Arya's POV
FIVE YEARS LATER
Tears streamed down my face and I quickly wiped it away. Now was not the time to cry. The police station had this cold, impersonal feel, like a place where time didn't move. Fluorescent lights buzzed overhead, casting a harsh, white glow over the worn tile floors and the walls were painted in this dull brown color that made me want to leave immediately. A faint smell of stale coffee and disinfectant lingered in the air. I kept exhaling, trying to understand what I was breathing in.
“Arya Lockwood” the police officer called out, peering his head out of his office. I sprang up from my seat with the speed of light.
“I'm here” I raised my hands.
“Come in for your statement”
I walked briskly to his office.
“Take a seat” he gestured to a seat. He waited for me to stop sniffing before he smiled faintly at me.
“Alright tell me what happened” he said. And so I began telling him the grotesque thing that had happened at work today. I was filled with dread and no matter how much my colleagues begged, I was adamant on reporting to the police.
“He hit your…your…—
“My butt” my voice broke at the end. The policeman nodded slowly. He began to scribble down something.
“He was your direct boss?”
“No… he's…he's the owner of the company…the CEO” I replied wiping my eyes clean.
His eyes widened a fraction bigger but he quickly recovered. It was a feat to report a billionaire to the police. He nodded. “It's alright, we'll take it up from here, please —”
Suddenly my phone began to ring.
“Sorry,” I muttered as I began rummaging through my bag to find it.
“No problem “he replied. I peered into my screen. It was my son's school. My heart raced a little.
Looking up, I gave the policeman a tight smile.” Please I have to take this”
He nodded.” Take your time, Miss. Lockwood”
“Hello,”
“Hello, am I speaking with Miss Arya Lockwood, mother of Chamberlain Lockwood?” The person asked, and I quickly answered as I stood up from my seat.
“Yes. Yes, I am. Is there a problem?”
“Well, your son happened to have done some damage in school, and we would like your presence with immediate effect,” the lady said, making me narrow my eyes.
“Damage?” I was surprised. My son, Chamberlain was a calm boy, what damage could he have caused?
“Yes, damage. We'll be waiting for you”
Without wasting time, I picked up my bag and hung it on my shoulder.” Please can we continue this later?”
The policeman nodded.” Sure. Come in anytime to complete your statement”
I dashed out of the police station and headed Street to my car. Putting the ignition on, I started my beetle car and began to drive. What could be the problem? Chamberlain was a good boy. He always stayed on his own, like I told him. His school had not called me for once. Whatever the problem was, I was sure it was not my son's fault. I glanced at my watch and noticed that the car in front of me hadn't moved.
Honking the horn thrice, I popped my head out of my car. “Move it! My grandma drives faster!”
I sighed heavily as the car began to move. I've never had a grandmother and I don't know if she drove fast, I just heard it somewhere and loved it.
Life in the human world was way different. People were kind and mean. No one gave free money. Everything you have, you have to work for it. It was hard but if there was something I loved, there was no omega or Alpha bullshit like the werewolf world. Not for one day, I have felt like I didn't belong.
Suddenly my phone began to ring again. I glanced down and grabbed it, when I looked back at the road, there was a little boy running across. My heart flew as I swerved to the left, my tires screeching in pain as I tried to stop the car. The next thing I heard was the crashing sound in front of me. I slowly opened my eyes to realize I had just hit a black expensive looking car. Filled with horror, my hands flew to my mouth.
No! I crashed someone's car. I got out of the car and went to check for the Damage. It was pretty bad. I felt footsteps behind me and turned around. It was a man in a suit.
“Please I'm so sorry. I was trying to avoid that child” I pointed behind me. The man stooped and checked the damage. I cringed. I could mentally see all my savings leave my account.
“I will take responsibility of my actions, send me the amount for the Damage” I said. The man took out his phone and began to type. Then the car window wand down a little.
“Sebastian take her number and contact her for the amount later” the rich deep voice said and the window went up.
“Yes boss” he said, turning to me, he requested for my number and I gave it to him.
I got back into my car and drove away.
Twenty minutes later, I was at my son's school. I literally flew into the principal's office. I spotted Chamberlain standing at a corner, as soon as he saw me, he gave me a faint smile.
“So you're the one who raised this… thing?” She asked and I snapped immediately,
“Don't you dare call my son a thing? Who the hell are you?” I didn't know what happened, but I won't sit and watch her call my son names.
She shot daggers at me and I felt my sense heightened as well as my claws and fur started to grow, feeling so hot inside me. The furs and claws almost sprouted out but thankfully, the head of the school immediately hit the table to get our attention when she saw that the woman was about to retaliate as well.
“I didn't call you here to quarrel with her!” The principal yelled at me before saying what happened. “This is the mayor's wife, your son Chamberlain hit their son and he had been bleeding profusely all morning,”
It was then, I calmed down. Oh my god. Chamberlain had already started manifesting his werewolf traits. How do I explain how a 5-year-old hit a person and the said person had been bleeding?
After a while, the principal managed to get the news that the boy was okay but then his mother warned me, saying she would sue me.
I finally got to talk to my boy. Pulling him into my arms, chamberlain began to sob.
“Sshhh its okay “I whispered.
“Mum he called me a bastard”
And so, as I sat in my car waiting for my son to join me, because school was almost over, I inched over my thoughts like a measuring tape.
The mayor had sued me, actually. I got an email from my boss, telling me not to bother coming back to work since I reported to the police. The principal is contemplating expelling my son, I hit someone's car this afternoon and my wolf had almost showed herself. What would have happened if I had shape shifted?
