Chapter 54: Chapter 53

Time was running out.

He knew that, sensed it now more than ever.

In just a few short days, Malachi would become twenty, and who knew what significance that age held in the demon realm.

His mother assured him he was fine. That there was nothing to worry about. Sure, he had the blood of demons flowing through his veins, but he wasn’t anything more than the sum of his DNA. He felt the occasional urges, the natural tendencies of demons to plot evil and wreak havoc amongst the more susceptible beings. Mortals. Apparently they were weaker than the spiritual beings who roamed between realms, that lived in the Interealm—whatever that was. His mate knew more about those kinds of things than he did, but Malachi pushed the thought aside.

Besides thinking about his upcoming birthday and what it might mean to his standing in the pack as Alpha, his mate was never far from his mind. She consumed most of his thoughts and plans, dreams and waking moments. Her laugh. Her smile. Her beautiful hair as it swung around her shoulders and glittered in the sunlight.

Her silky soft hair with the pastel colours that was now hacked off in ragged edges. He couldn’t help concluding that Harlow was the cause of Ariella’s internal conflict, the reason for the frown on her delicate face and the source of the anger that flashed in her usually gentle brown eyes.

There was nothing gentle in the way she tore into Harlow today, in the hatred that burned in her gaze as she dared the other girl to lay one more hand on her mate.

He really wasn’t sure what Ariella had seen them doing together, but her reaction scared him. Wasn’t he the one who usually felt angry and jealous, using his teeth and claws to enact justice instead of talking reasonably? Yet tonight, Ariella had looked downright dangerous with her edgy haircut and darkened eyes. The gleam that reflected in her brown irises was familiar to Malachi, almost recognisable as the madness in his own soul.

Ariella was becoming ruthless and dark, the exact type of personality he was hiding from her.

This whole time, he’d been pushing it down, keeping it locked away, yet Ariella was pulling and prising it to the surface with her sharp nails and even sharper mind.

How much longer could he stand this, holding it back with each laboured breath his lungs took? The air was heavy, and he suddenly didn’t know if he was strong enough to keep fighting it. His mom said it would pass, that all half-demons went through a time of testing, of learning their own strengths before forging through to the other side as a better person. He could fight it, resist the urges, and then become the Alpha he was always destined to be.

Just a couple more days.

That’s all he needed.

This mess between Harlow and Ariella had to stop, the contest or whatever it was going on between them had to end. He didn’t have the brain capacity to deal with it now. Rogues were lurking around every border, pushing the boundaries. Zander was acting more cryptic and mysterious than ever, refusing to come clean on what his true intentions were. Malachi could only assume the increased number of rogues were due to him, aligning themselves together in some sort of effort to force his hand.

It was dangerous times and already they’d lost a warrior, Ariella had been captured, tortured, and made to betray Malachi against her wishes.

He could taste her apology to him, her self-loathing at what happened that night as a consequence of her actions. He could feel how upset she was and how much she wanted to make things right by caring for the orphaned Samson. Malachi could sense every weary beat of her heart, every sharp breath she took when he caught her off guard or intimidated her.

The mark on her neck, his mark, was both a blessing and a curse. It claimed her as the Alpha’s, warning others away, but it also pulled her closer to him, letting her emotions leak through the bond so they could torture him. His own emotions were growing too strong to handle, so the last thing he wanted was to feel hers. Feel how much he was hurting her.

“Harlow, we’ve got to keep our distance.” The Alpha said when he found her sitting on the porch that wrapped around the Beta’s house, and he stuffed his hands in his jeans pockets as he leaned against the front post.

Earlier, after going up to his room to speak with Ariella after their encounter tonight, he was surprised to find her stonewalling him. He hadn’t expected she’d be so worked up about what happened. He had watched her, carefully approached the bed she seemed intent on claiming as her own, and seen the calm exterior she projected. But underneath it all, he knew she was fuming. The strong glint in her eyes, the tenacity with which she protected her heart from him made him want to pull her into his arms and declare the strength of his feelings all the more, but he knew better.

