Shadows Of The Pack (Aria and Knox)
Chapter Fourteen: A twirl of emotions
The room fell silent.
Sophia was the first to break the silence, glancing around.
Aria and Shana shared similar looks of apprehension while Knox's face remained blank.
"What is going on?"
Aria turned to her, "You really weren't the one that placed the necklace in my room."
It was a statement rather than a question.
The usual glare left her face as she shook her head negatively.
"Why do you all look like that? What is going on?" Sophia asked again.
Shana sighed, "We need to get that necklace off Aria's neck or it's not going to end up good for anyone."
Sophia blinked like the solution to their problem was the most obvious thing in the world, "Then just simply remove it."
Aria yanked at it again but it didn't budge.
"I can't take it off. The magic isn't letting me take it off."
"What exactly will happen if it doesn't come off?"
Knox finally spoke, "She is going to die."
Sophia stood digesting the information. Every bad thing that had happened started with Aria's arrival. Her life had been good.
Even though she wasn't mated to Knox, he still paid her attention.
The thought crossed her mind that with Aria gone, perhaps everything would return to normal.
Her wolf growled angrily at her and Sophia knew Aria dying wouldn't be a solution to her problems and it would be the wrongest thing to let her die when she could help.
"If it's about magic I know people we can talk to."
The three wolves turned to her mirroring the look of shock.
Aria's voice conveyed her skepticism, "You are going to help me?"
Sophia folded her hands taking a defensive stance, "I don't like you doesn't mean I want you dead."
"Who are these people?" Shana asked, stepping forward.
"Before I came to the Nightshade pack, I was part of a pack that coexisted with witches. The wolves protected them and in return they used their powers to help with healing and stuff like that."
"So why did you leave?"
A blush crept into Sophia's face as she looked down, "I heard Knox was hot."
Aria almost laughed.
"Anyway", Sophia continued, "I told my parents and they let me leave. I can go back whenever I want to so if it's a magic problem, I know a number of witches that can help. Plus it would be really nice to see my parents. I've missed them."
Knox looked at Sophia quietly. He had always seen her as a wolf to satisfy him. It never occurred to him that she had a story. That she was a wolf with affection.
Aria turned to Sophia, "So they will help?"
Sophia nodded.
Shana took a step forward, "Then what are we waiting for?We should be halfway there by now."
All three females made to leave the room.
"No."
Aria was the first to turn to him, "No what?"
Aria tried to protest but Knox stopped her, "I can't send you off with them with that mark. If something happens, they would be the first wolves you would attack."
"But-"
"Knox is right. You need to stay back where he can watch you. I might like you Aria but I really don't want to be torn to shreds. I managed to avoid that happening for five hundred years and I will tell you now. I won't go down without a fight."
The humor was apparent in Shana's voice but Aria was in no mood.
Her wolf growled at her telling her that she was being unreasonable and their mate was right.
She sighed, "Fine. I will stay behind."
"I will go to Lydia now to get supplies. Do I need to send Mark to you?"
"No, just tell him I have given the order."
Shana nodded.
"Once you tell him, leave immediately."
Sophia and Shana walked out the door.
"Sophia." She stopped as Knox called her name.
"Yes Alpha?"
"Be careful."
***************
Aria paced outside the pack territory. She stared at the mark on her arm. It was still the same.
She wiped her wrist angrily trying to clean it off.
She yanked at the necklace again.
Suddenly the world felt constricting, like the walls were closing in on her.
The air in her lungs felt thin, the more she tried to grasp for it, the more it evaded her.
"Aria." Lilian rushed to her.
"I can't." She gasped out, "Help.. I can't."
"Aria, stop talking. You are having a panic attack. I need you to try to take a deep breath."
Couldn't the older wolf see that she was trying so hard to do that?
"I can't."
"I know it's hard. But I need you to Relax and try to take a deep breath. Just one Aria. Just one. Come on."
Aria tried to suck in a breath but it was hooked.
"Good. Now I need you to take a deeper one."
She tried again. Succeeding more than the first time.
"Keep doing that." Lilian rubbed her hand on Aria's back.
Aria continued until her breath returned to normal. She collapsed against the tree.
Lilian sat beside her giving the younger wolf a moment to collect her thoughts.
"Has that ever happened before?"
"No." Aria's voice quivered, "I don't understand what is going on in my life anymore. Everything was fine, then Liam rejected me and everything just fell apart. Now I'm going to die because of a mark that I didn't even want in the first place and and-"
She broke down into tears.
Lilian pulled her closer as Aria sobbed in her arms.
"I'm really sorry."
"It's fine honey."
When Aria stopped crying Lilian asked, "How are you going to die from the mark? I've never heard of the mark killing anyone."
"This stupid necklace or Crystal," she yanked at it, "Is corrupting the mark and I'm going to lose control of my wolf."
"Oh dear. Can't you take it off?"
"No. It won't come off."
"The last thing you should be doing is sitting around."
Aria folded her arms pouting like a pup, "Tell that to Knox."
"He isn't helping you find a solution?"
"He sent Sophia and Shana to meet with some witches since the Crystal is magical and he didn't let me go with them."
"It is just his way of protecting you."
Aria sighed, "I know but it's still annoying. I didn't even ask, "What are you doing here?"
"Ah, well my mate refuses to acknowledge that he is an old wolf and still has the excitement level of a pup. With the alliance, he is finally able to visit the Nightshade territory. He has always wanted to but he is an Alpha that commands with respect so since Knox asked that no one enter his territory, he respected that."
Aria smiled, "But now-"
"Now he was the first one up this morning and he announced that we were visiting the Nightshade pack. I could see the excitement in his eyes, hear it in his voice."
"What you have with Alpha Randy is what I've always wanted."
Lilian tapped her hand affectionately, "You will find someone. You don't have to spend the rest of your life with your mate. When you meet someone that cares for you deeply and you feel the same, then you two can form the bond."
The wind blew at the leaves, carrying them off the floor. Aria closed her eyes and wondered what it felt like to the leaves. Would everything be easier? Just going where the wind takes you.
"I never got the chance to see my parents together but it sounded like they were really happy."
Lillian smiled, "They were."
"My wolf thinks Knox is her mate." Aria blurted out.
The older wolf kept quiet as seconds passed, "But your mate."
"Yes. He rejected me. That is what I don't understand."
"Are you sure you were really mates? Maybe your emotions clouded how you felt about him, making you think it was a mating pull."
"I don't know. Liam felt so right. I thought beyond a doubt that he was the wolf for me. My wolf liked him too but with Knox, it just feels so different. The pull is almost blinding."
"Maybe you are right and Liam is your mate,there is such a thing as second mates. The moon goddess shows mercy and grants you another chance."