Ariel: The Lost Alpha's Belligerent Mate

My name is Ariel Harvey, a member of the blood moon pack. This is how humanity first learned of our presence. All you have to do is listen and accurately convey what I reveal to you. I am counting on you to spread the word that we are not malicious like vampires who are out for human blood and to populate their coven with a initiated humans. There is a war coming but first I must tell you how it all began.

Welcome to Dotingharm, a place where humans share a whole lot in common with vampires and werewolves. Whitewood is an island in Dotingharm, from here you get to Winsburg which happens to be the capital city of Dotingharm. I have always wanted to see what lies beyond this island, I wish to get to Winsburg but not this broken.

An uproar steals the peace of Whitewood when four gamma wolves pulled my mother out in chains to be executed for poisoning the alpha.

I forced myself through the crowd to get to Susan before she gives the order to behead my mom.

"Let go of me!" I yelled as a stranger's hands pulled me back I could not resist "There is nothing you can do, Ariel. If you are seen, they are going to kill you too!" Then I noticed the silence. I looked over and watched as my mother's head rolled on the ground accompanied by blood spills, followed by echoes of the Luna's voice,

"This is what happens to traitors, the penalty for betraying the pack. I want all members of the Harvey family dead. Find every last one of them!"

My eyes pooled with tears as I witnessed the death of my mom. My dad was stabbed not too long by members of the pack after being accused of conspiring to kill the alpha. Cersei Riva who has been against my relationship with my boyfriend stood by Susan with a smile on her face as she watched my mom die. I knew I was next.

"Come with me or they are going to kill you the minute you're found." the stranger said.

"Who are you?"

"I am Gregory, a close friend of your dad. Come, there's no time." I followed him immediately, grieved and filled with a desire for revenge. My eyes swam in tears as we came few blocks away from the royal castle. "Listen to me Ariel, you must get away from Whitewood as far as you can. The Walters are going to kill you if they find out you are alive."

"I heard her say so." I mumbled.

"Good. You can never trust anyone here."

"I can rely on Salvador. He's my boyfriend." I replied immediately.

"Not even Salvador! Loving him will ruin your life, you have to stay alive for the sake of the family you have left." He said while cutting my hair short with a scissors.

"You talk like my late father." I muttered with sobs.

"Maybe I do. Get up now. Your younger brother is also dead. The only family you have now is your elder brother in Winsburg whom I believe is not really your brother "

"What do you mean? Tyrell is my biological brother, is he not?"

"I am afraid I can't answer that. Long story. Let's go." He said grabbing my arm softly. My grief was mixed with confusion instantly, though we never had Tyrell spend his lifetime with us as teenagers but I know him to be my brother.

"But you know my dad was innocent. You know the beta had no hand in poisoning the alpha."

"Your father's loyalty can not be questioned but from what I see, the leadership of blood moon pack has been corrupted. I believe Luna Susan has a hand in the Alpha's death. Tyrell is in Winsburgs end, you have to get there. Make it to blackwater before nightfall and sail to Winsburg."

"Thanks Gregory."

"You don't have to thank me. I should have followed you but it's too risky for me. Please stay alive. Now go." He ordered in a way that made me run.

My heart grew with sorrow and was troubled for also leaving Salvador even if he was Susan's son. I should have left whitewood before now but I returned because I was pregnant shortly after I went missing. While I kept running, my stomach began to hurt because of the baby in my womb whose father I know not. No time to worry about that for now,

"Take me to blackwater. Please drive carefully, I am pregnant." I said politely to the driver who stopped at my wave. He drove off immediately and after two checkpoints to go, the third one became a problem.

"Turn around sir. We've just received an order not to allow any car to leave Whitewood." The policeman commanded.

"Please let us through. She is pregnant."

"I am Ariel Harvey. I need to get to blackwater." I added.

