation. My fingers were stained in red, making me notice the giant puddle of blood I was laying in.
The man just laughed and continued to hit the metal bars of my jail cell with a long metal tire iron.
"Do you know who I am?" The man asked in amusement.
I looked him over. He seemed to be about in his 40's. His dark hair was swept to the side like a gentlemen's cut. He was also quite stylish. He wore a crisp white buttoned down t-shirt that was tucked into his dark pants. A memory tugged at my brain and a name instantly flew out of my mouth. "Dad." I instantly regretted it as soon as it came out of my mouth. He was not my dad.
This seemed to anger the man. "I'm not your dad." His frown twisted into a sadistic smile. "I just killed him."
I gripped the metal bars. He's just trying to get you angry. I controlled myself and asked a logical question. "How are you so young? You should be in your 70's at least."
He ignored my question and asked me a different one. "Ah. So you have all your memories?" He leaned into the metal bars scrutinizing me.
"No. I just have flashes, here and there." I shrugged but flinched when my sore shoulder felt a spike of pain. "But I will never forget who you are. You're the man who killed Shawn. You're the man who killed her."
A sort of sadistic look passed through his eyes making me shiver.
"Yes. I am that man." He leaned in even more further, smiling cruelly. I backed away not liking him too close to me. "I'm also the man who's going to kill Alex." He chuckled. "Again."
Anger surged through my body and I stalked towards him. "You touch him, I will kill you."
He chuckled darkly and hit the bars with the iron making me flinch. "Now that's the kind of reaction I'm talking about!"
I clenched my jaw and breathed in and out. Don't let him get to you.
Looking away from his dark eyes, I went into a dark corner and sat down, ignoring him completely.
"It doesn't matter, you don't have to talk to me now but aren't you curious? Don't you want to know why you're here?"
I brought my knees to my chest, placing my head on top of them. I closed my eyes and thought of Alex and my mother. The only two people I've ever cared about are safe and I knew that no matter what happened, Alex was going to keep her safe.
Snarling growls filled the air making my ear perk up. Roderick, tilted his head to side as if hearing something that confused him.
I didn't really care until I saw the cheshire grin stretched out on his face.
"What?" I asked in a panic. Why is he looking at me like that. A loud sound, like screaming, filled the air. My heart pounded in my chest and felt a strange feeling that I've been here before.
I sniffed the air making my heart heart plummet to the ground. Alex. "No. You said you would leave them alone! You said-"
"AND YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO STAY DEAD!" He barked through the bars.
I tried to pry the bars away but to no luck. My strength was gone. "What did you do to me?"
"Just a pinch of wolfsbane." He shrugged like it was no big deal.
"Okay, okay listen. You have me, right? I'm the one you really want considering I was your step daughter? Alex has nothing to do with us! He's just some guy that looks like Shawn. He doesn't know anything. Just let him go." I pleaded.
I heard shuffling and then a grunt. Fresh blood consumed the air and I became desperate. I didn't want to cry but I couldn't let Alex get hurt.
"Please. I'm begging you. I'll stay here. I came willingly didn't I? Or I was going to at least." The bastards snatched from my room instead of like we originally planned.
Roderick pretended to think it over. "Mhmmm." He said dramatically, tapping his finger to his chin. "I guess you're right."
A sigh of relief left my mouth.
Just then the main door slammed open and Micheal walked in carrying an unconscious Alex over his shoulders. He threw him to the ground like he was a sack of potatoes.
Never in my life has such a raw animal like sound come out of my mouth. I even surprised Roderick.
"WHOA!" He said loudly, clapping his hands together. "Now that is the sound of an Alpha! Who knew this version of Jennifer, who was raised by a human, could be so much stronger than the one that was raised by me!" This seemed to amuse him.
I only bared my teeth at him. "Send him back to his family, now." I said in a threatening voice.
This only made the bastard laugh even harder. "You know what I'm feeling right now, Micheal?"
Micheal smiled in return but it didn't reach his eyes.
He caught my eye but looked away as if ashamed.
"No." He said with a tired voice.
"Why I'm feeling some strong ass Deja Vu!" He said barking with laughter. "Remember when Shawn, the idiot I shot in the head, sacrificed himself for her too? It's like they never learn!"
My heart lurched in my chest when I noticed Alex stirring awake and slowing climbing to his feet. I was hoping no one noticed.
Roderick came up to me sneering through the bars. "Here, I'll say it slowly to you. Never. Trust. Me." He grinned again before suddenly turning around and kicking Alex down with a sharp kick to the stomach.
