Chapter 9

"So basically he's PMSing?" I asked, causing Iris and Melloni to nod and laugh.1

Melloni stumbled forward in the dark, the heels, alcohol, and forest grounds weren't doing her good. She grabbed my shoulder and continued walking. "Yeah!"

"So... men PMS not women?" I asked, narrowing my eyes.

She shrugged. "Only when they first meet their mates. Before they mate."1

I don't know whether to feel really grossed out or proud that Mother Nature for once screwed over the male species. "I... I don't even have words."

Iris laughed. "Neither did we back in High School when we learned that." She scratched the back of her head. "But I must admit... how Arlis acted scared me nearly half to death."1

I'd seen worse, but that's not what I said. "How come?"

"He called me Iris instead of mom." She muttered, coming to stop. "Listen, Arlis can be... well..." she struggled to find words, looking to Melloni for help. Melloni didn't help her, in fact Melloni started to walk away. "Arlis thinks the world is against him."1

"But he has you, and the twins." I say, frowning.

She sighed heavily. "And now he has you. But having people around you doesn't fix memories."

"Like?" I prodded, taking every advantage I had to learn anything about Arlis. I was a sponge for information about him.

She licked her lips and played with the hem of her blouse, shuffling her feet. "His parents got murdered by a hunter named Stone, Constance's ex husband." She explained.

"Woah!" I couldn't help but take a sickening step back. "Constance had a husband?"1

Iris nodded. "Yeah. She killed him though."1

Not shocking. "He watched his parents get murdered. Hunters don't kill kids, they still have morals, and 19 is really young in this world. Stone left Arlis alive."

He watched his parents get murdered? I couldn't help the gasp that left my mouth in a small cry. I raised a hand to my mouth and I bet Iris could see the shadows in my eyes.

"In 1837, Constance came back to Montana and met up with a guy named Becker, a powerful witch. Arlis was taken and tortured by Becker's father because Arlis was the only one who could kill him. Took weeks for Becker and Constance to find him and save him. He still has scars." Iris took in a deep breath. "I'm only telling you because I know he won't."1

So many things ran through my mind. Why wouldn't he tell me? Who could hurt Arlis, he was harmless? Why did 1837 sound familiar? And then it hit me.

"1837... the year Chleo and that gir—"1

Iris growled like a wolf, her teeth rattling. "Yes. Same year. Same year that Arlis went Rogue. He went Rogue because of what happened in the months he was taken. 1837 was a bad time to be alive." She was mad, I could tell by the way her hands clenched in and out of fists. Her eyes narrowed and her gaze could set fire to water. "It's rare we talk about 1837."1

"Rogue?" I asked.

She nodded. "Girl, how do you not know?"

"Parents died when I was young. I don't know anything." I answered quickly, too quickly. Iris noticed this, but didn't say anything.

"It's when a werewolf becomes just wolf. They lose all emotions and ties with their human side." She went from angry to scared in a split second. "They become a monster." She whispered. "It's like a last resort. And he tore through people like he breathed air. Constantly and easily."

I gulped and suddenly the light I shown on Arlis got a little dimmer. My mind flashed to the deer head in the freezer, to the way he slammed Chleo into a wall. The growls and glares.

"Five years ago, the pack was attacked by Damarion. It killed Sam's parents, Sam's grandparents, my mother and therefor my father, and a lot of other good people. Arlis was... well he blamed it on him. Damarion was mad that Arlis has silver spread throughout the territory." She clenched her jaw, closing her eyes and grabbing my shoulders. "So when Arlis gets angry, all these memories and more come bubbling up. We try at all costs to keep him tied to earth so he doesn't go Rogue again. He's stressed, he hides it because he doesn't want us to worry, but I see it. Any good mother would. He runs, well Anthony and Chleo help, the largest pack in North America. He has the worst pack neighbor in North America. He has a bad past." Iris moved her hands to my cheeks, small tears spilling from her eyes. "Do you know the best way to keep werewolves tied to their human side?"

I think I knew. Deep down the word sat on my heart, the tip of my tongue even. But I didn't dare say it, because that made it real.

"Mates." She said for me. "Do you know the best way to make a werewolf go Rogue?"1

I backed out of her hands, looking up at the silver moon. I refused to speak, I refused to acknowledge the power that I apparently had.

