Suddenly Fated (Wolves of Riverton #1)

16. Ari

16. Ari

Six days passed, and I was fucking frantic. I hadn’t eaten or slept. I snapped and roared at anyone who approached me. Where was she?

I tried reaching out to her with my mind but got no reply. She was alive though, I could sense it. If she was dead, I’d definitely know. We had every warrior in the pack out combing the packlands. I even had warriors from neighboring packs looking.

Avelin drifted around the manor like a ghost. She was the last one besides Tim to see Esyn. “I left her in the entry, Ari,” she told me over and over again. “She was perfectly fine.”

I sat at my desk with my head in my hands. My mother poked her head into the office. “Michael, a word please?”

“Mother, I really don’t feel like speaking to you right now.” She barged into the room anyway, seating herself and leaning toward me.

“Michael dear, you really should face facts. Esyn is gone. She left you. You need to respect her choice and give up this silly search. If she wanted to be found, she would be.”

Anger bubbled up in my chest like lava, but I felt too exhausted to yell. “Someone took her. She wouldn’t leave with no word. If you have nothing helpful to add, you need to leave my office.”

“Michael, I raised you to be better than this. You are the Alpha. You need to find that strength that I instilled in you and forget about that girl. You can cancel the meeting with Blackwell, we’ll have a Luna ceremony for Avelin, and we’ll put all of this behind us. It is what is best for the pack.”

“Don’t tell me what’s best for the pack. You don’t know anything except what’s best for you. You have no idea what it means to love another. You’ve never experienced the mate bond. You know nothing.”

Mother leaned back, looking toward the ceiling and pressing her lips together. Finally, she spoke. “It is you who knows nothing, Michael. I have experienced the mate bond. I have also experienced rejection by my fated mate. It’s the worst pain one could ever imagine, but I got through it. Then I had to endure thirty five years of marriage to a man that barely tolerated me instead. So don’t sit there and tell me that I don’t know what it is to love another.”

Astonished, I couldn’t form words for a minute. “Mother? Who?”

“That isn’t important. What is important is that I did my duty. I did my duty for your father, for you, for this pack. And now I expect you to do your duty and be the strong Alpha that your father couldn’t be.”

“What the hell do you mean? Father spent the first years of his reign at war. He collected land, people, and riches.”

“And what good did it do? He gave up. He could have had the whole continent, Michael. We could have ruled it as King and Queen. He decided. I didn’t get a vote. So I did the only thing I had the power to do and raised you to be stronger than him. Cancel the meeting with Blackwell. Join with him instead. Gather lands together! The two of you combined would be an unstoppable force.”

“Mother, have you lost your damn mind? That is insane. I’m not leading our people to unprovoked war. We have money; we have land. We are prosperous. Our pack wants for nothing. And for the very last time, I am not going to take Avelin as Luna. Esyn is my Mate. She is my Luna. I will find her.” With that, I snatched Mother from her chair and pushed her to the door. She sputtered and complained the entire way. I slammed it at her back and locked it for good measure. Good goddess. mother has gone off the deep end. What was this about a fated mate? She had to be lying. If she had found hers, we’d have heard the story. No one had found their fated for ages until Esyn came along. She’d hated Esyn from the start, but how could she think I’d just pack it up and forget about my own heart and soul after six days? I collapsed onto the sofa beside my desk. My mind whirled as I closed my eyes. I hadn’t slept more than a few minutes at a time since Esyn went missing. Every time I slept I heard her calling out for me. Ari! Ari, help me!

“Ari,” a woman's melodic voice commanded loudly in my ear. “Wake up.” I dragged open my eyes, my eyelids feeling weighed down. I couldn’t make sense of what I saw. Instead of the ceiling in my office, I lay on the ground, out in a field somewhere, staring at the sky. The air felt as warm as an early summer day. I heard a waterfall close by, but we didn’t have a waterfall.

“Where the hell am I?” I said aloud. Laughter bubbled up behind me.

“Funny, those were her first words as well.”

I pushed myself up to standing, turning to find a woman before me in a white dress. Her hair went all the way to the ground. She looked at me knowingly, like she could see every wrong thing I’d ever done.

