Chapter 11: 11: Gifted

ARIEL

As I sit across from Alex’s parents in the meeting room, I’m only asking myself one question…

~Why the hell am I still here?~

This meeting is no longer about my introduction to the pack. It never really was.

Maria wants Alex to find a mate and she has made it very clear that it’s not me, so why did she ask me to stay for this meeting?

The tension in the room is thick as Alex squares off against his mother.

It’s clear that he’s not ready to move on from his past and it breaks my heart to see him being pushed into this against his will.

“You can’t just mate me off!” Alex growls angrily. “I’m capable of making my own decisions. And I’m ~more~ than capable of running this kingdom on my own.”

“I’ll have to disagree with you on that matter, my son.” Alex’s father casts a stern glance in his direction.

George, the former alpha and king, has the wary and weathered demeanor of someone who has lived a lifetime of exhausting political leadership.

It’s no wonder that he retired early and passed on the mantle to Alex.

“You must have a mate to rule properly. I could never have ruled successfully without your mother by my side,” George says, as Maria wears a satisfied smirk.

“But you’re proposing an arranged mating!” Alex is practically shouting.

“No, quite the opposite,” Maria says, commanding the room again. “I’m proposing a mating weekend.”

~Mating weekend?~

“Mating weekend?” Alex asks, echoing my thoughts. “What the hell is that?”

“It’s how your father and I found one another. It will be a grand festival,” Maria says, getting excited.

“All the unmatched men and women in the pack, and the surrounding packs, will gather in the kingdom for a weekend of parties and events where they may find their potential mates.”

Alex shoots me a sideways glance, but Maria quickly draws his attention back to her.

“And you, Alex, will be the guest of honor. Every eligible she-wolf in the realm will be here, seeking your attention,” she says.

“I don’t want their attention,” Alex replies gruffly.

“Alex, if you don’t do this for your mother, then at least do it for your kingdom,” George says in the same gruff tone. They really are father and son.

“Just make a little effort, dear,” Maria says with her signature forceful sweetness.

Alex sighs heavily, clearly ready for this conversation to be over. “If I agree to this, I’m not making any promises that I’ll choose a mate. I’ll only agree to attend.”

“That’s all we can ask of you.” Maria looks like she just won the lottery.

Her gaze suddenly turns to me and it catches me off guard. “And that brings me to your role, my ~little warrior~.”

“My role?” I ask, my voice squeaking a bit. When she calls me by my dad’s nickname, it sounds condescending, not sweet.”

“Yes, since Alex has vouched that you’re the ~toughest~ she-wolf around, I want to give you an opportunity. I want you to be head of security for the mating weekend,” she says.”

Under different circumstances, this would actually be an honor. But I know exactly what Maria’s game is…

~If I’m stuck on security…then I can’t participate in the festival.~

***

~Whack!~

“Good, Ariel, keep it up,” Steve says, encouraging me as I punch the sparring pads attached to his hands.”

~Whack!~

I land another perfect blow, even as Steve tries to trick me, moving the target at the last second.”

After that meeting at the palace, I’m pissed off beyond words and training is the perfect way to take out my aggression.”

I hit the pads with rapid-fire punches.”

~Who the hell does that woman think she is?~

~Whack!~

~Acting like I’m some kind of second-class citizen…~

~Whack!~

~And why did Alex agree to this stupid mating weekend idea?~

~Whack!~

“Careful, Ariel, you’re coming on a little strong,” Steve says, starting to lose his balance. “Remember, this is just a training exer—”

~WHACK!~

I jump in the air and hit the target with a roundhouse kick, putting all my body weight into it.”

Steve goes flying, landing on his back.”

“Oh, shit! Steve, I’m so sorry!” I say, racing over to help him to his feet. “I’m just working through some issues right now.”

“I can see that,” he says, looking taken aback. “I wouldn’t want to be the rogue that goes up against you, that’s for damn sure.”

“Maybe she needs a new sparring partner?”

My wolf starts doing somersaults in my stomach when I hear his voice.”

I whip around to see Alex walking toward me with a grin on his face.”

“Wh—what are you doing here?” I stammer.”

“It sounds like he’s challenging you,” Steve says with a twinkle in his eye.”

~What the hell is happening? Is Alex out of his damn mind?~

“That’s exactly what I’m doing,” Alex replies, that grin still plastered on his face. I want to smack it right off.

“Don’t you have a mating weekend to plan?” I say bitterly.

Alex closes the gap between us until we’re just inches apart, and my heart flutters as I feel his breath when he whispers in my ear.

“You know I only agreed to that to get my mother off my case. I have no intention of being some prize wolf pimped out at a mating festival.”