"You are the Harvey we have been looking for!" His face contorted. I quickly turned to the driver and in my eyes were screams asking for help. He drove off without waiting to hear a word from me. The officer fired several rounds at us before the driver could get away. About a mile out, I felt an unbearable pain in my left arm only to notice I've been shot. Here my world became a living hell. I could only think of being in a moving car until not long before I noticed we were being chased. I heard cars horning but I couldn't tell how close they were to us because of the pain I was feeling. "Please don't let them take me." I cried without letting go of my bleeding arm.

While waiting to hear a word from the driver, another vehicle collided with ours from the left side of a T-junction.

My head ached at first, then a whistling sound followed by massive gunfires. My vision was still blurry when someone opened the car door.

"Give me your hands, you have to get out of the car now!" I knew it wasn't the driver. Relentlessly I suppressed my arm while trying to regain consciousness. Then I realized the driver was dead already having his head on the steering wheel. The shattered glasses, and smoking bumper left me no choice than to go with the stranger who was trying to pull me out.

My stomach was hurting real bad, coupled with the pain in my arm and I felt the baby in my womb kicking as I was carried by the young man into his car. He drove off immediately and I soon realized that we were no longer being chased. "please I am heading to blackwater. My life is in your hands, do not let them get to me. I am Ariel." I muttered with tears running down my eyes, my sweat was thick as blood, I was dying of taste, my lungs were almost void of air and the pain I felt grew more severe. I was already losing so much blood, I fainted upon hearing him say "I know who you are. Hang on."

By the time I regained consciousness I found myself on a bed inside a warm room with red lights on. There was no one else inside the room except the young man I identified to have rescued me from the T-junction. "Where am I?"

"You're safe."

"I am not safe until I am out of Whitewood for good. Where am I?" I sounded pissed off already.

"You are in Dome. It is on the outskirt of Whitewood. We have our own alpha and we are not ruled by the blood moon pack."

"It doesn't matter. The Luna will find me here anytime soon and you will be outnumbered because she has the numbers. You have no idea what Susan is capable of doing. I've heard of this suburb when I was little and since you are known to refute the sovereignty of the Walter family, it is a good reason for her to wipe you all out. I have to go." I uttered hastily and tried to get me out of bed but he stopped me, saying, "you have to rest for a while. Your wound has to heal. Everyone knows Susan is brutal but we are capable of protecting you. My elder brother is the alpha of this greenwood pack. His name is Jason."

"I don't need your protection, I need to get to safety. By the way, before I was unconscious, I heard you say you know me, How is that?"

"My brother talks about you a lot and how he wished to go into Whitewood to bring you home to Dome. Luckily, you are here now. All thanks to me."

"Enough about your brother already and this isn't home to me. What's your name?"

"I am Raymond." He said and looked at me for a little while before asking, "I believe it is Jason's child you are carrying?"

"How did you know I am pregnant?!" My brows furrowed while I placed my hand on my stomach. I wondered how he figured because my stomach was naturally flat and nearly impossible to tell I was pregnant unless I reveal it, though it's close to nine months ever since. I saw the spread of curiosity over his face as he let out a sigh. "I am a doctor. Why won't I find out? I am only asking because he never told me he slept with you."

I became shocked when he uttered those words because I was already in love with Salvador and if I am carrying Jason's heir then I have lost Salvador forever. I had to open up to him, "truth is, I don't even know if I have met your brother before and his name sounds strange to me, plus I don't even know whose child I am carrying."

"Hmmm. Strange." He gasped lifting a brow before throwing his face away. "I shall have my brother know you are awake now." He finished and left. I frowned and my heart raced as a result of his reactions. Deep down I hoped I have not avoided death only to find myself in another death pit. I knew I kept my pregnancy a secret from Salvador because I never wanted my family to know about it because I was yet to marry him.

Whilst I was thinking, Raymond walked in with his brother Jason but they did not quite look alike. I noticed the gleam of affection in his eyes like the stare of a man who just found his first love. I can't tell his reason for staring at me in this manner but his stare hurt so much like I had been pierced with a spear through my heart. "I think you should go easy on her. She is really stressed out mentally."

