Chapter 7 - Arianna
Shutting the bathroom door behind me, I grab the edges of the sink to steady myself, taking in deep breaths to calm my nerves.
What the hell was that?
I can't believe I agreed to stay in his house! I should have just turned around, grabbed Noah, and run.
But where would I have run to?
It isn't safe for us out there…
It seems my intuition was wrong in guiding me back home when Tyler Whitlock is already back and alpha of Moonshine.
I only let out a sigh of relief when I hear the hinges on the bedroom door squeaking to signal that he's left. Looking up to see my horrified expression reflected in the mirror, it's almost as if I can see the sharp shards of electricity pulsing on my face.
It surges across my arms, bringing awareness to where my arm brushed Tyler's, reminding me of our true mate bond.
A bond that had never been fulfilled when he rejected me. All he left me with is a son—a beautiful boy who radiates the goodness his father never had.
Perhaps, deep down, Tyler is good. He's putting us up in his house, but it doesn't change what happened in the past. His bitter rejection broke me, ripped through me as if he'd used his sharp wolf claws to slice through my heart.
That's why it's better that he doesn't know about Noah and believes that his father is another wolf. It almost killed me, having to lie to him, and I had to remind myself that I hate him and that he doesn’t deserve to know his son.
My body shudders when a shiver courses down my spine, and I take another deep breath to calm myself.
Why is his presence affecting me so much when I was determined to stay hateful of him? The past four years were easy to navigate when he wasn't around, and I didn't realize how weak I still was toward him.
I should be stronger. I have to be stronger, for Noah's sake, to protect my son from the danger that seems to be following us.
That's the only reason I'm back. It doesn't change how I feel, or negate the walls of hatred I'd built to keep myself protected from Tyler.
Opening the faucet, I fill my palms with cold water to wash my face of the heated response to the simple, unexpected touch of his arm. When I'm calmer, I go back to the bedroom and climb into bed, the weight of my exhaustion pinning me down and pulling me into the throes of sleep.
***
I'm running again, this time, a treacherous screech ringing out and filling my ears with more panic in my haste. I'm crushing dead leaves under my panicked bare feet, my heart pounding with sharp alertness.
I'm going as fast as my feet will carry me in human form, highly aware of the distorted wolf creature chasing me, on my heels and so close, I can smell its murky, damp scent in the air around me. The mangled creature is unlike anything I've seen before, and I'm frightened.
I know I have to employ my wolf form, but I just can't seem to shift. Everything feels wrong, even my own skin.
All I know is that I have to run, the setting sun on the horizon alarming, because soon, night will fall, and my worst fears will come true.
I keep rushing forward, the distorted wolf creature crying out with a howl behind me.
The gut-churning sound is a distraction, and my foot hits a stone, the impact sending me tumbling forward.
A howl of triumph rings out from the wolf, and I shut my eyes and turn my face away, unable to look at the thing when I know what's going to happen.
My death is imminent, and I brace myself for it, tensing my body. A dark shadow covers the little light of the setting sun, darkening my vision behind my eyelids, and the pause has me opening my eyes, even if curiosity killed the cat.
A hand is stretched out toward me, a face I recognize lurking ahead with a sinister smile curling his lips.
“J-James…?” I murmur, cocking my head sideways to see where the ruthless, fast creature is. But it's nowhere in sight.
That's when I slowly rake my eyes up to see the dark glint in James's eyes, his lips peeled back in a snarl.
My eyes fly open as I stare wide-eyed at the ceiling, letting the waves of horror wash over me at the frightening dream.
James was the one chasing me? I think with a frown.
He's the crazy ex who’d tried to pry too deeply for my liking, when I'd sworn to never let anyone get too close, and especially not anywhere near my son. He’s the one who tried to move too fast for my liking, and I ended things with him as quickly as they began.
I'd been determined to keep my heart protected, and that's why, when James was moving too fast, I ended things with him.
So why is he haunting my dreams?
Is this why my inner wolf encouraged me to come back home? Does it have something to do with James?
As I frown, deep in thought with all these questions racing through my mind, the sound of a throat clearing snaps me out of my reverie. I turn my face slowly to find Tyler staring at me from the doorway, my frown deepening as I gulp.
“What are you doing here?” I ask accusingly, reaching for my cell phone on the nightstand to check the time. It's just past midnight, and I instantly sit up. “Did something happen to Noah? Is he fine?”
Tyler remains calm and collected, folding his arms and leaning a shoulder against the doorframe.
“Your son is fine, Arianna. He's still asleep,” he assures me with a lighthearted chuckle that makes me suspicious.
Skeptically narrowing my eyes, I slide my legs off the bed from under the covers, wanting to maintain a cold stance against the alpha as I cross my arms.
“So, what are you doing in my bedroom? I was sleeping.”
“This is my house, remember? I can be wherever I want,” he reminds me with a cocksure smirk. “Besides, it looked like you were having a bad dream. You were murmuring in your sleep.”
“So, you were watching me, then?” My jaw drops. “You don't have any right to do that. It's an invasion of my privacy, even if you're the alpha and this is your home,” I add the last bit dryly, and Tyler chuckles in response, peeling himself from the doorway and slowly stalking toward me.
I gulp hard, arrested by his scent unexpectedly when I don’t stop breathing in time.
“Oh, I understand that you need your privacy, Arianna.” He leans forward, meeting my eyes as we come face to face. He's so close, I can feel his hot breath fanning my face, and my lips part involuntarily. “That's the reason you moved on without me, and had a child with another man, right?”
Responsively, my hand flies up, and I slap Tyler across the face.
His head snaps on impact, and he stumbles back, giving me enough time to get to my feet and glare up at him.
He's still reeling from the slap, shocked eyes turning to me as his hand comes up to touch his cheek, bright pink where my hand connected.
I'm so infuriated by what he said that it's easy to ignore the natural response of buzzing in my hand where I touched his skin. It's only the effects of what I suspected was a true mate bond, but it doesn't matter.
He denounced it in the past. Besides, I hate him too much to care about the mate bond. None of that matters. He made his choice.
“Leave, Tyler!” I instruct firmly, pointing at the door. “I will not stand here and listen to you pick at my life and my choices. I'm not the same girl I was in the past. My son and I will gladly go to my old cottage if this is too much for you. You wanted this.”
Tyler nods his head slowly, as if digesting my statement word for word, realization shining in his blue eyes.
“That won't be necessary,” he finally says as he begins to back away. “I will leave you alone.”
I nod firmly and maintain my composure until Tyler closes the door behind him. When he's gone, I sink back to the bed, lifting my hand and staring at my palm as it continues to pulse as if I'm still touching his warm skin.
That's when the tears spill over with the weight of everything overwhelming me, and I have to remind myself that I hate him.
He doesn't deserve my sympathy or the truth about Noah.