Earlier
Ari sat in the nursery with Oasis in her arms, watching the full moon with her hair cascading down her back like a dark silk curtain beneath it. On nights like this she prayed hoping that Selene would remember her. She sat by the window sill looking back on the past year.
The past year had been really tough but it only made Ari stronger. After the official announcement of her nomination within the pack, several she wolves protested; refusing to allow a soulless to be in a position of power. Though the situation was handled by the alpha and Luna, her father decided to train her and Cybele personally in physical combat despite the lack of her wolf. It was frowned upon by the pack elders, but her father insisted that it was required that she learned to defend herself; so they allowed it in secret. She wasn't strong like her father or her sister but she was extremely fast which sometimes helped her to best her sister and even her father, who was the second best pack fighter after alpha Ramos.
Her relationship with Cybele grew closer in the absence of Sinder. Cybele had grown more responsible since starting her luna training, and continued to take her college degree in business administration online so she could take her training and raise her daughter. She encouraged Ari to take courses in event management and catering which proved to be a wise choice because Ari's skills proved to be so useful during pack events that Luna Star completely handed the reigns of that department to her. She still experienced dirty looks and name calling whenever she was alone but thankfully no one physically bullied her. Ari dedicated herself to her studies and babysat her niece in the absence of her sister, but her free time was spent in the pack orphanage with princess Nara, who took the time to educate her Ari on royal practices and etiquettes. Though Ari didn't understand the reason for the lessons, she couldn't refuse the old woman's request to pass on the traditions, who insisted that the knowledge would prove useful to Ari someday. The orphanage was filed with children of dead omegas or wolfless parents whom no one wanted. She comforted them and played with them, while using the influence of her sister and luna Star to change certain laws and some orphanage staff to protect and better provide for the children. The children loved her and some even called her mother. It gave her joy to know that she could still do so much despite the curve ball life threw at her and silently hoped that destiny would be kind to her union with Ricard and the future easier to bear.
Upon the announcement of Ricards return a meeting was held by luna Star, which included herself, Ari, Cybele and Sarai. Everyone was delegated to a task and hers was the planning of the menu with the decorations of the alphas mansion and the pack house. Everything was going according to plan, until strangely the day before the event Ari suddenly had the urge to change the entire menu. She didn't understand the reason, but her mind kept nagging her to the point of give her a migraine until she change the entire menu at the last minute. Thankfully Luna Star still approved the menu change.
Things got even stranger though, when she felt the urge to take charge of the cooking herself, her mind kept insisting her coming husband would love the meal she made herself. Saying this to Luna Star and her mother, she was able to convince her to let her take up the responsibility of the cooking which was supposed to be Sarai's responsibility. It was a herculean task, but with the help of the kitchen omegas, some teenagers from the orphanage and advice from her mother and Luna Star, it was an absolute success. She was surprised when the luna and her mother rushed into the kitchen to inform her about the arrival of the royals worried about the lack of preparations for them. However, when she took them into to the kitchen and the dinning room, they realized that she had gone above and beyond the call of duty and everything was perfect for the royals. Her three course menu was filled with and exotic main dish, simple side dishes and dessert of a chocolate cake built to look like a wolf with a crown on its head.
However the issue of accomodations still required to be sorted so she volunteered to take the responsibility so the Luna and her mother could return to receive their surprise visitors properly.
The little girl in her arms snuggled closer to her breaking her thoughts, she cooed her as she continued rocking her to sleep until she stopped lay completely still before laying her down in her crib. As she stood staring at her sleeping niece, two strong arms coiled around her and pulled her to a hard chest, whiles she heard the sniffing of her hair and neck. She turned around and saw her soon to be six foot, four inch husband. He was muscular now and very broad shouldered, she doubted she could encircle her arms completely around him.
'The first eyes I search for, the last I see', he said to her softly making her chuckle.
'Sorry I made you wait' she responded, looking up at him.
'You are worth the wait', he said back to her making her hug him.