"It's okay, Raymond. I got this. Please leave us." Jason said. Not like I was comfortable with Raymond, but I wished he had stayed. My heart grew heavier at every step he took closer to me and when he had sat down, he fastened his gaze on me, "I never believed I'd see you again." He whispered, and then reached his hand to the side of my face, his eyes almost pooled and he gently brushed his hand along my left cheek "I am sorry I let you go that night, Ariel. They took you away from me, I won't let that happen again." After he was done talking, I gently removed his hand from the side of my face and all that kept running through my mind was ...who is this guy?... Then, still looking into his eyes, I said, "I am sorry but I think you are mistaking me for someone else. You have to let me leave Dome or something terrible is going to happen to me and to your pack."

His brows knitted in uncertainty "what do you mean I am mistaking you for someone else? It is me, Jason. Your husband. We married secretly and we consummated our marriage with sex. Don't you remember?" He was even more eager to make me believe him. That very moment, my head began to ache, "please let's talk some other time." I placed my hand on my forehead and laid on the bed. I was glad he left without waiting for me to ask twice. ...How am I married and I know not?... I pondered until I fell asleep.

I woke up with same troubling thought "I am married?"

I tried explaining to Raymond how clueless I was, but he was not listening to me either , "Listen, you can not tell my brother that you are pregnant until you confirm who the father is. I know my brother, he can be hot tempered at times, and if he finds out that the child is not his, he's gonna kill it."

"Then help me get out of here. It's been a week now. The more I stay the more dangerous it becomes. Plus I need time to remember. You don't want my baby dead, do you?"

"There are only two ways to solve this, it's either you escape with the child alone or you pretend you remember everything and let him know you're having his baby. Be quick with your choice. But no matter the decision you make, I will support you because I know it isn't easy to carry a baby."

"I will have to escape because I am not sure it is his child and you know it is the only way. I'll need you to help me escape."

"No, you'll have to do it yourself. If I am caught, I'll be seen as a traitor and he'll execute me without a second thought."

"But you are his brother?"

"Yes, I am, by vow not by blood. And I know my brother." Raymond replied with certainty.

"Okay just take me out of the camp and get me a car. I'll drive myself." I pleaded to make him agree to help. I could tell he was only helping because he was developing an affection for me. There was a car a few meters away from the pack camp and on getting to the car, he broke the glass and opened the door. He was still trying to start the car for me when a noise erupted from the camp.

"Ariel is gone! Find her, don't let her leave Dome. Bring her to me! And where the f*ck is Raymond" We both recognised that it was Jason's voice. He's had eyes on us ever since.

"Get in!" Raymond ordered and opened the backdoor for me and kept trying to start the engine. "Raymond you have to move now," I said.

"I am trying," he replied sounding frustrated because he could see some werewolves approaching the car that just won't start

Sweat gathered on Raymond's forehead as the rioting sound from the camp grew louder and they found us trying to leave. Just when Raymond was about to give up, the car finally started, he hit the pedal immediately.

"Do not let them get away!" Jason's voice erupted once more and I was back again in another car that was being chased by angry werewolves. Raymond knew the risk involved now, he was not driving like he wanted to save me but he was driving to save himself. I started believing what Raymond told me about his brother when they began to shot at us.

"Raymond slow down, my stomach hurts and my arm too." I pleaded as I felt my baby kicking and the pain in my arm increasingly unbearable. I can't tell which was worse: my arm or my stomach.

"You just have to endure. If we are caught, I am dead and your baby will be ripped out of your womb. My brother won't even care." Those words frightened the sh*t out of me, sweat trickled down my forehead, my breathing came out in short pants, my head was spinning and I couldn't seem to calm my racing heart, then it happened. The moment Raymond crossed the gate that leads to blackwater, all cars behind us held their brakes, Raymond did the same. "Why are you stopping Ray?" I asked him immediately.

