A Reluctant Mate

Aria's POV (12)

I wake up to Dixson sitting on the chair that Ranger normally sits on while he wakes me up for breakfast "morning sleepy head, do you want to go down for breakfast?" "Sure, is Ranger already there?" I said stretching before rolling out of bed, "no, he’s gone to the pack in the woods, he said he won't be back until it's over" "oh, ok" I was a little upset, I've grown accustom to having my food with him, he eats so well, "Aria, before we go down to breakfast, I want to ask you something" "ok" I said a little worried, "if Mitch starts a new pack, would you like to come with us?" "Yes, definitely, I would love to go with you" I was excited of the thought of being back with my brothers, "but what about Ranger? You are his fated partner, do you not love him?".

What do I say back to that? Yes we are a fated pair, well that's what he says, but to me, there’s nothing, I feel nothing towards him, yes he forcefully bit me and has done some really bad things to me but could I really leave him?

"No, I don't think I would ever love him" I said quietly, I felt guilty saying the words out loud, I know they will hurt Midnight and Ranger if he ever heard them.

Dixson didn’t say anything else to me, he took my hand and we headed to the kitchen.

we ate our breakfast in silence and then we went to sit out on the swing, I cuddled up next to him under a blanket that Ranger gave to me.

We sat there not talking for hours, swinging back and forth, I could feel my eyes getting heavy, "Aria, when this is all over, I will ask Ranger if I can take you with us", I couldn't help but cry, since getting kicked out, I've longed for the day I could live back with my family, not so much with my Mother and Father, I don’t think they would ever expect me, even though I'm not unscented anymore, "I would like that".

I was so anxious the whole of Friday, all I kept thinking of, what if Ranger got hurt? or even one of my brothers? What would I do? I understand that people will get hurt as they are fighting over me, it makes me feel like shit, why are they even doing it in the first place?

I understand why Ranger would fight for me, but why is Tex and the Frost Sun pack fighting over me? Tex kicked me out years ago.

Two days passed when we got word that the pack was on there way back, Mitch mind linked with Dixson to inform him.

There were so many casualties and Ranger was one of them, he was tore up so bad, it was even worse than Dixson, I was told that Tex escaped the fighting right up until the last second, he jumped Ranger just as they were returning from the former Frost Sun pack house, they both fought hard but Ranger came out as the winner, if you can say that, Tex did so much damage to Ranger, I don’t want to think what Tex looked like in the end.

When they finally got back to the house Ranger was in his Lycan form, Cash had him put in his room.

It’s the first time in years seeing Mitch, Malcom, Curtis, Dixson all together in the same room, they hugged me so tight, I missed them so much, I wanted to sit there and talk to them for the rest of the night but I couldn't stop thinking about Ranger upstairs, I excuse myself from the table and went up to his room.

Ranger in his Lycan form nearly filled the bed, Cash was cleaning Ranger's wounds, there was many, "how is he?" I asked in a low voice, "he will be fine, he fought so hard for you, he killed many people, he killed Tex and all his sons, the Frost Sun is no more" "I didn't ask for all this, is everyone going to blame me for this?" "The pack will never blame you, he is our alpha and you are his fate partner, what he says we do, we could voice our opinion but he has the last word, if he said lay down your life for Aria, we will", that didn't make me feel any betted, "everyone got hurt because of me, if I didn't go to that stupid party, then none of this would of happened" I started crying.

Cash comforted me before leaving, with Ranger passed out, someone needs to run the pack in the mean time.

I sat on the floor, stroking his paw that was hanging over the bed, "I’m sorry Ranger for all this, it’s all my fault, everyone should hate me for it, all I’ve ever wanted was to live a peaceful life with my brothers, I didn’t want all this", the tears rolled down my cheek faster.

I had curled up next to Maddox, his thick black fur was so soft, I buried my fingers into his fur and cried myself to asleep.