Chapter 9


    Aria’s POV


    Walking up the long driveway, Lily moved in my arms, waking up. I ced her on her feet. The night


    was cold, and the walk home took longer than usual since I was still in pain from the gash on my ribs. It


    was starting to get cold, and the breeze made it a little chillier than normal. I could smell an earthy


    aroma telling me it was going to rainter. When we were nearly all the way to the Pack house, Lily


    looked up at me tugging on my hand, I looked down at her.


    “Can I run ahead please? I really need to pee.” I chuckled at her; she was wriggling around while she


    walked.


    “Go on then.”


    She looked relieved and took off running towards the Pack house, which was only about ten metres


    away now. I watched her run up the steps and into the Pack house. As I got closer to the Pack house, I


    pulled the duffle bag off my shoulder, about to climb the stairs, when a new sensation took over me,


    making me drop the bag on the ground. A horrid feeling churning in my stomach, overwhelming all my


    senses.


    Fear. Pure fear. The sort of fear that makes your skin itch. When you can feel every hair on your body


    rise, when you feel like your skin is crawling. Fear that makes your body freeze paralysing you on the


    spot. That’s the sort of fear I felt when I heard her blood-curdling scream.


    Only thing was, I was her big sister. I couldn’t run away. I had no choice but to move, go to her. I forced


    my legs up the front porch of the Pack house, running in the direction I could hear her screaming my


    name. My feet pounding on the floorboards in panic. I was moving so fast, I felt myself slipping on the


    hallway rug, making me skid along the floor and into the wall. My head and shoulder twisting at an


    awkward angle into the kitchen door frame with enough force that ck dots danced in front of my


    vision. My corbone and shoulder sending shooting pain through my body, as I feel my shoulder


    dislocate on impact.


    “Aria! Aria!” Her petrified scream echoed through the house. Jumping to my feet, my head spun. I


    turned the corner into the kitchen to see the Alpha dragging my sister by her hair into the basement


    with a whip in his other hand. I start running to her, grabbing the basement door frame just in time for


    him to m the door shut on my fingers. My own scream escaped my lips in agony. Reaching for the


    door handle, only to find it''s been locked. I start trying to yank my hand free. I could hear her crying and


    screaming for me on the other side of the door.


    “LEAVE HER ALONE!” I screamed at him, banging on the door with my fist. mming my body into the


    door, trying to free my fingers and get in. Not being able to get a run-up, I threw my body with all my


    might towards the side where my fingers were stuck. The door moved just enough for me to free my


    injured, bloody, mangled hand. My fingers were definitely broken.


    Backing up into the kitchen, I ran full force into the door and bounced off, knocking the air out of my


    lungs. I stood up, backing up again and ran harder. I dropped my shoulder hitting the door with so


    much force it burst open. My feet hitting air as my body was thrown down the stairsnding at a weird


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    angle and my head smashing into the basement’s concrete floor.


    “Aria!”


    “Aria!”


    Her cries made me pull myself to my hands and knees. The Alpha was standing above Lily, who was


    cowering on the ground at his feet, tears staining her rosy cheeks. As he went to raise the whip, I threw


    my body over hers just as it came down, tearing the back of my blouse open. I could feel my flesh


    being torn. I screamed, shoving Lily out from under me and to the side. I turned over and kicked my leg


    up straight between his legs. The Alpha grunted in pain before kicking me in the stomach. I tried to get


    to my feet, but he grabbed me by my hair, forcing me to look at his rage-filled face.


    This man is a monster. I tried to mind link Michael but was punched in the face, his fist connecting with


    my nose making blood spill everywhere on the floor. I could hear Lily’s frightened screams making my


    blood boil.


    “I saw you today cosying up to Alpha Reid. You think you can betray me, girl?” His voice was


    menacing; I could smell his putrid whiskey breath on my face which just fuelled my anger. I felt my


    ws extend, and I didn’t think twice as I plunged them into his thigh, making him let me go.


    “You’re fucking dead now, bitch,” he screamed. My eyes widened when I heard his bones snapping. He


    changed so quickly, jumping into his wolf form in a split second. He lunged at me, my body mming


    violently into the shelving along the walls. Feeling his teeth sink into my side, I let out a strangled


    scream. My breathing wasboured, and I was fighting to stay conscious when I felt his teeth sink into


    my thigh, feeling my flesh being ripped away.


    ck dots tried to take over my vision. I could hear Lily screaming and frantic footsteps above us.


