Where The Rivers Meet The Falls

Chapter 22

            All hell had broken loose after that. Screaming, yelling, pleading. All of which landed on my deaf ears.

            "I think we should let her." Benji spoke quietly.

            "What?" Graham still heard him though. "How could you support putting my mate in harms way? Your job is to protect my mate!"

            "No, my job is to help protect this pack and support the Alpha couple. I just think Ariabella has the right idea this time." Benji now stated proudly.

            "Part of protecting the pack is protecting my mate so I don't go crazy and can't lead the pack."

            "Graham, I will be okay." HIs heaving chest stiffened when I placed my hand on his shoulder.

            "I can say it was self defense. Everyone already knows how much he blamed Derek and I for my mom not returning. We can say that he tricked me into thinking I had a relationship with him again but then attacked me. We could even do it at the Gala."

            "Isn't that a bit public?" Jonathan piped in.

            "Maybe just public enough." Alethia came in now. " If it's at such a public event, there won't be any way someone could deny it, if we do it right."

            "I will have to inform Derek of this." Zane warned.

            "That's fine with me. He can see how well I've grown up then and can take care of myself."

            The amount of sass I had in my voice wasn't fair. But my thoughts had gotten me so riled up now I was getting defensive. I'm not sure how this had all escalated so quickly. In any event, this is where we were and there was no going back now.

            "Everyone will you please leave us?" Graham ordered more than asked.

            Yep, I was going to get in trouble, but honestly I will stick to my convictions. There had always been something wrong with Kron. And what he did to my mother? He was the reason why my parents were dead. If he hadn't disowned her, she could have been safe in Eclipse pack when the rogues attacked Midnight Moon. Or on her own someplace where both of my parents could have been living comfortably raising us. But no, the Alpha of Midnight Moon had kept our house at the outside ring of the territory so they had been the first attacked.

            If Graham was as different from the other Alpha's as he had so far shown me, he would understand. If anybody did this, it had to be me. Now, I just had to reason with an Alpha trying to protect his mate. This will be interesting.

            When everyone finally cleared out of Graham's office he continue to pace back and fourth, fuming. "Do you have any idea what you just signed up to do? How dangerous this is? How much you're putting at risk?"

            "It has to be done. And it does make the most sense that I do this."

            "Don't you care about how much you are risking?"

            "Don't you see that I have to do this? You protect this pack by leading them. I'm doing my part as Luna by caring for them to do this. Clearly I still have to prove my position to you."

            "Wait what? What are you talking about?"

            "Nothing. You know what, I'm going to bed."

            I excited Graham's office and in seconds I heard him fumbling up the stairs after me. "No hold up. What is this proving thing?"

            "Nothing Graham. Look I get that I was a rogue before you met me, but for as much as you talk about the pack and our responsibilities, I'm surprised I haven't heard about what I do and don't get to do and know."

            My mate followed me as I climbed the stairs but Graham's had hand launched out to grab ahold of my arm. "Hold on Ariabella. you seriously need to explain what is going on in your head because not even the mind link is helping me out right now."

            "I'm feeling stupid that here I thought I was something special and yet I guess it is only in title."

            "So this is a pride thing then?"

            My walk had turned into a stomp and I let out a fitful groan like the teenager I am. I completed my fit by slamming my bedroom door behind me and throwing on pajamas before sulking into bed. I could hear Graham growling on the other side of the door for awhile before leaving.

            I was a teenager. Somewhere along the way everything had gotten all muddled. Weeks ago I had just been a spitfire teenage girl who rough housed with two rascals and was in the care of my older brother and his mate. Now I was the Luna of a pack and mated to the guy of my dreams and was almost eighteen. And yet it all felt so wrong. BEcause I hadn't changed that much since I threw a similar fit that landed me on Graham's territory. I was still scared and lost. I still had no clue what to do with myself and was trying to find my place in the world. DId I really want to kill Kron? Well it needed to be done and it made sense for me to do it. I didn't want to kill anyone though, but if this is what it took then I guess it would have to do.

            Maybe I was just a teenager trying to grow up too soon to fill shoes I wasn't ready to fill.

            It had been two hours later when I heard Graham come back to the house. He must have gone on a run. He jogged up the stairs before pausing at our door. i could nearly feel him resting his forehead and hands on the door and sighing before walking away.

            A deep pang hit my heart as moisture built in my eyes against my resistance. My wolf was crying for Graham but I ignored her. I was already hurt enough for the both of us. Jeez why was I so emotional? And why did this feel like such a rejection?

            After the shower turned off in the other room and Graham didn't return I realized I would be sleeping alone tonight. Now the tears fell.

            I would like to say I cried myself to sleep but I didn't. I didn't get an ounce of sleep. THe sun rose in only two hours, incredibly long hours but it had already been an incredibly long night. When the sun rose enough to blind me from bed I got up and peeked out the bedroom door. The house was silent without a single creak. Graham must still be asleep.

            I padded over to the next room and peaked open the door to see Graham sleeping. Which he wasn't. In fact he wasn't in there at all. The bed looked like it hadn't ever been touched. Another pang ot my heart.

            i wanted to sink to the floor and cry but no, that would be a waste of my false energy and emotions. I stalk back to my room to throw on some workout clothes before heading outside. My wolf was mad enough at me to go on strike so I took off running on my own two feet.

            The soft forest floor against the rubber of my sneakers bounced in long strides. The sun had climbed much higher in the sky before my wolf began to make me slow. Looking around I realized I wasn't in the territory anymore, nothing was familiar. My unlimited wolf energy had brought me too far.

            A small creek was trickling at my feet, I went against the flow knowing it would bring me higher in elevation. Then maybe I could see where I was. The trickle of water frew until -

            "What do we have here?"

            The gruff voice had me spinning around gasping. Oh no.