"Mates." I heard her footsteps begin to walk away, leaving me under the stars and the moon alone.1

Arlis was powerful, I knew that. It enveloped me in warmth and cold all at once. It was the fog that both scared and fueled me. And I had the power, no... the responsibility of keeping him sane, to keep that power obscured. To make him not so angry. He didn't seem angry. He seemed fine. Better than fine. But something about what Iris told me, made me think that he only recently started acting like this.

I couldn't do anything at the ceremony. He was going to fight Constance and I couldn't even blame him. I wouldn't have stopped him. What does that say about me?1

The Hunters took everything from him. They didn't seem to do any good. I had heard nothing but bad things about the Hunters. I had seen nothing but hateful things from the Hunters I have met. Granted that that's only Constance and little Zach, but the way people talked... they didn't seem like good people.

Was I a good person, for thinking that I'd let Arlis fight her. To let him fight a girl. Although, the way she talked and held herself I had the feeling she could beat him. Even if he'd never admit it.

"Are you not cold?" His voice snapped me to reality, out of my dangerous thoughts. I looked into his warm eyes and realized that I was shivering in my dress.

"It's freezing." I answered, unable to look at him. I was scared of him.

"Here." He shrugged off his jacket and threw it over my arms.

I smiled sweetly at him. "Thanks."

He nodded. "Are you okay?"

I shook my head. "No. Are you?"

He shrugged, standing next to me, watching the stars with fake amusement. "No. Is that alright?" He faced me finally.1

I turned to him and his bruised face. I managed to wince and smirk at the same time. "Only if it doesn't matter that I'm not alright either."

He held out his hand, offering a handshake. "Deal."

I shook his hand, warmth spread through my body like it would if I just had a glass of hot chocolate. He tugged me closer, making me stumble in the grass into his arms.

I laughed into his chest, looking up at his face. "Deal."

I picked my hand up and ran it over his black eye, causing him to wince and grab my wrist on instinct. He kissed my knuckles and suddenly I was no longer cold.

"Thank you," he whispered into my hand.

"For what?" I blinked at him, confused but content.

He wrapped his arms around my shoulders, leaning his cheek on my head. "Just for not freaking out after what my mom told you. For still looking at me the same."

The same? I did? I thought for sure I was at least a little scared of him. But I guess he was right. Maybe I didn't actually care. What happened, happened a long time ago. A hundred plus years ago. How could I dwell on that? Those were different times. "Thank you."

He brushed a piece of hair behind my ear as he looked down at me. "For?"

"For risking everything." I realized how much he was risking my keeping me here.1

He had been at war with Damarion before, and he lost so many people. He had already lost too many people. And they're threatening it again because I was here. Yet, he didn't kill me or throw me out. I understood what would happen if he did, but somehow I also understood that it was more than that.

"I barely know you. This is going to sound crazy. But I think I'd always risk everything for you." He chuckled, the moonlight reflecting off of him in rivers of bright darkness. "But then again, I've always felt the need to protect the ones I care about."

Something about that moment made him sexier. And yeah he looked good, but that's not what I was talking about. The way he thought, his mind, was something beautiful.

This was a world I would gladly face the troubles and pain to settle into. I had a final answer to his question. "Yeah... Yeah I'd want to be a werewolf even if I didn't have to be."

He smiled but not for long. "I hope you don't ever have to regret that decision."

***

We were back in Arlis's mahogany filled office that smelled too much like him. "Your dad is pissed, where were you?" Arlis asked, laughing as Chleo groaned, joining the room, bags under his eyes.

Chleo sat down on the black, leather couch in Arlis's office. "Talking with someone." He responded.

Arlis raised an eyebrow. "Talking with who?"

Chleo cleared his throat. "Just a person." Vague, much?

Before Arlis could reply, someone knocked on the door heavily. "Chleo! I know you're in there! Open this god damn door!" Iris yelled from the other side.1

Chleo's face contorted into regret and embarrassment. "Coming mom!" He looked to Arlis. "Who punched you in the face?" He asked, standing up to go unlock the office door.

Before Arlis could answer, his mom stormed into the room Anthony following closely behind her, and instantly began reprimanding Chleo. "YOU MISSED THE CEREMONY! You're lucky your father was there, otherwise Arlis wouldn't have been placed as Alpha tonight!"1

"Is Chleo the official Beta?" I asked, wondering if the Mate's law applied to Betas too.

