ARIEL’S POV
My head felt heavy.I slowly opened my eyes and it took a few seconds for my vision to clear up. I stared cluelessly at the wooden ceiling that appeared before me.What happened? Where was I?“Welcome back to the land of the living.”I turned to see who had just spoken. At first, I was confused and didn’t recognize who he was. But as soon as I started to recollect what had transpired before I blacked out, anger slowly spread across my body.“You!” I hopped off the couch and launched at him. He backed away immediately.“Ariel, you need to calm down and listen to me!" He yelled with hands out to protect his face in case I made another sudden move.He looked back to make sure he didn't misstep as he continued to withdraw from me and I kept advancing toward him in a slow menacing way.He was the prey and I, the hunter.“What do I need to listen to?!” I yelled out uncontrollably at him, ”you nearly killed me!”He stopped moving and made the mistake of dropping his hands —that was my opening.I rushed at him and struck his face with all the strength I could muster, “Go to hell!”He fell on the floor with a loud groan.I stood over him breathing heavily. I was so enraged that I couldn’t even register that this was the same person that beat me to a pulp just a few hours ago.“Okay, I deserve that,” he said as he staggered to his feet. “You have every right to be angry but I swear to you, I did that to save you. It was the only solution I could think of at that moment.”Bullshit!I wasn’t having any of this. I was absolutely convinced this was all a plan with his Father. He was the good cop and his stupid father was the bad cop. But I wasn't falling for their obsolete tactic!“Where am I?” I asked, looking around the room.“After you passed out—" I shot him a glare and he coughed, "—I mean after I knocked you out, I brought you to a trusted friend’s place.”“She cleaned your wounds,” he continued, pointing towards me, “and provided you with a change of clothes.”It was then I noticed the long blue gown I now had on. I frowned.“She’s kinda tall. That is the shortest dress she could find for you in her closet,” he said scratching the back of his head.I looked straight at him, still unsure of what I should do. He kept saying he wanted to help me but everything he has done so far had either nearly jeopardised my identity or nearly killed me.Could I really trust him?I scanned him from head to toe from the corner of my eyes, “So your Father still doesn’t know who I am?”He kept his eye on me and said, “He doesn't.”Still looking at him from the corner of my eyes, I tapped my feet rapidly against the wooden floor trying to decide what to do.“If you will just relax and fully recover, I have a plan to—”“I’m leaving,” I interjected sharply, cutting him off.I could tell I caught him off guard with my decision because he looked somewhat surprised —good.I wanted him to know that he didn't call the shots for me. I carved my own path.I turned around scanning the couch I stood up from as if I had any belongings I needed to collect. Satisfied that there was nothing, I turned and made for the cabin’s door.“Hey, wait!” he followed behind me, “You can’t just leave!”“Why not?” I stopped glaring at him like he suddenly added an extra colour of madness to his pile.“Because it’s not safe. My Father has his strongest betas searching for you. DEAD or ALIVE.”He stressed the last part to scare me and I could only let out a slight chuckle.“Hey, this isn’t funny!” His face was flushed and I wondered if he was just a good pawn to his father or if he truly had a loose nut in his head.“You’re funny,” I mumbled as I unlocked the door and stepped out.The sun shone brightly into my face and I quickly put a hand up to shield my eyes. I’d been passed out for so long that my eyes needed a few seconds to adjust to the brightness.“Ariel, wait!"I sighed and turned around to see him standing in the doorway, “What?”I was getting tired of these games.“You said you wanted to keep me safe and now I’m saving you from that trouble by leaving but you want me to stay!” I waved my hand in the air to display my confusion.What was wrong with this boy?“You don’t get it." He walked out of the cabin and approached me. “Your pack is the least safe place for you right now but nobody’s going to look for you here. No one believes you’d be bold enough to come here.”My face pinched into a frown as I thought about his words. He had a point.I guess he was not just a pretty face after all —he had a brain.I wasn’t about to give him the joy of knowing what I thought though so I maintained a straight face, “So?"