The Crucial Shift (The Ariane Trilogy Book 3) Read online

  Eloise’s voice breaks through my thoughts, “What I’m going to give her and your cousin is a way to protect themselves from prying, no good paranormals. This being a gift and not an inherent trait, you should get it as well through your bond. Although, it doesn’t seem as if you’re the target, Orion.”

  Rion growls low and faces me. “I hate when you get bit.”

  I move to the end of the bed and stand before him, placing my hand on his chest over my mark, which resides beneath the thin material of his shirt. “This is for the best. If Travis and Benedict can’t get to us, then we’re safer.”

  He nods, but I hear his every thought and feel his every emotion. He hates me being bit. Hates the thought of a vampire sinking their teeth into me.

  Then Ford’s thoughts float to me, though I don’t think he means for them to. He’s very good at blocking Rion out of his head, but it’s like I have this open pathway to everything he thinks. Well, most of what’s in there.

  Thoughts float to me, almost bringing me to my knees. He’s remembering what it was like to bite me and how it felt to have his lips on my neck as his fangs sank into my flesh. How the raw need of wanting to taste my blood was so strong, but he fought it with everything in him because he knew once he tasted me, he would never be able to let me go. Not that he can right now, but one day he’s hoping he’ll be able to. Resignation is also there, knowing I’m mated and he doesn’t have a shot with me outside of friendship.

  Vampires can bite and transfer powers without their thoughts flowing freely to the person they are gifting their power to. The recipient, however, feels so much during a vampire bite. It’s something I’ve felt multiple times now. But with Ford, it was different than when Eloise bit me. The last time he gifted me one of his powers, he didn’t try and hold back his feelings, though he kept some things to himself—ones I’m only now hearing. He wanted so much more from me but stopped at the last minute. He wanted to wrap me in his arms and take me to his bed. He wanted me in every way possible. The desire he had to make me his while his lips were on my skin was strong, and I’m barely able to stand under the weight of those feelings.

  18

  Rion grips my hips, holding me in place as he tries to figure out what’s wrong, but I shut him out thanks to the super strong barrier I put up.

  “Smart girl,” Eloise mutters as she steps closer. “Are you ready?”

  I nod. “I can’t let Travis keep getting to me. I can’t let him win.”

  Stepping away from Rion, I need space for a moment, after everything I felt from Ford. It doesn’t change my love for my mate, but it does give me more insight into Ford.

  Tilting my head to the side, I watch as Eloise’s fangs descend a moment before she leans in and those sharp teeth pierce my skin. First, I’m jolted by the sharp pain, but then the natural part of the vampire bite settles over me and I become euphoric. It’s as if I’m floating on a cloud, although the intimacy that Ford brought to his bite is missing.

  Gently, she pulls her teeth out, seals the wound, and moves on to Wake. His body tenses and his hands ball into fists. “At ease, young wolf. I’m not the same vampire who did that horrible thing to you. I’m not Benedict. I won’t do anything other than give you something to help keep him out of your head while you’re asleep.”

  She sinks her teeth into him. Wake’s eyes roll back in his head as he sways on his feet. Before he has time to do anything else, like move his hands closer to touch her as he’s currently doing, she withdraws, sealing the wound just like she did to me.

  Her eyes rake him over. “I bet you’re a lot of fun to be with.” Wake blinks a few times, trying to come out of the trance he was put in by her bite.

  “Mother, please,” Ford groans.

  She pats him on the shoulder. “You know I’m loyal to your father, but that one is going to make a woman very happy someday.”

  “And that’s enough of this.” He grasps his mother’s hand to lead her from the room.

  “Remember,” she begins. “You use this power like you do a mind block, but you have to put it in place before you go to sleep. You’re going to have to teach Wake how to do it, Ari. He knows how to build a block, but this one will need to be strong.”

  “Thank you, Eloise, for taking the time to come here and help us out,” I say sincerely.

  She graces me with a brilliant smile. “You’re welcome.” Then says in my mind, “I still think you picked the wrong paranormal.”