Arlis shook his head, laughing as Iris laid into Chleo. "He's not the official Beta, but everyone treats him like he is."1

Huh.

"I know mom, I know." Chleo rolled his eyes and I swear Iris almost slapped him.

She blinked like she had seen a ghost. "Don't roll your eyes at me young man! I have raised Arlis, The Twins, you, your sister, AND I TAKE CARE OF YOUR FATHER! On top of that I was temporary Luna for a hundred plus years, don't test me!" She yelled, probably pulling every card she could think of. "And now I have to deal with your absence and we... oooooh you're so lucky you're my son."1

Chleo has a sister? I'd have to ask him about her.

Arlis snickered at Chleo. "C'mon." He whispered in my ear.

But as we started to creep towards the door, she turned to glare at Arlis. "AND YOU! I DON"T KNOW WHY YOU'RE LAUGHING! YOU'RE IN TROUBLE TOO!"1

For some reason I thought she was talking to me. Maybe she knows I'm human? I felt dirty and guilty. Why? I had no idea. From what it seems like I didn't do anything. I can't help that I'm human. I'm innocent. So then why was my throat tightening?

"Oh no, not you sweetie, you're perfect." She gave me a loving smile. "It's your MATE I'M UPSET WITH! Do you know what could of happened tonight!?" She yelled at him and he looked so guilty, it made my heart break louder than thunder.1

"I know mom I'm sorr—"

"Boys and their apologies." She muttered. "You tried to fight Constance in front of everyone. I am disappointed and EMBARRASSED! I raised both of you boys to be more respectful than that. I did not raise dogs, I raised wolves." She growled lowly and I couldn't help but cling a little tighter to Arlis's arm, sinking into his side.1

"Honey, give them a break. Arlis is PMSing and Chleo is—" Anthony started to calm her, but it only worked for a second.

"AND YOU! You disrespected SEYMOUR! SEYMOUR! He could have done a lot worse than punch you in your face!" Her face grew redder by the minute. Suddenly she was no longer Iris Queens, but Queen Iris who was not putting up with anyone's crap.1

Anthony leaned over to kiss her but she pushed his face away with one hand. "No, you're grounded!" She said. "For a week. No kisses, no cuddles, and NO BED! YOU'RE SLEEPING ON THE COUCH!"1

Anthony laughed at her. "You can't ground me. I'm your husband not your child."

"YOU ACTED LIKE A CHILD, SO I'M TREATING YOU LIKE A CHILD. I can damn well do whatever the hell I want. Make that a week and a half. Good luck getting into the bedroom" She pushed him to the side and walked out of Arlis's office, swaying her hips like a boss. She was the boss. She made that crystal clear.1

Someone cackled in the most perfect way possible outside, and I looked to see Dalia and Melloni laughing. The hallway wasn't well lit, but I could see them both standing with Seymour even though the darkness seemed from unlit corners.1

"SEYMOUR!" Iris yelled and the small group in the office peaked out of the door, watching as Iris stormed up to the old man. "YOU PUNCHED MY HUSBAND IN THE FACE!?"1

Seymour widened his eyes and turned around, hands over his head as he tried to escape Iris's wrath, but Iris followed him, determination in her steps. She was a lion and he was her prey. Or should I say, she was the wolf and he was the prey.

Arlis quietly shut the door, whistling through his teeth. "Thanks a lot, Chleo. You put her in a bad mood."1

He nodded distressfully, his mind wandering. He turned to me. "Don't ever make her mad." He warned politely, but I got the message long before he said anything.

I learned my lesson and I didn't even make a mistake. That's how scary Iris was in that moment. "Oh I won't. But I did learn a couple tips of how to reprimand people." I shot all of them a wicked leer.1

Arlis widened his eyes at me. "And that 's our cue. We're gunna leave before Iris finds Constance and/or gives Kate more ideas."1

"Is Constance scared of her?" I asked, laughing.

"When she's like this? Even Kasparov is scared of her." He chuckled, opening the door again, the sound of something crashing made us both wince.

"Arlis... we still have to discuss Alpha Rylee. Constance has been here long enough. The longer she stays, the longer we have until Kaspsr realizes she's gone and comes looking. He'll start here." Anthony cleared his throat.

