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Ariel's POV

It's the third day of being locked in one of the guest bedrooms that Raphie finally comes in. After staying in the house to work and knocking almost every hour.

He stands at the door silently and I don't face him. Instead, I sit perched on my favourite spot at the window. Looking out into the forest. I think I have the image memorized now.

"Ariel..." His voice is a little raspy. "Ariel, please," he begs. "I miss you, princess."

I freeze a little. How did he know I liked that name? It's not like I told him my dream.

I had to stay in the room because my wolfs fury. Over that day too many things had happened that put her on edge. She was almost calm now, in the back of my head where she belonged. Where she didn't give me splitting headaches and make me want to scream.

She was the reason I hadn't come out to face Raphie yet. Not because of my own anger, but because of hers. And the way she hurt me.

He approaches me yet I stay still. Ever since he marked me, I could mind link him. Though, I still hadn't done his acceptance trials, so I could not speak to the pack. Though, any emotions I felt through the bond, or anything he tried to say, I pushed away.

What he does next surprises me.

"Ariel, I'm sorry." He wraps his big arms around me and I find I miss his hold. But what he did was wrong, although my anger is gone, I want to get my payback.

I turn around in his arms and bury my face in the crook of his neck. But not because what he might think, instead, I let my canines extend and I dig my teeth into his neck.

A female marking her mate was one of the rarest of occasions. Under me, Raphie tenses. But he does nothing. When I pull away, I lick the blood away from my teeth and look at the mark I gave him.

"Feel better now?" He asks, he's angry, I can hear it. But, yes, I feel a lot better now.

"I'm sorry too." I whisper finally. The three days alone made me realize how much I needed him. I isolated myself, with the easy help of my old friends and family ignoring me as well. Raphie was the only one who took away the loneliness I so often basked in.

Parker and Justin could take it away too, but when they left it came back. Then Ana and Liam made the feeling stronger.

"I did want a mate. I'm glad I got you. I'm sorry I got so mad, I say things I don't mean when I'm mad. Please just take the loneliness away." I don't cry, I tell myself, but the tears finally spill.

"Ariel..." I know he can feel what I feel over the bond. And I can feel what he feels. He's sorry, and I am too. We both made mistakes that day.

He picks me up and takes me to his- our room. He walks into the bathroom and sets me down in front of the mirror.

My tears fall from my cheeks, landing on the sink. But Raphie doesn't focus on that.

"We're made for each other Ariel." He says softly, and I realize, he's looking at his new mark. And he's not angry now, instead, he smiles. And then he wipes my tears away as his smile fades.

"Raphie," I hiccup. Ready to apologize again.

"Shh, I know princess. I can feel it. Now, get yourself cleaned up. You haven't eaten in too long, I'm going to get you something."

His something ends up being an ordered pizza. I don't mind, I am starving. But my wolf had made it impossible to eat because of how much she made my head hurt.

"Why does your wolf hurt you?" Raphie asks.

"Why were you in my head?" I snap back. I was a little mad that Raphie could go in my head now, but he just silences himself.

"You know... When I first saw you," Raphie says quietly after some time. "I was hoping you'd take my loneliness away too." I look at him in surprise. I thought he wouldn't get lonely, considering he's always so stone cold. I always thought he didn't have feelings.

"Oh." Is all I can manage.

"It started when my parents died," he chokes up a little.

"You don't have to tell me." I realize, in his own way, he's trying to tell me this as an apology.

"I want to. They were killed by rogues. And I was so bent on getting revenge, I became cold. I pushed everyone away." He looks down at his hands. "After I killed the rogues who killed them, I felt empty. I had no goal to push me along. So I put myself into work. My new goal was to be the best alpha. But I stayed a cold man, I'm still a cold man. You're the only one I seem to be able to not be rude to, because you take my loneliness away. You're perfect."

I throw my arms around him, hugging him tightly. He returns the hug and the words that slip from his mouth I can hardly believe.

"I love you, Ariel."

But I can't say the words back. I can't. Despite wanting to, despite feeling so strongly for him, I couldn't say the words. He notices and just shakes his head a little. He isn't hurt, he knows I won't repeat the phrase. He's been waiting for me for years, he's known me for over a month... Longer even, how long have I been here?—Raphie's been waiting to say those words. I haven't.

He holds me close and let's me relax into him. I knew he wouldn't let himself get mad at me like that again, not after what happened. We both knew it. And we could feel it.

Eventually, I let Raphael explore my mind. In turn, he lets me explore his. It's strange to know his thoughts, his thought process much more logical than mine. His seemed to zip through a line whereas mine fluttered from cloud to cloud.

"Call your brother," Raphael urges. "I'm sure he misses you too."

"Not now," I mumble. "I don't want to."

"Fine. Parker and Justin want to see you, something about video games." Raphie comments.

It's like we simply slip back into normal things. Then again, the argument is over. We both know that, and we both are over it. Strange how fast it ended once we could talk.

"Uh, yeah." I purse my lips. "Actually Raphie, I was wondering, what are your packs acceptance trials? Because I still haven't taken them, and I really do want to be a part of the pack so..." I look at my hands.

"The acceptance trials are to fight me."

***

His pack was gathered for the event. Acceptance trials were big in every pack. As I eavesdrop on others, I keep hearing that Raphie will go easy. But I know he won't.

He explained the rules. If the opponent can last over five minutes in a fight in human form with him, you're in. But he'd be getting more than that.

I told him, we're going to use this as a 'take out all your anger at the other' and he knew I wasn't kidding. We weren't going easy on one another whatsoever.

Ana was standing with me, I was facing away from the ring. Wearing running shorts, sports bra with a light long sleeve running shirt over top. I wasn't wearing shoes though. Neither was he.