"This is an embassy, they won't cross." Raymond heaved a sigh and stared out of the window.

"That doesn't mean you should stop, keep moving." I scolded him with a whimpering voice to make him drive though I had wanted him to slow down. The moment he left, the gunfires started again. We knew they've started a fight with the security men at the gate of the embassy and that's not going to turn out well for them. At the heart of blackwater, Raymond stopped the car and slammed the steering wheel severally before groaning loudly. I wasn't even in the mood to say anything, all I wanted was to get into one of the ships up ahead and go south to find the only brother I had left. Raymond had to make me talk... "Do you have any idea what you've made me become?"

"No." I shook my head but he yell at me in return,

"A traitor to my own pack, more or less an outcast!!!"

I leaned backwards and with a low tone I said, "I am sorry, Raymond. Come with me, maybe if it turns out that it's his baby, we will return and he'll forgive you."

"It's pointless. There is no going back now." He bowed his face and was about opening the door when four men showed up and pointed their guns at us.

"Put your hands where we can see them!"

We were handcuffed and taken in for interrogation. Raymond whispered in my ears saying I should pretend to be his sister and let him do the talking but when we went in, they refused him to speak and to make matters worse, we were separated.

"What is your name and the name of your brother?" I was asked shortly after I told the lady I was Raymond's sister.

"I am Ariel and he is Raymond." I said.

"And your family name?" She asked without taking her eyes off me. I knew if I should tell a lie, it won't be consistent with what Raymond will tell them in the other room, so I had to tell her the truth. "So you are Ariel Harvey. Tell me why I should not send you back to Whitewood when you brought the war between you and your pack right into our gates."

"They are going to kill me." I replied instantly. The way she looked at me made me believe she was going to help but I knew she would have to follow procedures.

"Of course they will kill you. What makes you think we are not going to kill you before they do?" She said and wrote something with her pen on a sheet of paper before giving me a favorable reply "I am sending you and your friend into a merchant ship. We captured a few who claim to be members of one greenwood pack in Dome. When the authorities from Whitewood request to know the reason behind the attack on this embassy, we will hand them over."

"Don't do it. They are going to expose me and unfailingly, blood moon pack will come looking for me." I said earnestly and watched her muse for a while.

"I don't think they will, but if they should come looking for you, it will be better to know you are somewhere across the sea than within reach. I can't help you beyond this point, unless you want me to hand you over to greenwood pack."

"No, no need for that. I am grateful." I felt it was better to keep running than to give up after enduring this much pain. I was glad to see Raymond again after spending four days in a secluded room answering questions. My stomach was not protruded, but I knew my baby will be born anytime soon because I have had this pregnancy for a while now.

"Any idea where they are taking us?" Raymond asked me quietly. I kept my voice down because we were accompanied by six men and the lady who arranged our departure.

"Into that merchant ship over there as she promised me." I replied.

"I don't trust her. I wonder where the ship is set to sail to."

"South to Winsburg."

"That's better. At least it will buy us time."

I observed as we halted waiting for the lady to finish speaking with the captain of the ship, though her gestures made me feel she was up to something but I was not sensitive enough to know she was selling us out until we had left the harbor.

"I hope they are worth the exchange." Raymond and I overheard the captain conversing with one of his merchant friend on board.

"What exchange?" Raymond raged.

"Be quiet you fool, you have no say here. You belong to us now and we'll trade you to another master once this ship docks." The captain replied in a way that made Raymond reveal his other nature. I have never seen a black wolf shifter before now: Raymond was so quick to get his arms transformed, revealing his claws as he grew bigger. That wasn't even the real shocker, at the sight of Raymond, the captain and his friend shifted as well... so I became afraid because I won't be able to defend myself should they start fighting, reason is, I can't transform into a wolf yet. Just a few days left before I turn eighteen and be able...