"Kasparov is in Ireland. Along with most of the Dawns. Only Dallas, Everly, and Zach are here." Chleo informed us, something plaguing his thoughts as he picked his nails.

Anthony tilted his head. "How do you know?"1

Chleo shrugged. "Just do. Listen, I'll talk to you all tomorrow. It's getting late. Goodnight Alpha. Goodnight, Luna." He bowed politely and I knew I would never get used to the feeling of practical royalty. I knew somewhere deep inside, that hundreds of years could pass and I would still remember the partier, the sister, the daughter, I was before I came here.

"Night Dad." Arlis wiped his tired eyes, hugging Anthony, and walked down the hallway, ignoring the laughs and snide comments from his sister and Melloni.

"Night guys!" I yelled to them and waved as Arlis walked too fast for me to keep up with.

"Night, Kate!" They yelled in unison. "Hey, Jonah would kill me, but we should go bug Leif while he lifts." Melloni is apparently team Leif and Dalia.2

Lifts? I stumbled and almost face planted when Arlis's walking became way to fast for my legs to keep up with.

"Woah!" But Arlis caught me before I broke my nose on the carpet. He flipped me over his shoulder and suddenly I was hanging upside down. "Hey!" I yelled, "Put me down!"1

He laughed, despite my horror of being flipped over his shoulder. "Can't take you anywhere." He continued walking, my face at his stomach.1

I smiled as I realized how devious I could be. If this was true for dogs than maybe it was true for werewolves also... I lifted up his shirt and before I could glue my eyes to his build, I tickled his belly, causing him to laugh harder than necessary. He flipped onto his back, me laying across his stomach, on the ground.1

"Did you just..." He took a moment to laugh loudly, the sound echoing off the walls in an addicting rhythm. "Tickle my stomach?"1

I nodded innocently. "Yes. Yes I did."

He rolled us over so he was hovering over me, his let forearm holding him up. His free hand ran along my cheek as he grinned. "I can't even be mad that you probably thought that that would work because dogs like it." He kissed the tip of my nose, making my face wrinkle up in embarrassment.1

"Well... I can't even deny that accusation." I kissed the tip of his nose and he failed at hiding the flush that creeped up on him.

"Big words for such a small girl." He mocked.

Someone stood behind Arlis and a flash went up, making me recoil. The flash was such a contrast against the dim hallway.

"Are you being serious, Dalia!?" Arlis turned but he wasn't met with Dalia's eyes. It was Iris, and she was almost crying.1

She went from hot tears to happy tears. "I'm so proud." Arlis gushed as he crawled off of me, helping me up with a sweaty palm. "Look! You're actually smiling!"1

She held up her Iphone, a well taken photo of Arlis and I filled the screen. You could barely see Arlis's face, but you could clearly see mine and it was happy.1

"You can't even see me!" Arlis exclaimed, but I knew he was more than okay with that fact. "How would you know I'm smiling?"

Iris set a hand on his shoulder. "Because she's smiling." She gestured to me. "And when she's smiling, you're smiling. Now you two run along, enjoy your night. It's getting late and well.. you need sleep, Arlis."1

***

We stumbled thorough the front door. We were laughing over the argument we saw between Dalia and Leif, one that ended in them both rolling down a hill into mud. Something about adding weights to the bar?1

He wrapped his arm around me and walked to the kitchen. "Hungry?"

That peanut butter and jelly sandwich was not enough. I don't know why I thought I could go all day with that. In fact, in the past two days I realized that I hadn't ate much at all. "Starving." He opened up the fridge and I pulled a stool out from under the half-circle bar, my eyes not leaving the freezer. I doubt the head was gone, the deer was probably still in there. "What are we eating?" Anything but deer and I'll accept it.

He checked his watch, a Rolex that made me want to roll my eyes. "Well it's almost 4 A.M., so nothing huge. I was thinking lasagna?"

Lasagna? "Because that's small." I added snidely.

"Look away." He instructed as he started to open the freezer. He didn't have to tell me twice. I hung my head, refusing to look at the red freezer. When I looked back up he held two boxes of microwavable lasagnas. "See... small and short."

He put them in the microwave as I marveled over his kitchen. It was nice, modern. It was mostly black and white, but some shades of grey littered the place. You would think it would be dark and morbid, but in actuality it gave me a bachelor feel.

