Ari’s POV“I’m sorry, I didn’t see them,” I apologize to the man who fills me perfectly.“I don’t care. Just maybe don’t call me Daddy in front of your actual Father,” He warns me.“Okay,” I lie, kissing his cheek.I try to walk, but it hurts, not going to pretend it doesn’t. I look back at Finch, my Romeo, with pouting eyes.Juliet- Oh my Romeo!He smiles as he scoops me up and walks us downstairs.Dinner is set up in the private dining room tonight for us. I plant little kisses on his neck and our lips are locked as we enter the dining room.A loud cough grabs our attention.On one side of the table, my Dad, Mom, Caleb, Tristian and Caroline. On the other, Turk, Romana, Anderson, Finley, and two people I don’t know.“Mom, Dad, this is Ariella,” Finch carries me over to them. I try to wiggle to be put down, but he holds tight. “Sweetheart, these are Ren and Dove Conrad. My parents.”“Nice to meet you,” I smile and try to wiggle out of Finch’s arms, but again, he holds me tight.He wa
Ari’s POVEveryone looks at my parents and are confused.Dove has a smirk on her face that I can’t understand fully.Juliet- I’m not liking where this is headed.“So is Ariella,” Finley breaks the silence.Mom and Dad share a look and Caleb drops his fork.Juliet- Big Brother Mode Activated!“You two cannot be serious,” Caleb grabs the locket from Dad and looks at the photo. “Finch is clearly gifted with beautiful mates. Both of his mates have been other worldly beautiful.”Juliet- Big Brother Mode in full swing.My parents give me a tight smile.“Of course, Ariella is beautiful,” Mom swallows as if the words caught in her throat.“Wait,” Finley interjects. “You two don’t think your own daughter is beautiful?”“Clearly, you agree, since you rejected her,” Dad snaps.Juliet- The steak knife to your left would fit perfectly in his eye socket, just FYI.“That had nothing to do with her looks,” Finley stands up. “In fact, I wasn’t all that keen on the rejection part. It was my manwhore
Ari’s POV“Why?” I ask as the doors close and I’m alone with my parents. “Why would you embarrass me like that?”Juliet- Told you.They turn and look at each other.“We didn’t mean to embarrass you,” Mom stumbles with her words. “You just have a plainer way about you than she did.”“This isn’t a Daphne du Maurier novel,” I shoot back. “No one in there, except you two and Dove, were even considering comparing me to Roseline. So, I ask again, why?”My parents shake their heads.“We didn’t mean to upset you,” Dad sighs. “We just don’t like seeing you hurt.”Juliet- 19 years too late, Pops.I laugh and shake my head.“This is why when I was rejected, I didn’t call home. You two would have defended me publicly sure, but in private you both think I deserved it. Don’t you?”Neither of them will meet my eye. I close my eyes while I compose my next statement.“When I have children, neither of you will be allowed near them. I will never allow my children to feel what I feel. I will never allow
Finch’s POV“Talk to me, Turk,” I say, coming into the command room.Ari moves to stand next to Romona, while surveying the room.“I have camera footage. You are not going to like it,” Turk shakes his head.“Is that Carter?” Ari asks as we watch Alicia exit the cells with Carter in tow.“Is she threatening him?” Romona asks.“I can’t tell, but watch this,” Turk moves to another angle and Anderson is approaching them.We watch in horror as Carter attacks Anderson and knocks him out. Carter then carries Anderson to a car.“Alicia has to have Carter under her control somehow,” Ari says, coming to hold my arm. “He wouldn’t attack Anderson like that for just anyone.”Duke- She has a point.“Maybe for his mate,” Turk says, zooming in on Carter’s neck.I see a bite mark. It’s not a tattoo mark like fated mates get, it's a wound from being bitten like chosen mates.“Check Alicia,” Ari commands, shaking her head.Turk checks several angles of the cameras.“There,” Romana points and Turk enlarg
Finch’s POV“I am well trained, father. I am the second ranked female warrior and sixth overall,” Ariella tells him, still laughing methodically.I watch his eye widen in shock.“Now, that she is marked and her wolf is no longer sad over the rejection, I bet she beats me,” Romana smiles. “Our Luna is a great warrior.”“I order you never to be trained,” Joshua growls.“Why would you order that?” I ask, thoroughly confused.Joshua looks away.“There was an agreement,” Tiffany begins to explain.“It's pointless now the agreement is off,” Joshua shakes his head at his mate.“They were going to mate me off to Alpha Jesup,” Ari says, shaking her head. “If I didn’t find a fated mate by the time I was 21.”My heart almost stops.“Does he know she is fated to me?” I hear my voice shake.“Finch?” Ari looks at me with narrowed eyes.“He was Roseline’s Alpha,” I stare at Joshua and Tiffany. “You know what he would have done to her.”I had filed an official complaint against him when I finally got
Finch’s POV“Then stand with us,” Caleb says. “If you love Ariella and I as much as you claim, then hold Alicia accountable.”“It’s not that simple. She is the way she is because of what they did to her,” Tiffany explains.“No, she is the way she is because of what you did to her when she got back,” Ari snaps. “You could have demanded better behavior from her but instead, you defended her bad behavior and fawned over her like a prize piece of jewelry. You saw me as a cheap expendable thing.”“No,” Tiffany shakes her head. “That is why we insisted you be 21 and given a chance to find your fated mate.”“You insisted of an Alpha, who literally beats women for fun! You wanted me mute and pliable to bend to his will,” Ariella lets a tear fall. “You abandoned me. Instead of showing Alicia how we could all be a family, you abandoned me so she would feel welcome.”“Finch,” Turk calls my attention, and everyone turns to look at him. “The trackers can’t find them.”“We are going to need royal h
Finch’s POVDuke- That is really scary.Me- If the investigation starts to show Alicia did it, I think the King will pull back his men and start a cover up.Duke- On this, I bet we can agree.Me- But I need to use it for support.“Would you be willing to say that officially as her former mate?” I ask, knowing what I am asking is a huge risk for him.“Will you still love me if I am stripped of my title?” Tristian asks Caroline.“I will be your mate no matter what,” Caroline rubs his arm.“And you three have a home here, always,” I tell him.“I will make any statement I need to,” Tristian holds Caroline in his arms.“We need to get this information out before Dad starts,” Ari tells us.“I’ll start calling Allies and tell them what we know and what we think,” I say.“I can make calls as well. As long as I have my title, I may as well use it,” Tristian adds.“I will secure the pack,” Turk tells us.Ari goes to help Caroline move into the packhouse, while Tristian and I work the phones.“T
Caleb’s POV“I don’t need to hear your side,” Dad says as we drive away from the packhouse.“Why?” I ask. “I am the crown prince. The one who has to clean up your messes. I should get a say.”“Tristian will be on the side to disown Alicia,” Mom tells us, wiping her tears. “Maybe we are to blame. Alicia has done so much damage. Ariella needs our support.”“Alicia is our daughter we cannot turn our backs on her,” Dad sneers.“So, you turn your backs on me and Ari?” I ask. “What is this hold Alicia has on you? You agreed to release Tristian if he found a fated mate. Why if you are so concerned with Alicia?”“I never thought he would, or if he did, he would choose to stay with Alicia,” Dad sighs. “But in that moment my word was my word. I wanted to take it back, I wish to the goddess I had. Alicia wouldn’t have gone crazy.”“So, you admit she is crazy!” I say. “See, you admit it.”Dad rolls his eyes. “To the public we could have sold that Tristian abandoned his mate and child. But now thi