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

  “Want to tell me why you were in a bedroom with my mate?” Rion asks in a hard tone.

  “Want to tell me why you weren’t? I was only doing what you failed to.” Ford smirks. Oh, for the love of… Why is he goading him?

  Rion fists Ford’s shirt and slams him against the wall. Rion has all of my vampire strength now. Ford and he are a more level match. Well, except for Rion’s wolf. “If you so much as lay one hand on my mate, in any way but friendship, I will rip it from your body. She is not yours to love. Or to have intimate feelings for. Or to try and kiss. Those days are over. She’s mine forever and nothing will come between us,” Rion seethes. That’s enough of this. I have to stop him.

  Walking forward, I place my hands on my hips and say, “Have you lost your wolf mind? Why on earth would you think I was doing anything in there with Ford outside of talking?”

  “He was sleeping next to you in our bed for days, Ariane. He’s had a thing for you from the start.”

  “I can’t believe we’re still talking about this. He doesn’t love me like that, you fool! He loves Sienna!”

  Something hits the floor to my left and breaks. We turn, Rion still pinning Ford to the wall. Sienna is standing there with wide eyes and parted lips. On the floor is a broken bowl of spaghetti. Sauce is splattered on the floors and wall. Before any of us can move, she spins and runs down the hall. Ford knocks Rion away and takes off after her, calling her name as he goes.

  A door across the hall opens. Wake peers out, noticing the mess of pasta and sauce. “What just happened?”

  “You need to go talk to Ford,” I say, pointing down the hall.

  “Me? Why do I need to talk to him?”

  I step away from Rion and over to him. “Because he’s going to need a friend, and you’re just that paranormal.”

  “You’re crazy, Ariane.”

  I shake my head. “No, I’m finally thinking clearly. You both have stuff going on with girls. You need each other.”

  “I don’t have anything—”

  I cut him off. “Don’t think I haven’t realized there’s something up with you and Paige.” Wake’s face hardens; his lips thin. “I brought you back here dead. She was there when you finally shifted. She was the reason you did so. Don’t stand here and act like there’s nothing going on.”

  Wake takes a step back and slams the door in my face.

  “The truth hurts sometimes but slamming this door won’t make it go away!” I yell.

  Turning, I find Rion watching me with a broad smile, dimples showing. I love that smile. “You still have so much bite in you, little mouse. I don’t think you need to push them, though. Ford and Wake will find their way in life. They both have women who hold their hearts, even if they don’t want to admit it.”

  “Oh, Ford did. He’s fully aware of his feelings for Sienna. But Wake… He needs a push. No, maybe more like a hard shove.”

  “And you think Ford is the one to do that?”

  I shrug. “I’m not sure who is the right one, but he can only deny his feelings for so long.”

  Rion steps across the hall and puts his arm around my shoulders. “Let’s go to our room. I want to show you just how much I love you.”

  An electric current races through my body as his hand moves up to cup the back of my neck and his fingers lightly caress my skin. “I like that idea a lot.”

  He pulls me close as we enter our room. Rion kicks the door shut and locks it before coming toward me like the predator he is. But I’m not his prey. I’m his match in every way. And this thing between us is a raw, passionate mix of everything right in my world.

  Rion’s arms wind around my waist as his mouth descends on mine. At this moment, I’m grateful we don’t have to rush. We can take our time because there is no one out there after us. No one is waiting outside to end our lives. We can finally love one another like we’re meant to.

  29

  It’s been two months since we finally put an end to Travis and Benedict’s reign of terror. Two months of finding my new normal with Rion and spending many long days loving one another. Cherishing what we have, never taking it for granted.

  The Diaminsey pack is no more. With their alpha and a bunch of their wolves gone, the rest fled the area. I’m sure some were coerced like Sienna’s parents were. Others probably still have hatred for us. But I can’t worry about them. Our pack won’t always get along with everyone. The biggest threat is gone. Dead. The remaining wolves have no army to fight us. We’ve heard from vampires, fae, and mages that those who fought against us regret doing so. We’ll handle any wolves who attack us as they come. If there’s anything I learned from Lealla’s series, it’s that there’s always an enemy somewhere out there. In each of her books there was a dire situation. Going forward, I’m sure there will be more.