I smile at Ana excitedly and she gives me a weird look.

"You aren't supposed to be excited for this you silly girl." She hisses.

"Are you kidding? I get to beat up Raphie and I don't even need an excuse!" I laugh.

Parker and Justin laugh at me as they walk up.

"Everyone's cheering for you little lady." Justin smiles.

"Of course they are, I'm the better looking one."

"Alright. Alright. Let's go." Liam comes over pushing me to the centre of the circle the people had formed.

Raphie walks over, smirking down at me. We both knew I'd last. But the thought of getting to let out all my anger, on another person, I don't care who it is! Excitement bubbles in my stomach.

"I can feel it," Raphie taps his head. "Your excitement." He chuckles.

"Good."

"And, go!" Liam exclaims. Wait, what? Did he say ready, set already?

Shit.

A fist flies towards my face and I duck, elbowing his stomach. He takes a step back in surprise and narrows his eyes.

I stick out my tongue and then it's a flurry of hits between us. I'm faster than he is, but he's stronger. His blows have more effect on me than mine do on him. But, he can't land as many as he tries for.

I faintly hear someone say how much time is left, but I don't pay attention. Instead, I gawk as Raphie pulls his shirt off, sweat glistening on his muscles.

Oh hell no, he is not pulling that card on me. I repeat the action, smirking at him as his gaze darkens in anger. Then he's at me again.

We dance. That's the only way to describe our motions. They seem perfectly synchronized, like we practiced this many times over. Neither of us could really land a blow, and when we did, we had to make it count.

Then Raphie's kick takes me off guard and I fly backwards. Pain shoots through my back and Raphie walks over but I sweep my legs, knocking him down. I climb on top of him, pinning him down, or I thought I was.

"Ariel, you weigh nothing." He snorts, easily reversing the roles.

I kick my knee up, hitting him in a place I really shouldn't have. His face contorts with pain and I use my legs to push him off.

We both stand, struggling a little though. I had taken a few hard blows to my arms and chest, none to my face yet luckily.

Before he can fully stand, I lunge. Tackling him back to the ground. I'm about to raise my fist to punch when I'm pulled off by someone else.

"I said times up, do you want to kill him?" Liam asks. I blink a few times and smile sheepishly.

Raphie got up and leaned down into my ear. "Welcome to our pack," he whispers and suddenly my mind is bursting with the minds of everyone else in the pack.

It's easy to shut them out, practice from my own pack, but I keep Parker and Justin's close. Allowing them to mind link me whenever. I like them.

I smile proudly at myself and slowly, people begin to disperse. Ana runs over and hands me a water bottle, at first, I think I don't need it. But then, I realize the fight did tire me, and I did need it. I drink greedily before passing the water to Raphie who finishes the rest.

"I have to work now, Parker and Justin are going home with you." Raphael states.

I simply nod and start my way back. Parker and Justin are ecstatic little jumping beans about the fight. They bicker over who looked sexier while fighting. Of course I know I did, but Justin seems to disagree.

"But when he took his shirt off, did you not see those eyes? Or the very obvious abs?" Justin exclaims as we walk inside.

"I was focused on Ariel challenging him by taking her shirt off with that sexy look." Parker retorts.

"Ladies, ladies, you pick a movie,

I'll be back with movie snacks." I say, walking into the kitchen and leaving them to fight over what movie instead.

I bring in popcorn and some other little snacks and sit down beside them, causally third wheeling in my own house.

But these little fuckers decided to put a scary movie on. I know they did this shit on purpose. Scary movies make me very irrational.

By the time I'm on the verge of tears, though I knew they wouldn't spill, Justin tells Parker we have to turn it off. He holds me tight as Parker doesn't listen.

When Raphie comes back home he scares the living shit out of me in the dark house. I scream, scaring poor Justin who was just trying to make me feel okay into letting out a yelp himself.

"Parker," Raphael growls. "You're forbidden to watch movies in my house unless Ariel picks them from now on."

I'm scooped up and I find it hard to believe my wolf was so mad at him I wouldn't come out of the room just yesterday. I bury my face into the crook of his neck.

"I told you to turn it off." Justin snaps at Parker.

"Well I wanted to watch." Parker retorts.

I look up from Raphie's shoulder, resting my chin on it. But when I look behind him, my body clenches in fear and my heart races. Shadows from the tv spook me and I have to close my eyes, curling up so Raphie protected me.

"Woah, Ariel, it's okay. It's not real." He says quickly as the TV is shut off and the lights are flicked on.

"Parker look at her, she's terrified!" Justin growls.

"Oh... Oh gosh. Ariel I'm sorry..." Parker mumbles.

I dare peaking out at them but their shadows spark ideas in my brain and I'm curling into Raphie again. Dumb Parker and his dumb scary movies.

"You'd better be," Justin growls. "She's going to have a heart attack! She won't sleep tonight!"

I giggle as they bicker on their way out.

"It's late, let's get to bed." Raphie sighs, carrying my upstairs. He sets me on his bed and changes, myself jumping at any sense of movement around the bed or the window.

He hands me something to change into and I don't mind changing in front of him. He's already seen me thanks to him pulling me into that freezing water.

But something still seems off. The argument we had, although over, still fresh in my mind. Still a reminder that our relationship wasn't all shits and giggles like when we made the fort.

I guess I don't mind. I like a little chaos.

"Ariel... I do want to know why your wolf hurt you." Raphie says, looking over.

"I... I don't know why. It's just, when she comes out, it hurts." I frown.

Raphael says no more. Instead he walks over and yanks me to him. To a chest that once hurt my poor nose.

"I only marked you to protect you." Raphie says quietly.

"I know."

"You still got mad."

"I know."

"I'm sorry I didn't ask."

"I know."

He rubs my back softly. "Good."