Suddenly Fated (Wolves of Riverton #1)

9. Ari

9. Ari

I sat at the table in the breakfast room with my family. Avelin and Jamie were both on their third cups of coffee, having stayed up most of the night worried about Esyn and me. I felt a little guilty, but I’d filled them in on the events of the evening (well, most of them) and we’d all had a bit of an apology-fest. Esyn sat in another borrowed dress, plowing through a plate of pancakes. She hadn’t eaten much in the last couple of days, and I promised myself that I’d make sure she took better care of herself. I could hardly eat my own food. I was too busy touching her, my hands drawn to her like magnets. I ran one up and down her back while I finished my breakfast.

As Esyn ate, she told us about her encounter with the Goddess. “Esyn, no offense, but this all sounds like a really crazy dream to me,” Jamie told her.

“I know; it really does. But she told me that she saved me from death and helped me to heal quickly. I absolutely should have died out in that forest, but I healed more quickly than I ever have before.”

“She healed more quickly than anyone ever has,” I broke in. “By the time I got her to the guard cabin, she was still out, but her wound was nearly back to normal.”

“Maybe we should consult the Elders about this,” Avelin said. “Surely they’d know if this is actually possible?”

Esyn put down her fork. “I have a better idea. We’ll go see my Mom.”

The pack library was a quick drive away, on the main compound. The school, the hospital, the training grounds, and the community building that housed the ballroom, meeting rooms, and my office were all nearby. A bit farther away was the Riverton town proper, with all of the shops and homes inhabited by the majority of the pack. Most shifters walked where they needed to go, unless they needed to venture beyond Riverton to the surrounding cities and towns. My father began his reign with a single-minded desire to expand the territory, and from what I learned growing up, he was very successful. The problem was, Alpha Blackwell had the same desire, and there were often violent and bloody fights over the surrounding lands. This all stopped with the births of myself and Avelin. We were betrothed as toddlers, with the promise that in exchange, Blackwell was welcome to any land to the east and my father the west, and that there would be peace among the two packs. After the peace agreement, though, my father decided that the land he had was sufficient. Blackwell still fought his way through the eastern territories and even beyond, across the sea. There were several occasions where he tried to push the agreed upon boundaries, and we had to intervene. Therefore, our peace was rocky at best.

The library was cool and quiet, empty at this time of day with school in session. Esyn’s mother looked up with a huge smile as we entered single file, then ran around the desk and drew her daughter into a hug. “Esyn, baby! I wasn’t expecting you but I’m so glad that you’re here! She drew back and held Esyn at arm's length. “Is everything…alright?”

“I’m ok, Mom. It’s been a totally bizarre few days, but I’m ok. Actually, we’re here because we have some questions that need answering. Weird ones.”

Mrs. Stone looked at the rest of us, one eyebrow raised. “Alpha Michael, I hope you’re well. Avelin, Beta James.” She nodded her head to each of us in turn.

“Mrs. Stone, I would be honored if you would call me Ari, at least when we’re alone.” I told her.

“And I’m Jamie.”

“Well. That’s very kind of both of you. I suppose in that case, that makes me Hannah. Now, what is this about ‘weird’ questions?”

Esyn spoke up as a shifter couple with a young child entered the library. They noticed us and bowed their heads in respect, walking over to a nearby shelf. “Could we go somewhere a little more private?”

Hannah led us to a room beyond the library front desk. The long wooden table was covered in chaotic stacks of books and papers, and the chairs were all pushed out and askew. She clucked her tongue and began pushing the chairs back in one by one. “The Elder Council has been utilizing this room since the other night. They’re absolutely fascinated by your situation. They finally left about an hour ago. This is likely good timing for you all; I’m assuming that answers to any ‘weird’ questions you may have for me can be found in the materials that I’ve already gathered here.”

Two hours later, we still sat around the wooden table with various documents spread around us.

“I can’t believe all of this. Mind linking, sensing each other’s pain...it all seems like something from a story.” Avelin said. “I wish I could read Jamie's mind.”

“If you could, you'd be shocked. I mostly think about the things I’d like to do to you.”

“ James McConnell!” Avelin’s face reddened as we all laughed.

“We can’t read each other’s mind’s all the time,” I explained to my friends. “It seems like we have to do it purposefully. Sort of like pushing our thoughts at one another.”

“Either way, it’s amazing. I don’t know what happened to make it so difficult to find one’s fated mate, but I wish we could fix it. Though I don’t want a fated mate if mine isn’t you, Jamie.”

Av and Jamie looked at each other with heart eyes as I glanced at Esyn, whose nose was down in an old, tattered book. She wasn’t listening to our banter, lost in her reading with her eyebrows drawn together. “Esyn, love. Are you finding anything?” No answer.

I tried again, a bit louder. “ESYN!” She jumped, clearly startled.

“Ari, don’t do that! I’ve had the life scared out of me enough for this week!”

I chuckled and stood up, drawing her to her feet. “Bring that with you, ok? My eyes are tired and so is my brain. I need to get to my office and make some notes and a few phone calls. Do you want to come with me?”

“No, she does not,” Avelin announced. “Esyn and I have a very important matter to attend to.”

“We do?” Esyn replied.

“We do. We’re going shopping.”