  “Where are you taking me?” I ask, as Rion and I tread through the thick forest. We’ve been walking for what feels like hours but has probably only been fifteen minutes. It’s been uphill the whole time, too. Wherever we’re going, it better be good once we get there. I asked if we could teleport or shift to make it easier and he refused. He said this builds the suspense.

  He smiles. “We’re almost there.”

  “You’re lucky I love you.”

  He stops abruptly and wraps his arm around my waist, pulling me to his chest. My heart rate picks up as the rush of excitement he’s feeling floods me. “You better love me. I’m your mate. Your one true love. The wolf who will be by your side for the next thousand years. The one you’ll hunt with and travel the world with. The only man who will ever be in your bed,” he growls low. I guess he’s still not over Wake and Ford sleeping in our bed all that time.

  Fisting his shirt, I meet his gaze. “If you didn’t drag me out into the woods, where I’m currently melting under the sun’s rays, we’d be in bed right now.” Okay, that came out way more breathy than I had anticipated. I was going for the tough alpha wolf thing. I really need to work on that. It seems the alpha part of me only comes out when necessary.

  “She’s always there,” he says, reading my mind. “In your movements, the way others watch you and listen to what you say. You’re an alpha through and through. But the difference between you and Aries, for example, is that you don’t have a pack to run. Your alpha side isn’t always front and center.”

  “Yeah, I have no desire to lead a pack. I have a hard enough time managing myself. I don’t want to try and keep others in line.”

  He chuckles. “You are a handful.”

  I brush my lips against his. “I’m your handful.”

  He backs me against the nearest tree and deepens our kiss. One of his hands braces above me as the other roves up my body, under my shirt. I shamelessly press against him, needing his heat and craving his touch. Wanting him to take control over me. To show me how much he loves and cherishes me. It’s not often I relinquish control, but with Rion’s hands and lips on me, I melt at his touch, heeding his every command.

  Reaching down, I find the button and zipper of Rion’s shorts and start to undo them, but his hand grips my wrist and stops me. “Not here,” he pants. “If we keep going, you’ll miss out on your surprise.”

  “Why can’t I have both?” I nip at his lower lip.

  He pulls away and takes a measurable step back. “Let’s keep moving, little mouse.”

  Groaning, I push off the tree and stomp past him. What’s a girl got to do to get some love around here? No matter how many times we’re together, how many dates we’ve been on, or how many times he’s simply held me in his arms, I can’t get enough of him. I always want more.

  Rion rushes up behind me and sweeps me off my feet. I scream in surprise then begin to laugh. “What are you doing, you crazy wolf?”

  “Carrying you the last stretch to our destination.”

  I smile. “I’m quite capable of walking.”

  “And I’m more than capable of carrying you all over this mountain.”

  He takes long strides
, easily traversing the few fallen trees, wayward branches that almost smack me in the face, and a couple of random squirrels who decide to tempt fate and scurry under his feet. Within five minutes, we break through the tree line into a wide clearing. There’s a large, two-story house framed out in front of us. Rion keeps walking until he steps up onto the bottom level. There’s a solid floor beneath his feet, though not the finished product. Once we reach the middle of the house, he puts me down.

  “What is this?” I ask.

  “This, my beautiful mate, is our new home.”

  My eyes widen as my lips part. Spinning, I take it all in. It’s a wide home with lots of rooms, by the looks of things. There’s a floor above us and stairs leading up. So much is still missing, but from where I’m standing, it’s beautiful. I take in every part of it, including the long, dirt driveway that who knows how long it will take to get up here. The house is so remote. So perfect. So amazing.

  “You remembered?” I ask.

  “Everything you’ve ever said to me is right up here,” he says while tapping his head.

