The Ash Moon (The Ariane Trilogy Book 1) Page 3

  “What's wrong?” he asks. When my eyes land back on him, I notice the way his brow is furrowed. Is he genuinely concerned for me?

  I’ve got nothing to lose at this point, so I’m going to ask him what I’m thinking. “Why did you ask me to dance?”

  “Why not?”

  I shake my head. “I'm serious. There are far more attractive women out on the dance floor. I'm sure you could dance with any of them.”

  “Most are with their mates.” Here we go with the mates talk again. Does everyone involved in this book series say that? “The ones who aren't, I don't desire. You're who I want to spend time with.”

  “Say what now?” Did he just choose me over all the other women here?

  “Let's go, little mouse,” he chuckles as he tugs me into the middle of the crowd. He finds a small spot for us to dance and pulls me close to him, his strong arms wrapping around my waist.

  I'm dazed, unable to move. The guy before me looks like he fell from the heavens, and I'm ordinary Ariane. I don't get it.

  When he starts swaying his hips in time with the music, all coherent thought leaves my head. And then I'm moving with him in perfect synchronization. How? I don't know. I've never been a good dancer. Not like Paige. Yet, with Orion, I'm graceful. I don't step on his toes or stumble. We flow as one.

  He leans in close, his breath caressing my cheek. “There's no one else I could move like this with.”

  “I don't understand.” I'm not sure what he's saying. He's an amazing dancer. Why can't he dance this way with someone else?

  “Don't think. Only feel.” So I do.

  Song after song plays as I stay in his arms, the most relaxed and content I've ever been in my life. I'm not sure how long we dance. Paige taps me on the shoulder, saying it's late and we should probably head back. She yawns. Reaching into my pocket, I pull out my phone and see it's three in the morning. How long was I dancing with Orion?

  The light lands on Orion. For a moment, his eyes flash to a brilliant emerald green. But as soon as it’s there, it’s gone again—back to their normal crystal blue. I pull back from him and the trance breaks. I study him, trying to figure out if I’m seeing things again or if his eyes did change colors. No green remains now. Only that gorgeous blue.

  “I should go. I didn't realize how late it was.” Orion nods stiffly.

  The crowd has thinned significantly. The people who are left dancing look like they are about to do a lot more than sway to the music and don't seem to care who is around to watch.

  Ducking my head, I walk toward the doorway. Orion's hand finds mine and I'm zapped again at the initial touch. Once his fingers thread through mine, it dulls but doesn't disappear completely. It's a low flow of energy, like it was while we were dancing. If only I knew what was causing it or what it means. I peer up at him to ask, but he shakes his head and smiles. This evening has left me with so many questions.

  He leads us through the mansion until the four of us are standing outside. His hand tightens on mine as Paige’s car pulls up. I step forward, but Orion doesn't move or release me. Paige lifts an eyebrow then ushers Bray to the car where they wait for me.

  “I don't want you to leave,” Orion softly says.

  “This night… I've never had one like it or met anyone like you.” I need to ask if he feels what I do when we touch. I think he does, but if he says no, then I'll know it's all in my head. I lift our joined hands. “Do you feel something when you touch me?”

  “How much do you know about the Avynwood shifters?” Why are we talking about Lealla's books?

  “I've read each book in the series, some twice. Why?”

  His thumb gently rubs the back of my hand. “I want you to read Aries' book again. Think about everything you felt tonight while you read it.”

  “I'm not sure what that has to do with anything. I asked you a question and you start talking about books instead.”

  “Take my advice, little mouse. Read it again.”

  I stiffen. “If you call me little mouse one more time...”

  He steps closer, only a breath away. I notice the rise and fall of his chest. “What, Ariane? What will you do about the name I've given you?”

  Shaking his hand free, I turn toward the car. Orion catches my elbow. That zip is back, racing up my arm, causing the hair on it to stand on end. I freeze.