All these boiled down to money and I had not up to a 1000 dollars in my savings. Tears threatened to spill from my eyes but I looked up and exhaled. It was too much for me. Just as I turned, my eyes caught on someone in a suit standing close by. I spun around quickly. My eyes widened in shock.
It was the man I had hit his car. The driver was standing in front and another man was backing him.
The man facing me walked up to me. He bowed a little.
“I can make all your problems disappear if you–" he glanced behind him. "Do what the boss says”
Arya's POVI cried. I screamed. I begged. I sang. I slept. This was my routine. Wash. Rinse. Repeat. There was no food or water. I was getting weaker and weaker, but I held on. Today I'm quiet. So quiet, like I can hear everything. The squishy clacks of the rat feet running across the wall. The dripping of water from a leaking pipe. They dull hum of something. I don't know if it's a lawn mower or a hair dryer. The thumping of my heart in my ears.I swallowed.I blinked and looked around. Right in my eyes, my brain began to play out everything that had happened. From the moment Jake was coming back till now. He seemed sincere. I mean…. Then I began to see the loopholes. I began to question a lot of things. Why didn't I ever ask about my sister? Why did they fall out, and why was he now coming for me? I didn't even ask why he wanted me back in the pack.I carefully thought about everything. Even the rape attack in the bathroom. All these might have been planned by him to get me to the p
Arya’s POVI got into the car and gently closed the door behind me, the night air still cool against my skin.My arms curled tightly around Chamberlin’s small, sleeping body. He didn’t even stir. I touched his body. Relief poured through me. He wasn’t cold.“You could have opened the back door and put him there” Jake said.I shook my head. “Don’t worry he’s not heavy”Jake shrugged and then turned the key in the ignition, and the soft hum of the engine broke the silence the night held.We didn’t say anything at first as he drove. I just stared out of the window, watching the palace fade into the distance behind us. A knot pulled tight in my chest. My home. My memories. Kelsi came to mind and my heart. I wonder if she would ever forgive me. But it’s alright. This had to be done anyway. I couldn’t stay with Chase and pretended I was safe with him.I let out a deep breath and hugged my son tighter.Jake cleared his throat. “Are you okay?”I turned to him, blinking back a tear that had th
Arya’s POVMy eyes opened. It was dark, but I could see. Without hesitation, I needed no one to tell me I was not in my room, nor was I in Chamberlin’s. It was that muscle-woody smell that told me everything. Turning quietly, I was met with the most handsome man I had ever seen.Chase King.Events from last night trickled in, and a slow smile began to spread on my lips, but suddenly it stopped. Until now, I never knew two truths could exist.1. I loved Chase. With all my heart. He’s been on my heart, except that my jealousy had led me to do things I regret now.2. I cannot stay with him. I do not trust him, yes. I can’t be his Luna even though I am his mate. It’s not like I didn’t deserve him, but I don’t think I fit in here. All I have done so far is cause trouble for Chase and his pack. I see the way they look at me. Even though I don’t want to care, half of the time, I find myself doing so.I should leave. Better I go back home. To where I belong. To my people. I can love him from
Arya's POV " Wine?" I glanced down at the glass and back at Chase. What was he planning? Was he going to make me drunk. I took in a deep breath and looked into his eyes."You are staring" he muttered as he stepped closer. This time I didn't run. For whatsoever reason, I stood my ground "I know" I replied. His eyes roamed around my face and rested on my lips and back to my eyes..what was Chase up to? I had come to home with the aim of fighting with him. Arguing with him. But he was the opposite. He proposed peace. He surprised me, despite the history we had. I could swear he was never going to speak to me again, but he surprised me.To some extent, I began to feel guilty. The last two fight we had came fresh in my head. "Wine?" He said in a breathless voice.I sighed for the one millionth time. It would be unfair to still give him the cold shoulders and those one word replies."Okay"Chase stood up and went to the winery at the side of the kitchen. He filled my glass with wine an
Chase's POVI followed her to kitchen and pretended to get something from the fridge.I noticed she didn't want to look at me. That was weird. I moved closer to her and she in turn moved back. Hmm that was strange. Where did this come from? I needed to know why." I have never seen you this angry at me. What is wrong?" I asked.“Why are you avoiding me?” I said taking a step closer. She didn't say a word, though it looked like she wanted to. The silence stretched and I waited for her to speak but she didn't. Then she turned around, backing me. Finally I had enough.My voice cut through the silence like a blade.Arya didn’t flinch. She didn’t turn either. She kept her back to me, hands on the countertop, pretending to be busy with nothing.I took a step closer.“I asked you a question.”“I heard you,” she replied, tone flat, without sparing me a glance.“And?”“I answered.”“You didn’t.”Another step. Now I was behind her, close enough to feel the tension radiating from her shoulders.
Amanda's POV I moved on with my life. At least I tried. I saw me plunging, my head into work, and everything that came along with it, it felt like it was trying to drive me crazy. I sighed deeply as I got into the elevator to go home that day. Looking myself in the mirror like walls, I could see the boredom and tiredness staring right back at me. Suddenly the only person in the elevator just left and it’s just me. When I was beginning to inch over my thoughts like a measuring tape, I remembered something.“oh I have to call Chanel, today is her birthday” as I fished out my phone from my bag, my phone rang. It was the birthday girl. “Hi Ama!— Chanel’s voice boomed from the other side of the phone— so how is my baby girl doing today? How wanted to know how my best friend is doing today? Chanel asked.I Chuckled. “ Hmm I’m just there, just in the elevator. Heading home, starving and can’t wait to get home”I went on to tell her all that transpired that day at work. Chanel as usual