  Walking to him, I throw my arms around his neck. “You never cease to amaze me. I can’t believe you did this.”

  “You’re my entire world, Ariane. I want to start a life with you the right way, not by living in the pack house. We’re different than the others. We both have an alpha in us. The pack house could never be permanent, and there wasn’t any way we were going to live with Aries, Cassandra, and Wake. We’re newly mated. The Avynwood Pack has taken control of the state. Peace has been established. It’s time for us to begin our journey. You and me. In this house.”

  “I love you.”

  “I love you, too.”

  He dips his head, pressing his lips to mine. I let his love and devotion wash over me. All the relief he has that we’re finally going to live the life we’re truly meant to. And I give him back the same. We’re two souls, merged into one. We’re whole. Bonded. Mated.

  I peer up into his eyes as we break our kiss. “So, do I get to design the inside, or do you have everything already picked out?” I hope he doesn’t say he handled it all. While I love him more than anything, I want to help design the interior. And do the decorating.

  He chuckles. “The only thing I’ve decided on is the design of the house structure, the room sizes, and what room goes where. The interior is for you to choose as well as the exterior colors.”

  I smile wide. “This is so exciting!”

  With my arms still linked behind his neck, I leap up and wrap my legs around his waist. “This is the best gift anyone has ever given me.”

  “I’m glad you like it.”

  “Wait,” I pause. “Do you have enough money for all of this?”

  He cocks an eyebrow. “I could build you ten houses up here and still have money left over to last our entire lives.”

  “What about the land?”

  “This is the part I bought for the pack. It connects to Aries’ land so no one would build between us. Well, maybe Wake if he wanted to.”

  A thought occurs to me. “Could you imagine if Wake and Paige become mates and build a home near us? I could have my bestie as a neighbor. How cool would that be?”

  “I think you’re getting a little ahead of yourself.”

  “Oh, please. You’ve seen the way they look at one another.” It happens every time they’re in a room together, which is quite often. Now that school is out and Paige has graduated, she’s here a lot. And it’s easy for me to bring her here, thanks to my teleporting abilities. If she needs to be home, she is in a flash.

  “No, I’ve seen the way Paige looks at him and the way Wake broods, acting like there’s nothing going on.”

  I sigh and stand again. “He’s scared.” Rion nods, agreeing with me. “I have to figure out a way to get him to open up. Nothing I’ve tried has worked.”

  “Ari, don’t. If they’re meant to be together, they’ll find their way to one another.”

  Crossing my arms, I say, “I need something to do. Sienna is across the country with Galina. Ford is off, who knows where. We haven’t seen him in weeks. Brayden is starting college soon. Wake and Paige are all I have left. It’s a good thing she’s going to get her degree online. I get to keep her close to me.”

  “I’m standing right here.”

  “Please. I know you’re here, and I love you with my whole heart, but I need friends, too.”

  He rolls his eyes. My attitude is rubbing off on him. “There’s a whole pack of wolves down there who are your friends. You can teleport to Pennsylvania to see family and more wolf friends there. And let’s not forget the fae up there. I swear Kylest would have taken you home with him if we weren’t mated. I didn’t miss the way he looked at you.”

  He’s right. Kylest probably would have. He talked to me privately before they left and pleaded his case as to what he could offer me with the fae. It didn’t matter to him that I was already mated. Sneaky one, he is. He tried using all his charm on me, but none of it worked. Though, the idea of going through a portal to another land is extremely appealing. Maybe one day I can get him to take me on a little trip. Just a short one. My curiosity is at an all-time high where the fae are concerned.

  “Ari!” Rion yells, snapping me out of my daydream.

  “What? Don’t you want to know what it’s like? Who knows how many realms are out there? Do you think there are dragons in one of them? Ones that fly? Oh! What about royalty? Don’t the fae have courts?” So many questions.

  “I’m good here. Those realms bring trouble. It’s best to leave them alone.”

