Read with BonusRead with Bonus

Chapter 5

AUSTIN

I spent weeks watching Aria from afar, when I would leave the bar, I would hide in the dark and walk to her house, keeping my distance so she wouldn't see me. Tonight I wasn’t at the bar because we were making a plan of action with David and Riley to finally reveal the truth to her. She wasn’t supposed to finish her shift for another hour, so I was surprised to see her walking home with this guy and when I smelled him I knew right away who he was. The syringe was ready in the car just in case and we hadn’t planned to use it and certainly not like this. This evening became completely crazy and this rogue once again managed to escape us. I don’t know how he can escape us every time and his smell with him. That is fucking weird.

This brings us to now, me driving the car to the pack, with David in the passenger seat and Riley holding an unconscious Aria in the backseat.

“She’s never going to forgive me for this one,” repeats Riley for the umpteenth time, caressing her hair.

“It was for her good and even though she won’t realize it when she wakes up she’ll eventually understand,” David reassures her and I stop myself from snorting because, despite the few times I've seen her, I've noticed that Aria has quite a temper.

“You are aware that nothing went as planned, right? We drugged her, kidnapped her and are taking her to a pack of werewolves. Werewolves she never knew existed.” She strokes her hair and looks at her. “Please don’t hate me.”

We screwed up big time but I wouldn’t admit it in front of the others. I went off the rails when I saw them together. My wolf took over and I couldn’t turn back. But now I know he’ll do anything to get her back so I have to act fast. She needs to know everything.

RILEY

We moved Aria into the room next to Austin’s. I asked the guys out, I didn’t want the first thing she would see when she woke up to be them. Tonight was an emotional roller coaster. I went from being ecstatic when I found out Aria was Austin’s mate and then everything went to hell when we saw her with the guy from the alley. And now I’m waiting for my best friend to wake up and tell her that I’ve been lying to her since we’ve known each other because she doesn’t know my true nature.

Aria starts to moan and moves.

“Hey, I’m here. It’s okay.” I tell her as I stroke her head.

“Oh fuck. I had the craziest dream ever.” She tells me rubbing her eyes, she sits up and looks around. “Where are we?” She asks in a panic.

“Okay... don’t freak out. We’re at Austin’s house.”

“Oh fuck! Oh fuck! It wasn’t a dream.” She panics and jumps to her feet. She holds her head and sits on the edge of the bed. “Ouch.”

“Take it easy old girl.” I pause. “I’m sorry about the needle, I panicked.”

“What are you?”

“A werewolf.”

"Ok then stay the fuck away from me." She says to me as she moves a little further away on the bed. “Holy shit! I don’t believe this. So it’s real?” She said as she held her head in her hands.

“Yes, we are real.” I sigh. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you but we’re not allowed to release this information to humans.”

“So Adam is a werewolf too. That’s what he was going to say.”

“Who’s Adam?” I ask her frowning.

“He’s the guy in the alley.” She pauses. “He didn’t have time to tell me what happened that night if that was the next question.”

I sit down next to her and she shifts slightly. She lowers her hands, lifts her head and looks at me.

“So you’re like in the shifter books?” She pauses. "This can't be fucking happening. I must be confused because of what was in the syringe." She mumbles to herself.

“Yeah well there are similarities but there are differences,” I answer cautiously. The last thing I want to do is scare her.

As I think about the best way to tell her that Austin is her mate. He enters the room.

“I just wanted to make sure Aria was okay.”

“Stay away from me!” Aria yells, terrified before she runs into the next bathroom.

“Bad timing,” I growl at Austin. “Let me handle it please.”

I knock on the bathroom door and beg her to let me in, after a moment she agrees and I enter the bathroom before she locks the door.

She paces back and forth. “What did he do to Adam?” Holding her head.

“Nothing at all. He ran away.” I gasp. “Look, he just wanted to protect you, that’s all.” I pause. “When I told you there were similarities between us and what’s written in the shifter books... well... you know what’s written about mates, it’s true.” I approach her slowly. “David is my mate and Austin... well Austin is yours.”

AUSTIN

Well, now she knows. David has just joined me in the room and we hear all the girls’ conversation. And I can tell you that she doesn’t take the news well and I find it very offensive. Well, seriously, I don’t mean to send me flowers but I think a lot of girls would be happy to know that I’m their mate, I mean I’m pretty good-looking in all objectivity. She kept swearing and repeating that she was in a fucking nightmare. Very flattering.

“But you love books about shifters. How many times have you fantasized about the alphas in your books?” Riley tells her.

“That’s not the point! I’ve fantasized about Christian Grey and that’s not why I’d jump up and down if some guy wanted to shove an anal plug up my ass.”

David stifles a laugh and I elbow him. I don't know how I should interpret what I just heard anyway. It sounds like she has some... interesting readings.

“Oh fuck! Don’t tell me they can hear what we’re saying?!” A pause. " Seriously?! You could have warned me, Riley!" A pause. “Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! FUCKIN' NIGHTMARE”

After several long minutes of incomprehensible murmuring, the bathroom door unlocks and they both step out. Aria looks beautiful even with her head messed up.

“We’re going to talk but first I want to shower and change.” She tells me.

“I’ll get you some clothes,” Riley tells her and we all walk out of the room to give her space.

Previous Chapter
Next Chapter