The Fall And Rise

Chapter Eleven: Deal of the Century

Third-person perspective was/is the only way I figured I could write this for it all to make sense, we will go back to the character's POV afterward. Also, I apologize immensely for the lack of updates, when we last saw each other was just before my wedding! Then shortly after I started a new job! That has me working from 4 PM to 1 AM...

Inspiration for Ariceli's dress is pictured above.

Ariceli was dressed in a long yet fairly revealing red lace dress, it had a deep low cut front, and a slit along the side revealing her long legs She was barefoot and living for the feeling of the earth between her toes. Maevis was trotting along at Ari's side in one of her many therein forms as a smokey purple-hued grey fox, while Belasko was soaring high above ahead of the girls guiding them to Ari's mate.

"Maev, are you sure about this? What if he doesn't agree..." Ariceli looked at Maevis quickly before looking ahead again at the forest path, "what if this all goes wrong, can we really force him?"

"You are too worried Ari, relax. You really think I let you come back here without a back-up plan or two?" Maevis replied in Ariceli's head

"You're right." Ariceli nodded knowing she couldn't fail, she wouldn't fail as long as the Bellefonte twins were here with her.

Belasko started flying in circles signaling they were close, Ariceli could smell the lake water being carried by a soft breeze through the trees as well as the distant scent of her mate. She clutched the black trench coat closer to her chest, the very coat that would allow Alistar to become invisible. She could see Alistar in the distance sitting at the shore of the lake, and Belasko swooping down to perch next to him.

Alistar glanced over at the raven and spoke. "Come to bring me more omens and ominous words?"

Belasko replied in his croaky bird voice. "Worse. I brought her."

Alistar went to reply and then stiffened suddenly as a shadow appeared in his peripheral vision, and that shadow spoke. "Alistar Orion Baldwin, the second-born son of Alpha Aurthur and Luna Meredith Baldwin of the Starry Moon pack. I have a proposition for you." Ariceli spoke calmly and confidently, she wore a new charm to hide her royal aura, since Alistar now possessed her necklace.

He arched a brow and looked at her, in his eyes, she looked absolutely stunning, the way her dress hugged her hips and dipped low on her chest to show off her breasts. He had a feeling this proposition was not going to involve the rejection he thought he needed but it piqued his interest and he was willing to at the very least listen to what she had to say. He looked at her more before tilting his head as he finally noticed the fox sitting at her side. "So..." he looked back at the lake watching the water ripple at the breeze. "You do know who I am?"

"I know enough to know you should be the next in line to this pack, and that your family has disowned you. I assume that is one of the reasons you want to be rejected by me, and if that is what you want, then I will. But, that rejection comes with stipulations, which is why I have a proposition in the first place." She spoke, placing a hand on her hip while holding the coat in the other arm.

"And what proposition do you plan to make." He looked at her again, leaning back and placing his hands behind him to keep him propped up.

"One month. I want you to come back with me to my pack for a month. I want you to try, try to be with me. If you still believe after those thirty days that you believe you still want to be rejected I will accept. But, if you fall in love with me, you will stay and be my mate. You will rise to be the Alpha you were born to be." Ariceli tilted her head to the side waiting for him to ponder over what she had just spoken aloud.

Alistar sighed softly and closed his eyes for a moment before speaking. "If I come with you, you will break the bond if I don't fall in love in thirty days?"

"I will swear to it with a blood oath," Ariceli replied softly, this interaction so far was going better than she thought it would, she only hoped she would be able to convince him to stay, convince him to love her.

Alistar sighed once more before pulling himself up and nodding "Alright, a blood oath it is."

Ariceli placed the coat on the forest ground before sliding a golden dagger out of a holster on her exposed leg. "I, Ariceli Adromidous, have proposed a deal with Alistar Baldwin. The conditions are that he must stay with me at my pack for at least thirty consecutive days, If I win and he falls in love with me, he will take his place as my mate. If I fail our bond is to be broken, I accept this oath." At the final words, she sliced open her left palm and gave the blade to Alistar.

"I Alistar Baldwin, accept this oath." He answered calmly, also slicing his left palm and grabbing her hand as the oath was being sealed. A single loud roar of thunder was heard as the shape of a red moon grew upon their arms just below the elbow.

Next to Ariceli Maevis quickly morphed back into a human and ran up to them staring at their arms. Alistar flinched slightly, clearly surprised by the sudden appearance of another human, but his eyes never stopped being locked with Ariceli's confident ones. "I have never seen this happen with a blood oath before..." Maevis was wide-eyed and cautious. "Bel?"

"It's new for me too, Mae," Belasko spoke now back to his human form as well. This is what brought Alistar away from Ariceli, backing away slowly and looking at the trio cautiously.

"Reinforcements? Think you wouldn't be safe around me or something?" Alistar spoke a cocky grin forming on his face. She had to know he was a killer if she brought people to protect her.

Ariceli picked up the coat from the ground and made a humming sound. "No, they are more like... insurance if you will." she shrugged and held out the coat for him "Put this on."

Alistar warily took the coat and unfolded it "insurance for what and why do I need to put this on?"

"Because we are leaving, that coat will make you invisible to everyone but the three of us and my beta," she spoke crossing her arms over her chest. "And insurance to make sure you follow through with what we need to do next now let's go."

Ariceli started walking with Maevis alongside her, Belasko stood near Alistar as Alistar put the coat on. "Follow them, while this coat makes you invisible, you will still be able to be heard. So stay silent." Belasko spoke in a demanding and condescending tone to which Alistar rolled his eyes and followed anyway.

It wasn't long before Alistar realized they were heading to the packhouse where his family lived, as they neared the front door he stopped in his tracks and stared at everyone. "Oh fuck no. I am not going inside even if you say I am invisible, I will wait here until you are ready to drive off."

Ariceli chuckled at this and did a single small wave to the witches at her side, before he knew it Alistar could no longer move, it felt like his whole body was wrapped in bindings. Alistar growled in response "You bitch..." Ariceli gave him a pointed look and he could no longer speak.

The trio walked inside, Alistar still bound and floating in the air above the floor behind them, they wandered down the halls before pausing and knocking on the door to the Alphas office.