Aeriela

I brought my feet up on the swing as I held the phone against my ear, "She just doesn't understand me anymore." I told Zakaria. I had just got off of school but I didn't want to go inside the house. I knew Zakaria would still be awake, probably laying bed and it was late there in Georgia. "Two years ago I depended so much on her but that was two years ago."

"Well I am sorry you two fought but siblings always fight. Tamaz and me argue allot." he said. "So much I sometimes wanna run away. Over there, it was nice. He had to pretend to be nice to me to make it seem like we never fought. Him being over ten years older, he thinks I am immature and childish. I think I might just runaway to over there. There's nothing here for me."

"There's nothing here for you either." I reminded him.

"There is you." he said. "That is enough. My good friend Ellie over there who nice to me."

I couldn't help but smile a little, finding that sweet a little. Why does Zakaria have to say the right things? I'm waiting for him to say the wrong things but he's been saying the right ones. "I'm not really nice to you, though."

"True, you are not." he said, making me chuckle. "But I don't get offended easily. You're like an angry puppy. Mostly cute. I wish I could be there you watch you graduate this Friday, I'm sure you're excited."

"Yeah." I said as I heard a cry drive towards the house. It was Mat car and I wonder if I could run far away from the house before she steps out. I stood up from the swings, ready to go inside, "And soon, my birthday whenever that is. I can do anything I want." Mat got out the car but she didn't walk over. She waved for me to come over and I stared at her for a moment. I was just going to pretend that I didn't see her do that but curious I sighed heavily, "Zak, I have to go. You go to sleep. Goodnight." He said goodnight to me in his language before I hung up the phone. I slipped my phone in my back pocket as I walked off the porch and walked over towards the car.

"I done allot of thinking." she said across from the car. "Another pack of wild wolves are on their way, they should be in less than an hour. I know you're curious to see if it's your old pack. Aeriela—Ellie, I'm not going to give up on this but it would be nice if you help me. Help me teach them how to live in the modern world. They'll respect you more if you help them while helping me."

My cold look disappeared from my face to surprise, "You want my help?" I questioned.

She nodded, "Yes. This is also your world. Ellie, you come from best of both worlds. I do best with human-wolf contact but you do well with modern wolf-wild wolf contact.Will you please help me?"

I stared at her to see if she was serious and she was. I hadn't expected her to ever ask me this. I lowered my head, not sure to why I feel so calm about this. I brought my hand up behind my neck, rubbing it. "I don't know," I said. I lifted my head, "I wanna go see them again. I wanna see Aydin."

She bit her lower lip before nodding, "Alright—but I don't want you to do anything to him. Not at least until you're eighteen."

"Deal." I said as I grabbed the handle of the door and got in.

*

I watched as the three women grabbed the metal trays with food on it. Even though there was three of them, they all fought for food with each other as if they were hungry even though they get fed like six times a day. Wolves always fought for food though if it's what they wanted. I lowered my head from the window, remember how Uncle Ramses always brought me my food and ate near me to make sure no one tries to steal my food. I hated always having to be careful with my food.

Mat twirled the card to be able to enter any place in the prison around her fingers, "I'm going to interview each of them soon. I'll start with the women first, hoping they'll be more open about everything." she said. "We had to separate all the males into their each room. Their too violent to be with each other. Two of them are already dead because they fought with each other."

"It's strange to forget how violent they can be towards each other." I said.

"Their more violent now that their bodies are trying to get rid of the drugs." she said. "A doctor examine them and the women aren't as bad as the men so the drugs should detox from their bodies soon."

I crossed my arms as I turned to face her, "They're really changing, aren't they? I didn't notice if my pack was taking them while I was still there so I don't know if they started before or after I left. Aydin was always jumpy and had adrenaline rush. It's hard to tell in the beginning until it starts to look bad. And Aydin looked bad the last time I saw him."

"Even when they do detox, I can release them back into the forest Ellie." she said. "They'll start doing it again. Their aggressive enough."

I lowered my head again, bring one of my hands up to my head as I tried to just disappear for a moment. What should I do? I knew deep down Mat was right about them being dangerous to the world now these days but everything just going to disappear. Our history—wild wolves is where we began.

