Alpha's One Night Bride

#Chapter 5 - (Jonathan) Reminiscence

Jonathan couldn’t sleep.

He lay awake, watching over Arina; her small body wrapped in a thick layer of blankets.

It’s been 5 years since they had seen each other, and she was even more beautiful as she aged. She’s always been like a little sister to him; protecting her was the only thing he’s ever wanted to do. Knowing that he wasn’t there for her during the hardest points in her life, drove a knife deep into his chest.

He dimmed the lights to his room and sat across the way in a chair nearby the wood-paneled window. The faint light of the waxing gibbous moon reflected through the glass, dancing on his tanned features. Soon, it would be a full moon where they would be at their full strength.

He remembered his first full moon when he had just turned 16. His first transformation was the most painful experience. He wasn’t understanding why his mother, Jess, and father, Regan, were so happy when he was in such pain.

Both his parents had dark thick fur; his mother was a cocoa brown with sapphire blue eyes. His father’s fur was coal black with darkened brown eyes. So, they were shocked to find that Jonathan’s fur was a beautiful shade of golden red, equipped with auburn eyes.

All he ever wanted was to become a full werewolf like the rest of Sabrebite, and once the time arrived, all he wanted was for it to end. He remembered the hunger and the rage that came with the transformation. His parents had to teach him to maintain it.

Regan was the old Alpha of Sabrebite, and Jess was his luna; just as Arina will be Jonathan’s luna. Except, she doesn’t know it just yet.

When Jonathan was hardly 18, Regan died, making Jonathan the new Alpha of Sabrebite.

…

Memories played in his mind of the day that he first met Arina. He was only 6 years old, and she was just born. Jess and Regan were good friends with Arina’s grandfather, the old Alpha of Ironclaw. So, they’ve known Arina’s family for a long time. When they caught word that Emlin was expecting a baby, Jonathan couldn’t help but be curious about who this new addition was going to be.

Seeing Arina for the first time, he was almost in awe of her. She was born with a full head of blonde hair and her eyes were the color of an emerald. He had never seen a baby before, and her tiny little features interested him.

“Can I hold her?” Jonathan asked softly as Emlin had just finished feeding her. A smile played on Emlin’s lips as she motioned for Jonathan to sit beside her on the bed.

“Of course,” she told him as he scurried over eagerly. He could hear the light chuckles of Jess and Regan watching him from nearby.

Arina felt so light in his arms; she stirred uncomfortably for a moment before settling.

“Wow…” he breathed.

“Arina’s going to need a big brother to take care of her you know. Think you’re up for that challenge?” Regan asked in his Alpha tone, yet humor played in his eyes.

Jonathan’s eyes lit up as a surge of excitement shot through him. “I will never let any harm come to her,” he vowed.

“She’s lucky to have you protecting her,” Emlin chuckled.

A couple of years later, Arina’s grandfather passed away. Her father, Rock, became the new Alpha of Ironclaw. Arina was only 2 years old, but she was starting to talk and the things she would say always made Jonathan laugh.

“Jon Jon, you are my best friend!!” Arina would coo through her 2-year-old mouth. Her hair had grown down to her shoulders and her once emerald eyes turned into a pale green.

“I am?” Jonathan would laugh in response.

“Yes!” She would confirm.

Truth be told, even though she was basically his little sister, she was his best friend too. He didn’t keep many friends outside of Sabrebite, but Arina was special. There was something about her that always drove him towards her. Whenever she fell and scraped her knee, he was always there to make things better.

When she was 5, and he was 11, Emlin took them both down to the old oak tree that was planted in the center of Ironclaw the day that Arina was born. Emlin wanted something to symbolize the growth and the heart of her new baby daughter. A tree that could grow stronger with each passing year.

They carved their initials at the bottom of the tree.

At 13 years old, tragedy struck. Jonathan and the rest of Sabrebite got word about Emlin’s passing. It came as a shock to them. Jonathan remembered overhearing his parents talk about how it was a suicide.

“I knew something was going on… I told you something was wrong,” Jess had cried to Regan that night.

“It’s not our place,” Regan argued back; they were trying to keep their tones low to not wake Jonathan.

“She’s been so unhappy since the day her father died…” Jess tried to explain.

“We all were. It was a hard day,” Regan reminded her.

“I know; but Regan, it’s only been getting worse. She used to be so loving and happy. When was the last time we saw her?”

“It’s been a while,” Regan admitted.

Jonathan thought back to when he last saw Arina. Since the day they carved their initials on the bottom of the tree, he hasn’t seen her. He’s always wondered why his family stopped visiting them, but he’s never questioned it. As much as he missed Arina, he at least knew she was safe in Ironclaw.

