After a few hours.....

Daniel's POV

I was skimming my eyes through a document that was in my hand, trying to rid myself of thinking of a particular someone. A particular someone with big turquoise eyes and a smile that could sway you off your feet. Ari has the most beautiful smile than any woman I've ever known. Or maybe I felt that way because I love her.

I shook my head as if it would stop me from thinking of her but then my eyes involuntarily landed on the couch adjacent to my desk and I was reminded of that day when she waited for me, sitting on that particular couch,  to complete my work so we could play water balloon fight afterwards. That day, was the first time I saw her look so happy and carefree while she threw those water balloons at me bouncing happily around and somehow it made me put down my walls and be free for once. I never said Ari this, but I had so much fun that day. It is one of the best moments of my life. It was like I needed that freedom. I needed that happiness. I needed her.

It's strange how almost every single thing reminds me of Ari even when I try hard not to think about her. 'Cause in the end, it always brings that bitter-sweet pain in my heart thinking of her being with someone else. In someone else's arms. Being someone else's happiness. Someone else's freedom.

And the funniest thing is, I can't seem to hate Ari--like I hated Kiana after she betrayed me--no matter what. They say it right.

You can never really hate someone you truly love.

A gentle knock on the door pushes me out of my thoughts as I glance at the door of the study and find Carla standing there. Her head is bent low, such that I can't see her face without her blonde hair blocking the view. Something doesn't seem right. Carla never looks down. She always has her chin raised with pride. It's simply how she is. She has a very cheerful and proud spirit to feel down so easily.

When she raises her head and I catch sight of her face, I realise my intuition was indeed right. Carla's eyes are puffy and she sniffs occasionally as she walks towards me and takes a seat on the leather seat in front of me when I gesture her to come in. I don't say anything and instead wait for her to speak herself. She'd always do that. Whenever she is angry, sad or felt down, she would always search for me and end up ranting to me about what had upset her or simply throwing tantrums. Sometimes, she would also curse profanities directed towards the person who had unerved her. It was a rare sometimes but it is funny and weird all at the same time, listening to my little sister utter all types of curses in the world.

"Danny...can I ask you something?" Carla sniffs yet again making me furrow my brows at two things in particular.

One, the person who had made Carla cry was going to pay a big time. I'm sure Carla will eventually utter the name and it's going to cause me a bit of trouble to get that person to beg for her forgiveness but I was willing to take that trouble. Just for my little sister.

Second, well, the second one is strange since it has never happened before....I mean to say, Carla always ranted out her cause of distress herself but this time around, she was asking me a question? That's new....

"What is it?" I tilted my head to the side, waiting for her supposed  'question'.

Carla stares at me for a while as if accessing my face before I see her taking in a deep breath and exhaling it whilst wiping her tear-strained face with her palm. I could say it was taking a toll on her to ask whatever she had to and that made me all the more curious.

"Is your marriage with Ariana fake? Is she someone else's mate?" Carla asks looking straight into my eyes.

My eyes widens considerably before I conceal it back to normal. How the heck did she get to know about me and Ari? Who told her? And my marriage with Ari is not fake! It's just that our marriage solely took place because of the truce. But it's a true one whatsoever.

I open my mouth to deny her words but I am cut off by her before I could even speak.

"Don't lie to me, Danny. Please. Just this once, be honest. I know you care about me and that's why you keep me out of all the feuds but can you once just tell me the truth? I want to hear it from you instead of gathering it from others. Please." She begs which makes my heart churn.

"Who said you?" I ask trying my best to seem as less suspicious as possible but she seems to get a whiff of the matter as her tears start running down her cheeks once again, one by one.

"So it's true?" Her voice wavers and I catch the pain in them.

Why is she so upset? Why does something seem off? And, why do I have a bad feeling about all of this? Nevertheless, I decide to go with the truth instead of lying to her anymore. I had already been guilty enough about lying to her when she asked me where Ari was. Now, it's better I tell her the truth instead of her gathering fake rumours.

"Yes, Carla. Ariana does have a mate. He's the alpha of the wolvesbane pack, Anthony Gonzalez." I begin to see Carla close her eyes, trying to prevent the tears from flowing down her eyes.

I squint my eyes at her expression which seems vaguely familiar. She looks utterly heartbroken, just like I was when Ari said she loved Anthony. The thought brings a fresh pang of pain in my heart but I ignore it and continue,

"Anthony had declined to accept the peace treaty between Vampires and Werewolves. I saw Ariana when I went to threaten Anthony to accept the truce but on seeing that Anthony had eloped to avoid any conversation with me and that he had found is mate, I decided to give him a punishment for not accepting the rules and force him to accept the truce. A mate is a werewolf's biggest weakness. No one better than me can know that. So, as a punishment to Anthony, I married his mate, Ariana, and told him that she'd stay by my side until he decides to accept the truce. But I never thought I'd fall for his mate. I never thought I'd fall in love with Ariana. She's lovely. Anyone would fall for her..." my voice trailed at the mention of Ari's name and I had to contain my emotions from surfacing on my face.

"At first, I wanted Anthony to accept the truce as soon as possible so that I could send Ariana away since she was starting to awaken strange feelings in me. But then, once I realised I was slowly falling for her, I wanted nothing than to keep her by my side. Also, I didn't want her to return back to Anthony who didn't even care about her. In the end, she returned back to him when he accepted the truce. I tried to keep her here but Ariana said that she loved Anthony and wanted to return back to him..." my fists clenched at my sides as I tried to control the pain and sadness I felt within my heart.

It hurts me everytime I think about how she had said those words from her beautiful lips. Those lips which I wanted nothing than to be mine forever. Those lips whom I wished belonged only for me to kiss. It's strange how much I crave her....or how much I love her....even the thought of anything happening to her or losing her makes me insane....

