Chapter 20

ARIELLA.

"You're crazy for even saying that," I replied to Eli. "My father and your uncle are far stronger than you, Eli. You're asking for your own death."

"We don't know that yet. I trained too, Ariella." I sighed because I couldn't contradict that. I heard every male in their pack has to train fighting as soon as they turn fifteen, even the civilians. This also would explain Eli's lean but slightly muscular physique.

"I know that you know how to fight, but come on, that's not enough to fight them," I reminded him. "Look, I appreciate that you want to help me, Eli, but if you're really serious about what you just said, you should think twice. My father's fighters alone are ruthless killers. You should know that, because they're the only reason your pack isn't invading ours. Your uncle knows that he can't defeat my father's elite warriors. So imagine what'll happen if you face them?"

"Maybe you're right, Ariella. But if we remove the head, the limbs become useless. All it will take is to take out your father. Or my uncle. Or both."

I scratched my head, realizing that Eli was itching to fight, and that was because of me. "I get your point, but I'd rather we stay away from them than fight them, Eli. My father will kill you. Don't waste your life."

He looked like he wanted to argue more aggressively, but instead asked me some questions. "But are you sure that your father won't leave you alone, Ariella? You just said it, he wants his bloodline to continue. So he will definitely look for you, am I right?"

I nodded. "I'm sure he already sent some of his men to find me. And if he finds me, he'll force me to cut the mating bond between us and let me marry someone else and have a child. I will never have a life I could call my own. And the worst part of this is I can't even get back at him because he's just fulfilling a tradition passed down to him."

"But if he's forcing you, then he has to be stopped, Ariella."

"I know. But I can't. He's still my father, Eli. I still love him. He wasn't always like that, you know. He used to be a good man."

"What happened?"

"I think he changed after my mother died. You know, when my mother died in that fire when I was young, he kind of died too. He became so lifeless and unmotivated. If not for his Beta I don't think he would still be the Alpha. But you know about that, right? My father's shortcomings are not actually a secret, especially to your family."

"Yeah. But that's only because my uncle wouldn't stop talking about it. But still, your father shouldn't have treated you like that, Ariella. I know I'm not in a place to say this, but your father is mistreating you and you shouldn’t let him be."

"That's the hardest part, isn't it? When your own parent doesn't really care for you as a person, but only as his child. He keeps saying to me that my 'bloodline' is precious and that he needs to find me a good man worthy of my blood to the point that he despised me when it was you who became my mate. I don't understand him, but I still want to, Eli. That's why I'm here away from him. Maybe the distance and time away from each other will clear both our minds. That's why I'm asking you, please, don't fight him. Or your uncle. If they ever find us here, then we can just run away again somewhere else. Just don't fight my father."

"Okay. I understand," he whispered, and then he hugged me tightly as if to seal our agreement with it. After that, I felt sleepy and tired and finally dozed off in Eli’s arms. But when I woke up, I was already in my apartment. I was also now wearing different clothes and I felt like I took a bath too.

The realization both shocked and scandalized me for there was no one else that would have done this to me other than him. I looked for my phone, which was on the table, and dialed his number. "Hey, where are you? We need to talk about what you did."

Eli chuckled over the phone. "Good morning too, babe. Already missed me?"

That was enough to make my cheeks red. "You should have woken me up, Eli."

"I did, but you weren't waking up," he revealed. "I think you were so exhausted last night, that's why I just let you sleep. Don't worry, I did nothing to you but clean and dress you. I promise."

"You better do, because if I find one hickey in any part of my body, I will kill you."

"I didn't, and if I did I would have placed it where it wouldn't be seen."

"You son of—"

He burst into laughter so I just laughed it off too. And I couldn't deny that I kind of liked what he did, but only because I know him well and he wouldn't take advantage of me while I was asleep. "Are you okay now, though? Last night you had a slight fever, so I let you take some meds. And you were talking in your sleep. Probably dreaming? I got scared you know, but don't worry I was with you the whole night and only left when morning came."

"What did I say in my sleep?" I asked curiously.

"You were talking about the moon. You kept on saying you can't get away too, but from whom or what, I have no clue."

"Maybe I was trying to get away from you, seeing as you're so extreme," I joked, but I guessed he misinterpreted it because he paused. "I mean, who does that in a tunnel? You are crazy, Eli. I don't know what to do to you."

"You don't? Just let me love you, Ariella."

"Did I tell you I wasn't letting you?"

He made some noises over the phone and I knew he was ecstatic with what I said, and that made me smile the whole morning. As I prepared to go to work, I couldn't help but think of Eli, who's now my boyfriend. Officially. I admit that I underestimated him. I thought that he would give up on me because I kept on rejecting his efforts, but he really proved to me that he loved me. And to me, that was all that mattered.

***

Back at The Honeycomb, I was dreading the moment when I would come face to face with David because we still hadn't talked since what happened last night. I just left him after all, so I have to apologize to him and make some excuse for my actions that I'm sure looked so weird to him.

But to my surprise, he was nowhere to be seen at the restaurant. The other staff told me David asked for a day off today, and that only made me feel more anxious. I couldn't help thinking that maybe I was the reason he did not go to work today. The whole day my mind was just wandering because of David's absence, so when it was time to leave I barely even noticed it.

I was already outside the building and was just waiting for Eli when I sensed something. Someone was staring at me, or stalking me. My wolf was on alert too. But then I heard screams, and then I ran towards the source of the scream. My feet brought me to the public park, where there in the grass was a woman lying on the ground, with blood all over her.