  My eyes hold hers. “I’ve made my choice. Ford isn’t who my heart beats for. However, there is no denying the connection I have with him. It’s just not the same one I have with my mate. There’s someone out there for Ford. I feel it deep down inside of me. He’s destined to be with someone else.”

  “Yes, well, I just hope it’s not—”

  “Mom!” Ford yells loud enough for everyone to hear.

  “You know better than to poke around my head,” she chastises.

  “It wasn’t yours I was in. I heard everything Ari said. I can only imagine what you were saying that she didn’t get a chance to respond to. Stop already.”

  “Yes, dear,” she says, but winks at me over her shoulder. I wonder what family dinners are like for them. I bet they’re a lot of fun. Solomon probably offers the humor of a teenager, while Ford buries his head in his hands. Eloise eggs them on, while her husband stays quiet and eats.

  Eloise laughs out loud. “You’re welcome to attend any of them you’d like.”

  “I might take you up on that.” It could be very entertaining to witness.

  Ford and Eloise depart back to Italy, leaving Rion, Wake, and me alone in the room.

  “Do you feel any different?” Wake asks.

  I shake my head. “No, but I don’t always after I’m given a new power. It depends on what it is, and this one is small. Let’s hope it works.”

  “Will you help me learn how to do it?”

  “Of course.”

  For the next ten minutes, I do the best I can at trying to explain what it’s like putting up a mental block made out of titanium. He won’t have any chance of keeping some out, like me, for instance. Another gift from Eloise.

  I lie back on the bed as thoughts swirl through my head. “Something Travis said is bothering me. He called me an alpha female. Is there such a thing? I thought only alpha males ran packs.”

  “Not all alphas run packs nor are they all male,” Rion says and takes a seat beside me. “There are some who don’t want the pack life and prefer to be on their own, like my dad. It’s rare that a female gives birth to two alphas, but that was the case with my dad and Aries. It’s one of the reasons my parents didn’t stay around. Nothing good would have come from both of them being in the same pack, even if my dad didn’t want to lead. They would constantly butt heads, and my dad would have been challenging Aries’ command a lot. That doesn’t look good in front of other wolves. It could cause dissent. The alpha is a role to be respected. You are never to question him in front of others nor go against his command.”

  “Is that why I never listen to anyone?”

  Rion chuckles. “I suspected you were an alpha, but you weren’t a wolf then, so I ignored it. Chalked it up to you being a very assertive female. But you’ve proven, time and time again, you’re a leader. People follow you in the paranormal world. They feed off what you emit. You’re strong and not afraid to fight for the ones you love, no matter the cost to you.” It’s interesting and does explain things, especially now that I’m a wolf.

  “Does this mean I have to start my own pack if I don’t want to listen to Aries?”

  “No,” Wake states. “I spoke to him before I came in here last night. He recognizes the alpha in you. And without you, we wouldn’t have had the backing of Merrick’s pack and others. He said if you don’t challenge him in front of the pack, he won’t challenge you. And he is to always lead the Avynwood Pack. I was surprised, if I’m being honest. Dad doesn’t acquiesce to anyone, but he must see something in you.
Plus, Orion was never one to follow the rules, being a born alpha himself.”

  I bark out a laugh. “We do butt heads often.”

  “And I will follow you wherever you go.” Rion places a kiss on my forehead.

  “I think a lot of paranormals would, Ari,” Wake adds. “You’re a natural.”

  “Okay, back up. I don’t want to lead anyone anywhere. I just want Travis and Benedict dead. Then Rion and I can start our lives together. Plus, I need to get used to this whole pack thing. Oddly enough, my wolf was content having both of you in bed last night.”

  “Pack life,” Wake states. “Wolves like being with other wolves. They take comfort in numbers.”

  “Does that mean you’ll be sleeping in here again tonight?” I ask. I don’t mind if he does, and while Rion would love to get some alone time with me, he’s fine having Wake here. I sense it in him.

  Wake rubs the back of his neck as his cheeks quickly redden, then grabs his glasses off the nightstand. “I shouldn’t. You two are newly mated and need time together.”