  He steps around me and cups my face in his hands. “Don't leave angry. I didn't mean it as a negative thing. Every animal in our world has a purpose and does something extraordinary. Mice, they’re sensible and resourceful. They’re fast and agile. They’re able to slip from a room with no one noticing they’re gone. Though,” he continues as he leans down, his lips mere inches from mine, “I'll always know where you are.”

  My eyes flutter closed, waiting for him to kiss me. When he doesn't, I open them and find him standing straight again, no longer so close. My cheeks quickly warm. That's not embarrassing at all. I must look like a complete fool.

  “Ari, let's go!” Bray yells out the open window of Paige's car.

  “I should go. I guess I'll see you never.” I offer a small smile and open the door to the car.

  “Never say never, little mouse.”

  I take one last look at him and climb inside. Paige wastes no time pulling away from the mansion.

  “What was that, Ari?” Bray asks. “You don't even know him. You spent all night dancing with a complete stranger.”

  I spin in my seat. “What's your problem, anyway? I'm surprised you even noticed where I was.”

  “Oh, right. Like I didn't see where my best friend spent her night. Or how every time I looked in your direction, you had this stupid look on your face. It was like he drugged you.”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I huff and cross my arms, facing forward again.

  “Come on,” Paige cuts in. “Orion is hot as sin, and he didn't care about anyone else in that room but you. If I were you, I would’ve stayed wrapped up in him all night, too. I couldn't get any guy in there to pay attention to me. They were all paired up. What kind of party has no single men?”

  “It's like I'm not even here,” Bray mumbles from the back seat.

  “I saw you,” Paige states. “We danced. However, I was looking for some action, and we're only friends. I love you like a brother, Bray, and that's not a line I'm going to cross with you.”

  He leans forward between the front seats. “One day, P, you're going to realize what’s right in front of you, and it's going to be too late.”

  She pats him on the cheek while one hand remains on the steering wheel. “You're so cute.”

  “Cute. I don't want to be cute!”

  I'm unsure if the day will ever come when Paige sees him differently. I do wish Bray would move on, though. He deserves to be with someone who sees how wonderful he is and only has eyes for him. He won't find that in this car, however.

  4

  Bray passes out on Paige's couch, and I take my usual room in her house. It's technically a guest room, but no one sleeps here but Bray and me, and he's always on the couch. There’s another guest room. For some reason, Bray has always liked sleeping downstairs. I have no idea why.

  Orion's words keep playing through my head about how I need to read Aries' book again. I dig my tablet out of my bag and find his book. Yes, I always have my tablet with me when I’m sleeping over at Paige’s house.

  It's not until chapter three when I find something that has me pausing. When Aries first met Cassandra, and his hand touched her arm, he felt a spark. He didn't know what to make of it, but the longer his hand remained on Cassandra's arm, the happier he became. His body was recognizing something in hers.

  I read this section over and over, shaking my head—this can't be real. Orion and I shared this lightning bolt of something between us. But I'm not a shifter. He's not a shifter. We're just people. Maybe it was all in my head. Maybe I wanted this connection with him to be more than it was. I need sleep. Turning my tablet off, I
roll over and eventually drift into a peaceful slumber.

  By the time I crawl out of bed, it's one in the afternoon. I go to Paige's room and wake her. We were all up late, so it’s not uncommon for us to sleep in. Bray is downstairs cooking for us. I keep telling him to go to culinary school after we graduate, but he always waves me off.

  A rich aroma greets me as I stumble into the kitchen. Cinnamon, bacon, vanilla, you name it. Food is spread out on the table.

  Paige sits down and dives in. “Seriously, Bray,” she says, with a mouthful of food. “No one cooks like you do.”

  “You only keep me around for my cooking,” he replies while setting down a plate of scrambled eggs. Paige winks at him but doesn't stop eating to say more.

