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Ariel's POV

Give Raphael sex and he treats you like a motherfucking queen. I love it. He spoiled me all day with love and I can't get enough. I love snuggling up to him and not worrying about anything else. He's my safe place.

"I love you Ariel," he whispers, nibbling and kissing the skin on my neck as I lean against him. I smile and close my eyes. I love him too.

"I really have to see my brother today." I tell Raphie. "Can I please go now? I'll only be out for a bit." I promise.

Raphie's grip tightens and he has to think about it for a while. "Fine. Only a little bit." He lets me go.

I kiss his forehead and head out after getting dressed. I head to where they're staying and know he's in there from the scent, no Selene, thank the moon goddess.

"Come in." He says, his voice sounds rough, upset.

I walk in and look at him. He's an absolute mess. He's on the bed, his eyes red and puffy from crying. He's only wearing sweats and he's got Kleenex all around him.

"Aubrey..." I whisper.

"I think I made a mistake." He says finally. "Selene left me."

"What?" I choke.

"After her outburst, I got mad at her. She had no right to say that. And then... and then... this morning when I woke up, she wrote a note. She said she wasn't my mate." He cries harder.

I go over to the bed and hug him tightly. He needs someone too. Just like me.

"And she isn't." Aubrey adds in a whisper. "I think someone else in the meeting was my mate and she must have gotten her scent on Selene... Selene explained in her note that she played as my mate for the title and the money and everything but she can't live with me anymore. I tried so hard to love her, and I tried so hard to be nice. And I should have known she wasn't, but oh goddess, Ariel I want a mate. I wanted one so bad I convinced myself it was her."

I hold him as he cries. He sobs and sobs and I hold him. I miss his hugs. And this time he's not the one holding me as I cry. I didn't cry much, but when I did it was with Aubrey and I let it all out.

After a while, his tears dry and his sniffles start coming to an end. "You mated with Raphael last night."

I blush heavily. "Yeah."

"I'm glad you have him." Aubrey says softly. "Because he'll protect you better than any other alpha can."

I smile a bit. "Thanks Aubrey... I missed you. I missed you so much. I kept waiting for you to call..."

"Ariel I promise, when I go home, I will call at least every week. I'll call every day. Because I missed you too." Aubrey says. "If it doesn't sound so self conceited... I'd like to be alone again. I just need some time now to..."

"I get it." I say softly.

"Give this to Raphael," he hands me the treaty papers. "Tell him thank you for looking after my baby sister... and thanks for staying with me."

I nod and smile at him before heading back to Raphie. It's dark now, although I can see fine in the dark, tonight it's difficult because of a thick fog.

Of fucking course, you know what that means, rogues. One jumps at me, utterly and completely terrifying me to do something so badass I wish Parker was filming me.

I grab it's top jaw with one hand and it's bottom jaw with my other and I honest to the mood goddess, rip it apart.

Two other wolves, rogues as well, stand still. Completely still. Ready to attack but now frozen in shock at their dead friend. I look at what I did. It was a small rogue, very small, that's why I could do it. But... I don't think I've ever been so terrified of myself. I stumble away from the body. What did I just do!?

The rogues take my moment of weakness to attack and I struggle to fight back as my shock has taken my body. But after a good chunk has been taken from my arm, the rogues are ripped away and killed by Raphael.

His eyes are dark and he follows my gaze to where I'm still staring at the wolf I had killed.

"He... he must've only just shifted." I whisper as my world dots in black from my blood loss.

"Ariel!" Raphie exclaims. He scoops me up and starts to run, going to the pack doctors. "Your arm... baby your arm. Princess? Princess stay with me. No- no- don't close your eyes. Stay up."

I feel sluggish and light headed. My body hurts. All my body. I'm run into a bright area but my vision is so clouded with spots I hardly notice the brightness.

I'm moved and pinched and prodded. But I hardly realize, sometimes Raphael's voice will come into focus. Then I'll hear snippets of him saying things will be okay. But other than that, it's hard to focus.

The rogues... I killed that one rogue like... like I was a monster.

I open my eyes for what feels like the first time, even though I think I've opened them before in my state... I look around before pulling out the treaty papers and holding them out. Raphie takes them, he looks so worried and panicked. I don't like seeing him worried.

