Chapter 5- Ari

I have a sobering thought as I slip the robe on and tie it. What if my pack was never my home? I hate them for cursing me to this life. Resentment builds within me against my pack, parents, and even Sage. She should have tried to keep me in the pack. Instead, she let Liam give me to Zane like I was a piece of property to be traded. Everything worked out perfectly for Zane, but what about me? I’m doomed to be in this creepy mansion, forced to become a familiar to a warlock I just met. Yeah, this is not how I pictured today going. Not at all. I thought today would be a dull day helping Sage with her Luna shit, but Fate decided to dump a giant bowl of molten lava on my life, melting away everything I knew and loved. Thanks, Fate, you asshole. 

Blair comes to get me, and I find myself walking down another long hallway. We come to black double doors. The doors open. I realize that Blair is in a long black dress with sleeves like you would see on a witch's custom; it also has a hood which she has up. She’s barefoot. We walk into a stone marble room. The floor is a dark shade of gray that's almost black. The room is circular. There are archways with pillars in a circle around the room. In the center, there is a stone altar with a few steps leading to it. Oh, hell no. I want to run, but my feet keep moving forward. Around the altar, there are three hooded men with unique silver chains around their necks that hold a large black onyx stone that seems to swirl like it’s alive.

The more I look at them, and I think there is a living shadow in the onyx amulet. Creepy. Cade is dressed similarly, but his hood is down. Zane is also in a black robe with his hood down. I notice that Zane and Cade have similar amulets around their necks, but these are a dark blue with a black S with a crown on top of the S. It must be related to their status. Zane stands near the stairs. The three hooded men stand on the other side of Zane. Blair joins Cade, who stands at the head of the altar. 

Zane motions for me to come to him, and I cautiously walk over to him. I begin to feel nauseous from the anxiety coursing through my veins. This can’t really be happening? This has to be a nightmare, a terrible one. I will myself to wake up, but I know the harsh truth. This is real. This is happening. I’m really about to give my soul, and Fate knows what else to this warlock. Fear slowly creeps in as I stand in front of Zane. 

“It’s time to make you my familiar,” Zane states as if that wasn't obvious. I nod my head, ignoring the fear, anxiety, and disbelief as the conflicting emotions mix into a strange cocktail that threatens to spill everything I just ate onto the floor. Zane waves his hands, and a silver blade with strange black markings appears in one hand while a black chalice appears in his other. Zane holds the chalice between us. “Put your right hand over the chalice.” Zane directs. 

I do as I’m told. Zane then leaves the chalice floating between us as a shadow comes to swirl around it, keeping it floating in the air. Zane cuts my hand, and blood falls into the chalice. It’s not a lot as my self-healing kicks in. Zane takes the chalice in his free hand as the shadow that was holding the chalice moves to swirl around the blade. Both the blade and shadow disappear. That’s not creepy at all; I think to myself as Zane instructs me to transform. Behind us, the three men, along with Cade and Zane, chant something. The roof above us opens. It’s a giant skylight. The night sky is pitch black, with some stars attempting to shine through the thick fog. Seconds later, a full moon emerges into the sky above. 

My wolf stirs within, pushing forward. My skin burns as the need to transform takes over. I remove my robe, and before it can pool around my feet, fur sprouts from my skin and my fingers and toes turn to claws. My bones snap and reform to that of a wolf. Soon I’m on all fours. I shake out my fur and stretch slightly. My wolf is enjoying the extra freedom, and somehow I feel like this part of me will love the hell out of my new life. My wolf will enjoy transforming at will. She might even like the surge of power Zane’s magic will give us. However, my human counterpart is very much against this. 

“Get on the Altar and sit on it facing me,” Zane instructs once more as he moves to the foot of the altar. I do as he ordered. I jump onto the altar and face him. I sit on my hind legs. His free hand rubs my head. “You’re very magnificent, Ari.” He says with a slight grin. 

I won’t lie; his compliment did something to me. His admiration was something I realized I wanted. No one ever has complimented my wolf. Not even Sage has complimented me. She always seemed a bit thrown off by my wolf. My parents were like me, so they didn’t feel the need to compliment me. Knowing that I have a dire wolf and that I’m a lycan does give me a new appreciation and love for my wolf. I was sometimes ashamed of her because I couldn’t be part of pack runs. I guess I don't have to worry about that now. 

