Chapter Sixty-Eight – The standoff

Anthony had been right, there had been plenty of bows to pick from, and several arrows littered the ground as they walked towards the source of the voice. Her father’s voice, still calling for her like she was a lost little child. The voice gave her nothing but chills.

“Should I ask how you feel?” Anthony whispered as he followed her, picking up arrows as they went about the house. He couldn’t see any wolves or people lying around in the back, the only arrows those who had missed. He didn’t know how many was hurt, or dead, but he knew the count was about to go up within the hour.

The pouring rain finally stopped, making it easier to look around. They didn’t have to squint to keep the rain out of their eyes or try to listen for the source of a muffled voice. It became easier for them to find Henry, and for Henry to find them.

They rounded a corner of one of the huts, and there he was, a surprised expression graced his features when he saw what Ariel had in her hand, a bow. It was ready and aimed straight at him.

“There you are” He sounded relieved, but his shoulders were still tense, no doubt from being pointed an arrow at. “Why don’t you put the bow down so we can talk” He continued, but Ariel kept it up, aiming it straight at his heart. One little twitch of her hand, and he would be dead before he would even register the arrow releasing. The sense of power made her feel better. Fueled her.

“I never let my guard down around enemies” Ariel answered drily, her eyes turning into thin lines.

Henry looked to Anthony, who just shrugged. He was only there to carry the arrows, not get in the middle of this family drama.

“I’m your father, not the enemy. What have they done to you, my sweet child?” Henry tried, but it only resulted in her pulling the arrow further back, as far as the string would allow.

“They did nothing but let me sleep and take away my nightmares” Ariel answered.

“Ariel, listen to yourself. These creatures are monsters. Abominations. A threat to our community” The words didn’t have the same ring to them as they used to, the same confidence and conviction.

“You’re one to talk, hiring assassins to kill people that are in your way” Ariel took a step forward as Henry took a step back.

“You…” He stuttered.

“I know. It was you. You had him killed. You. The love of my life. You. And then she turned on me. She tried to kill me. ME! If it hadn’t been for the so-called monsters, I would have been dead. Dead and gone. You’d have to burry my next to mom, what then?” Ariel’s voice was cold as ice, making him stagger back another few steps.

“It wasn’t supposed to be like that” He mumbled, barely audible.

“Speak up!” Ariel demanded, the sudden higher volume startling her older man. It made her smile. She thrived in the fear. Thrived to see him like this, stripped of all power.

“You weren’t supposed to be there! You were supposed to listen and stay home!” Henry said louder.

“Your plan was to kill the person I love most in this world?” The question hurt, the answer would hurt even more, she braced herself for the pain.

“He’d the one who pulled you into this madness to begin with! He took you away from me. Stole you from me!” Henry shouted, his voice trembling and going up every other syllable.

“No, you were the one who pushed me there, into the madness. Kieran is the one who pulled me out and showed me true love. He didn’t steal me, he rescued me!” Ariel shouted back.

“He took you from me! You left because of him! I couldn’t let that happen!”

“I was right here dad; I didn’t move away like Jezebel and Gabriel. I didn’t join the military like Noah and Elijah, and I sure as hell didn’t try to avoid you like Isaiah! I was right here in town, but not within your grasps, because I decided to move out and be an adult. And you couldn’t handle it. You couldn’t handle being alone”

“Ariel”

“No – you don’t get to say a word. You ruined my life because you were afraid to be alone! You’ve always been this overprotective father, the one who had to monitor everything, be in control. There’s no wonder everyone moved out first chance they got. They didn’t leave, you chased them away. You chased us all away!”

“Watch it…”

“No, shut up, I’m speaking now. I’ve always wondered why mom was in that accident. What she was doing out so late at night, she never went out that late, because you didn’t let her. But she went out anyways and you…” Her words failed her. How had she not seen the full picture before.

“It was you” Her voice was nothing but a whisperer.

“Ariel, darling, I think you’ve…” Henry tried to move closer as the bow lowered a little, but Ariel was quick to lift it, aim it back at him and his chest.

“You caused the accident. You couldn’t handle her leaving, so you caused the accident. And then she died… Did you plan for her to die?” Tears stung in her eyes, she blinked them away.

“Ariel” His voice was barely a whisper.

“SAY IT!” Ariel shouted, taking several steps closer, her arrow now just centimeters way from his heart.

“She was about to leave. Leave me. Leave you and Noah and Elijah, and for what? A stupid mutt!” Henry finally caved. His hatred for the wolves now out in the open.
“And I couldn’t let her. Couldn’t let her ruin our happy family. I had to stop her from leaving. So, when she snuck out of the house, I followed. It was supposed to be a gentle nudge, an accident that would’ve prevented her from leaving. But then I saw him, she went to him, and everything went to hell”

There it was. The ugly truth out in the open.

Anthony was still standing by the corner, unable to speak or move. It made sense now. Why he hated the werewolves. Why he didn’t want his daughter anywhere near them. He blamed them for losing his wife, because he had lost her love to one. And that love had led to her death.

“You’re dead to me” Ariel whispered through gritted death, getting ready to release the arrow when Anthony stepped in to intervene.

“Move!” Ariel hissed at him, but he shook his head. He couldn’t let her kill this man, her father, not when she consumed by anger.

“I don’t want you to have his death on your conscience” Anthony said.

“He killed my boyfriend. He killed my mom! He deserves to die” Ariel argued, and he was inclined to agree.

“I know – but not by your hand. His death will not be on your conscience, not when I’m here to prevent it” Anthony took a step forward, reaching for her bow.

“It has to be me” Ariel tried to argue, but the more she looked into her eyes the more she wanted to give in. To step away from the conversation with her dad. She wanted to forget he was even alive and breathing.

“No, it doesn’t” Anthony wrapped his hands around the bow, and she allowed him to lower it, her hand moving slowly, the tension on the string lessening until the arrow fell to the ground.

“Thank you, fool” Henry whispered behind him, before planting a knife in the other man’s side.

Anthony howled out in pain, clutching his side.

“NO!” Ariel shouted, but she was too slow.

Anthony fell to his knees, and Henry snagged Ariel by the wrist, dragging her with him away from the grounds and towards the forest.

“Stop screaming. You’re coming with me, that’s an order” Henry gritted as Ariel trashed against his hand, scratching at the back of his hand, digging her heels into the soft ground, screaming her lungs out. Nothing helped, he just kept on dragging her until the sound of something large charging at them.

Ariel turned just in time to see something white and large come at them. It wasn’t a wolf. It was something bigger. Scarier. More rampant.

When Henry saw the creature heading their way he let go of Ariel, making her fall backwards, wrists complaining as she caught the fall.

The creature was at her side in no time, revealing itself to be a big polar bear. Ariel eyed it skeptically before finding its eyes, her blue meeting chocolate brown. It made her breath easier as the bear turned its attention back on Henry, who had started running away from it. He didn’t get far before the bear caught up with him, grabbing the back of his shirt with its teeth and throwing him up in the air. His body hit a branch, and the sound of bones breaking was unmistakable.

He hit the ground with a thud, and the bear went over, sniffed at him a couple of times before getting back on its hind legs, the bear shrinking back to the person Ariel knew as Katlyn.

“Is he…” Ariel couldn’t finish the sentence. Katlyn nodded, and Ariel drew a shaky breath. Relief washed over her, followed by sadness.