“Um. Who’s first words?”

“Esyn.”

I lurched forward at her name, suddenly frantic. “Is Esyn here? Is she ok? Will you take me to her? What is this? Where are we? Who are you?”

She lifted her arm and cupped my cheek in her cool hand. A warm energy seeped into my skin. It felt like she filled me with light.

“She is not here. But I know where she is. I started this, and now I must fix the mistakes I have made. This is the only reason that I have interfered twice. Well, and because I like you both a great deal.” Her smile seemed both angelic and wry. It was an odd combination, and I felt incredibly confused.

“Esyn and I had a lovely visit. She may not understand her path, but she is trying. She is strong. So are you. The two of you together will change things for the better.”

At these words it finally dawned on me what was happening.

“Am I dreaming?”

“No, dear Ari. I called you to me just as I called her. She is closer than you think. Look to the east and find the room within the room. They are being held captive there.”

“Goddess, what do you mean? Where is that? Who are ‘They’?” The energy flowing from her to me suddenly turned painful. “Ow!” I shouted.

My eyes opened a second later in my office.

“No! No, I need to know more!” I shouted at the empty room. Someone knocked on the door. I opened it to find Jamie, looking tired and haggard.

“Were you just yelling?” he asked. He looked behind me, a confused expression on his face at seeing the empty room.

“Jamie, you are not going to believe what just happened.”

“Look to the east? The east of where? Town? The packlands? The continent?” Avelin asked.

“I don’t know!” I exclaimed. I was not pleased with the Goddess right now, with her electricity hands and her cryptic instructions. “Couldn’t she have just told me exactly where Esyn is? Why is this a treasure hunt? She could have at least drawn me a map.”

Jamie’s head bowed as he studied the maps spread across my desk. “A room within a room. Did she mean that literally, or is it a geographical trait? I see nothing that fits that description within a thousand miles.”

“Could it be a jail cell? Maybe another Alpha has her held captive?” Avelin suggested.

“The only Alpha who would do something like that is your father, and he’s set to arrive here in 8 days. If he had her, we’d certainly know by now. He wouldn’t keep that kind of bargaining chip a secret.”

“Ugh, you’re right. He’d be in too much of a hurry to rub your nose in it.”

Someone knocked on the office door again. Jamie opened the door to Tim, his arm around a sniffling, red eyed servant girl.

“Tim? Is there something we can do for you?” I asked, frowning. I’d nearly fired him on the spot when I learned that Esyn had gone missing on his watch. He was so angry about what happened that I decided to keep him on. He’d worked tirelessly since then, searching for her. I still wasn’t pleased to see him.

“Alpha, this is Anya. She has some information that I think you need to hear.”

“Hello Anya. You look familiar. Do you work in this building?” I asked her.

“Yes, Alpha. I’ve only been here for a few months. I was almost fired by Alpha William, but Miss Stone intervened on my behalf. I need this job, Sir, because my Mama is getting older and having a hard time with the bakery, so business has slowed down. Her knees bother her something awful and her hands too, so it’s harder for her to knead the dough. I give her my pay. I don’t mind because I like working here. I’ve been so upset at the thought of Miss Stone being missing. She is so lovely.”

“I completely agree with you. Do you have some information for me?” I tried not to let my impatience show.

“Oh, yes Alpha. So the reason I almost got fired is because I got accused of stealing, and I would never steal anything from anybody. Those other two were the ones that did it, and they blamed me because they worked here a hundred years and I’ve only been here a little while. They thought Alpha William would just take their word because of it, but he didn’t because of Miss Stone, you know?”

I took a deep breath and slowly let it out to a count of four. It wouldn’t be helpful if I strangled this poor girl, but if she didn’t get to her point soon, I’d be very tempted.

“Anyway, so they got caught doing the stealing, and they were the ones that got fired instead of me. They were some kind of mad about it too. They called me and Miss Stone and even Alpha William some of the worst names I’ve ever heard. I’d never even heard half the words they said that day. They were real mean, and so that’s why I didn’t say something right away; I was afraid that she’d know it was me and try to get me in trouble again.”

