Chapter 10: 10: Worthy

ARIEL

It’s been days since my movie night with Alex, but the sting of his harsh words still feels just as fresh as when he first said them.

~I don’t have time to waste on Ariel.~

~I just invited her because I felt bad for her.~

I know I shouldn’t let it get to me so much, but I can’t help it. I had really started to develop feelings for him.

I’ve had both good days and bad days.

I’ll wake up with confidence and say “fuck you” to Alex, determined to focus on my goals and not put my energy into stupid boys, but by the end of the day, I’ll be back inside my feelings.

When someone you care about hurts you, it takes that much longer to get over it.

In any case, I’ve avoided him like the plague. He’s tried texting, calling, sending flowers, but I’m not interested in empty apologies.

Alex basically said that I’m an inconvenience to him. If that’s how he feels, then I won’t bother him anymore.

As I head downstairs, where Louisa is cooking breakfast and Steve is reading the newspaper, I can’t help but wonder if I’m an inconvenience to them, too.

I’m living in their home free of charge, after being exiled by my own pack—by my own mate.

~Am I an inconvenience to everyone?~

“Oh, good morning, Ariel,” Louisa says cheerily. “Do you want some eggs? I just cooked up—”

I mumble a ‘good morning’ and briskly walk by them, leaving through the front door. I can’t face them right now.

I need some space to gather my thoughts and clear my head from all the negative energy I’m feeling.

I need to go on a run.

***

It’s calming to be in the woods, surrounded by nature. There’s a fresh layer of snow on the ground and the way the sun glistens on the white powder is breathtaking.

I undress and place my clothes in the knot of a nearby tree. Despite being naked in the snow, I don’t feel cold.

Now that the silver is gone from my bloodstream, I feel the warmth of my wolf again.

That warmth runs up my spine as I lean forward and fur begins to cover my skin. I land on all fours, fully shifted, and shake out my fine white pelt, streaked with a pale gray.

My wolf is ecstatic to be free again. It’s been so long since I’ve had freedom like this.

I start off with a slow jog and then build up to a sprint as I race around trees and jump over bushes, feeling the wind in my fur.

I pass some of the wolves patrolling the borders and we nod at each other before I race past them.

This is exactly what I needed—a chance to reconnect with my wolf.

As I get back to my clothes, the sun has risen high and I feel much more confident than when I woke up this morning.

~This she-wolf is gonna seize the fucking day!~

***

When I push through the door of Steve’s house, beads of sweat still glistening on my skin from the run, I find him waiting for me with a look of concern on his face.

“Is everything okay?” I ask.

“You tell me,” he responds. “You seemed pretty upset when you left this morning. Is something going on?”

~Oh, right. I did leave a little dramatically this morning.~

“Steve, can I ask you something? And I want you to answer me honestly.”

“Of course,” he says, nodding. “I want you to feel like you can come to me with anything.”

I take a deep breath as I fiddle with the strap of my sports bra. “Am I…am I an inconvenience to you and Louisa?”

Steve’s expression of concern suddenly turns into one of compassion.

“Oh, Ariel, is that what you’ve been thinking? You will never be an inconvenience to us. In fact, you’ve already enriched our lives so much since you got here.”

I feel tears start to form in my eyes as Steve stands up and gives me a hug.

“The truth is…Louisa and I…we can’t have pups of our own,” he says, his voice shaking a bit. “You’ve been like the daughter we never had.”

“You two have been so amazing,” I say. “And the way that you’ve helped me train…I don’t know where I’d be without you, Steve.”

“I can’t take credit for that,” he says, a grin appearing on his face.

“I got several texts this morning from the border patrol squad, saying they saw you running. You even impressed General Dave himself.”

My face turns bright red at the thought of the general seeing me run.

“Oh my Goddess…that was…I was just trying to clear my head,” I say, embarrassed.

“Well, you impressed the right people. You must’ve been fast as hell,” Steve says proudly. “General Dave wants to move up your test date. So we better start training twice as hard.”

I suddenly feel so stupid for worrying about boys, when I have a warrior test coming up. I need to focus on that, not Alex.

He’s just a distant memory from this moment on.

