Loss of Innocence

Chapter Four

Chapter 4

Arabella Baine

The past three weeks have been great but I couldn’t shake off that feeling of uneasiness and anxiety. What was wrong with me? These people have been nothing but good to me and here I was, being all paranoid.

“Bells?”  Ella called out to me. I turned and smiled at her warmly.

“Hey Ells. What’s up?” I asked casually leaning against the tree. It has taken me a three whole weeks to finally make my way outside. The wolf inside me took over, bringing out my love for nature. I basically walked over to the tree and had been here for hours.

“Wow! Congratulations! This is a whole new progress for you,” Ella squealed, hugging me tightly.

“Thanks. I know,” I sighed looking at her carefully. “I know something is bothering you.” I noted as I looked over the dark bags under her eyes and the lines on her forehead. “What is it?”

“It’s nothing to worry about, Bells. Don’t worry about me,” she smiled sadly before hugging me to her side. “Father has talked about adopting you as his own.”

At that, my heart started to swell. These complete strangers housed me in and actually wanted to adopt me as one of their own!

“Listen… I need to tell you something…” Ella trailed off, looking at me worriedly.

“What is it?” I pressed on looking at her seriously. Her eyebrows furrowed as she looked at the ground.

“I’m not always going to be here for me father and mother… You’re a part of the family now, so I would like to ask you to make me a promise,” my heart started to speed up. Why was she telling me this?

“Okay?” It came off more of a question.

“I want you to promise me to fill in for me… If I am no longer here…. I want you to fulfill their needs. I want you to be their daughter,” tears filled her eyes as she looked at me with a heartbroken smile.

“Stop it! You are not going anywhere, you hear me?” I shook her hard, trying to knock some sense into her. I never wanted her to leave. She was like a sister to me already.

“I have to! Don’t you get it? My father has made some mistakes in the past…. It’s either I give myself up or the pack goes to another werewolf’s hands. I can’t do that to my father… I just can’t,” she shook lightly, shaking her head from side to side. “I love this pack way too much. Please promise me, Arabella.” I flinched at the use of my full name.

“I…I…Can’t,” Tears fell upon my cheeks as I hugged her tightly. “I love you like a sister. You can’t do this to your parents. They love you too much.”

“I have to! It’s for my pack! I’d do anything for my pack. Alpha Sauron will be coming in two days,” her body shook violently in both fear and sadness. “He’ll be coming for me soon.”

“No, he’s not,” I stated looking at her. Her eyes were red from crying and fear was still evident in them. I mustered enough strength and ordered, “You will not be coming with him. I am.”

She shook her head lightly, “This isn’t for you to meddle with…. If he finds out you’re lying….You will die!”

“I don’t care. I’ve been through so much already. Dealing with some angry Alpha is nothing new to me. Come on, I can’t let you risk your future. I can’t let you throw away your chance at being an Alpha. Someday, you will be fighting your father for the throne,” I smiled, wiping some of her stray tears away. “Like I said, you and I are like sisters. I will do anything for you.”