"You know, in Europe they actually have history books on our history?" Mat said, confusing me as I looked up at her. "Yeah, they do. And I mean everything—everything story and legend. All it's history.They're not many books of them, maybe about eleven of them. Their so old and every once of while they rewrite a new edition."

"We don't have that here." I said and she nodded.

"We don't but we will soon." she said. "I had the Alpha of Hungary look for it and he isgoing tomail me the book. We'll get it translated, make copies of the books, and learn about the unknown things we didn't know. We're not losing history, we're just growing to me new ones." She brought her arms out and rubbed mine, "Aeriela, I'm not trying to destroy our history. I think you do believe it's time for them live with us. Time to be part of our world."

I stared at her for a moment, hating that'll I have to admit she's right. I turned my head around, looking through the window to see the three women looking in pain and one was throwing up in a bucket. I turned my head back to Mat and swallowed my pride, "Yeah, you're right." I said as I nodded.

"And you're going to help me, right?" she asked and I nodded. She wrapped her arm around mine as she came beside me and we walked down the hallways, "Aydin body has detoxed by from the drugs so he will be responses but he's still very aggressive and agitated. He's chained up to protect the guards and himself. Don't try anything funny, Aeriela."

"Kill him while he's chained up? That's cheap." I said. "I deserve way better than an easy kill." We walked over to a small cell room where I saw Aydin in the corner of the room huddled. He was whispering something to himself, looking anxious and paranoid.

The walkie talkie in Mat pocket beeped, "They've arrived, the bus from Louisiana arrived Alpha Matilda."

Mat grabbed the device, "I'll be there soon." she said. She swiped the card against the machine on the wall and the red light turned green. She opened the door, "Who knew you'll get a visitor today, Aydin?" Mat said as she went in.

Aydin growled, "Make her leave."

Mat tsked, "Hmm, no crazy talk. Good." she said. I stepped in beside her and Aydin bared his teeth as he looked up at me. She turned to me, "Take all you need." she said before walking out the room.

I turned to Aydin who glared up at me, "You think because you wear modern clothes and do you hair like that you're not a true wolf anymore?" he asked. I looked down at my floral blouse and my straighten red hair. I looked at him as he stared at me in disgust, "What a pity, you were such a beautiful one to. They ruined you."

"They didn't do anything." I said as I walked over towards him. "You on the other hands—you ruined me. You tried to force me into being with you and you killed my uncle."

He scoffed as he looked away, "Ramses was getting old, he was losing touch of his role of Alpha because he was so worried about bringing you back. I told him to forget about you but he insisted he'll bring you back to us. I had so much hope he'll bring you back but it all ended with disappointment from him."

"Because of me?" I questioned and he nodded. "You're so pathetic to use me as an excuse to murder someone."

He looked back up at me, "Murder? It's survival, you know this Aeriela. You grew up knowing this. We killed humans and now you live with them."

"I never killed anyone!" I coldly said I pointed at my chest. "I never agreed to that way and I was called weak because of it. Humans are smarter than us, Aydin. If we like or not, they are smarter. It's why we went into hiding all those years ago."

"Their weapons are stronger, not them. They hide behind them." he said. "And those modern wolves, they became scared. We true blooded wolves, we fought to keep what's rightfully true to our ways."

"It's not the right way!" I yelled at him, then stepped back. I lowered my head, bring my hand up to my head as I tried to calm myself down. "I left because I didn't want to live there anymore. I wanted to live in the modern world where I'm safe. You don't understand how happy I am."

"Happy? How can you be so happy there? It's all fake, Aeriela. They live with humans—our food. They live among them and it's more disrespectful than hilarious. And sad." he said. "And worse, you left your own family for them."

I lowered my hand, "I didn't choose them over my family!" I yelled at him as my eyes watered up. I held the tears back though, "I loved my uncle and yes, I know what he thought he was doing was best for me.It wasn't though because this isn't the old days." I said, the words smacking me hard in the face as I believed so much more in what Mat is doing. "I wasn't going to be treated as if I was lower to you or him though anymore. I'm stronger than you, Aydin. Your eyes, their only yellow. Mine will be those Alpha colors. You became alpha because of your disloyalty to my uncle and I'll take revenge for him."