He had to keep things this way or risk something worse from happening.

“Clearly,” Harlow rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, huffing in a manner that better suited a seven year old. “After that performance tonight from your crazy mate—“

“Don’t ever speak about Ariella in that way,” he growled and closed the distance between them, stooping to her level before clasping his fist tightly around her upper arm and yanking her to her feet. His breath came out cold and deadly between them, his words dripping with threats that matched the tension in his fingers. This anger that bubbled up inside him suddenly, the urge to slap her mouth for slandering Ariella, was strong and frightening.

Releasing his hand quickly, Malachi stepped heavily back off the porch and shook his head, watching her sink back to her seat with a paleness stealing across her face. Raking his hair through with a shaky hand, he cleared his head from the blinding instincts. “Sorry. I’m just under a lot of stress.” It took effort to swallow the bile that rose in his throat, and he tried harder to steady his voice. “I’m sure you understand.”

“Stress?” Harlow’s voice came out brittle, then she gave a small toss of her head to regain her composure and stood from where she sat on the steps. Her approach was slow and calculated, and he bristled with the awareness of her. “You know, I can think of a remedy for that,” pausing only a few inches from him, she walked two fingers down his chest before he quickly snatched them between his own.

“I said, distance. This has to stop.” He pushed her hand down in much the same way he’d arrested Ariella’s hand when she nearly punched Harlow. Thinking back now, he should’ve let her loose to do what she wanted with this conniving shewolf. Taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly, he felt his pulse slow down, and then said, “This should’ve stopped weeks ago when I first met Ariella. I told you as soon as we found our mates, nothing more would happen between us.”

Harlow tilted her head and regarded him carefully in the moonlight. Her glittering eyes reminded him of the lamyx creature his mother liked to pet. Cunning and shrewd. “But I haven’t found mine yet,” she whined, the sound grating in his ears. He wondered how he had tolerated her childish behaviour all these years. He used to adore her. But that was before he met Ariella.

She was everything Harlow was not.

“That’s beside the point,” he murmured, clenching his jaw and trying to remain civil. A lot of things were on his mind, and dealing with the crafty ways of this woman wasn’t his idea of a nice evening.

She scuffed her boot on the wooden floorboards before sitting back down and cupping her chin in her hands. “Fine. I’ll keep my distance, Alpha,” she said the title with a little more than respect in her tone. Sighing and leaning back on her hands in a casual manner, she continued breezily, “I don’t even know what Ariella was reacting about tonight. We weren’t kissing, let alone touching. Why on earth did she try to rip my eyes out over the simple conversation you and I were having?”

He couldn’t explain it himself, but had to try. Sitting down beside Harlow, he made sure to keep a foot of space between them. “She has dreams, or visions, as she calls them.” The mention of dreams brought to mind his own, the nightmares in which he saw Ariella draped in a pure white dress, seated on the throne of his Alpha ancestors. A look of horror etched her face as a stain darkened her chest. It spread, her life seeping out of the fatal wound, and all Malachi could ever do was watch. Paralyzed. His own body as lifeless as his mate’s.

He recalled how she had the same kind of dreams about him, and shuddered at the possibility of them being more than dreams. When he’d seen her injured in real life, her face and neck painted with cuts and wounds from her abduction the other night, it had torn him up inside. Fear that what they’d seen might become real, a premonition of what was to come, had sent him into a frenzy. He’d blindly sought out and slain a dozen rogues, most not even trespassing on his territory.

Was this their destiny? To be consumed by darkness until their own demons ate them from the inside out? Surely there was a way to stop this. A way to fight the evil that he felt lurking under the skin of this pack. Ariella felt it even more strongly, if the art in her sketchbook was anything to go by. And the evil seemed to centre around him, a fact he could no longer deny with the knowledge of his heritage finally uncovered.

Demon.

She’d known it from the start. “She sees the truth,” he eventually continued, not understanding it fully but hoping his answer was enough for Harlow.

