MATED TO SERIES COLLECTION

37. ARIANA: JUST TRY IT

"Is there a reason why you're sneaking around my house in the middle of the night, Ariana?"

With a gasp, I spun around and blinked at him.

Grayson raised an eyebrow as he lounged comfortably in the chair. My eyes dropped to the glass he had in his hand and then darted up to the bottle that stood on the small wooden table next to the lamp.

I could smell the strong alcohol he was drinking but I had no clue whether he was drunk or not.

It set me on edge.

"You should be asleep."

I swallowed. "I-I can't sleep."

"Nightmares?" he questioned.

"Y-yes." I shifted from foot to foot. "Can I see Lucas? I know—"

"He went home," Grayson interrupted.

I sucked in a breath as my heart dropped to my stomach. He left without saying goodbye. How could he do that?

Stumbling forward, I sunk down on the edge of the couch across from him.

"D-did he say anything?"

"No." Grayson raised the glass to his lips and swallowed the last of the alcohol. Placing the glass down next to the bottle, he leaned forward with his elbows resting on his knees and silently watched me.

"What's on your mind?" he asked softly after a few minutes of silence.

"W-what makes you think that I have something on my mind?"

He shrugged. "Call it a hunch."

My eyes dropped to my hands. I entwined my fingers, cracked them but then gripped the hem of my shirt instead.

Everyone else was asleep and since Lucas had left, I might as well talk to Grayson about the shit going on inside my head. He'd saved Lucas after all.

"I..." I swallowed loudly. "I asked Ethan to call Dad but he told him where we were instead and then the Hunters found us too and...shit happened."

He only stared at me.

"You s-said that you'll help," I muttered. "I was wondering what kind of help you meant."

"Is it because you're curious or because you already have a plan of your own?" Grayson sighed. "Ariana?"

"I don't want my family to get hurt because of me," I told him. "I don't want Lucas to fight for me either. Oliver wants me and I was thinking of confronting him on my own."

"There's a big flaw in your plan. He wants to kill you and nothing's going to change his mind about it."

"I know," I whispered.

"He will kidnap you and go through with what he had planned before Lucas rescued you."

My eyes dropped to my lap. "I just don't want them to get hurt."

"They'll hurt if they find out that you're gone."

"I know." I looked up at him again. "I'd rather have Oliver hurt me than have them be killed because of me."

Grayson growled. "You're either extremely brave or really stupid."

His hand shot up when my lips parted. I pursed my lips and frowned at him until I realized that he was staring at the doorway. Grayson growled a low warning that made the hair on my arms raise.

A whimper came from the hall and a second later a woman stepped into view. She kept her head bowed and her hands clasped in front of her body.

"What do you want?" he questioned.