“I actually thought about this all night,” he walked a few metres in my direction before he stopped directly in front of me, “and at first I thought you being here was a very bad idea but then it occurred to me that it’s not so bad.”I raised my brows and was about to counter him when he waved his hands in front of his chest in a calming gesture. “Let me finish. It’s not a bad idea because this is the last place my Father will think to search for you.”He spread his arms to his sides, he had just solved the greatest mystery in history.“So you want me to stay here? What if I run into your Father?”“Well, that’s why I’m here. I meant it when I said I wanted to help you.”I snickered, “So you will help me kill your Father?”He paused for a minute and bit his lower lip.I nodded, “Yeah, that’s what I thought and get this, I still don’t trust you.”“I have other places I can go to.” I turned, walking away, “afterall I made it all the way here without getting caught.”“Ariel!” He called out softly.“What?!” I was starting to get frustrated at this point and it was evident in my slightly raised voice.“I can take you to your brother.”I turned around immediately to look at him, “What?”“I know where he is.”MELVIN POVI had her attention now.I knew I had to play a wild card to snap her out of her impulsive behaviour. She was one stubborn beauty!She looked me dead in the eyes. I could tell I struck a chord in her with what I just announced.“Where?”“Where what?” I raised my brows playing dumb.She took quick steps forward, “where is he?!” Her voice pitched a little higher than before.I stood my ground this time around, “Stay.”She stopped moving but maintained eye contact with me. I could tell she was mulling over her decision but I already knew I had her in a tight spot. This was for her own good.“You want to know where your brother is? Then stay," I said calmly and then nodded rapidly, “my friend Jada already agreed to you crashing for a few days. We can save your brother.”I could hear her teeth grinding against each other. Oh, she hated that I had her.“Fine,” she replied, whizzing past me and back into the cabin.I sighed and threw my head backward. Ariel was such a handful.Af
ARIEL POVIt was dark. I was back in my bedroom. My face pinched into a frown as confusion clouded my thoughts.I was supposed to be in that cabin back at the Blood Moon Pack. How did I get back here?I could see light sipping into the room from under the door. I walked briskly towards the door and opened it. The hallway was brightly lit —exactly how it used to be. I could hear the loud sounds of the video game coming from Aaron’s room. It made no sense. I looked from left to right wondering how I got here.I heard the water come on in the kitchen and I made my way there. My mother stood over the sink wearing the T-shirt I got for her.“Mum!" I hurried over to her and wrapped my arms around her tightly. My heart melted immediately.“Ariel,” she shrugged me off and stared into my face, “what has come over you?”She scanned me closely trying to figure out if I had finally lost it. “You see me doing the dishes, right? The same dishes I asked you to clean a few hours ago.”I stepped ba
MELVIN POVAfter my standoff with Father, I just couldn’t cool off completely. Even a cold shower couldn’t work its divine magic.I strutted up the stairs leading to the open verandah at the top of the building. I needed to clear my head and the verandah was the one place I knew never disappointed me. I could already feel the cool evening breeze as I got closer and I wasn’t surprised when I saw the door leading to the verandah open. I walked into the verandah and knew immediately who had left the door open. My mother stood at the edge of the verandah.“Mother,” I called out.She turned around from holding the metal railing, “Melvin?”The breeze was stronger and a tad colder than it was in the stairwell. My mum was finding it hard to keep her long black hair in place as the wind kept floating it all around her and in her face.I walked up to her and held her upper arm. “You needed some air?" I asked in a low voice as if speaking any louder could break her.“Yeah,” she replied. As usu