'Don't look away, look at me' he said but she only snuggled closer to him, hiding her face in his chest, making him chuckle and hold her closer to him, until he felt wetness on his chest and pulled her back to find tears spilling down her face.
:Ari's, he sighed, holding her close again as she clings to him, releasing all the pent up pain within her, while he stroked her hair. When she calmed down, she looked up at him with her beautiful doe eyes and smiled.
'I missed you', she said softly
'I missed you more' he replied and kissed her, she responded by pulling his hair making him draw her closer, intensifying the kiss. They stopped to catch their breath for a few minutes and giggle with their foreheads touching. He took her hand wanted to take her out of the room but she pointed to his sleeping daughter, indicating she couldn't leave her alone. He stopped to look down at Oasis and smiled as she held his finger in her little hands when he stroked her cheek. His eyes glazed over and an omega came into the room bowing before sitting closely beside the crib. Ricard took Ari's hand again and ran with her out of the building. '
Where are we going?' she asked but he said nothing until they were in an open field. He left her hand briefly and took his shirt off, showing his toned muscles.He shifted into his huge black wolf which stood taller than her five foot eleven frame when sitted.
'Zach', she called softly and the wolf looked at her with a hint of sadness in his eyes. She moved close to him and touched his snout and it filled her heart with immense sorrow, it felt like transferred all of his emotions into her and she understood them without words. She hugged the huge wolf on the neck and said to him, 'I'm so sorry, I didn't think of how hard this would be for you', while she continued to holding him.
'You miss her don't you? Your mate's, Zach whines in response, looking at her.
'I promise I'll make this right somehow. I love you both very much, and it hurts me to know you will both be suffering because of me. Please don't hate me Zach, please don't hate me for loving Ricard'. Zach rests his head on her shoulder and continues to whine, they hold this position for several minutes until he shifts back to Ricard who runs to the nearest tree and quickly wears a pair of shorts.
'I was planning to take you to the waterfall, but I guess he didn't want to', Ricard said to her, holding her hand.
'He wants his mate', Ari responded sadly making Ricard frown.
'Ricard, Zach is sad and lonely, he yearns for her', Ari said again.
'I know that' Ricard responded
'Then why do you deny him, why do you deny yourself?', Ari asked
'You weren't there Ari, you didn't see what she did', Ricard spat bitterly letting go of her hand
'I stood everyday waiting for you to wake up, begging the goddess not to take you away from me, then your heart stopped. My entire world shattered before my eyes and all I could do was watch. I was powerless and couldn't do anything but drink to drown sorrows and what does that ambitious b***h do?'
'Ricard?' Arin says
'SHE TAKES ADVANTAGE OF THE SITUATION, MARKS ME WITHOUT APPROVAL AND USES ME TO GET HERSELF PREGNANT...' Ricard spat
'She was a teenager who was losing her mate, she was desperate Ricard. How could you not see that she was suffering too? She was scared and all alone but everyone abandoned her, and you the person destined for her didn't want to have anything to do with her'
'Are you blaming me?' Ricard asked surprised
'I'm telling you, you should have handled the situation better', Ari responded.
'So you are defending her?', he asked again
'I am not defending her actions Ricard, but I will defend her person and yours', Ari replied
'You would defend a sister who tried to kill you, I can't believe I'm hearing this' said Ricard, grabbing his hair in frustration and pacing around.
'Ricard please answer this, did you actually see Cybele place the pillow on my face?', Ari asked
'What? She was there, with the pillow in her hand...' Ricard responded clearly frustrated
'But did you see the pillow on my face Ricard', Ari asked again
'What are you trying to say Ari, that she's innocent?' Ricard spat at her
'There were two people with me in that room. Did anyone think that maybe she grabbed the pillow from the second person who was there?', Ari asked
'Are you accusing my sister of attempted murder?', Ricard asked again
'You can accuse my sister but I cannot accuse yours?' Ari responded with a question clearly losing her patience, making Ricard growl at her disrespect but she doesn't back down from her defiance.
