Alpha's One Night Bride

#Chapter 6 - (Arina) A Mistake

I can’t remember the last time I fell asleep and didn’t dream about my mother. Every night it’s always the same dream; the night she died. The coldness of her body and her pale features are forever engraved in my mind.

Waking up, I felt almost empty inside. I only remembered bits and pieces of the night before and the slight stinging of a headache told me why the night was fuzzy.

My “father” had kicked me out of Ironclaw. Not that I cared. It’s not like I was ever planning on returning anyways, but the thought of not being able to return to the place my mother died, wounded.

Sitting up in bed, I looked around the dimly lit room; the faint light of the sunlight appeared through the wood-paneled window on the far side of the room. I was in a rustic bedroom with walls that were made of dark meadow wood, matching the hardwood floors. In the center of the room lay a maroon rug with swirls of red and white, which matched the drapes on the window and the maroon comforter that laid on top of me in the king-sized bed.

I could feel the warmth of the fireplace that sat comfortably between a grey brick wall in corner of the room.

I didn’t recognize the room I was in, but I recognized who was in the room.

He was curled up on a chair nearby the window; he looked as though he hasn’t slept all night.

“Jonathan?” I said, my eyes growing wider as memories of last night played in my head.

What have I done? He’s practically my brother. 

I had s*x with my brother. 

I started to not feel so good.

He stood up quickly as his dark brown eyes traced my face. His sun-kissed skin was practically illuminated in the natural lighting of the outside. His biceps were strong, and I remembered being entangled in them; remembering the heat of his skin as he touched me and the softness of his full lips as they touched mine.

He ran his fingers awkwardly through his shaggy brown hair, still maintaining his eye contact. I hadn’t seen him in about 5 years and seeing him in front of me at this moment was staggering.

“Jonathan?” I repeated, softer.

“Hey…” he said, almost awkwardly.

I grew up with him and he helped raise me. However, I haven’t seen him in so long. Since I couldn’t go to his 18th birthday, I always thought he was so mad at me that he didn’t want to talk to me anymore. I was hurt and that feeling stayed with me for a long time.

He wasn’t just my brother; he was also my best friend. A lifelong friendship that ended because of a party. I knew the party meant the world to him and he had no idea about what was going on at home with Rock. Knowing Rock was going to be at the party, I couldn’t bring myself to go.

I hated myself every day for not telling Jonathan the truth. He, at least, deserved to know the truth. But I also knew because of how protective he was of me; he would kill Rock. I didn’t want the blood of my father to be on Jonathan’s hands. Not while he has become the new Alpha of Sabrebite.

I remembered from my drunken state, the night before, that I told him everything that’s happened with Rock and how I wasn’t convinced my mother killed herself. I also remember telling Jonathan that I wanted to go wherever he was going, due to not wanting to go home to Moon-valley.

When I left Ironclaw, I remembered trying to call Jessica, but I must have accidentally called Jonathan instead.

“We need to talk about something,” he said as I struggled to get out of bed and onto my feet. I brushed my blond curls out of my face with my fingers and stared down at my bare toes that laid flat on the wooden floors.

What I needed was to figure out an escape route. I couldn’t stay there; not like this. If I turned into a wolf now, without warning, I could get a head start. But he was so much bigger and faster than me that even if I did get a head start, he’d definitely catch up to me. 

“I need to go,” I found myself saying. Brushing past him I felt the warmth of his skin, almost making my knees weak. His fingers brushed against my wrist and tightened, stopping me.

“Arina, wait,” he said; his voice was deep and sent a chill down my spine.

This wasn’t a natural feeling.

Looking up at him, I could see the worry in his eyes.

“Whatever happened last night was a mistake,” I told him; my voice sounded strained. As though I didn’t believe the words I spoke. “This can’t happen again.” 

His eyes hardened.

“It wasn’t a mistake,” he said.

I stared at him; disbelief clear on my face. 

What the f**k was he talking about? 

“It was supposed to happen. It’s a bit earlier than planned. But eventually, it was supposed to happen.”

“What are you talking about, Jonathan?” I asked him, annoyed.

“Arina, you are my mate.” He spoke slowly

I couldn’t have heard him correctly. 

“I’m sorry. What?” I felt my words getting caught in my throat.

“You were born to be my luna,” he said. His face showed no signs of humor.

“I wasn’t born to be anybody’s luna,” I shot back. 

None of this made any sense. What kind of joke was he trying to pull on me? Whatever it was, it wasn’t funny. It was hurtful and mean, and I wanted to leave.

