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Ariels POV

Time starts going by slow... Or maybe fast. All the days blur together. Parker and Justin are the only people I really like and hang out with. But Raphie works at home more often, ever since I broke my wrist. Which has long since healed.

So I'm alone. Raphael in his office and me with all the time on my hands. But I can't leave the house of course, oh goddess forbid I do that. Then Raphie is mad for days and I get a lecture and it's just so frustrating.

How long has it been living in Raphie's house now anyway? A month... Maybe a little longer. Ah well, no one texts me or calls me to check up. Well, mom does. She calls every week but she can never talk for long, always being pulled away by dad for something. I can tell it frustrates her, she called crying once, almost made me cry. She said she missed me. Well, she's the only one. But I miss mom and dad and Aubrey most.

I sit on the edge of the pool, alone, as usual. I sigh, looking down at the calm water. I had too much free time on my hands. Raphie never includes me on his alpha stuff so I'm here being a very useless Luna. Aren't I supposed to help around or something?

I growl and kick the water with my toes, splashing it across the pool. Dumb Alpha Raphie.

"Ariel?" Think of the devil apparently works too. I look back at him, standing beside him is the pack doctor.

"Are you sick or something?" I raise an eyebrow, looking at Raphie.

"No... Actually she's here to see you." I've never seen Raphael be awkward, but I'm pretty sure that's how you describe what he's being now.

"Why? I'm not sick. Or hurt. Look, my wrist it fine." I lift it up and wave it around.

"I'm afraid I'm not here for your physical health." She says slowly.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I inquire, awfully confused.

"I'm here to test your mental health, Luna."

I think my wolf finally snapped as the anger bubbles inside me. Raphael thinks I'm mentally damaged does he? He thinks I need to be tested for something? I stand up and march myself right in front of him.

"You're the one who's isolating himself and being an absolute dick to me, if anyone should be getting their mental health tested it's you Raphael. You and your stupid alpha ways and stupid rules of keeping me locked up in the house and not being allowed to be alone. You're a fucking bitch and I hope you feel as hurt as I do, because dear Alpha Raphael I'm not going to act like your mate until you act like mine."

And then I run. Out into the forest, letting my wolf out. Letting her take out her anger as she runs. Our anger as we run.

It hurts too. What Raphael did. It hurts.

No one comes after me this time. No wolf to chase me or protect me. I'm left alone. Inside, I know I hurt Raphael, but he also hurt me. I go faster and faster until I get tired and finally I stop. I just lay there and eventually I fall asleep.

***

Something keeps nudging me. I just want to sleep! Geez. Slowly I open my eyes to see a huge pretty brown wolf. Colours ranging from all sorts. I wish I had a bunch of pretty browns like that, I'm white and black like mom.

Wait... Raphael?

I slowly push myself up and I look at his big wolf. He walks behind me and gives my backside a nudge, clearly wanting me to go. Growling at him, I start to walk home. Slowly though, still tired. If I get too slow though, Raphie gives my backside a little push. Though I can't help it, I still feel exhausted. Hungry, thirsty and tired.

We get back to his house and he goes behind a tree. When he walks back out, he's shifted and he's got a pair of shorts thrown on.

He opens the door for me and I walk inside.

"Come on Ariel, up you go." He says when I sit at the bottom of the stairs. I don't think I have enough energy to do these things. Pushing myself, we walk up the stairs. My wolf is whining inside the whole way up.

Once in my room, I hop onto the bed and shift back, laying stomach down so Raphael doesn't see anything.

"Ariel..." He walks over. "You were running most of the night. You've only had a few hours of sleep. Rest, I'll get you breakfast."

I don't even ask him how he knows that. He pulls a blanket over my legs before leaving the room. It's silent for a while, and I just listen to the noises Raphael makes. He comes back up after a while.

"I have some toast, are you going to eat it?" He asks, and I feel the bed next to me dip. I pull the blankets higher up on myself and open my eyes. I pull the blanket so it covers me and I slowly sit up.

Raphael takes the blanket and ties it around me somehow so that I don't have to hold it before handing me the plate of toast.

"I'm sorry... I'm not a good mate, I know." He finally says. "I really do try. And I'm sorry I didn't talk to you first about getting the pack doctor to check up on you. It's just, you started to become so isolated and sad, I didn't want you to turn out like me."

He does care, he just doesn't know how to show it. "I can't say I forgive you... But I can try."

"I'm going to try to be better too." He nods.

"Thanks Raphie." I murmur.

"You're welcome, Ariel." He kissed my forehead before settling beside me. We sit in silence as I eat.