“Anya, does all of this have a point?” Avelin broke in gently, noticing the irritation on my face.

“Oh yes, it does. I’m sorry. People say I talk too much. I really do, especially when I get nervous. So anyway those two, Rose and Lizzie, they left that day and Alpha William told them not to step food on the grounds again. Only I saw Rose while I was leaving to go home the other night. She was skulking around looking suspicious-like, so I decided to follow her and see what she was up to. I was afraid she’d do something to get me in trouble again, like I said. I hid behind bushes and such, and she never even suspected I was there. She walked bold as brass right up to the door of your house, Sir.”

“I’m confused, Anya. What does this have to do with me? Did she try to break in?”

“Oh, no Sir. She knocked and Luna Elise let her right into the house.”

“I’m still confused.” I told her.

“Ari!” Avelin exclaimed. “Rose is your mother’s new personal maid. She just started working at the manor. Seven days ago.” Good goddess!

It couldn’t be a coincidence. A criminal maid starts working for my mother the day before Esyn goes missing? It was related somehow; it had to be.

“Anya, thank you so much for your information. Rest assured, if this leads us to finding Miss Stone, you will be rewarded generously.” Anya thanked me profusely for not firing her yet again, her words following her down the hall as Tim escorted her from the office.

“So what’s the plan?” Jamie asked me.

“What I want is to run right over there right now, grab that maid by the throat, and force her to talk.” I told them. “But the smart thing to do is to have her followed immediately. If she actually has something to do with this, she might lead us to Esyn.”

“I’ll go right now and talk to Harris.” Jamie rushed out.

Avelin looked lost in thought. “Av? What are you thinking?”

“Look to the east, Ari. The east wing? Could it be that simple?” The east wing, where my parents lived, and where my mother lived now, alone.

“Let’s go.”

We met Jamie coming down the stairs of our side of the manor. He turned and followed Av and I right back up the other side. We paused at the top of the east staircase. “Harris was already following Rose,” he said to us in a low voice. “He told me that she’s been acting shady since day one. She goes into Elise’s bedroom at all hours of the day and night. He’s afraid she’s stealing from your mother.”

“Where is my mother now?” I asked.

“She went to a card party at Marjorie Worther’s house,” Avelin said. “She won’t be back until late tonight. They say they’re playing cards, but they barely touch them. It’s actually just an excuse to gossip and drink wine until they can’t see straight.”

We marched straight to my mother’s room. I hadn’t set foot inside her bedroom since I was a child. I thought she renovated this room a few years ago, but I looked around at the gold, flouncy, floral decor and cringed. It hadn’t changed a bit. “Spread out,” I commanded. We checked the bed, the bathroom, the closet, even behind the bookcase, but came up empty handed. “The other rooms are next.”

One by one we searched, but found nothing out of the ordinary.

“Fuck! There must be something we’re missing!” I exclaimed. I’d never felt so frustrated. “Avelin, why don’t you go and talk to Harris again? I’m going to go over to my mother’s room one more time.”

“I’m coming with you, Ari” Jamie said.

We searched the room again, even slower and more methodically than before. Jamie rifled through the desk for clues, and I looked behind dresses in the closet. He popped his head around the corner. “Someone’s coming!” I yanked him into the closet and closed the door, leaving a crack to see out of. We held our breath as the bedroom door opened. It was the maid, Rose. She carried a laundry basket, which she set down on the floor. She removed a stack of towels and lifted a tray of food from the bottom of the basket. I reached out and gripped Jamie’s arm as we spied through the small opening. Rose took a key from her pocket and moved to a light switch on the wall. She shifted the entire switch plate to the left to reveal a lock. She twisted the key and then pushed on the wall underneath. It moved in just a bit and then bounced out, revealing a door. No one would ever know it was there, it was so well concealed. She entered the dark space behind the hidden door, letting it fall shut behind her.