  I flip my phone over on the table and start scrolling through messages. Most are social media notifications. It seems Paige posted about our night out. I decide to click on one of her posts and find a picture of me dancing with Orion. He’s giving me an intense look. One I’m not sure how to decipher. Maybe it’s desire. That thought has me almost choking on the food in my mouth. I cough and sputter, gasping for air.

  Bray pats me on the back. “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah,” I rasp and turn the phone to Paige. “Why did you post this?”

  She smiles around a piece of bacon. This girl can eat anything she wants and never gain a single pound. “How could I not post that? Look at him, Ari! He's gorgeous and obviously in to you. Why wouldn't I show the world just how desirable you are? Those jocks in our high school can suck it. Orion could wipe the floor with all of them.”

  I bury my face in my free hand. “Why are you creating problems for me?”

  “Not a problem. A solution. Did you read the caption?” Oh, no. What did she write?

  Looks like Ariane Sanderly is officially off the market.

  “Paige,” I groan.

  She pats me on the shoulder. “Chin up. Any of the girls in school would have loved to trade places with you last night. You'll be the talk of the senior class.”

  I ignore the fact that what she posted is a lie and address what she just said. “I don't want to be the talk of anything. I want to finish the final months of high school and never look back. You know I don't like anyone at school outside of you and Bray. They all hate me. I've accepted that.”

  Bray drops down in the chair opposite me and points at me with his fork. “You may have, but Paige and I haven't. You don't deserve any of the grief they give you. If they'd stop for one second and have a conversation with you, they'd see how amazing you are.”

  “I don't want to talk to them. I have zero desire in creating more friendships. And now people are going to be talking about me for a whole other reason.” I don’t need this. I don’t like everyone’s attention on me. I could throttle Paige for posting what she did. Though, I do like the picture. If only she reserved it for me and had not shown it to everyone else.

  Paige's phone vibrates on the table. She lifts it and yells, “Ari, look!”

  I take her phone from her. What in the ever-loving...? “How did he...? Why did he...? Paige!”

  “What are you two reading?” Bray asks.

  Paige smiles like she’s very proud of herself. “Orion Raines liked and commented on my post.”

  “Who?”

  “The guy from last night. Jeez, Bray, were you even there?”

  “You mean the crazy guy who wouldn't leave Ari alone?”

  Paige quirks an eyebrow. “There was a mutual attraction there, and now Mr. Raines wants the world to know about our Ari. He shared my post.” What has she gotten me into? More importantly, why would Orion share her post? Maybe he wants to show Lealla’s readers what fun we had at the party last night. Strictly for marketing reasons, of course, since he’s on the cover of an upcoming book.

  My phone vibrates in my palm. When I look at the screen, I nearly drop the phone. “He just sent me a friend request.”

  “Quick, accept it!” Paige yells. “Maybe he'll message you. You two didn't exchange numbers last night, did you?”

  “No.” I shake my head. “I didn’t think to ask.”

  I click on his name and scroll his profile. All the pictures of him are model photos where he's posing. But there is one casual picture of him and Aries. The caption beneath it reads, I owe everything to this man.

  “Did you accept it?” Paige asks. I glance up from my phone and find her practically bouncing in her chair.

  I started to go down the social media rabbit hole. There will be time for that later, when Paige and Bray aren't around to ask me questions and distract me.

  I click a button and say, “Accepted.” Then I find Paige's post and start reading the comments—the many, many comments. The only one I care about is Orion's, though. He wrote, Best night of my life, with the most beautiful girl I've ever laid eyes on. He can’t be serious, can he?

  “You just read his comment, didn't you?”

  I look up and find Paige staring at me, smiling. “You're in so much trouble. I still can't believe you posted this.” I shake my phone at her.

  She winks. “You're going to thank me for it. Wait and see.”

  “He just sent me a private message!” What is happening to me right now? How did this become my reality? The hottest guy I’ve ever seen called me beautiful and is now messaging me. If I were alone, I’d be screaming in joy.

  “Read it out loud so the rest of us know what he says.”