It wasn’t. “What? What does that even mean?”

“She perceives things differently, kind of like an extra awareness of what’s really going on. I don’t know how else to say it...”

“But nothing’s going on between us—“

“There used to be,” Malachi gave her a look, making her pause.

She scrunched her button nose and waved a hand. “Yeah. So what? What’s that got to do with us now? You told me it was over.”

“But is it really?” He turned to face her, a thought suddenly crossing his mind. Why else would Harlow be so keen on challenging Ariella, and so eager to make her bleed? “Obviously Ariella sees something you maybe don’t want to admit to me.”

Harlow laughed, a sound that seemed a little too forced. “She thinks I still like you?”

“Do you?”

“That’s crazy! That’s what this is all about? That’s why she hates me so much? It’s ridiculous! I mean, of course you’re still likeable. You’re amazing,” she back-pedalled, but then stalled when she noticed his hardened glare trained on her. “Malachi, you know I’d never get in the way of true love between mates.” She turned to him with plaintive eyes, her hand resting urgently on his arm as she tried to show her good intentions were nothing to cause a fuss over.

“That’s not—“ he tried to wade through the minefield to get to the point Harlow was making.

“I just don’t think you feel for her how a mate should,” she continued in a soft voice.

It took a moment to catch her meaning, but when he did, the Alpha shook off her touch and recoiled. “Of course I care about her!”

“But you haven’t even mated yet!” Harlow threw up her hands in an exaggerated manner, as if this fact completely proved her point.

But she was way off the mark, and it only angered him further.

“That’s none of your business! Why can’t anyone see that it’s because I care about her? She needs more time. We need time to sort out—“

“To sort out your feelings, blah blah, yeah I get it.” Harlow interrupted. “It’s not meant to be complicated. Mate meets mate, the bond pulls you together, and bam! You complete the bond and you’re soulmates for life.”

Malachi chewed on his lower lip as he held back on the harsh words he wanted to say. Rubbing the back of his neck, he finally settled with, “Not everybody starts their relationship in such a heated way.”

Harlow smirked, “Maybe that’s why the poor girl is having dreams. You keep denying her and she has to satisfy herself somehow.”

“Don’t be so crass. It’s nothing like that.” Shocked, Malachi growled and felt satisfaction in the way Harlow recoiled and stared at him wide-eyed.

“Alright, alright. I was joking.” Harlow threw up her hands in defense. “Anyway, the point is, Ariella can’t keep acting out like she did tonight, or else someone is going to get hurt for no good reason.”

Malachi had to agree with her on that. But he couldn’t blame Ariella for what she was going through. It was beyond her, beyond either of them, and he’d stopped counting the number of times he’d wished everything could just be normal for the both of them. “I don’t know the extent of what she thinks, but she definitely saw something between us tonight.”

“So she has hallucinations. She really is certifiably crazy.”

“No, that’s not it. She’s…” Malachi sighed and rubbed his face with his hands. “I don’t know what she is, but she doesn’t deserve you making fun of her. I won’t stand for it.” Releasing a heavy breath, he said what he’d come here to say. “You’re going to apologise to Ariella.”

“But—“

He cut off her protests with a raised hand. “But you totally disrespected her and aren’t treating her like she deserves.”

“She isn’t even highly ranked! I’m the Beta female-“

“She is my mate, and your future Luna! You will stop antagonising her and be nice, for once!” Straining hard to not raise his voice, he poured all his intent into his serious glare, and watched Harlow wilt under the weight of it.

He hated seeing the way the two shewolves were fighting today, blood staining each of their bodies, flowing from cuts and wounds they’d inflicted on each other. He understood the significance of Ariella proving her strength and dominance, but did it really have to come down to such a brutal, animalistic fight? “Just do it, and don’t make me warn you again,” he said in his strong, deep voice. His Alpha dominance broke through, causing Harlow to visibly flinch.