Jamie and I wasted no time. We rushed out of the closet, almost falling over one another in our haste. I pushed on the section of wall and it bounced outward again, revealing the door. We slipped through, finding a dark hallway. At the end of it, Rose was just leaving another room. Weak light spilled into the hall but was quickly extinguished again as she closed and locked that door. Her hands were empty, the tray missing.

“Now!” I whispered to Jamie. We sprinted the remaining steps down the hall and grabbed Rose from either side. She screamed and I heard the key drop to the floor with a clatter.

“Hold her!” I shouted as I fell to my hands and knees, scrambling in the dark for the key. Jamie forced Rose in the opposite direction, back through the wall where I knew he’d take care of keeping her until we could question her.

I fumbled around for a few more seconds but couldn’t feel the damn key. “Fuck!” I shouted. Suddenly, I heard a miraculous sound.

“Ari?” her voice sounded weak, but it was definitely her.

“Esyn! I’m coming!” I shouted. Screw the key. “Stay back from the door!”

I gathered all of my anger, all of my worry, all of the frustration and sadness of the last week, and channeled it all into one kick. The door burst open, splintering the frame.

Esyn lay on a small cot in the corner of what could only be described as a cell. I ran immediately to her, scooping her up into my arms.

“Good goddess, Esyn! Baby, oh Little Mate. I honestly didn’t know if I’d ever see you again.” I murmured into her hair as I held her.

“Ari, is it actually you?” she breathed as she burrowed into me. Her hair was a mess, her clothes rumpled and stained. Her eyes were dull and she had dark purple circles under them. She was still the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen.

I carried her from the east wing to the west, placing her gently onto our bed. I stroked her tangled, wild hair away from her face and kissed every part of it - her forehead, eyebrows, eyelids, cheeks, nose, and finally her lips. We held each other without speaking for a long time.

“I tried to call to you,” she finally whispered to me.

“So did I, many, many times.”

“Are you real?” She asked, looking up at me with fear on her face. “I’ve imagined this so much, but I always wake up and it wasn’t real.”

“I’m real, you’re real, and you’re safe now.” I reassured her. She began to cry with loud, long sobs. She soon tired herself out, closing her eyes but continuing to grip me tightly.

A little while later, she lifted her head.

“Ari?”

“Yes, Little Mate?”

“I’m fucking starving.”

I burst out laughing, making her giggle as well. “Well, let’s fix that right now, shall we?”

After she ate, drank enough water to drown a camel, and took a long, hot shower, she seemed in much better spirits. Her eyes looked brighter, and she sighed as she relaxed against the pillows. Jamie visited earlier, wanting to give us an update, but I didn’t want to think about it anymore that night. I told him we’d talk about it in the morning. Before he left, he did tell me that he kept Rose locked in a storage room off of the kitchen. “What goes around, comes around, huh?” I said he walked away.

“Ari, I have to tell you something about all of this. I wanted to wait but you need to know.”

“What’s that?” I asked, concerned.

Esyn gazed up into my face and clutched the blanket in her fists. “I…Ari, I’m pregnant.”

It took a few seconds for her words to sink in. Meeting her felt like the most intense feeling of my life, but this came close. “Really? Are you sure?” Tears came to my eyes. I grinned at her like a fool.

She gave me a tiny smile. “I’m sure; the doctor confirmed it. Our cub will be here in the spring. You’re happy about this?”

“Happy? Am I happy? Holy shit, Esyn! A baby!”

I picked her up and spun her around. She shrieked, laughing. “Ari! Stop that! You’re going to make me throw up!”

“Oh my goddess, I’m sorry! Are you ok? Do you feel alright? Can I do anything? Oh my…she said, ‘They’. The Goddess, she knew! I really am going to murder my mother,” I said, the words spilling out one after another.

Esyn’s laughing face turned sober. “I have no idea what you’re talking about with the Goddess, but let’s not talk about your mother tonight, ok? For now can we just pretend like she never existed and that these past days never happened? In the morning I’ll tell you the whole thing,” she promised.

“Of course. Yes, let’s do that.” I placed my hand on her stomach, feeling a tiny bump. “Esyn, you have made me so happy tonight.”

We spent the rest of the night in each others’ arms. I felt like the luckiest man alive.