"Nice Kitchen." I said, making him face me with an amused look.

"Thanks. Dalia picked everything." He laid up against the fridge, closing his eyes tiredly.

I found that he had 2 sinks. "2 si-"

"One's for veggies, the other is for everything else." He answered before I even asked my question.1

Before I could stop myself, I asked the next question. "That seems like a rich person thing. Plus your Rolex. Do you like... kill people for money." I never thought I'd have to ask that as a real question. Yet here I am.

I thought it was a good question, but he just made fun of me by pulling out a stool and snickering. "Yes. And you're next." He said, but it was all satirical. "Are you asking where I get my money?"

I pursed my lips and sheepishly looked up at him through my lashes. "Maybe."

He cleared his throat as he took two forks from his drawer. "Well... there's a Supernatural Court, leaders from all 8 species. It's uh... a little complicated. Each species has a representative and we go once a month or every other month to talk. Twenty people from each species, except Hunters because they're basically extinct, are granted pardons from the Hunters to hold regular jobs. All the money they earn goes to the Supernatural Court. The SC then divides it up and evens it out so each coven or pack gets money based off it's population. Since Sovereign is the biggest pack and/or coven, we get the biggest amount."

And he spent some of it on a Rolex. He must have seen the look on my face because he sighs.

"It's not like that. It's a lot of money. They all hold high paying jobs. One is the secretary of state for Nevada." He placed his hands on the counter. "We get a lot of money."

"How much?" I couldn't help but ask.

He smirked at me. "We get a 83,00 dollars a month."

My jaw dropped to the counter and my eyes probably popped from my head. "Eighty three... THOUSAND dollars!" I gulped. "A month?"

He nodded like it wasn't anything big. "Uhh... yeah? I didn't even buy this, Dalia did... for Christmas."

My mind was still wrapping around the eighty three thousand a month. "You get... eighty three..."

He took the lasagna out of the microwave and handed me it. It was too hot to eat yet, so I set it down on the marble counter in front of me.

"Are you a gold digger?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

I nodded. "I am now."I said jokingly.

His heart rose with glee as a grin spread across his face. "It's spent throughout the pack. I don't get all of it."

Okay, that makes more sense. "Okay, because for a second I thought you got all that moment." I ran a hand through my hair and whistled. "So everyone has a nice house like this?"

He shook his head. "Not everyone has a house?" He said it weakly and he said it fast. "But not for the reason you think!" He added, standing up straight. "A lot of people just fall asleep as a wolf outside, in the woods. And if you don't do that, then you sleep at the Pack House, plus we have some houses and cabins spread throughout here. But a lot of people... even if they had one... wouldn't sleep in it."

Well duh, Kate. Wolves don't sleep on memory foam. "Oh. But the houses out there... are they like this?"

He shrugged nonchalantly. "Eh. Some are better, some are worse. Nobody is falling apart while I live in luxury if that's what you're asking."

Thank god, because that was exactly what I was asking. I exhaled with relief. I grabbed my fork and dug into the lasagna, blowing on it, and savoring every bite.

We ate in comfortable silence until finally the sun started coming up over the horizon in brilliant reds and pinks over the fallen leaves. The trees cast shadows that laid across the ground in blacks and grays, all the colors melted together like a saturated sunrise.

I stood at the window, just watching the forest come alive. Squirrels skittered across the ground, disturbing the peace but somehow making it more beautiful.

"You okay?" Arlis stood behind me, resting his hands on my shoulders.

I just nodded, mesmerized by the browns and greens that complimented each other even though it meant that mother nature was dying. "I've just never... seen fall so beautiful."

Arlis nodded, his orbs of warmth and honey watching the trees. "It never gets old." Coming from someone who doesn't age, I took that advice to the heart. "It's weird," He took a deep breath. "Fall seems to be everyone's favorite season even though it means everything is dying."1

I bit my lip, realizing that there were a lot of metaphors and sayings you could tell about Autumn. "Well...I like it because it's the start of something new." Maybe the weather was a symbol of me.1

Slowly but surely I was falling out of line with my old life, dying if you will, and being reborn into this new life.1

"C'mon," Arlis yawned, making me mirror him and yawn too. "Let's go to bed."

I didn't answer, just followed him up the circular steps to a hallway.