Chapter 7 - Away

A soft breeze blew the white curtains and they danced in its rhythm, looking like graceful fairies dancing.

“You are finally awake,” Damian said as he walked out of the bathroom. 

“W…where are we?” Ariana asked, her voice almost a whisper. Damian walked towards her bed and sat by her side.

“We are at a hotel in England,” he said, and she started sobbing.

“We are not home anymore? W…when are we going home? I want to go h…home.” She cried. Damian signed, hugging her gently.

“Baby girl, we can’t go home. Your … Erik doesn’t …” He was struggling to find the right words.

“H…he doesn’t want me there.” She mumbled, crying harder.

“It's complicated, my little princess. Your brother is hurting and he is confused. He thinks that he is protecting you this way.” His words hit her hard.

“I am never going back home, am I?” Tears fell from her eyes, soaking her shirt, her heart beating rapidly.

“I don't…” 

“Don’t lie to me, Damian.” She said, cutting him off. He didn’t reply. His silence was all the answers she needed. “I am all alone now. An orphan.” She added and curled up, pulling her knees to her chest.

“No, you are not.” A voice said as the bed sunk and Colby sat beside her. “I am here and Mat and Damian. We are here. We are your family now.” He said, squeezing her small hand. She lifted her head, her beautiful blue eyes filled with tears, and looked at the three of them smiling kindly and at that moment she knew she would never be alone.

From that day, the three of them were always by her side. They treated her as their little sister. Always there when she needed them.

Damian was cautious about their identity. Secrecy was important for their survival. Fake identities and names were a necessity. He knew that the Amarock Order could be on their tracks and the threat of any kind of attempt against Ariana was something he wanted to avoid at any cost.

The formal Beta didn’t want to take any risks, so they only stayed a year in one place, sometimes even less. He would choose the strongest pack in the area, taking into consideration the possibility of needing their help in case of an attack against them. His picking of the packs seemed random but nobody ever questioned him about them.

Ariana and her brothers, Matt and Colby, would attend school but being a rogue complicated thing. Kids could be ruthless and Ariana learned that in the worst way possible.

Bulling became an everyday thing for Ariana. Her new status as a rogue allowed her to see things from a different prospect. People hated her without a reason or a cause. She despised the status ladder and vowed to change that in the future.

She slowly closed herself up and tried to be as invisible as possible while in school, but always watched and observed hardly ever speaking to anyone. The boys didn’t agree with her approach but they didn’t want to press her, so they did the only thing they could stand by her side.

Time passed fast. Every year, new country, new pack, new school. Damian had the three of them on a sticky schedule. School and training filled their everyday lives. 

When Ariana reached the age of 10, she started etiquette training. Damian planned to give her all the knowledge and education she would have got in the castle. He wanted to prepare her for her title even if they didn’t know when and if they would return home. 

Physical training was something he also focused a lot on. He wanted not only his brothers but Ariana, too, to have all the fighting skills to protect herself. 

Closed up in herself, Ariana enjoyed the training. She would train 3 to 4 hours per day. It was a way she could blow some steam off. In her free time, she would bury herself in the books she loved so much. 

At the age of 15, she could easily speak and write in over ten different languages and also protect herself quite well.

She never refused a request from Damian, who was watching her closely but not close enough. Every day she would follow his schedule, but every night she would sneak out and live another life. A life that would give Damian a heart attack.

After her 16th birthday, Ariana felt more optimistic about her life. She secretly hoped they could stay there. But Damian had other plans and once again they were on the road.

Ariana's POV



“Ariana get ready. We have to travel and meet the Alpha of the new territory we are moving in. I want to personally meet with him. Before we reallocate and move in and you are coming with me.”

 Damian said entering the living room and trying to fix his tie. I and the twins were watching my favorite Avenger, Iron Man, spread on the couch. I love Robert Downey Junior. I was sandwiched between the twins, my head on Mats' lap and my feet on Colby's. Both of them shot up from their seats, pushing me to the floor.

”Ouch!” They were so comfortable and warm.

“You are taking Rori with you ?” both of them said at the same time. No wonder they are twins. I smirked under my breath.

I just got up from the floor and turned around to face Damian. He was 28 years old but he could pass for younger. 6,3. Fit body. Brought shoulders and back. Brown hair and green-blue eyes. The dimples on his cheeks when he was smiling were making him more likable. He was the best “brother” ever. He was always calm and collected. Loyal and overprotective and I know for a fact that he would give his life to keep me safe. But he went overboard sometimes. 