It took another moment, but she eventually submitted to his power and authority. Her defiant posture crumpled, and she averted her eyes. He heard the harsh sigh escape past her lips, and he wished it didn’t have to be this way. They were friends before any of this, before emotional ties and ranks got in the way.

Standing, he brushed off his pants and extended his hand to her. “Harlow, I honestly hope you find your mate. And that your love story is easier than mine.”

She waved his assistance aside and stood on her own, crossing her arms over her chest in a protective manner. “Oh, it will be. Mates are meant to be easy. But you?” She shook her head in a pitying fashion. “You either love her or hate her, Malachi. It isn’t rocket science.” Then she stepped past him, their shoulders lightly brushing, before she slid the glass door open and disappeared inside her house.

He stood for a moment, hearing the murmuring between brother and sister coming from within, then descended the porch steps.

The Alpha’s eyes easily adjusted to the darkened path between the trees before him, and he paused on his way back home. Lifting his head back, he scanned the dusting of stars in the velvet sky above and released a heavy breath.

It isn’t rocket science.

“If only it could be that simple.”

Ariella didn’t know what to expect, but she was prepared. She had faded scars on her body to prove her ability at protecting herself against anything. Whoever had left her the note this morning, she would face them head on. She wasn’t afraid. Who didn’t like a little mystery?

The dappled shade of the sweetgum tree, its leaves and hard, spiky fruits nearly all fallen to the ground, did little to block the early morning sun, and she basked in the golden glow that only slightly warmed her skin.

The valley stretched out before her on one side, the path to the town centre on the other. Facing the scenic view helped to settle her thoughts and steady herself. When she heard the sound of twigs cracking, she turned and stifled a gasp at the figure she watched coming towards her.

“Harlow.”

The blonde shewolf had her eyes on the path before her, and only looked up when she was within a few metres of Ariella. “Hey.” She kept her hands stuffed in the pockets of her hoodie, her toes scuffing the ground, and her expression was almost as bleak as the brown and decaying leaves at their feet. “Listen, Ariella, I just wanted to apologise for last night. It wasn’t your fault what happened, and it was wrong of me to get so upset with you.”

Ariella watched her carefully, unsure how to respond. Harlow, apologising? Their eyes met, and Ariella could actually feel the remorse in her gaze.

“What made you come to this conclusion?” she asked, still unwilling to trust that everything was okay between them.

“I understand you’re only worried about your mate, and how he feels towards you. You don’t want anyone coming between you, I get it. So of course, even just seeing me and him talking would make you question what was going on.”

“And is there?” Ariella raised an eyebrow, folding her arms across her chest as she scrutinised the other shewolf. “Is there something going on?”

For Harlow, this felt like the same conversation she’d had with the Alpha. “No. I swear, there’s not. We’ve been best friends for as long as I can remember, and…” she decided for some honesty. “I’m just not used to having another girl around, becoming his closest friend. His mate. Things are changing between us, and it…” a tear pricked her eye. “It hurts.”

Ariella took a deep breath, surprised with the genuine emotions on Harlow’s face. It was refreshing to finally have the truth spoken to her. She’d expected Harlow to deny everything and act like it was all above board. She’d had time to think about what she saw last night, and knew in her heart that Malachi wouldn’t betray her and kiss Harlow. It was probably just another of her warped visions. Granted, she still didn’t fully trust the beautiful and tenacious Beta female, or that she wouldn’t try a stunt like that with her Alpha again, but this apology was a start. And she wanted this friendship to be resolved more than anything. “Okay.”

“Okay?” Harlow looked stunned, her mouth hanging open as she prepared to continue explaining herself, but stopped.

“I get it. I’d be hurting too, if I was in your place. But things change as we grow older, and we all need to accept that. The sooner we do, the easier things will be.” The words left Ariella with a little hesitation, but her chest felt lighter from having said them. She had the feeling this conversation was just as significant as the challenge yesterday.

“I couldn’t agree more.” Nodding her head quickly, Harlow gave a watery smile.

“So I’ll tolerate your presence in this pack on a few conditions.”