'I know my sister Ricard, none of you may believe her but I do. If Cybele says she didn't do it, then she didn't', Ari finished.
'So what happens now, you expect me to just accept that it never happened. To just forgive and forget and sweep it all under the carpet not knowing when she will try to hurt you again?', Ricard asked again.
'If you do not accept her, how will you wolves be together, Ricard? You will grow weaker without your destined mate?', Ari asked
'Who needs her when I have you? After our ceremony, I will let my wolf spend time with hers, they will do whatever it is they want to do and have their intimacies as wolves, but my body will belong to you alone.'
'I can't believe you just said that ', Ari said stepping away from him.
'What did I say wrong?' he asked
'Everything you just said is wrong', Ari replied and continued, 'If Cybele is restricted to only bond with your wolf, she will slowly lose her human conciousness. You are sentencing her slowly to a life time of imprisonment in her own mind as her wolf slow takes her human consciousness away from her until there's nothing left of her anymore.'
'A perfect punishment if you ask me', Ricard responded coldly
'But I didn't ask you, did I?' Ari responded angrily, 'this is a family matter between sisters. It doesn't concern you.'
'IT IS MY CONCERN WHEN IT INVOLVES YOU. I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU ARE SAYING ALL YOU HAVE JUST SAID TO ME.WHY ARE YOU DEFENDING HER, ARI? CAN'T YOU SEE I'M DOING THIS TO PROTECT YOU! YOU ARE MY MATE FOR MOONS SAKE!' Ricard roared in his Alpha tone trying to get her to submit to him but to his surprise, Ari yelled back at him totally unaffected by the authority in his voice and yelled back at him, 'I AM NOT YOUR MATE RICARD! CYBELE IS YOUR MATE, NOT ME!'
Ricard closes his eyes to quell his anger and opens them with a cold expression and authority in his voice which Ari has never experienced.
'Thank you for meeting with me Ari and for reminding me of my position and yours but most importantly for clearly understanding the true nature of our union', he said to her
'Ricard?', she replied, clearly surprised by the sudden change in his demeanor.
'I am your future alpha and your future husband but you are not my mate. You will be my concubine, forever bound to be mine and by law and blood. It will serve you well to remember my words and learn never to question me again. Your only task will be to please me when and as I please.'
'Ricard?'
'Thank you for your meal, I appreciate the effort, however it will no longer be required. You will return to your quarters now and will not be welcome in my presence until I call for you. Good night.'
'What?'
'I SAID GOOD NIGHT', he yelled at her, startling her.
'Good night Alpha she responded meekly, bowing before taking her leave. Ricard watches her leave before angrily walking away in the other direction. Ricard didn't get far before receiving a mind-link that there was an intruder on the island not far from where he had just parted with Ari. Fearing for her safety, he shifted back to his wolf and ran as faster than he had ever in his life, ready to kill anyone who tried to take her from him again. He reaches the area and finds several warriors gathered around a particular spot. He reaches the area and finds his future beta's sister kneeling beside duke Farad who had been attacked and was now unconscious. He remembers that Ash mentioned she would also be returning to the pack today.
'What happened to him? Where is the intruder? Did he escaped? Have you confirmed if there are more? Has anyone seen Ari?', he asked going straight to Alpha mode.
'There was no intruder young alpha, just a misunderstanding', answered Arnold looking at Ricard and goes on to explain how the events occured. Ricard looked as paramedics treated the dukes wounds before placing him on a stretcher and driving him away.
'You', he said pointing to a warrior, 'take her to one of the dungeons and keep her there until we resolve the issue with the royals.
'Ricard, is it necessary? it was clearly an accident' said Ash trying to protect his sister.
'Try explaining that to prince Kohan and the other dukes when they ask for her head. Right now that is the safest place for her, till we report to my father and hopefully he can persuade them to give her a light sentence', Ricard responded before walking away, following the ambulance.