"You're jacked up on drugs. You're gonna feel high or something." He says. "You lost so much blood..."

"It was only a bite in my arm!" I say sluggishly, and slow. And I think I might've missed a few words.

"And one on your leg. And deep scratches all over you... Ariel you let them mangle you." Raphael whispers the end in distress.

"Stop. Wrinkles." I try to say stop worrying but I can't as I feel drowsy again.

"Shh... we'll talk more when you're feeling better. Sleep now Ariel." He says softly as my eyelids flutter closed.

I open my eyes again, this time feeling a lot better. Raphie is in a chair, staring at the ground.

"Raphie?" I ask groggily.

"Yes princess?" He looks up, his eyes darting over my body looking for new injuries or signs of pain.

"The rogue..." I whisper. "I just... I just..." I start crying. "I just grabbed his snout and ripped him apart!"

Raphael seems to be desperate as he starts trying to calm me down. I know he gives me more sedatives because I can hear him think it. But I'm too stressed to do anything about it. My breakdown stresses Raphie out more.

But then I'm asleep once again.

Eyes open. Natural light. I'm awake again. I feel okay... better. Machines have been taken away, no more IV or blood bags... I'm in our room.

"You slept almost sixteen hours. I took you home, I know you hate them pack hospital." Raphael says as he sees me awake.

"Thanks." I whisper to Raphie. "Can I shower and stuff? I feel gross."

"Well... Yeah. But you have to be careful not to get your bandages wet. We can't have them getting infected, it will take longer to heal." Raphie is talking so much. And it's not even that formal. He's so worried he's resorted to talking in the modern day language of English. "Ariel, I can hear your thoughts."

I smile a bit and look at him. My goal is to forget about what happened at put that whole scene behind me.

I listen to Raphael's thoughts for a little while as Raphie holds me. They aren't very interesting considering they're on me. That's gross. Sometimes, something in the back of his mind screams treaty. But that's it.

After a while, he goes to read my mind and I close my eyes. Letting him in.

He replayed the scene in his head from my point of view and he looks at me.

"I can see why this hurts you," Raphie says. "But damn, princess, you said it yourself, that was badass."

"I don't want to think about it. I want to shower and eat." I mumble.

"Okay." Raphie nods and he takes me into the bathroom. He helps me having to take a bath since it's easier so I don't get my bandages wet. Then he rinses me off with the shower head since I think bathing can be gross. He helps me out and into comfy clothes.

Someone makes us food since we both can't cook and then we eat together in silence.

"Where's Aubrey and mom?" I ask.

"Your mom won't leave until the two of you have a shopping trip." Raphie sighs. "Aubrey has finally come out of his room and told us what happened..."

I nod slightly. Good. He's being brave and strong.

I glance at the time, it's morning... "How about we all go shopping today? Mom, you, me, Aubrey and of course Parker and Justin."

"You get ready. I'll call them."

I do so, getting dressed in nicer clothes. I brush my hair and put it up in a nice ponytail. I look at myself in the mirror for a while. The rogues last night... ugh. How did they get in? Something just didn't add up! I felt like they weren't just walking onto our territory just because...

I look at my wounds that have been all wrapped up. They don't hurt too bad. My leg one hurts if I step down the wrong way, but I'm sure I'll be fine. I head back down to see them waiting for me.

Mom sees me and her smile goes wide. "Come! Let's go shopping!"

I hate shopping.

We spend hours going through stores. Justin and Parker fuel my mother, turns out they love shopping too. I think I'm dying now.

They were more interested in shopping for me then themselves. They kept making me try things on and they'd say if it looked good or not and blah blah blah. I'm ready to go home and have food.

Mom finally seems to notice I'm not enjoying myself. "How about we go get food now?"

"Please! Goddess thank you!" I exclaim, making Parker snicker.

We walk in and get ourselves food. We sit and talk and enjoy ourselves. Which is one of the best things since I haven't done that in a very long time it feels like. And I mean, enjoying myself with such a big group of people. Hey, this is big for me.

This helps me relax. I love this people. I'm so happy they're helping me. Even if they don't know it.