MELVIN'S POVThe night went on longer than necessary soiling my mood further.I could hardly sleep as I thought about my father and his sick beliefs. What he did to Ariel and her family was worse than any of the things he had done. I couldn't let him continue. I had to talk to her.I was certain that together we would be able to come up with a solution. A good plan to stop my father once and for all.People didn't have to live in fear anymore. Jada didn't have to stay so far away from the rest of the pack anymore. By the time Ariel and I were done, everyone would live in peace and harmony.By the time morning came, I was dressed and ready for the day. I stepped out of my room and headed straight to the exit."And where do you think you are going so early in the morning, boy?" My father's deep voice thundered, cutting through the room.My heart squeezed as the rage I felt all through the night returned. I clenched my fists and turned to him with a forced smile plastered on my face."Go
MELVIN'S POVJada and Ariel walked a few metres ahead of me. I was far less excited about heading back into town than they were.Usually, a trip to the market was always one of my favourite things to do but not today. Today, my attention was divided because all I had been thinking about was getting here and talking to Ariel about what we were going to do next and I already had a handful of things —crucial things— to suggest to her.Jada suddenly turned to me. “Hey, pretty boy,” she said, snapping her fingers in front of her to get my attention, “pick up your pace. We don’t have all day!"I groaned and moved my feet faster.“Stop your whining,” Jada said, turning away from me, “unlike you, some of us have to work.”"Some of us are not daddy's boys..." Ariel chirped in and they shared amused glances.They continued walking —still ahead of me— but not as far apart as it was a moment ago."I didn’t even know you worked," Ariel stated, looking up at Jada.“So how do you reckon I survive,
MELVIN'S POVAriel closed her eyes as if to calm herself and register what I had just said. She opened her eyes again and said nothing. I could tell she was thinking hard about this.She wasn’t so hard to read, after all, I thought with a smirk on my face.She got up from the couch and turned around. She took a few steps before turning to face me again, “Fine.”Then just as quickly as the words left her lips, she disappeared into the cabin. She needed training and she knew it too. This was war and her A-game had to be more than excellent if she wanted to win.I heaved a sigh and crashed back into the couch. I clutch my stomach as it growls in protest. I frowned. The close run-in with my Father at the market made me forget for a while that I still hadn’t eaten anything.“Jada!” I called into the cabin, “I’m starving!”“We have some leftover Spaghetti and meatballs from this morning,” she responded from within the cabin almost immediately.That worked for me.I got up and hurriedly ma
ARIEL'S POVMelvin was coming unto me and I trained my eyes on him. I wasn't about to let my guard down. I remembered what he did the day we had that fight in his father's throne room.He moved so fast that I didn't see him until the blows landed on my face and I became semi-blind. But that was then —not today.I refused to blink watching every move he made with his leg. He wasn't running, he was just moving like on a regular day. Not like he did on that day.My breathing was calmed as I counted his steps and prepared to give him a hit he never saw coming.But just like that day, I saw him a second too late.He landed a punch on my shoulders and my balance was broken. I fell to the couch in an unladylike manner."Always keep your eyes on your eyes on your opponent and never underestimate them!" He yelled.My eyes narrowed into slits and my fist balled. Rage bubbled within me and I wanted to do nothing but to have his head.I got off the couch and launched at him but he stopped me effo
ARIEL'S POV Jada held my hands as we waited for him to finish chewing the Borito in his mouth. His expression went from a frown to a scowl and slowly —ever so slowly, a smile formed on his lips."So, how did it taste?" Jada blurted, unable to wait any longer.The smile quickly faded and he replaced it with a fake scowl. "It was terrible. I don't know what you guys enjoy about it!" He said, dropping the portion he held back onto the tray.Jada's face fell as she bought his lies but I saw the way his eyes lingered on the piece of Borito a second longer than necessary. He wanted it. He just didn't want to admit it."I was so excited thinking about how we were finally going to have a feast together even when Ariel leaves! You are no fun Melvin!" Jada hissed."Whatever..." He said with a roll of his eyes. He got off the couch and straightened his t-shirt then turned to me. "I should go check on Adonis. He almost died because of me. It wouldn't be right if I didn't go visit," He said.Ther