Chapter Two

Aria's POV

“Wake up, you're not supposed to be here” a firm voice echoes in my head, “It's me, Ari, I'm back.”

I feel like I have been sleeping for quite a while. I twitch the muscles of my toes and fingers. My eyes feel heavy, and my vision foggy. Blinking severally, I then gently pry my eyes open. My eyes slowly adjust to the brightness. 

“Where the hell am I”,

I thought in my head.

I peered around the warm room I am in. I am definitely in a hospital bed, this is not the infirmary at my pack though.

“Who will even waste their precious time to take a weakling like me to the infirmary”, I mull.

“You know I hate it when you say these things about yourself”, the same voice that made me wake, sounds irritated.

Then it all clicks. “Willow, you're back!”, I bellow. 

My wolf is finally back, but something seems off. Paying more attention, I can hear the flow of water but there isn't one in sight. The chirping of birds is so clear as if I were outside, tiny ants so visible as if I were right atop them though they were high up in the ceiling.

My senses were never this sharp, I had always been at the bottom of the pack. My senses were always just a little better than a human's. 

I push myself forward with a groan to sit upright. Swift footsteps approach my door, it swings open, and in comes a sturdy middle-aged man with greying hair, combed to the back neatly. His warm brown eyes meet mine, a smile pulled on his lips. 

“You're awake”, he said, “I'm Doctor Klassen, how are you feeling?”

“I'm feeling alright, Doctor”, I answer, “Just a little light-headed, where am I?”

“You're at the Cantara Pack”

My eyes widened in surprise. It is the largest and strongest pack in our world, Crescent Moon. Cantara was led by a Lycan, Alpha Kael, one of the last Lycans still in existence. 

This pack is known for its ruthlessness and how it doesn't condone any sign of weakness. But here I am being treated with so much regard, so far.

“Anyways, the way you're feeling is valid since you just woke up after being unconscious for seven days”, He mentions.

He twists his neck towards the door and calls out, “Martha?”

“Yes, Dad”, a redhead peeps through the door. She looks just like him, just a feminine version.

“I'd like you to take…” He turns towards me, “What's your name, my dear?.”

I smile, “I'm Aria.”

“Perfect, please take Aria upstairs, and pick a room for her to stay in, okay?”

“Yes, Dad.” She replies, “I'd do just that, and probably make a new friend.”

She seems nice, I probably will get to make my first friend.

“Well and here I thought you missed me”, Willow states in my head. 

I chuckle, “No one can replace you, Willow.” 

I follow behind Martha, while she hums softly. She seems like someone with no care in the world.

I don't know how to address her, respect for hierarchy had been drilled into my head so I  kept my gaze low, I could feel her eyes staring at me.

“You seem like a quiet one?”She says drifting closer, I give her a smile that seems more like a grimace.

“So adorable, well I think in no time you'll get out of your shell.”

We soon get to my room, it is simple but spacious and cozy. I never enjoyed such luxuries in my old pack. 

“I'll leave you to it, then”, she mentions to me with a smile, “You can take a look around the pack house when you're done, make sure you are ready early for the welcome dinner for your pack.”

“I would, thank you so much for the help”, I say. She then takes a turn walking out of the room.

I take a deep breath getting comfortable on my fluffy bed. I then decide to take a bath so I can look around the pack house.

I walk out of my room, threading softly on the wooden floors. The maze of corridors didn't seem to end until I walked into the veranda. 

Pups litter all over what seems like a playground, my lips stretched out in a smile. I have always loved children, innocent and beautiful creatures.

Something drew my attention to two kids who seem to be having a face-off. With my heightened senses I listen to them.

“Give me back my doll, Ezekiel”, a little girl with tiny blonde pigtails, all but screams into the face of a little boy.

“And if I don't, Amanda” the boy answered, “What can you do about it?” Holding the doll away from her.

“Give it back, you bully”, she reaches out for it and they begin to pull for it. 

I venture towards them. But before I could reach them, he pushed her roughly and ran in the opposite direction. 

“Are you okay, my dear?” I reach out, patting her head softly. 

She sniffles, shaking her head vigorously, pointing towards the scrapes she got from the fall. 

“Sorry, okay”, I mutter softly, pressing a kiss on the wound softly. 

Something shifts inside me, it feels like I can do more. Reaching out for a light glow in my mind, I softly place my palm on her wound.

A soft glow surrounds my fingers then slips into the wound sealing it quickly like nothing had happened.

“What just happened”, I scream in my mind.

“You'll understand soon, dearest”, answers Willow.

I subtly threw a glance over my shoulders, making sure no one saw this.

“You made it all better, Miss”, Amanda says, pulling me from my thoughts.

“I'm happy I helped you feel better”, I reply with a faint smile. “Can we keep this as our little secret, yeah?”

Her bright brown eyes peer at me, “Sure thing, Miss”, she stretches her arm out lifting her pinky.

“Pinky promise?”

I knot our pinkies with a smile, “Pinky promise.”

I lift myself off the floor, threading softly back to my room.

***

A knock on the door wakes me from my short nap.

“Come in, it's open”, I called out. 

Martha walks in with a large smile gracing her face. “I can see you've settled in nicely”, she said.

I give her a nod, staring at the dress hung on her shoulders.

“Well, I brought you a dress for dinner tonight, it will fit perfectly with your luscious curves”, she says with a wink.

My cheeks gain a red hue, “Thank you, I'll go change.”

I ran into the bathroom to take a quick shower. Wearing a beautiful black silk dress, with matching heels. 

Martha fixed my makeup quickly, making it have a natural look just as I like it.

I turn to look at myself in the mirror, I can hardly recognize myself. My once scrawny look is replaced with a fuller physique. My hazel eyes are even brighter, my lips full, and my curves prominent because of what I was wearing.

“You look stunning, Aria”, Martha squeals in my ears.

I couldn't even keep eye contact, my eyes glued to the floor. “Thank you”, I murmur, blushing.

“Well, let's get out of here”, she holds my arm, leading me out of the room.

We padded softly, navigating down the corridors in the pack house.  I can faintly make out the sweet soft sound that's coming from the hall ahead of us.

“You know I'd like you to meet my cousin”, Martha says looking brightly at me.

“Sure, I'd love to meet her”, I answer happily, definitely in need of friends. Especially if they're anything like the red-head next to me.

She coughs awkwardly, “He's actually….”, she twists her neck to check around, “by the decorations up front”, she makes a gesture with her head.

The most handsome man I've seen in forever is in sight, he has a strong jaw paired with deep blue eyes. Several vertical scars mark his face but that only adds to his appeal.

“..ria, earth to Aria”, Martha said in my face. “Well someone has taken a liking to what she sees”.

My cheeks flared up, turning beet red, my eyes went to the ground with a shy smile.

She hooks our arms again and leads me towards him, an addictive scent of peppermint and earth assaulting my nostrils.

“Mate, Mate”, Willow screams in my head.