Suddenly Fated (Wolves of Riverton #1)

2. Ari

2. Ari

I walked slowly down the hall to the empty office next to mine, holding Avelin’s hand as she cried softly next to me. As we entered the room, I ran a hand over my face, noticing that it was already scratchy. How long had Esyn and I been in that conference room? It felt like seconds, and it hadn’t been nearly enough. Even as I motioned for Avelin to sit, my mind filled with Esyn, going back to earlier in the evening as I made my way onto the ballroom stage. I stepped up to the microphone, fully intending to deliver the welcoming holiday speech that I’d prepared. I smiled widely and surveyed the crowd, feeling proud that soon I would be their leader. Their Alpha. I was ready.

Avelin and I were to be officially named Alpha and Luna in one week, after the holiday festivals were done and the moon was full. I glanced over at her as she stood by my side. Straight and tall, with her lovely blonde hair up and wearing icy blue, she looked like the very definition of a Luna. We’d been married for two years, even though neither of us wanted the match. However, we both knew that our marriage brought together two very powerful packs and much needed peace. For us, at least. The Sunset Pack was the farthest thing from peaceful. We’d been at war with them for many years until my parents and Avelin’s father, the Alpha of the Sunset pack, reached an agreement between them to trade Avelin’s hand in marriage for an understanding that the River pack would not seek expansion, and that the Sunset pack would leave us alone.

Avelin squeezed my hand encouragingly as I prepared to give my speech. “You’ve got this, Ari,” she whispered, using the nickname that only my closest friends used, a variation of our last name, Belisarius. I tapped the microphone as the guests looked on, and I took a deep breath. Suddenly the air filled with the most incredible scent I’d ever smelled. My heart felt as if it opened up and reached out to capture the scent as my eyes popped open wide. What the hell was that? Who was that? As I frantically scanned the crowd, I finally caught the eyes of a woman in the very back of the room, holding a camera. My gaze zeroed in on her, and the rest of the world fell away. She was short, her head likely only coming to my chest. Her hair was long and glorious, a deep, rich brown with streaks of amber and red that made it come alive in the golden lights. Her eyes were an incredible shade of green that I had never before encountered, rimmed with thick dark lashes. Her lips were perfection, and her body…my own body called out to her just as my heart and soul did. The second our eyes connected, the atmosphere in the room changed, and the entire crowd gasped, including Avelin.

“No way,” I whispered to myself. “You can’t be real.” I looked at her for what seemed like a year. Suddenly I remembered where I was, but no part of me cared. I dropped Avelin’s hand and rushed to the stage’s stairs, anxious to get to this woman that called to me like a siren. It felt involuntary. We were magnets, pulling toward one another. I already imagined my entire life with her, marriage, children…

Then her eyes widened even more and she turned away, breaking our contact. It felt like a gut punch. She slipped into the crowd and I picked up my pace, frantic to catch her. She bumped into people left and right, but they parted for me, their soon to be Alpha. Their Alpha who was currently chasing a strange woman in the middle of the Holiday Gala in front of everyone, including my parents and my wife. These thoughts pinged around in my brain but made no difference as I beelined for the door that the woman rushed through. As she slammed it closed, a growl ripped from my chest. “MINE!” I roared, causing a fresh wave of chatter in the crowd. I finally neared the door as I heard Jamie at the mic behind me, calming everyone and instructing the band to resume playing. He would make sure that everything went smoothly. He’d take care of things for me. He’d make sure that Avelin was alright. I could count on Jamie, my Beta. And the woman in the next room would be my Luna. First, though, I had to catch her.

I shook my head, my thoughts scattering as Avelin cleared her throat and pulled me back to the present. My goddess, what a mess. “Av,” I began, not really knowing what to say. “I love you; you know that. You’re amazing, and you’ve been so supportive. But-”

“But she is your fated mate,” Av said quietly. “I can’t compete with that. As much as I love you, we’ve never had anything close to that and we never will. Plus,” she began, her gaze drifting to the door.

I knew where her mind was. Back downstairs, in the ballroom. With Jamie.

“You don’t have to say it” I reassured her. “I know.”

“You know? How? I’ve never said or done anything to-”

“No, you never have, and I respect the hell out of you for that. Even though you’re in love with him, and I’m very certain he is in love with you, neither of you ever acted on it out of respect for me. Do you know how amazing that kind of loyalty is? At the same time, though, my heart has always ached for you both. I’ve thought many times about just telling you to go for it. We were forced into this, Av, and I know I wasn’t your first choice. It must kill both of you every day.”

“So, you’re not going to send me back to my father?”

“Avelin! No! How could you think I would do that to you? Your home is here, with us. Always.”

“But if I’m with Jamie, if he decides that he wants me, I have no role here.”