“Anything.”

“You’re going to let me be Luna, and do things my way. You won’t undermine me anymore in front of the others, and you’ll stay away from my mate.”

“Of course. I’m so sorry for how things have been, but it’s all going to change starting now. I want you to know Ariella, that I only want the best for you and Malachi.”

“Thank you.”

They both took a deep breath and released it slowly, carefully eyeing each other.

Then Harlow dropped her wary gaze. “I’m so glad that’s over with. Now we can be friends? Because, there’s something I want to ask you about.”

“Sure.” Ariella tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and visibly relaxed her stiff posture.

“Well, it’s Mal’s birthday tomorrow, and I’m planning a surprise party. We have one every year, so I guess it’s not really a surprise, but Malachi seems to enjoy it.”

“I didn’t take him to be the party kind of guy,” Ariella thought back over everything she knew of Malachi. He was quiet and serious most of the time, his dangerous atmosphere not tolerating any frivolous games.

“Well, he’s not really. But he doesn’t mind a quiet sort of celebration. I’m going shopping today with Trey to get the food and other party supplies. I was wondering if you’d like to come?”

Trey. The guy she liked. Ariella shrugged, figuring it would be good to spend some time with Harlow and her friend, bonding over normal activities. “Sure. When do you want to leave?”

“After breakfast. I’m starved.”

“Same,” Ariella chuckled, and they both made their way back to the Alpha’s estate, the mood between them a lot lighter than it had been in days. They quickly found some food and told Malachi and Hamilton their plans for the day, Harlow discreetly keeping the true reason for their shopping trip a secret.

Ariella shared a terse smile with her mate, before heading upstairs to get ready. She then met Harlow out the front with her bag and a small sketchbook inside in case she grew tired of shopping.

Harlow was chatting with her boyfriend, a tall and broad-shouldered warrior with dark blonde hair that was neatly combed and set in place. His car, a shiny pickup truck, was parked in the driveway, and a couple of Harlow’s friends waved from the back seat.

“Ariella, you remember Cally and Meris?” Harlow introduced them.

Ariella smiled, trying to forget the way the girls had stared at her so coldly only the day before. Now they both had smiles stretching their faces wide.

“Ari, we’re going to have so much fun! Have you ever been to the Queens Mall before? It has so many shops,” Cally said, waving her hands enthusiastically.

Meris nodded her head, her black ponytail swishing around her shoulders. “You’re going to love it.”

Ariella climbed in beside them, wondering why they were being nice to her all of a sudden. She watched Harlow share a glance with them in the rearview mirror, and figured she’d spoken to them about the truce they’d come to.

“Sure. I haven’t been shopping in ages. So where is the Queens Mall?”

“Just a few miles west of our territory. It’s on neutral ground, and a lot of members from different packs can go there. They have the biggest department stores, as well as the cutest fashion boutiques. You’re going to love it!” Meris gushed, repeating her earlier sentiment, and Ariella wondered what she’d gotten herself into.

Both girls, as well as Harlow, were clearly into the latest fashion and make-up trends, things Ariella wasn’t so interested in. She’d much rather be spending the day with Devanshi at the medical clinic helping look after patients, or teaching the children simple self-defence moves. She’d even prefer to be out running the perimeter with the warriors, but figured if she wanted to get along with Harlow and her friends, she’d have to go along with these activities that seemed superficial.

For most of the drive, the girls chatted about what clothes they wanted to buy and who they might meet at the mall, while Ariella noticed the way Harlow and Trey talked quietly together in the front. Seeing the way they smiled at each other and shared warm glances twisted her stomach in knots, and she had to look away. They weren’t even mates, yet they clearly felt something for each other. Would she ever have that again with Malachi?

The view out the window was much nicer, and she enjoyed seeing this aspect of Malachi’s territory from a different perspective, the trees passing in a blur of emerald and olive hues. The land changed from untouched forest to cleared and built-up suburbia, and they soon arrived at the downtown shopping district. Queens Mall rose before them in a multi level structure, sprawling and metallic. They parked and got out quickly, joining the throng of shoppers pouring into the mall. Already it was crowded, and still so early in the day.