After I finish I decide I'm in need of a shower. So I go do exactly that. And the rolls seem to switch. Raphie sits in the bathroom as I do.

"Why have you been so sad lately Ariel?" Raphael asks slowly, like he knows he's treading on ground he maybe shouldn't be.

"Everyone at home... They're just replacing me with Aubreys mate. Aubrey hasn't even made an effort to contact me, or June. They just kinda... Forgot I existed." I mumble.

"I don't think so... I think they miss you. And with your personality, they're probably waiting for you to call first." Raphael replies.

"June isn't. She found out that Selene was better than me and it's like I never existed to her. June-Bug's gone."

"A best friend wouldn't do that Ariel. You have to talk to her again."

"You think she'll want to talk?"

"If she doesn't, you don't need her. You have me. And Ann, Parker, Liam and Justin. And soon I'll introduce you properly to the pack."

I smile a little. Raphie's words made me feel a little better. When I turn off the shower and step out, he's waiting with a towel though his eyes are closed. I laugh as I wrap the towel around myself.

This is strange. Raphie being all mate like. I look up at him as he looks back at me. I smile and I watch in absolute shock and Raphael smiles back. It sends my stomach turning.

It fades and he raises an eyebrow. "Are you... Turned on?"

"How do you know!?" I snap embarrassedly, looking away.

"I can smell it- you're turned on by my smile?" He asks, seemingly confused.

"Just get out!" I whine, pushing him away and closing the door.

Thank you, self, for bringing your clothes into the bathroom. I change and calm my little teenage hormones. Oh gosh, that was so embarrassing. My mind flickers back to his face and I groan. I didn't think a stupid smile could do that.

"Ariel? You've been in there for fifteen minutes now, are you okay?" Raphie calls, knocking on the door. Heh. I slowly walk out. "You don't have to be embarrassed, it's natural. Besides I get it all the time."

I narrow my eyes. "Whaddya mean 'all the time?'"

He shrugs. "Girls seem to be easily turned on."

"So that's what it's like growing up hot," I mutter to myself and walk out.

"I'm spending today with you Ariel. What would you like to do?" Raphie says following me.

"Uh..." I look back at him in surprise.

"Anything you want."

I shrug helplessly. What do couples do besides go on dates and cuddle? We stand staring at each other blankly for a while.

"Wanna build a fort?" I suggest excitedly.

"Sure."

With that we're in the living room. Pushing around couches and chairs and pulling blankets and pillows everywhere. By the end we have an epic fort.

"Now we gotta get stuff for inside!" I run upstairs and grab everything I can from my bed. The pillows, my stuffie, the comforter, my blanket too of course. I struggle coming back downstairs with it. Raphie brings the stuff from his bed and we crawl into the fort, setting it up.

"You're setting it up like we're sleeping here."

"Of course we are." I say in a duh tone.

"Okay... Well I was thinking. I need something I can call you. You call me Raphie, what can I call you?"

"You have to come up with it."

"Baby cakes?" His tone is somewhat playful and I give him a look. I snuggle up into the set up. "It's far from night time yet, Ariel."

"Doesn't mean we can't enjoy it now." I reply.

And it's not long before I'm wrapped up in his arms and we talk. Like a couple should. Weird.

We order pizza for this lunch kind of dinner. And, Raphie even gets Parker to go buy us a bunch of snacks and candy and stuff. I'm beginning to think he did research on how to be a good boyfriend.

Well, that is until Parker comes into the house. Raphael suddenly goes silent and I can tell he does not want to be seen in the fort by his third. I crawl out and walk over to Parker.

"Is... Raphie in there with you?" Parker frowns.

"Nope. Well, he came by to give me the pizza. Then he left." Damn im a smooth liar. "I'm watching Netflix and stuff in there. Now shoo, this is my personal time!"

"Alright, alright." He says, handing me the bags. After he leaves I crawl back in with Raphael who has the laptop for Netflix.

"Ready mamacita?"

"Ew, not that one either."

"It means a very attractive woman in Spanish... Well and little mama."

"Well I don't like it."

"Okay, I'll find a new one."

We watch together, eating the sweets. Finally, after lots of binge watching, Raphie takes the laptop away, saying its time to sleep.

"But I'm not tired."

"Ariel," he pulls me down and holds me tight to him. "You know what I've noticed about you, once you let your guard down, you're a very kind person. You aren't always rude."

"I think it's just cause you bought be candy that I was being nice." I reply.

"Alright now cuddle bug, bed time."

Cuddle bug... Huh, that one isn't too bad.