  Standing, I walk to him and grip his hand in mine. “If we didn’t want you here, we’d say so. Stay with us. At least until we get Travis captured.”

  Wake nods, though he doesn’t raise his head to look me in the eyes.

  “Okay,” I say, changing the subject. “Who else is hungry? I want food and Travis’ head on a stake in front of the mansion. Benedict’s, too.”

  “Food first, little mouse,” Rion says from my side. “Heads on stakes later.”

  “You’re right. I can’t start scouring the world for evil on an empty stomach.”

  The three of us separate to get dressed and then meet back in our room to go downstairs together. I’m not sure who’s cooking or what we’re eating, but the scent of vanilla floats to me the second I step into the hallway. And bacon. And sugary sweet syrup. Okay, I’m truly starving now.

  We enter the dining room where Zayda and Cassandra are placing dishes of food on the table.

  Zayda walks over and wraps her arms around me. “I’m so glad you made it through that,” she whispers.

  “Me, too.” I hug her back tightly. It’s nice having her here, even though it’s under the worst circumstances.

  I take a seat next to Josephine, Desmond’s mate. There hasn’t been much time for me to get to know her. Her dark red hair is short in a pixie cut. Her blue eyes find mine and in them I see sorrow, but I also see hope. This isn’t over yet. We still have a chance to win. I won’t stop until Travis and Benedict are dead.

  “Did you sleep well?” she asks.

  I glance at Rion on my other side and Wake across from me. “ Surprisingly, I did.”

  Other conversations are going on between Desmond, Eaton, and Cash. Tessa and Fiona are speaking in hushed voices, while Aries helps my aunt and Cassandra carry more food in. The three of them don’t sit to eat, probably having done so on the fly.

  “I heard Travis visited you and Wake,” Josephine says in a quiet voice. “I can’t imagine what it must be like going to sleep and not know when you’ll be pulled into something else.”

  I start to wonder how word travels so fast, but then I remember how the wolves have crazy hearing. They must know a lot that goes on in our room, including Wake sleeping with us. Though if they do, no one says anything. I’m also equally grateful I learned a while ago to block out thoughts. That’s the same skill I use to block out sound. I don’t need to hear every conversation around us.

  There is a bowl of fresh cut fruit that has my mouth watering. I spoon some onto my plate and stab a couple of sausages, piling them on, too.

  Leaning close to Josephine, I respond, “Eloise came by this morning and took care of Travis visiting us. We now have the power to block him from our dreams.”

  “Fascinating. I give you a lot of credit, Ariane. I’m not sure I’d be brave enough to let a vampire bite me.”

  Ford uses that moment to stroll into the room and take a seat next to Wake. He pretends not to pay attention to our conversation; however, I know better. He’s listening to everything. So I decide to have some fun. There’s so much sadness around us, including Ford. It will do some good to lighten the mood.

  “Well,” I whisper. “It’s not anything special. Like when Ford bit me, I didn’t feel anything at all. I kept thinking about how gross it was to have his teeth in me. I mean, the whole fangs and blood sucking part…” I make a fake gagging noise for effect.

  Josephine’s eyes widen, so I quickly wink with my right eye—the one Ford can’t see. Her eyes crinkle at the corners, getting my hint, but she’s a good sport and plays along.

  “I heard it’s repulsive,” she says in a hushed whisper. “How there’s nothing exciting about it at all. I, for one, would never want to be bitten.”

  “You’re not missing out.” I smirk.

  Turning, I spear a pancake and place it on my plate. I’m getting so good at blocking Ford out of my mind. I can hear his thoughts clear as day and he’s wondering if I’m being serious or not. I also don’t have a good poker face, so I keep my eyes down, not wanting to give anything away.

  Leaning in close to Josephine again, I add, “It’s nothing like you see in some of the movies where the women swoon from the bite. I don’t know what that’s about. It feels kind of like a bee sting—annoying and you want it over with.”

  Something bounces off the side of my head. I turn and find Ford across the table with a grape lined up to be flicked my way. One eyebrow is cocked in a silent question.

