Chapter 7

ARIEL’S POV

My head felt heavy.

I slowly opened my eyes and it took a few seconds for my vision to clear up. I stared cluelessly at the wooden ceiling that appeared before me.

What happened? Where was I?

“Welcome back to the land of the living.”

I turned to see who had just spoken. At first, I was confused and didn’t recognize who he was. But as soon as I started to recollect what had transpired before I blacked out, anger slowly spread across my body.

“You!” I hopped off the couch and launched at him. He backed away immediately.

“Ariel, you need to calm down and listen to me!" He yelled with hands out to protect his face in case I made another sudden move.

He looked back to make sure he didn't misstep as he continued to withdraw from me and I kept advancing toward him in a slow menacing way.

He was the prey and I, the hunter.

“What do I need to listen to?!” I yelled out uncontrollably at him, ”you nearly killed me!”

He stopped moving and made the mistake of dropping his hands —that was my opening.

I rushed at him and struck his face with all the strength I could muster, “Go to hell!”

He fell on the floor with a loud groan.

I stood over him breathing heavily. I was so enraged that I couldn’t even register that this was the same person that beat me to a pulp just a few hours ago.

“Okay, I deserve that,” he said as he staggered to his feet. “You have every right to be angry but I swear to you, I did that to save you. It was the only solution I could think of at that moment.”

Bullshit!

I wasn’t having any of this. I was absolutely convinced this was all a plan with his Father. He was the good cop and his stupid father was the bad cop. But I wasn't falling for their obsolete tactic!

“Where am I?” I asked, looking around the room.

“After you passed out—" I shot him a glare and he coughed, "—I mean after I knocked you out, I brought you to a trusted friend’s place.”

“She cleaned your wounds,” he continued, pointing towards me, “and provided you with a change of clothes.”

It was then I noticed the long blue gown I now had on. I frowned.

“She’s kinda tall. That is the shortest dress she could find for you in her closet,” he said scratching the back of his head.

I looked straight at him, still unsure of what I should do. He kept saying he wanted to help me but everything he has done so far had either nearly jeopardised my identity or nearly killed me.

Could I really trust him?

I scanned him from head to toe from the corner of my eyes, “So your Father still doesn’t know who I am?”

He kept his eye on me and said, “He doesn't.”

Still looking at him from the corner of my eyes, I tapped my feet rapidly against the wooden floor trying to decide what to do.

“If you will just relax and fully recover, I have a plan to—”

“I’m leaving,” I interjected sharply, cutting him off.

I could tell I caught him off guard with my decision because he looked somewhat surprised —good.

I wanted him to know that he didn't call the shots for me. I carved my own path.

I turned around scanning the couch I stood up from as if I had any belongings I needed to collect. Satisfied that there was nothing, I turned and made for the cabin’s door.

“Hey, wait!” he followed behind me, “You can’t just leave!”

“Why not?” I stopped glaring at him like he suddenly added an extra colour of madness to his pile.

“Because it’s not safe. My Father has his strongest betas searching for you. DEAD or ALIVE.”

He stressed the last part to scare me and I could only let out a slight chuckle.

“Hey, this isn’t funny!” His face was flushed and I wondered if he was just a good pawn to his father or if he truly had a loose nut in his head.

“You’re funny,” I mumbled as I unlocked the door and stepped out.

The sun shone brightly into my face and I quickly put a hand up to shield my eyes. I’d been passed out for so long that my eyes needed a few seconds to adjust to the brightness.

“Ariel, wait!"

I sighed and turned around to see him standing in the doorway, “What?”

I was getting tired of these games.

“You said you wanted to keep me safe and now I’m saving you from that trouble by leaving but you want me to stay!” I waved my hand in the air to display my confusion.

What was wrong with this boy?

“You don’t get it." He walked out of the cabin and approached me. “Your pack is the least safe place for you right now but nobody’s going to look for you here. No one believes you’d be bold enough to come here.”

My face pinched into a frown as I thought about his words. He had a point.

I guess he was not just a pretty face after all —he had a brain.

I wasn’t about to give him the joy of knowing what I thought though so I maintained a straight face, “So?"

“I actually thought about this all night,” he walked a few metres in my direction before he stopped directly in front of me, “and at first I thought you being here was a very bad idea but then it occurred to me that it’s not so bad.”

I raised my brows and was about to counter him when he waved his hands in front of his chest in a calming gesture. “Let me finish. It’s not a bad idea because this is the last place my Father will think to search for you.”

He spread his arms to his sides, he had just solved the greatest mystery in history.

“So you want me to stay here? What if I run into your Father?”

“Well, that’s why I’m here. I meant it when I said I wanted to help you.”

I snickered, “So you will help me kill your Father?”

He paused for a minute and bit his lower lip.

I nodded, “Yeah, that’s what I thought and get this, I still don’t trust you.”

“I have other places I can go to.” I turned, walking away, “afterall I made it all the way here without getting caught.”

“Ariel!” He called out softly.

“What?!” I was starting to get frustrated at this point and it was evident in my slightly raised voice.

“I can take you to your brother.”

I turned around immediately to look at him, “What?”

“I know where he is.”