He stopped me again.

“Arina, please listen to me,” he said, urgency in his tone.

“Jonathan, let me go,” I said, shooting him another look.

He didn’t.

“I’m serious, Jonathan. If you don’t let go of me, I’ll…” my voice trailed off as I tried to think about what I’d do.

I had to admit, there wasn’t much I could do. Not only was he bigger and stronger, but he was also older. Much older. This had to be a cruel joke and I wasn’t buying into it.

“You’ll what?” He urged. 

This time there was a playful tenderness in his eyes. I felt my cheeks flushing in embarrassment.

“I can’t be your luna,” I told him, softening my tone. His face fell slightly. “After everything that’s happened throughout my life, I just can’t.”

“I have to show you something,” he said as he went towards his nightstand.

I watched him curiously as a small maroon box appeared in his hands. Turning back towards me, I saw his expression harden, yet his eyes showed signs of something I didn’t recognize.

“The day of my 18th birthday, I found out you were my mate…” he began. “It scared me because of how young you were… or I should say how young you are.”

“Jonathan…” I said in a broken whisper.

“Please let me finish,” he said in return. I closed my mouth and nodded. “Arina, I have loved you my entire life. Yes, you were like a little sister to me, but there was always something more. Something I could never explain until now. I’ve always known that you were special.”

He took a hold of my left hand; I stood there, staring at him in dismay. He flipped the box open to reveal the most beautiful ring I’d ever seen. It had a golden band with diamonds outlining a blue sapphire gemstone, the diamonds acting as pedals to a flower and the sapphire as the core of the flower.

“Arina, I love you…” he spoke softly, still staring into my eyes. I could feel the wolf in me stirring; something that I had never felt before. She was awakening; the fire that burned so deep inside of me was beginning to flare.

“Love?” I heard myself saying. “There’s no such thing as love…”

“Give me a chance to prove you wrong. Marry me.”

“You’re kidding,” I choked out a laugh, staring down at the ring that was only inches from my finger.

“I’m not.”

“I can’t marry you, Jonathan,” I told him, laughter still in my tone.

After everything I knew about “love”, what my mother went through when she married my father, love didn’t exist. After all these years of not seeing Jonathan, and now having him stand before me and ask me to be his luna. It was surreal. None of it felt real.

But I also couldn’t deny the fact that my inner wolf was flaring with every word he spoke. As though she too knew this was going to happen and that’s she’s been waiting for it.

The feeling was unfamiliar.

“My mother died because love killed her,” I tried to explain. “She was let down time and time again.”

“I’m not your father.” His voice hardened as he remembered what I had told him the night before.

“I know,” I told him gently. “But it’s because of my father that I can’t allow myself to believe in love. Or marriage.”

His face fell again as he closed the maroon box. I could feel the disappointment of my inner wolf, but I pushed that feeling away.

“For what he did to you, Rock will have what’s coming to him. That’s a promise, Arina,” Jonathan assured me; his tone sent a chill down my spine.

 I could feel the excitement of my inner wolf. Another unfamiliar feeling.  

There was so much seriousness in his eyes.

“He did more to my mother than he did to me,” I admitted softly.

He stayed quiet for a minute, but then lifted his gaze.

“You had mentioned that you don’t think your mother’s death was a suicide,” he said.

It wasn’t a question.

I nodded once, having no memory of telling Jonathan any of that.

“What if I helped you look into it and find out the truth about what happened to her,” he offered.

My mouth hung open, dumbstruck.

“Investigate her death?”

“Yes. Find out the truth about your mom’s death,” he told me.

“You’d do that for me?” I asked.

“I would do anything for you, Arina. I love you,” he said again. 

I could feel my inner wolf stirring excitedly. I couldn’t deny that she was feeling affection toward him.

This time I couldn’t keep the tears from escaping my eyes. I bit the bottom of my lip to keep from sobbing, a habit I seemed to have had my entire life. It always drove Jonathan crazy.

He took my chin firmly in his fingers and pulled my bottom lip from my teeth. Meeting his eyes, he spoke low and tenderly. “We can find out the truth together, Arina.  Marry me.”

“Can’t you help me because you are my friend?” I whispered. 

Our faces were inches from one another. I could smell the sweet mint from his freshly brushed teeth.

He opened the box again; my eyes fell and stared at the ring he had before me.

“No. I want you, Arina. Marry me,” he said again, “that’s my only condition."

I felt my heart almost stopped .