My phone starts buzzing and I pull it out to see a message from…

~Alex.~

~Great, that lasted all of two seconds.~

Alex

Hey Ariel

Alex

I know you don’t want to talk to me and I get that

Alex

But I have something to discuss with you

Alex

It’s pack related

Alex

My parents have just returned from their trip abroad and they’d like to meet the newest addition to our pack

Alex

I told them you’d join us for lunch

Alex

Will you be there?

Ariel

Yes, you’re my alpha

Ariel

If that’s what you require of me, then I’ll be there

Alex

Ariel

Alex

Please don’t be like that

Ariel

Like what, my alpha?

Alex

You know I hate it when you call me that

I did know that. But I also couldn’t pretend that what he said didn’t hurt me. If he wants me to meet his parents, then fine, but this will be ~strictly~ pack business.

***

When I show up to the palace, I quickly dissolve into a bundle of nerves.

I know that meeting Alex’s parents is a normal pack tradition for a new member. They do still hold some authority in the pack, even though the mantle of alpha has been passed down to Alex.

But I’m an outsider who Alex impulsively invited into the pack while they were away. What if they don’t think I’m Royal Pack material?

I make my way to the meeting room, where I find Alex waiting outside for me. He doesn’t waste a moment in cornering me before I can slip past him and enter the room.

“Ariel, we need to talk,” he says urgently.

“Alex, you promised this was pack related,” I say angrily. “Let me through!”

“No, not until you listen to me!” he shouts.

“I have ~listened~ to you. I listened when you said I was a waste of time. I listened when you said I was just a pity invite,” I shout back, my emotions starting to get the best of me.

Alex’s hands are suddenly lightly gripping my shoulders and his face is just inches from mine. His eyes are filled with pain as he looks at me.

“Ariel, you don’t understand. I ~never~ meant to hurt you. I only said those things to get Dom off my back.”

“What…what do you mean?” I ask as my heart begins racing.

“When I felt myself growing closer to you, I got scared. Terrified, really,” Alex says with sincerity.

“Dom was teasing me about it and I…I didn’t want to admit how I was feeling. Because that would make it…real.”

“But you’re admitting it now,” I say, starting to feel terrified myself.

“I…I guess I am,” Alex says, a genuine smile forming on his lips.

His touch becomes less urgent and more tender. His green eyes drink in my body like he has an unquenchable thirst.

I feel my wolf growing restless as his body presses against me. He leans his lips toward mine.

~Oh my Goddess. Is he going to…~

The meeting room doors suddenly burst open and a tall, regal-looking woman with raven hair and a floor-length royal-purple dress comes gliding out so gracefully that I’d swear her feet aren’t even touching the floor.

“Alex, what is taking so—”

The woman stops in her tracks as she sees me, Alex’s hands still glued to my shoulders.

He quickly pulls them away, but this woman has already clocked something she doesn’t like, given the sour expression on her face.

“Ariel, meet my mother, Maria,” Alex says, awkwardly stepping aside.

“Pleased to meet you,” Maria says with all the warmth of a blizzard.

“Ariel is our newest pack member. She’s training to be a warrior. She’s one of the toughest she-wolves I’ve ever met,” Alex says, probably overselling me a bit.

He seems uncharacteristically nervous.

“Oh, how very…masculine,” Maria says, while sizing me up. “You do look like you’d make a ~sturdy~ warrior.”

~Is this woman insulting me? She’s literally just met me.~

“It’s an honor to be training with the Royal Pack,” I say, trying to break the ice. “I came from the Crescent Moon—”

“Oh, my dear—Emily, was it?—I think that I know everything I need to,” she says with a forced sweetness, while looking back and forth between me and Alex.

“Ariel,” I respond tersely, sensing the vindictiveness in her stare.

“Yes, well, we’ve moved on to a new topic of discussion,” Maria says with a sneer.

“And what would that be?” Alex asks, crossing his arms.

“You’ve been wallowing in your feelings for quite some time, Alex,” Maria says matter-of-factly.

“And while a grieving period is expected,” she continues, “you’re the alpha and king. You have a pack to run. And you can’t do that alone.”

This may be the most intimidating woman I’ve ever met in my life.

“What are you saying, Mom?” Alex asks, a sense of dread appearing on his face.

Maria looks directly at me as she voices her next word, her fake smile now fully a spiteful smirk.

“Why, we’re going to find you a new mate, of course. One that’s ~worthy~ of being with a king.”