Secrets

Arabella’s POV 

I had been so caught up in my thoughts that they had temporarily blinded me. I wanted to blame all the shitty emotions I felt but it would have been a lie. It was my own fault; I wasn’t paying good enough attention which is something I’m willing to admit. I hadn’t seen the glass shards in the road until it was too late. As my father would always say it’s better to admit when you’re in the wrong then lie and face more severe consequences later on. Gripping the steering wheel, I prayed for the first time in years that my friends would be ok, that if anyone had to be hurt by this ordeal it would be me and me alone.

I thought that having crashed injuring myself and my friends was the goddess punishing me for the way I had chosen to live my life. For creating my own path instead of following the one she had already forged for me. Susie becoming impaled on a branch as she shot through the windscreen, I worried she wouldn’t have survived. I had already lost one of the most important people in my life I didn’t need to lose another. But that all changed the moment I saw him. The moment our eyes locked I felt it. The stupid mate bond trying to click into place. This had to be my true punishment.

In all honesty I could sit and look at him all day long. He was hot and his scent intoxicating; like the smell of freshly cut grass on a damp summers morning. A scent that had always seemed to calm me. However, no matter how good he looked or how good he smelled it wasn’t what I wanted. My feelings remaining the same even when he kissed me, only slightly more strained. The way he forced me against the wall his lips attacking mine it felt incredible. The excitement I felt with the not knowing what was going to happen next. The trouble was it wasn’t love, and I refused to settle for anything less than the real thing.

When I pushed him away, I forced a fraction of the hurt and anger I felt into my voice. An anger that didn’t even have anything to do with him. It was an anger I felt for myself. The more I thought about it the more I thought I could have made such a difference to whether my father lived or died. The guilt and pain were festering away threatening to overwhelm me, but I couldn’t let it show. I refused to show this god damn sex on legs even the slightest amount of weakness. Had that kiss lasted a minute longer I would have thrown all reasoning out the window and given in. No doubts I would have kicked myself for it hard later on.

Shutting the door behind me as I left Leo licking his wounds in the bathroom, I leant up against it. Squeezing my eyes shut I took a few deep breath’s steadying the erratic beating of my heart. I had to remind myself over and over that what I was feeling wasn’t real, that it was just the pull of the bond. Something I refused to let control me. I had to think of it as just another test, not that life wasn’t already hard enough.

Sliding back into the passenger seat of Leo’s truck I turned to face Sara who sat there stroking Susie’s hair as she cradled her head on her lap. Susie had fallen unconscious again within seconds of the engine starting but her wound was beginning to heal and her heart rate steady which were both good signs.

“Everything alright?” Sara’s eyes beamed with worry as she looked at me. It was clear she was on the verge of crying but was trying so hard to keep it from happening. She had never been the strongest when it came to her emotions, Susie however was a master. Our own mother hen so to speak.

“Why wouldn’t it be?” Forcing a small smile on my face, Sara just gave me the all-knowing look.

“Your face is flushed, and you look seriously conflicted. Something else is bothering you. Talk to me Bells.” She was always good at reading me just as she was Susie. We were never able to keep things from her no matter how hard we tried.

I knew I could tell either of these girls anything and they wouldn’t judge me, but it wasn’t the time or the place to discuss my inconvenient run in with my mate. As I went to lie and say I was fine Leo had returned sliding into the driver’s seat beside me.

“Right, so where are we heading?” Leo didn’t even look at me as he spoke, his eyes staring ahead. I could feel his hurt radiating off him in waves that made me shiver.

“Just drop us in the nearest town. Thanks.”

“Yeh that’s not happening. Which pack were you headed to? I’ll take you there.” I looked at him wide eyed. What part of not wanting a mate did he not understand? In his mind he must have thought the more time I spent in his presence the quicker I would fall for him. Sorry Romeo not this time.

“Sara? Wha… what happened?” Hearing Susie’s voice I spun around in my seat. Her eyes were locked on Leo who returned her gaze.

“We were in an accident, and you got badly hurt. How do you feel?” Susie ignoring Sara sat up slowly wincing as she moved.

“Am I missing something? Do you two know each other?” There was a mixture of fear and recognition in her eyes.

“No… he looks familiar that’s all.” Unconvinced with her answer I had no choice but to let it go. Susie wasn’t one to lie which is how I knew she was lying. Like myself she wasn’t good at it. Though I knew not pry, Susie would quickly close up if forced to talk.

“Which pack Arabella?” I quickly shot Leo the death glare. My friend had just come around and all he was interested in was where he needed to go. Growling I spat the name of the pack.

Leo hummed and nodded before turning the key in the ignition. The fact he joined the road without asking where it was situated told me he already knew. A feeling that left me extremely on edge.

Leo’s POV

The name of her pack I recognised immediately after she spoke. I’d seen their Alphas name in my father’s office on one of his documents. It was too much to be a coincidence. I only hoped I was wrong.

As I made my way to Spring Lake, I could feel Arabella’s eyes as they stared towards me. I didn’t need to ask her to know why. In my mind I must have thought of at least a thousand things to say as to how I knew where to go, but none of them seemed convincing enough.

My father’s call urging me to return home, and the untimely death of Arabella’s father could only mean one thing. Her father was their Alpha, and my father was responsible for his death. How is that something I could tell her?

We had only just found each other, and I knew if my assumption was correct then by telling her the truth I’d lose her trust before I’d even gained it. I wasn’t one for keeping secrets but I knew this was one I had to keep. I wouldn’t be the only one to lose her if she found out.

‘She’s our mate, she will find out about us there’s no preventing it.’ Shadow was right. He always was the only trouble is once she knew she wouldn’t be able to go back to unknowing.

The drive to Spring Lake took around four hours and by the time we reached the territory border my hands began to sweat. I picked his scent up a few miles back only confirming my earlier thoughts. Shadow was furious as he walked around in my mind. He had always wanted a mate, and now it looks like our father had fucked us over.