“Okay, Trey, here’s the list of things we need from the grocery and department stores. Give me a text when you’re done and I’ll let you know where we are,” Harlow quickly organised everyone. “Come on girls, let’s enjoy some retail therapy!”

“Wow, thanks Hal,” Trey grimaced and unfolded the massively long piece of paper.

“You know I love you, babe,” Harlow placed a quick peck on his cheek and slapped his chest playfully. Once he had disappeared down the wide corridor, Harlow turned glowing eyes to Ariella. “So, do you know what you’re wearing tomorrow night?”

Ariella tore her eyes from the shops, each one more glittering and attractive than those beside it, and answered distractedly. “Well, I only found out about the party this morning, so no. But I’ll just find something in my closet. Maybe even my formal dress—”

“Nonsense! That ugly old thing you wore when you first came over for dinner?” Harlow looked shocked, and Ariella winced at the insult, unintended though it was.

“We’re going to find you something super amazing for the big night. Let’s go.” Meris grabbed her arm while Cally took the other, and Harlow led them through many different shops. The girls kept holding up dresses for her inspection.

“Too short,” Ariella waved one aside. “Too tight,” she dismissed a black bodycon dress.

“Way too low. I don’t want half my chest falling out!”

Cally rolled her eyes and replaced the red thing that was in need of a lot more material.

Ariella was getting tired of looking through dress after dress, the other shewolves having completly different fashion tastes and standards to her. They each bought things Ariella was silently aghast at and knew her own mom would never let her walk out of the house wearing.

Leaning against a clothing rack, she rubbed her aching forehead and scrunched up her nose at a mini skirt Harlow was holding up against herself. She wished she’d gone to get the groceries with Trey. “Listen girls, I really appreciate your help, but I don’t think—“

“Shut up, Ari! You spoke too soon!” Meris squealed. “I found the perfect dress. It’s decent like you want, and I just know it will look amazing on you!”

They all gathered around as Meris showed off her find. It was sleeveless with a boatneck, fitted around the bodice before it flared from the waist. The hem was above the knee at the front and floated freely to the ground around the back. Lace covered the plunging back and completed the modern yet sophisticated look.

“You’ve got to try it on,” Cally urged her, pushing her to the dressing rooms. Harlow trailed behind, and before Ariella could agree that the dress did indeed look appropriate, she was behind the curtain and carefully putting it on. It fit perfectly, and she was stunned at how good it looked. The other girls were even more excited when they saw it.

“It’s perfect! This is it. You’re buying it,” Meris declared, clapping her hands and bouncing on her toes.

Ariella turned side to side while looking in the mirror, studying her profile. “Isn’t it too fancy? I feel too dressed up. This is something I’d wear to my acceptance ceremony.”

Harlow laid a hand on her shoulder and lifted an eyebrow. “Which tomorrow night might turn out to be.”

“What?” Ariella spun around and gaped at Harlow.

She shrugged. “Malachi is turning twenty, and a lot of the pack expect him to announce you as our Luna.”

The implications of this piece of news slammed into Ariella slowly, then all at once. “So… I’ll finally get to mark him as mine?”

Cally smiled. “I suppose, and you’ll want to look your best for that, right?”

Ariella nodded, her thoughts whirling and making her suddenly nervous. If she and Malachi finally accepted each other as mates and declared their feelings for each other, then tomorrow night would involve more than just an acceptance ceremony. It was the full moon, and she would be in heat.

“Then this dress is perfect,” she breathed and ran a shaky hand down the front over the smooth, cool material. Turning back to her reflection in the mirror, she wondered what Malachi would think of it. Would he find her beautiful and attractive?

Personally, she liked what she saw. She’d been working out a lot in the sun recently, and the golden tan of her skin was deepened by the colour of the dress.

The colour of pure white.