  “I will not.” She’s crazy if she thinks I’m telling Bray whatever this message says. They both might be my best friends, but this conversation stays firmly in the girl-talk category. Besides, Bray doesn’t seem too warm and fuzzy in the Orion department.

  She winks again. “Whatever you say.” She knows me too well.

  I stand from the table, having taken only a few bites of French toast, and I walk into the living room to sit on the couch. I open Orion's message.

  Orion: Hello, little mouse. How did you sleep? Any dreams about big, bad wolves?

  Me: If you're referring to Aries' book, I wouldn't call him that. He's more like a protective, butt-kicking wolf.

  Orion: I like how you see us.

  Me: Us?

  Orion: Do you have plans for dinner?

  Why is he so evasive? I ask a question, he asks another to redirect the conversation. So frustrating.

  Me: Yes, I need to be home for dinner with my parents.

  Orion: What about tomorrow after school? I can pick you up when you get out.

  Me: How do you even know what school I go to?

  Orion: Your profile.

  Now I feel stupid. I have what high school I attend on my page.

  Me: Isn't it a far drive?

  Not that I know where he lives. He could be hours away from Lealla’s home, for all I know.

  Orion: No drive is too far to get to you.

  Boy, does he know the right thing to say. If I weren’t already sitting down, I’d need to be.

  Me: Okay.

  Orion: It's a date. Wear something comfortable.

  Me: Will do.

  I can't believe I just agreed to go out with someone I hardly know. This could be the most foolish thing I've ever done. I wonder if I can rope Paige and Bray to come with me?

  Orion: Oh, and no friends this time.

  Me: How do I know you aren't a serial killer?

  Orion: If I were going to kill you, I would have done it last night when everyone else was preoccupied. You have nothing to fear around me. I promise.

  Me: We'll see.

  Orion: Did you finish reading the book?

  Me: No, I passed out.

  Orion: Finish before I see you.

  Me: You're awfully demanding for someone I barely know.

  Orion: Don't you?

  Riddles. I feel like we're talking in riddles.

  Me: Gotta go. I'll try and do my “homework.”

  Orion: Have a good day and stay out of the woods.

  Me: You're so weird.
<
br />   Orion: And you are very many things.

  I don't respond. What do I even say to that? It's all confusing and cryptic. Who talks like that anyway?

  “Ari, would you get back in here and eat?” Bray calls.

  Standing, I make my way back to the table and eat slowly while Paige and Bray talk about who knows what. I'm not paying attention to them. Instead, I'm going over everything in my head that Orion said to me as notifications keep popping up on my phone. Most are messages from classmates asking how I met him and if he has any friends. Girls who have never said one nice thing to me. I'm tempted to reply to each one of them with the middle finger emoticon, but instead, I ignore them.

  I'm the last one at the table. I dive back down the rabbit hole and try to find any information I can about Orion. It's not much. Everything about him is tied directly to Lealla and her books.

  A new message pops up from him.

  Orion: Your friends won't leave me alone. I'm getting a lot of requests to be friends with them.

  Me: They aren't my friends. They’re trolls who think you have guy friends for them.

  Orion: They aren't nice to you?

  Me: Nope. My only true friends are Paige and Brayden.

  Orion: Noted.

  Me: I don't mind if you're friends with them.

  That's a flat-out lie, but I'm trying to stay casual and not think about the worry coursing through me that once he sees those attractive girls, he won't want anything to do with me.

  Orion: I won’t be friends with anyone who treats you badly.

  Me: Your call.

  He doesn't say anything else. I decide to be nosy and click on his profile to see if he accepted any of the requests. We have no mutual friends. Not even Paige or Bray. There are a few girls at school I keep on my friend's list. They are the ones who aren't jerks to me. Yet, others keep messaging me.

  Overall, I'm not big on social media. Not like Paige is. She's always scrolling or posting. Always has the newest app and begging me to join. I'm good without it. I'd rather read than be immersed in gossip and drama. I get that every day I go to school.