  “You weren’t eavesdropping, were you, Ford?” I ask while batting my eyelashes innocently.

  Solomon enters the room and stops when he sees Ford and I staring at each other. “Ah, I’ve entered at the perfect time. Whatever you said, Ari, keep going. You’ve got my brother all riled up, and I’d love to know how you did it.”

  Ford keeps his eyes on me but pivots his wrist to flick the grape at his brother. Out of the corner of my eye, I watch as Solomon catches it midair and pops it into his mouth. He strolls forward, dropping down on the other side of Ford.

  “Princess, you know as well as I do, nothing you say goes without being heard, especially by me. Care to let me in?”

  I grin, though and ultimately decide to put Ford out of his misery. Thinking back to the first time he bit me, I open my mind up so he can see how I felt. He can witness for himself how we both felt very different things. But at least he knows I was lying.

  “I thought so,” he huffs and goes back to eating.

  “It’s not nice to listen to other’s conversations.”

  “And it’s not nice to toy with others’ emotions.”

  I laugh out loud. “Remember that next time you decide to tease me.”

  He places his hand over his heart in mock shock. “Me? Never!” Then a wide grin spreads across his face. Good. He’s smiling. Josephine and Solomon are smiling as well. Even if it’s only for a moment, they are happier.

  19

  Yesterday I spent the day checking on everyone, and I mean everyone. Whoever was left in the house got a visit from me. I thanked them for their help, consoled them if they lost someone they loved, and cried with them. No, I’m not the alpha of the Avynwood Pack, but so much of this has to do with me, as Travis has made abundantly clear. It was only right I spent time thanking everyone. Without their help, no way would we be where we are now. Not that we won, but it was enough to send the others running and Travis into hiding.

  Wake spent the night with us again. Thankfully, there were no dreams that Travis invaded. Maybe it was that he didn’t want to or because of our new gift. Who knows which? But I was grateful when I woke up and didn’t have dirt or sand on my feet and my hands balled into fists.

  Today, Ford, Rion, Aries, and I are going to Ford’s house in Portland to check on everyone. I haven’t seen my mom or friends in days and want to hug them all. Ford has checked in but not in over twenty-four hours. Hopefully, they only have to stay there a little while longer. Not k
nowing where Travis is worries me a lot. He could be anywhere, plotting anything, and there’s no way for us to be ready for what we don’t know.

  I miss Paige and Bray. Mom and I had to make up an elaborate lie to get them out of their homes and into the safety of the house across the country. Mom said we were going on vacation to celebrate graduating high school this year, and since both of them had great attendance in school, their parents didn’t mind. Well, Paige’s parents don’t care about much, so they were easy. Bray’s were a little more difficult to convince. In the end, my mom has always been good at persuasion and easily sold them on the idea.

  We doubted anyone from Travis’ pack would go after their families. After all, their parents aren’t close to me. And considering past experiences, my friends are fair game as far as he’s concerned, but he’s left their families alone. For that, I’m grateful.

  Throwing on a pair of jeans with the knee ripped on the right side, I grab a plain, emerald green T-shirt to put on as well. I bought this once I found out Rion was a wolf shifter. The color of it reminds me of his wolf’s eyes. After slipping on my favorite pair of sneakers and sweeping my long, pitch black hair into a high ponytail, I’m ready to go.

  Rion emerges from the en-suite bathroom in his signature dark jeans that fit him perfectly and showcase his long, muscular legs. His white T-shirt molds to his arms, not leaving much to the imagination about how strong and capable he is. His almost black hair lies damply on his forehead in short tendrils. But none of that compares to the megawatt, dimpled smile he flashes me.

  My heart starts to beat wildly in my chest as he closes the distance between us, crawling over me where I sit on the bed, forcing me to my back. His sandalwood scent encompasses me and brings me back to when we first met. Every time I think of the past, I chastise myself for being such a fool and putting him off for so long. And there’s no way I can forget how I almost walked away from him after things started getting tough. At the time, I thought it was for the best. Boy, was I wrong. Nothing, and I mean nothing, compares to being with my mate.