A smile crosses my lips as Alex takes a step back.

“So, Ariel, are you game? Or am I too much for you to handle?” he says with a playful growl.

“Bring it on, ~Your Majesty~,” I say, taunting him.

By this point, every warrior on the training ground has gathered around to watch, like some kind of pay-per-view fight.

I roll my shoulders out before sinking into a defensive crouch.

My wolf is just beneath the surface, trying to catch a glimpse of Alex’s wolf, fascinated by the scent of the strong opponent facing us.

I aim a punch to his left shoulder but dodge lower when he goes to block my hit. He grunts as my fist connects with his stomach. It’s harder than I expected.

Alex stands up straight and pulls his shirt off, revealing the six-pack abs beneath.

~Goddess, he’s built. Wait, don’t get distracted. I’m sure that’s his plan. Well, two can play at that game.~

Smirking, I throw my training armor to the ground, revealing a low-cut sports bra underneath.

As I raise my fists and bounce back and forth on my heels, my breasts bounce right along with me.

Alex’s eyes widen as they stare right at my chest.

~Men are so predictable.~

Taking advantage of his distraction, I crouch low and swing my legs into his knees, causing him to drop to the ground.

I swiftly move behind him and put him in a headlock.

“Do you yield?” I whisper in his ear, loving every second of this.

“Not a chance,” he says, grabbing me by my elbows and flipping me over his head.

I land on the ground with a heavy thud.

~Oh, you want to play rough, huh?~

Before he can grab me, I roll to the side and land a kick to his shin. Kicking my legs in the air, I jump back into a defensive stance.

Alex lunges at me, but I manage to knock him to one knee before he grabs me and pulls me down to the ground.

I roll us over before he can pin my arms down and straddle his waist as I send a punch into his chest.

As I straddle Alex, I feel him getting excited beneath me, and my mouth drops open. Any kind of advantage I had just flew right out the window when I felt his throbbing—

~WHAM!~

Within seconds, Alex has me pinned on my back. His sweat drips onto my bare skin as his glowing eyes lock onto mine. I put up such a good fight that he started to shift.

My chest heaves in and out as he holds me down on the ground, my legs begin to involuntarily wrap around his waist.

“Yield,” I murmur, out of breath. I still have some fight left in me, but if I don’t yield now, there’s no telling where this will go.”

Alex pulls me to my feet and nods at me, impressed. “Wow. Just…wow.”

As my fellow warriors hoot and holler around us, I notice one spectator who doesn’t look happy at all.

~Maria.~

ALEX

My blood is pumping. My adrenaline rushing. My heart racing.

~That sparring session with Ariel wasn’t just exciting—it was downright intoxicating.~

I push my way through the chanting crowd of warriors and grab a towel, wiping the buckets of sweat dripping off my body.

That girl really put me through the wringer.

“Do you always make a habit of sparring with your warrior trainees?” I hear my mother’s voice from behind me.

“What is it now, Mom?”

She circles around to my front, handing me a bottle of water, and sits on a bench, motioning for me to sit next to her.

“That girl…she’s an outsider,” my mother says as I take a seat. “She can’t be trusted.”

“Is that why you made her head of security at your mating weekend?” I ask skeptically. “Because that sounds like bullshit.”

“Really, Alex,” she says, rolling her eyes. “I’m only saying that I think she’s keeping something from you.”

“What do you mean? If you have something to say, just say it,” I growl, not in the mood for games.

“I did some digging,” she says, clicking her long fingernails together. “And it turns out our newest pack member has some ~interesting~ medical records, to say the least.”

Even though I know my mom is just trying to manipulate me, something about her words rings true. I’ve had the feeling that Ariel isn’t being fully honest with me before.

My mother pulls out a manila folder and slides it across the bench.

“So, would you like to see for yourself?”

ARIEL

As I wander deeper into the forest, thoughts of Alex cloud my head. I had jumped to conclusions about what I overheard him say to Dom.

And now, it feels like we’re growing closer than ever. I don’t know what to make of all these feelings, but I know that I need a good run to clear my head.

As I start to pull off my shirt, I’m stopped by the sounds of growling and whimpering.

~“Use your gift, Ariel! You must hurry!”~ Selene’s voice says urgently in my mind.

My wolf is instantly on guard as she catches the scent of blood.

I break through the nearby brush, following the scent, to find a little girl with golden blonde hair, lying on the ground, bleeding out.

As three rogues descend on her, their tongues flicking hungrily through their bared teeth, I feel an unstoppable rage building inside me.

“You’re all going to die,” I snarl.