“Something has been going on in that pack,” Jess said.

Their conversation grew inaudible, so Jonathan couldn’t make out the rest of what they were saying. He didn’t care though; he couldn’t stop thinking about Arina. He wondered how she was holding up since her mother’s passing. He knew he was going to see her soon, at Emlin’s funeral, and wanted to provide her with as much comfort as he could.

The funeral was on the night of the full moon; different shades of werewolves, Alphas, and lunas, surrounded the big oak tree. He recognized one of the largest wolves as Alpha Rock.

Emlin was placed in front of the tree, surrounded by cherry blossom flowers. She was in her human form, just as she died. Her body was thin and her features colorless. Jonathan had never seen a dead body before. He wasn’t sure what he expected, but he felt a ping of sadness as his eyes caught Arina’s.

She was sitting on the ground, nearby the oak tree. Her eyes never left her mothers. She wore a flushed pink dress that brought out the brightness in her features. Her hair was now down her back, ending where her waist began. The freckles around her nose were lighter, but she still had the same beautiful pale green eyes that he remembered so well.

She looked so broken.

Her eyes finally left her mother’s body and found his. Tears welled up in her eyes. She bit the bottom of her lip as she often did when she was trying to keep from crying or when she was thinking intently about something. It’s been a habit of hers since she was even younger. He always told her that she was going to bruise her bottom lip if she kept biting it the way she did. She never listened to him though.

Sitting down beside her, she moved closer so she could rest her curly blond head on his shoulder.

“You know… she wouldn’t want you to feel sad for her. She would want you to celebrate her life; not mourn her death,” he told her softly.

“I miss her…” she whispered.

As the full moon reached its peak, a round of howls sounded through the streets. It was led by Alpha Rock. Some of the howling sounded more strained than others, but they came together as multiple mournful packs. Celebrating the life that had once lived so beautifully and freely. Wiping away the tears of the daughter she had left behind, he allowed her to cry as the melody of the wolves filled the night’s sky.

Around that time, Jonathan was old enough to where he was able to visit Arina on occasions. Jess and Regan didn’t like him going to Ironclaw without them, but he felt it was his duty to check on Arina now that her mother was gone. Alpha Rock was so busy leading his pack that he was hardly around; Jonathan felt it was his duty to care for Arina when he could.

However, once she turned 10, she left home to join a new pack, Moon-valley, and attend their art school. He had to be honest, that it didn’t surprise him she went and did that. She’s been talking about continuing her art lessons because it was something personal that she shared with her mother. After her mother’s death, she had fallen into such sadness, and art was the only thing that brought her out of that depression. It gave her a light that Jonathan hadn’t seen in a long time, and he was excited that she was going to continue to pursue that.

It was what her mother would have wanted.

What surprised him was how quick her decision to leave Ironclaw was. He saw her frequently and she never once mentioned her plans on leaving. Before his 16th birthday, she texted him to say that she was leaving, and she isn’t sure when she was returning. He had to hound her for more information until she gave him the full details of her whereabouts.

He didn’t hesitate to go see her. He was excited to show her his new transformation; after the first initial transformation, changing had gotten less painful and easier to manage. He still had hunger and rage whenever he was in full wolf form, but it wasn’t as intense as it was on the full moon.

Arina was excited to introduce him to her new friends, especially her new best friend Jessica. Jonathan thought she seemed nice; her hair was a pixy brown and her features seemed plain. She was nothing compared to Arina; then again, he’s never found anyone who compared to Arina. Arina was one of a kind; she was the rarest stone in the bunch, and he was excited to see what kind of werewolf she would become.

Hanging out in Moon-valley brought him new friendships and brought him even closer to Arina. He would visit her often in her dorm and attend her art shows. Though he could still see the sadness that lingers in her eyes. Art brought her a sense of purpose and he loved watching her glow.

She never spoke about Alpha Rock, and he never asked about him. He always feared that bringing up her father would only bring back the memories of her mother. He couldn’t bare see the pain in her eyes whenever she thought of her mother.

Back in the present moment, Jonathan made his way to his nightstand where he kept a small maroon box. Within the box was a golden wedding band with a light layer of silver diamonds outlining the band and a sapphire gemstone mounting the top, reminding Jonathan of a flower.

He put the ring back on his nightstand, just in time for her to stir. Her tired eyes caught his as she tried to figure out her whereabouts. The realization was plain on her face and her mouth hung open in utter shock.

“Jonathan?”