“We’ll think of a role. I just want you to have a chance to finally be fulfilled.”

Tears began to drop down her face again, but now she looked like it was Christmas morning and I had just given her the perfect gift. We’d never discussed these feelings before. We both just went along with what our parents wanted for us, and we stayed together out of duty. Av, Jamie, and I were best friends. I’d known for a very long time that the two of them had feelings that they weren’t acting on. They were both respectful and professional to the end, though. Goddess, I loved them.

“Why don’t you go to him?” I asked her.

“Oh, Ari, I can’t do that. Not in front of everyone, and certainly not until this, whatever this is, is resolved. If she really is your mate, if she accepts you, then-”

“She’ll accept me. We’re fated; she has no choice.”

“Maybe so. But do me a favor and don’t say that to her,” Avelin cautioned, sniffling and rolling her eyes. “Remember, she is a stranger to you, to us, to being a Luna. Be patient.”

“I’ll do my best, Av. In the meantime, please don’t wait for me. I want you both to be happy. I’ll tell him the same thing if I need to.”

Avelin stood up and hugged me, still crying softly. “I love you so much, Ari. Thank you. I’m so pleased for you, but you have no idea how much relief and joy you’ve brought me tonight. Though I do feel bittersweet about this, the ending of us.”

“I do too, Av. I do too.”

“Well, let’s get going. We have lives to change.” She wiped her tears with a tissue and then took my hand. Suddenly she began to giggle.

“What is so funny?” I asked, bewildered.

“Your mother,” Avelin said. “She is going to have five cows and a pig over this.”

We were both laughing as I released her hand near the stairs, leaving her to find Jamie. I made my way back down the hall. As I neared the office, I heard my mother’s shrill voice echoing off the corridor. Insulting words.

Feeling rage building, I quietly entered the room as my mother continued her diatribe. Taking a bracing breath, I forced calm into my voice. “Mother, you are dismissed. Return to the party, go to your rooms, take a vacation if you want to, I don’t care. But you will leave my office at once. If I catch you speaking to Esyn like that one more time, I’m afraid you will be the one that is banished. Forgive me, Father, but I will not tolerate this disrespect.”

My father turned to me, understanding written all over his face. He married my mother over thirty years ago, so he was quite used to her attitude. How he put up with her for this long had always baffled me. Her face nearly glowed red with anger and she shook with the effort to keep silent. There was a time, when I was a child, that she would have shown no such restraint. Now that I was a grown man and soon to be Alpha, she had no choice, and it nearly killed her.

“I will go.” My mother huffed and lifted her chin. "But Son, mark my words. I will not allow this. Avelin is your wife and the perfect Luna. You will not burn our bridges and bring shame to our family and our legacy.” With that, she huffed and stormed from the room, slamming the door behind her.

“Well,” my father began, “That was fun. I’m sorry about that, Esyn, Mr. and Mrs. Stone. My wife is…very determined when she gets ideas in her head about the way things should be. Things will work out the way they are meant. Please don’t worry. Now, in the meantime, I think it best if you and your daughter return to your home until the elders have conferred.” My father stood from behind my desk and moved as if to usher everyone from the room.

“Like hell!” I exclaimed. “Mr. and Mrs. Stone, you are of course free to go. However, Esyn will have a room in the manor. You can send her things along later.” The words burst forth despite my best effort to stop them. I knew damn well I was being overbearing, but there was no way I was letting Esyn out of my sight. She’d try to run before I had a chance to talk to her; I could feel it. I could sense her fear, bewilderment, and even her anger. Her eyebrows drew together in irritation. I found it adorable.

“I’d like a say in this,” Esyn said with an annoyed tone. “You and your family have been running over me all evening. How about you ask instead of order?” Her parents both sucked in a breath behind her. I could tell that they were afraid I was just as angry as my mother, and that I would kick them out of the pack for her insolence. On the contrary, though; I admired her spunk, especially considering her fear. Standing up for herself showed strength.

“I apologize. Esyn, would you please consider joining me in the manor? You will have a room to yourself, with a private bath. We have a lot of figuring out to do and to be honest,” I said, allowing myself to inch a bit closer to her, gazing down into her eyes, “I don’t want you to leave.”

Her pupils dilated as our scents mingled together. My heart skipped several beats as we stood there staring. She licked her lips and suddenly my pants were too tight.

“Ahem.” Esyn’s father cleared his throat, breaking the spell. We stepped away from one another, putting some space between us. “Esyn, Honey, the choice is yours. Do you want to come home with us, or do you want to go with Alpha Michael?”

Esyn shook her head as if to clear it, her hair cascading in silky waves around her shoulders. I wanted to run my fingers through it right then and there, but I had to control myself.

“I, um. I think I-” she looked from me to her parents, then back at me. “I’ll go with Alpha Michael.”