The twins were staring at their big brother awaiting an answer. They had the same frown on their faces that Damian usually had on his when he didn’t like something. They were related, after all, I thought to myself. 

The twins had the same colors as their big brother. They were both 6,2 tall and 1inch shorter than Damian. Brown hair, green-blue eyes. Fit and muscular bodies for teenagers. 

Colby was the older one and the most serious of the twins. Mat was more outgoing and friendly. Colby never said anything but he changed a year ago. He became reserved and kept to himself. His attitude last year worried me. Every time I tried to bring it up he would close off. So I decided to leave him be and wait until he was ready to tell me what happened to him.

“You usually meet the Alphas by yourself. What’s the difference with this one?” Colby asked.

“He is kinda special.” He looked at me and I could see he was hesitating to continue. 

“He knew your parents personally, Rori. They were really good friends. Your father trusted him. I want to do this right.”

A wave of sadness washed over me at the mention of my parents. It has been so long since I allowed myself to think about them. I didn’t say a word and I didn’t feel like it, so I just nodded my head. The boys were watching me carefully. I started walking slowly to my room. We were living in a hotel suite for the time being, like every time before we relocated.

“Ahm Rori ?”

 “Yes, Damian?” I said, continuing walking.

“I need you to wear the royal blue dress and put on the long black coat. I don’t want anyone else to see you before we meet with the Alpha.” 

OK, that made me stop. The boys start giggling and trying to muffle their laugh by coughing and clearing their throats.

I turned around and faced my big brother again. 

“You want me to wear a dress? In a royal blue color for a meeting with an Alpha? Damian, I hate dresses. You know don’t make me wear one now please.”

“I am sorry, my little princess, but I will not change my mind. We will not be traveling in the normal way either, so hurry up.”

“But ….but.”

 “Rori, please. They are really important. I just want them to see you for what you are. Princes. A treasure.” He smiled softly. 

“That stupid dimple of his making him so likable. He is looking at us with his big green-blue eyes giving us his best pappy eyes. OK, that’s it. You know we can’t tell him no now, right ?” My wolf Jemma said.” I hate it when he does that.”

“I know you are right but he has done so much for us, so we have to suck it up and put the stupid dress on.”

“Fine.” I just said, turned around again, and started walking to the closet.

“Oh, this is going to be good.” I heard Mat saying.

 “I heard that !” I snapped. 

“I just meant that you were going to look good.”

 “Nice save smarty pants.” 

I walked into the cold hotel room and headed to the closet. Opening the doors, I saw many different kinds of clothes. The dresses were taking the whole one sight of the closet. I went through them and found the one that Damian was talking about. I took it gently and put it on the bed. 

“Mom used to have a similar dress. Do you remember?” Jemma said.

”Yes …I remember.”

“Rori, you wanna talk about it?”

 “No Jemma, not now.Another time maybe.” 

“ OK … but I am always here for you …you know that, right ?” 

“I know Jemma, thank you.”

The dress was beautiful. The opening was in a smile shape. Not too big, but not too small either. There were silver details on the edges of the dress. It hugged the upper body and from the waist down just floated like a blue cloud. The sleeves were not too tight and, in the end, they had so many details in a silver thread, the same motive that was on the chest. The problem wasn’t the dress, it was me. I didn’t want to wear a dress. I don’t think a have even tried one from the day I left home. The day I became an orphan.

“We have the boys. Now go take a shower. Let's get this over with, shall we?” Jemma said.

”Yea you are right.”

I quickly ran into the bathroom and started to undress. 

Ten minutes later, fresh and clean, I walked out of the bath and dried myself. Applying coconut vanilla body butter on my skin. I dried my hair and let it down, my natural curls spilled on my shoulders like dark chocolate waves. Carefully, I put on the dress and some flats. We don’t know how this meeting is going to go, so best to have comfortable shoes on. We may need to run. 

On the inside of my thigh, I strapped a knife holster and attached a silver blade. I am not going to this meeting unprepared. 

“Let's just hope that we are not going to need it,” I said and Jemma smirked.

 “Or Damian finding it out.” The thought made me feel strange. I hate keeping secrets from him but it is for the best.

I was ready to walk out when I heard a whisper from behind.