He raised his chin, "Then do it." he said, making me narrow my eyes on him. "Show me, show me how big of a strong wolf you are. You don't need your first shift to kill me, you can use your bare hands. Kill me, show me how strong you think you are!" he yelled and my hands balled into a fist tightly.He growled in frustration,"For the Heavens do it! Show me that you aren't weak and kill me!"

I brought the back of my hand across his face as hard as I could and there was a big smack sound. He lost his balance, hitting the wall. Breathing heavily as I glared down at him, I control my aching nerves that so badly wanted me to lash out at him. I wanted to continue to hit him, punch him, do anything to harm in so many ways. I wanted to wrap my hands around his neck, squeeze hard until he wasn't breathing anymore or snap his neck. I have seen that be done plenty of times in my life to know how easy it is. I knew though Aydin was only trying to rattle me up and to break down in front of him.

He bared his teeth at me as he growled, "Go away, pup."

I brought my foot up and kicked him right in the face, "You lose, Aydin. Look around you, trapped in chains and in a large cage because you can't control yourself." I said to him. He glared up at me, growling and I could see the hatred for me in those eyes. "I on the other hand adapted to the human world, where I freely do whatever I please. I'm the winner here and you are the past. Nothing you can say well ruin my life." I turned away and walked towards the door.

I heard the chains rattled as he quickly tried to stand up, insulting me. "You're no wolf, you're a traitor to your own kind! No one wants you anyways, Aeriela! No one wants a wild wolf as their mate."

I turned my head around, "Actually, you'll be surprise how many males want me." I said just to grind his gears and it worked. His shock expression turned cold as he growled at me, feeling the threat of other males wanting me. He yelled as I walked out as I grinned, "Melinda is still very pissed at you, I hope she does it slowly." I said before slamming the door hard.

*

Mat and I walked out of the prison and I could see the relax smile on her face. I arched my eyebrow, "Why you so look happy?" I asked.

"How excited it is you actually do what I ask." she said, making me huff heavily from my nose. We walked over to a black SUV,"I'll have Rodrick take you home, I have to help settle the new arrivals settle in."

"You'll tell me if it's my old pack, right?" I asked her as her smile left her face. "Mat, you will right?"

"Of course, Aeriela. I know it's important for you so I will and you're gonna help me so you'll be able to see them." she said.

"No." I told her.

Her eyebrow arched as she looked at me, "No?"

"I appreciate you asking and I thought I would want to but.. .but it's harder than I expected. I understand now that this is all for helping them but I wouldn't be able to help much with all the memories. If I wanna move on, then clinging to the old life isn't gonna help." I told her as we got to the SUV. She leaned against the car as I grabbed the handle, "And I would try in many ways to get in the way past my boundaries."

She chuckled, "Well I'll be damned, Killian was right. You are old enough to handle all of this now." she said, making me grin. She scoffed, "Hate it when he's right."

I laughed, "Killian always right."

She sighed heavily, "And I guess this calls for saying Ulric was right."

"Ulric?" I questioned, letting go of the handle.

She nodded, "Yeah, he's the whole reason this happened. He came to my office last night and just suggested I involve you in this."

I stared at her for a moment and she nodded, "You're telling me the truth?" I asked. "You're not lying?"

She shook her head, "No, I'm being serious. Trust me, I was surprised as you are. Maybe he has changed, I haven't seen him in my office for any trouble so far. Maybe he did finally grow up."

I scoffed, "Come on Mat, this is Ulric we're talking about." I coldly said as I opened the door and got in. "I'll see you later." She nodded her head, closing the door for me. I sat there, tapping my nail against the door as this new ran inside my brain. Ulric the one who got Mat to involve me in this? I closed my eyes, breathing heavily as I tried to remember all the bad he done. No, Ulric is the bad guy. I shouldn't trust him again. Ever.