"Alex!" I screamed when he hit the concrete floor again, groaning in pain.
Alex folded into a fetal position when Roderick sent kick after kick to his body.
I fell to my knees. "Please stop! Please! I'll do whatever you want. I swear! But you have to stop!" I hated begging but I had no other option.
Roderick finally stopped. He sighed heavily before running his hand through his hair and fixing it.
"Whew, what a workout." He straightened his shirt and I swear the hate inside my body tripled.
"Why are you doing this to us? We're not Jennifer or Shawn! My name is Ariana and his-" I pointed to Alex, who was now laying on his back, groaning, "-is Alexander! Why won't you understand!"
I was so damn confused. Why was this happening to us?
Roderick contemplated on whether he wanted to tell me something.
I tried to convince to tell me. Maybe if he kept his mouth going, Alex will be able to overpower him or the wolfsbane will have left my system. "Just tell us! We're going to die anyways right? Isn't that why we're both here?"
Roderick smiled confirming my suspicions. "Very well. There's not much a back story. I just wanted a lot of power and when I discovered I can live forever, I did what anyone would have done, I killed for it." He shrugged as if it was normal.
"Okay? That doesn't explain why Alex and I are here today? Jen and Shawn were the Alphas, not us." I practically rolled my eyes at his absurdity.
He sighed in annoyance. "I obviously have you here for a reason. You see not anyone can come back from the dead, but you and your mate did. I was very curious on how that was possible. Once I found out about Shawn, thanks to Micheal, I knew you were back as well. Then launched my investigation on how it was possible that you were here."
"You see, our souls never die, they are reborn and life goes on but our past lives never collide. It's as if we start fresh with new human bodies, personality's, parents, even your face, race or religion is never the same but you two...you two are a great mystery." Roderick leaned against the wall.
"You died and literally within 2 years, both of you came back as the same exact person. Same face, same personality, everything the same. You even remember your past life a little and that's never supposed to happen."
He stroked his chin, a bewildered expression on his face. "I know it's the work of some higher being. It has to be. Maybe the moon goddess? I wouldn't know. What I really want to know is how I can make it possible for myself. I am making myself immortal but for that I would have to kill every Alpha in my path and that could be very tiring. But if I come back with my memories intact, it will be easy and I could stop worrying about the warrior pack, chasing me around the world."
"You're delusional if you think either me or Ari know anything about coming back to this world." Alex rolled his eyes, his body tensing, waiting for Roderick to get angry and possibly kick him again.
But Roderick just smiled. "Someone knows something, deep down they do and i'll get it out. Even if I have to kill you over and over again, I will be victorious"
He kneeled down next to Alex who flinched away from him. Then he did the oddest thing. He checked Alex's wounds and then took out a key and walked over to my cell.
Once he opened the door, I flew towards Alex but was stopped by a blow to my chest. I fell into a coughing fit while Alex was shoved through the door, landing with a thud beside me.
I immediately embraced Alex, my chest pain forgotten.
He clutched me back, breathing in deeply. "I'm sorry." He whispered.
I was about to say for what but he continued.
"I'm sorry for being so weak. I came here on a mission to save you but I couldn't do it. My dad was right." He held me tighter, his words dipped in sadness.
"No, you don't have to be sorry. If anything, I'm sorry for being an idiot. I should have told you he threatened you and my mom. I should have done something and now we're both sitting ducks." I glared at Roderick who closed the cell door and slipped the key back into his pocket.
"Man, it's like some serious Deja Vu whenever I see the both of you." He chuckled. "Now unfortunately for me, I can't kill you yet. But tempt me and I'll kill you the same way I did last time."
I opened my mouth to retort but I was shut down before anything passed my lips. "Say anything else and I'll toss Alex into the cell next to you."
I kept my mouth shut, not daring to even breathe.
Once they left, we both relaxed.
"Now for our escape plan." Alex bounced to his feet and got to working on the lock.
"Ari, I know that I sounded defeated but I was only putting on a show for Roderick."
My mouth fell open.
"My dad is waiting in the trees, I know he is. My pack has this place surrounded. We're going to get out in one piece, I promise you."
Just as he finished, a loud piercing howl cut through the air.
"And the war begins."
"War? What war!" I didn't mean to panic but the mention of war brought up a whole bunch of dead bodies into my mind and I wasn't prepared to see that in real life.
Alex stopped picking the lock with his claw and held my hands. "Don't panic okay, we are getting out of here. We are not going to end up like Shawn and Jen, I promise you." I hugged him and sighed.
"Okay, what do you want me to do?"