My thoughts wanders of to the time in the graveyard where she almost died because of Anthony's godamn dagger. I had never been so scared for even my own life as much I was for hers...

"Ariana doesn't love Anthony." Carla speaks suddenly making me look at her, surprised.

"What?" There's hope in my eyes which I wish isn't visible to her.

Carla sighs before speaking, "I've seen it myself, Danny. She wasn't a least bit bothered when a girl hugged and kissed Anthony. She even let them have their space and left them on their own. If a girl really loves someone, she wouldn't do that. She wouldn't want the person she loves, to be with another women. She would be atleast bothered by the women's presence or even be jealous. And if Anthony is Ariana's mate and she was in love with him, she would try to rightfully take her position then let another woman be with him. But Ariana didn't do any of those instead she was quite okay with the other women, even looked relieved with the situation. That makes it clear that she doesn't love him and that she lied about her feelings to you. But I don't know why..."

As I processed her words, my heart started beating louder in my chest at the possibility. Does that mean....

Wait a second!

"How do you know this? Wait, when did you visit Anthony's pack? Why did you visit Anthony's pack to be specific?" I questioned her, suddenly having a feeling of dread. What if Anthony had seen Carla already? Would he try to harm her to get to me? No, I won't let that happen...

Carla seemed stunned by the question as if she hadn't considered it before saying about Ari. Now, What is she hiding from me?

"I...I was..." she looked anywhere but me which made me more suspicious. Suddenly, she looked back at me, the action so sudden that it made me furrow my brows, "I was visiting a friend! Yes, that's why I was there."

"Which friend?" I raised my brow while she looked like a fish who'd been caught.

"Um...the friend..." Carla's voice faded as she looked at me with precaution, then at the ground, then back at me. What's she doing?

"Carla, I don't have all the time in the world. Besides, why are you acting so strange all of a sudden? Tell me who is you're friend."

"My friend....he's the-" her grey eyes stared into mine before she looked away elsewhere, "-beta of the pack." She exhaled a long sigh.

"Goivanni?"

"Who?" She looked at me in confusion, then her teary eyes widened as if she realised something. "Yeah, right. It's Goivanni. He's my friend."

Goivanni Wilkins. The beta of the wolvesbane pack. As far as I know, he's a pretty decent man and respectful in all terms. It would have been a lot better if he was the Alpha of the pack rather than Anthony.

"I don't mind you being friends with Goivanni, Carla. He's a good man. Just don't meet him in or near the packhouse. It's a request. You can invite him here, I wouldn't mind that but not in the pack grounds, okay? It's just not safe for you..."

"Because Anthony has a grudge on you." Carla completed, surprising me.

"Yeah." I nodded, "Now tell me, who made you cry?" I shifted the topic back to her.

One, because I wanted to know the bastard's name who made my little sister cry. Two,

Let's just keep the secret about exactly why Anthony loathes me between me and Ariel itself. Carla doesn't need to be reminded of the war few years ago in which her mom, my stepmother, was killed by Evan. She doesn't need to be reminded of her mother's ally, my first mate, Ginivieve, who helped her create the ruckus.

"No one. I was just sad that you hid the truth from me. That's it. Now, I should get going." She stood up from the desk, ready to waltz off.

I didn't partly believe her since she looked really heartbroken when she came, still looks, but then I let it slide. I don't want her to think that I'm a pestering brother who wouldn't stop interrogating his little sister like a freak.

"Carla, wait. Are you sure?" She raised an immaculate eyebrow, looking over her shoulder at me as I continued, "What you said about Ariana. That she doesn't love Anthony."

"I'm hundred percent sure, Danny. It's my observation. Besides, you know my observation are never wrong. So, stop sulking here, get up and go get get your girl back before its too late." She smiled encouragingly at me before rushing out of the study with the door shut behind her, leaving me to stare at the closed door.

Why do I still have the feeling like she's hiding something? I'm sure someone said something or did something which had made her sad but she just wouldn't utter the name. Which is very strange. Why is she trying to save the person?

I sighed before a wide smile made its way on my lips. About Ari, if it's true then... does that mean I can get her back, for myself?

Just as I was about to think more about it, I heard my phone's notification make a 'buzz' sound. I reached out to grab my phone from on top of the table and check the notification. It was a message. From....

Anthony.

It read,

Respected, your Highness,

This message is to invite you to the marking ceremony of my mate, Ariana Cristford, tomorrow. She shall be marked as my mate in front of the werewolf community. I hope to see your presence.

Yours respectfully,
Anthony Gonzalez

Below it was a file sent, which contained the invitation card to be shown to the security tomorrow.

My hands clenched at the sides in anger. This means, Anthony is going to mark Ariana as his mate tomorrow. Once it's done, there's no going back. She'll be connected to him forever. This is not good at all. I have to do something. I can't let this happen.

A lop-sided grin makes its way on my lips as an idea pops into my head but the grin drops as quick as it came.

I don't know whether Ari feels anything for me. Without knowing her feelings, I can't take the decision. But if she does have feelings for me as well....

Then let's just say, tomorrow is going to be one hell of an EVENTFUL day.....

_______________

Literally the most boring chapter of the story, right? I know:(

Anyways, I'll make it up to you'll in the next chapter. Like Danny said, it's going to be ONE HELL OF AN EVENTFUL DAY;)   \_(*.<)_/

By the way, there's hardly 5-6 chapters left for the story to end. I don't know how I feel about this. I'm gonna miss Ari and Danny. But then, I don't want to drag the story too long...

For now, let's wonder what this event is going to be or whose event exactly it's going to be;)

Goodbye
      Have a nice day ^_^