Zane commands a shadow to move his one free sleeve back while the chalice remains in his other hand. Zane then puts his arm out in front of my mouth. “On Cade’s count of three, I will drink from the chalice, and you will bite my arm. It doesn’t matter if you hurt me. I’ll be able to self-heal with your abilities.” I nod my head. 

“One, two, three.” Cade counts. 

On the three, Zane drinks from the chalice as I bite into his arm. He doesn’t even wince from my bit, and I know I’m crushing his bones. I won’t lie; I'm impressed. I thought he’d at least make a face from the pain, but he doesn’t. I let go of his arm and lick the blood away from my lips. A strange sensation suddenly washes over me. My whole body feels like pins and needles as I look at Zane’s arm. It’s healing itself. The minute his arm is healed, the pins and needles sensation stops. 

“The bond is formed. I can siphon your abilities. You can come down and transform back.” He instructs. 

So the pins and needles sensation was him siphoning my abilities. Is that always going to happen? I’m not sure I can get used to that feeling. It was strange and slightly uncomfortable. I hop off the altar and transform back as the skylight closes above us. I quickly put my robe on and tie it. Nudity is common among werewolves, but since I never really transformed in front of the rest of the pack, I am shy about being naked in front of people I don't know. 

I stand in front of Zane like before. “We are going to complete the bond now. Say the words that are in your head, Ari.” 

Words appear in my mind. What the hell? “I, Ari Blackwell, give my soul to you, Zane Shadows, and offer my loyalty as you are familiar.” 

“I, Zane Shadows, accept your soul and your loyalty as my familiar.” Zane puts his right hand to my chest and pulls a white iridescent sphere from my chest as I suck in a deep breath from the emptiness that consumes my body. Zane then puts my soul to his chest, where he absorbs it. The second it’s absorbed, I fall to my knees at his feet, breathing heavily as if I just ran a marathon. I also feel like the wind was knocked out of me. My hands go to my chest as the hollow feeling I previously felt dissipates. I almost feel numb. I did just lose my soul. Is that what it feels like? 

This is one of those defining life moments. The one where you know nothing will ever be the same. The type of moment that leaves you wondering how you ended up in this situation. The moment where your life is forever changed for better or worse. I don’t know what I just did, and the gravity of my situation hits me like a thousand bricks. What did I just do? Maybe being a rogue wouldn’t be so bad. Panic temporarily sets in as the uneasy feeling and nausea overwhelm my senses. I gain control over my breathing or try to as I hear the footsteps of the others leave the room. It’s just Zane and me, which terrifies me. I just gave him my soul, and now I feel like a part of me is missing as the hollow feeling returns. 

“Take my hand,” Zane commands softly as he offers his hand. 

I take it, and he helps me stand up. For the first time in my life, I stumble from being unbalanced. My reflexes are impressive; they always have been. Better than Sage, and she's a Beta with skilled training, thanks to her dad and brothers. My reflexes, senses, and strength have always been slightly higher than the average werewolf, especially for an omega. I’m starting to think I’m not an omega and that there is more to the story of why my parents began a rebellion or at least tried to. I know it has something to do with us being lycans. I realize there is a secret in my pack. It turns my stomach thinking that perhaps my pack isn’t the safe place I once thought it was. 

I stumble forward into Zane, who catches me in his arms. “It’s alright; it will all pass. Your body is adjusting to the bond.” 

My head feels slightly heavy, so I lean my forehead on his shoulder. For the first time, I breathe in his scent. It’s intoxicating. It’s the fresh smell of rain mixed with mint. How did I miss his scent earlier? I must have been so wrapped up with everything I ignored it. In fairness, things went from my usual everyday shit to insanity. Insanity seems to be the new normal, along with weird and creepy. I’m going to lose my mind in this place. I can just feel it. I already lost my soul, so what's my mind too? 

After several moments I start to feel normal, as if nothing happened. That somehow unsettles me more because now I don’t even feel like I lost my soul, which scares me. If I can adjust to losing my soul like it was nothing, what does that say about my mind, heart, body, and everything else? I’m so fucked. I lift my head off Zane’s shoulder as I stare into his dark swirling gray eyes. 

“Better?” He asks. I nod my head. “We can head to my bed chambers so you can have the rest of the night to rest. You’ll need it. I know you feel fine right now, but trust me, your body is being flooded with the bond; it will overwhelm your senses for a little bit. You should get some rest.”