    I tried to look for Lily, but all I could see was fur, the Alpha violently throwing me around like a rag doll. I


    hit more shelves. Just as the Alpha went to lunge for my throat, he let out a scream. I looked up trying


    to figure out what happened when my eyes fell on Lily. She was holding a bucket. Her fingers were


    bleeding, and she looked on the verge of copse. That’s when I put the pieces together. Wolfsbane.


    She had grabbed the bucket of wolfsbane off the shelf, tipping some on herself before she threw it at


    the Alpha.


    Adrenaline kicked in, and I ran to her just before she copsed. The Alpha was on the ground naked,


    screaming, turning back to his human form. I didn’t wait to see what would happen next. Scooping up


    Lily, I started running up the stairs. Halfway up, Michael and one of the Pack warriors raced down the


    stairs. I saw him look over my shoulder at the Alpha on the floor. A loud growl echoing through the


    basement.


    When we made it out of the basement, I went to ce Lily down, but Michael stopped me. He jammed


    a chair from the dining table under the door handle so the Alpha could not get out.


    “Run. We won’t be able to hold him for long, especially if hemands us to grab you.” He sounded


    panicked, so did the person with him, who must be new as I did not recognise him. He kept ncing


    between the basement door and me.


    “Go Aria, get out of here while you still can.” Michael''s voice dragged my eyes away from the


    neer.


    I took off out of the Pack house, adrenaline the only thing that kept me moving. I should be dead, and


    once I stopped moving, that might actually be a possibility. I could feel blood running down my


    legs and face. Stepping onto the porch, the breeze was cold, making me shiver. I could feel Lily starting


    toe to, which meant the Alpha wouldn’t be far behind us.


    Running down the stairs, I grabbed the duffle bag when I ran past and started running through the


    forest that surrounded the Pack house. Michael mind linked me as we got close to the border. My legs


    felt like giving up, and I spent most of the run holding my breath so I did not attack Lily. Slowing down, I


    listened to the Beta.


    “He is awake, don’t forget, Ari, you need to wake her and make her reject the Pack.” Stopping just on


    the border, I shook Lily a bit, and she stirred in my arms.


    “Come on Lily baby, I need you to wake up.” I kept repeating what I said until her eyes fluttered open.


    Tears sprang in my eyes seeing her look up at me.


    “Ari,,” she said, her voice sounding so weak.


    “Come on, Lil, I need you to wake up and repeat after me.” She was too weak to stand, her eyes


    fluttering closed again.


    “Come on, Lil, stay awake for a few more minutes.” Her eyes opened, and she groggily repeated after


    me.


    “I, Lily Violet ckwood, reject the ck Moon Pack and understand by doing so I will be a


    rogue.” I felt her link snap just as she drifted off to sleep in my arms. Getting up, I did the same.


    “I, Aria Rose Peyton, reject the ck Moon Pack and understand by doing so I will be a rogue.” I


    felt my teether to the Pack snap just as I heard vicious howls. He has told them to find us. Running as


    fast as I could with Lily in my arms, I listened to my surroundings. I could hear a car. If I could just get to


    the road before they found us, we might be able to escape.


    Running was difficult because I felt like passing out. Seeing the brake lights up ahead through the


    trees, I ran faster. Branches and sticks were scratching up my legs. I could still see the brake lights


    when I realised the car must be stopped at the train crossing. I listened as much as I could, straining to


    hear over the thunder from the storm that wasing. I could just make out the sound of a train


    passing when I felt what felt like razors cutting through my skin.


    Looking around,ntana bushes were everywhere, blocking our escape. I forced my way through the


    branches trying to shield Lily as much as possible. When I came out the other side, I was on the road.


    My clothes were in tatters. My legs were almost bare from thentana stripping and scratching away


    my pants, leaving cuts everywhere they touched my skin. My blouse was only held on due to me


    holding Lily, and I could feel one of my bra straps hanging on my back.


    I quickly looked over, and the train had passed. The ute was just waiting for the gate to lift before it


    could cross. Not wasting another second, I put Lily in the tray before climbing in behind her. There was


    an old tarp in the tray underneath a box. I quickly pulled it over us just as it started to belt down with


    rain. Only when I felt the ute move and start to elerate did I let out the breath I was holding and


    closed my eyes.