  I stick my tongue out at him. “You’re no fun.”

  “I’m the reason you don’t get into trouble on a regular basis. You need me to keep you grounded.”

  I wave him off. “Yeah, yeah, yeah. One day you’re going to be bored, and I’m going to have a thousand ideas of what we could do. Then you’ll be grateful I daydream as much as I do.”

  He shakes his head. “We can teleport anywhere in the world and you want to go realm hopping.”

  “A thousand years is a long time to live, Rion. We’ll be able to travel the world many times over. Eventually, we’ll get bored. There’s only so many beaches and mountains a person can see.” Seriously, though. There are a ton of places I’d love to visit, but that’s a long life.

  He steps in close, towering over my small frame. “I’ll never get bored with you around.”

  “Well,” I say while dragging my forefinger down his chest, “I can think of one way to keep you busy.”

  Rion bends and starts pressing kisses to my neck. “I like the sound of that.” Electricity lights my veins at his touch. I’ll never tire of this. Never tire of the way we feel when we’re together.

  His hands grip my hips, bringing our bodies achingly close. A deep moan escapes his lips when my hands begin to skate over his skin. I love how muscular he is. How he’s so strong but so gentle at the same time.

  “Really?” Wake yells from somewhere in the distance. “I don’t need to see you making out every time I turn a corner.”

  Rion growls against my bare collarbone where he’s pulled my shirt down to reach more of my skin. “What do you want?”

  “Dad told me to come get you both. Dinner is in ten minutes. He wants the whole pack there.”

  Rion groans and I chuckle. “We’ll be there,” I say. Wake leaves without speaking another word.

  “This better be good,” Rion states. “He interrupted us.”

  “Maybe it was intentional.” I smile.

  “Then I need to have a talk with Aries.”

  Pulling back, I quickly shift into my wolf and look up at Rion. “Race ya,” I say with my mind.

  My wolf doesn’t give him time to react. She loves that she gets to have some fun. She takes off down the mountain at a high speed. Her feet pad over the soft earth, easily navigating the downed trees, super low branches, and those same daring squirrels who like to dart out in front of her.

>   We’ve been trying to get acquainted more—my wolf and me. I try to shift every day or two and go for a run. Orion has taught my wolf to hunt, though a lot of it comes naturally. It’s ingrained in her. At first, I thought it would be gross, watching her catch her own meal from my vantage point. Digging into a rabbit or deer that hasn’t been cooked, but it’s not as bad as I would have thought. Sure, the taste is horrible, but she loves it, which in turn makes me happy. And I am happy. Like, deliriously happy. There’s something wild and amazing about running and hunting with her. Like it’s the way I was always meant to be.

  Orion gains ground on my wolf, his speed matching hers. There’s no way she can outrun him since we share powers, but we’re still in front of him since we got a head start. My wolf pushes on, needing to beat him to the house. And she does. She reaches the drive in front of the mansion a second before him.

  We both shift, and he quickly grips me around the waist, spinning me in a circle, while I have the widest smile on my face. “You can run from me, little mouse, but I will always catch you.”

  “I count on it.” I beam up at him.

  He presses a quick kiss to my lips before releasing me. We walk hand in hand into the house. The dining room is packed. There are way more wolves than seats available at the table. Aries is standing at the opposite end of the room with Cassandra by his side.

  “Now that we’re all here.” He gives us a pointed look. “I have an announcement to make. It seems some of us have been very busy since things have calmed down.” Cassandra smacks him gently on the stomach. He blazes her with a look of love and desire then places his arm around her shoulders. With his eyes still on hers, he says, “We’re expecting.”

  Gasps and shouts of “Congratulations” are heard around the room. My smile, the one I thought was big on the outside, is nothing compared to the one presently lighting my face.

  Then Dante stands. “They aren’t the only ones.”

  “Get out!” I shout. Dante beams, seriously the happiest I’ve ever seen him, and Mira looks a little green. Poor woman. Seems being pregnant isn’t agreeing with her.