Ally paced back and forth in the bathroom, trying desperately not to look at herself in the mirror. Since feeding all she could think about was James's face as he let her feed. Then she thought about the sadness on her families face as she let her thoughts flow free. She promised to do better but just ended up hurting them again. No matter how hard she tried her mouth always conquered her mind. Mia placed her hands on the bathroom bench and looked at herself in the mirror. Her eyes had returned to normal, but she felt different, her blood boiled in her veins. Tears poured from her face and she placed her hand over her mouth holding in the scream she wanted to let out so desperately. It was killing her this sudden guilt she felt for talking to the only people who hadn't given up on her so cruelly. More than anything she wanted to tell them she was sorry…sorry she was this broken girl they had to find the pieces for. A knock at the door startled her and she quickly hid her tears. Opening it slowly she was met with Aiden, he could see her eyes were red.
"Ally, take a walk with me." Ally nodded reluctantly and followed him to the garden. The rose bushes shone in the moonlight and the trees cast shadows among the green grass, it was captivating. Ally walked side by side with Aiden not saying a word. Before she knew it, Aiden pinned her up against the manor cobblestone wall, pain in his eyes.
"How do you feel right now?" Ally pushed him back, but he didn't shift, he was strangely strong. Ally darted her eyes back and forth trying to understand what he was trying to prove.
"Aiden, let go of me." She said viciously but he didn't move a muscle.
"Answer me." He wasn't letting up, she tried to push him away again but still his feet were glued. Ally realized he wasn't going to let her go unless she told him what she was feeling.
"Hopeless…" she said quietly. Aiden scoffed.
"I can't hear you." Ally looked at him fearfully and clenched her fists.
"Hopeless!" tears streamed from her face and she shouted back. Aiden's expression suddenly softened.
"Why? Why are you hopeless?" Ally looked away trying to avoid his deep eyes.
"Why does it matter Aiden? You got what you wanted, please let me go."
"Ally, if you don't tell me what your feeling, I can't help you. I'm sick of watching you walk around like nothing bothers you, it's draining." Ally remembered the first time she opened up to Aiden in the bedroom after she'd run from Lucian. The way she held her and patiently waited for her to embrace him back, the first person she opened up to since Isaac left her. Without fail he'd stood by her making sure to catch her if she fell, he deserved to know.
"I've spent my entire life thinking what I endured was normal, that I deserved to be shunned. Now I have all of you around me I'm scared Aiden…I'm scared that you'll all leave me. I'm scared what I'll become if that happens." Aiden slowly released his grip and let her go.
"Ally, it's not shameful to be afraid. It's not the future your afraid of it's the fear of the past repeating itself that haunts you. Ally I'm not my brother… I will always stay by you, even if they tear me apart, I will always come back for you." Ally teared up feeling her body relax, she didn't want someone to tell her it was okay to be afraid. She needed someone to tell her they would stay. Aiden placed his hand on her face wiping the tear from her eye.
"I know your angry and you have every reason to be. What you did to Lucian and what you did today does not make you a monster it makes you a survivor. You always do right by everyone else, you need to stop surviving for us and start surviving for yourself. I can't lose you Ally, I need you." Aiden never broke eye contact once making sure she could see it in his eyes that this wasn't to be taken lightly. Ally let herself go and wrapped her arms around him, she didn't want to let him go. Aiden put his head on top of hers and held her tightly his heart pounding out of his chest. She made him feel alive again, he forgot what he was when she was around him. Aiden pulled her face up towards him but this time she didn't look afraid if anything she pulled him closer. Aiden couldn't hold back anymore and kissed her passionately pushing her back against the wall. Ally couldn't fight him anymore, he held this place in her heart and she needed him too. Aiden lifted her body up as she wrapped her legs around him, his hand caressed her legs as he pressed himself up against her. They both stopped for breath and looked into each other's eyes. Aiden broke away and lightly scraped him fangs along her neck, her breath stuttered feeling his hot breath on her neck.
"You're not fighting me." He whispered.
"I'm tired of fighting." Ally breathed heavily, and Aiden could hear her heat beat faster as his hands moved up her legs.
"S…Sis." Ally felt her body go numb as her brother's sweet voice called out from afar. Aiden let her down and spun around to see Blake awkwardly looking away. Ally straightened her clothes out as gripped Aiden shoulder tightly before walking towards Blake.
"What Is it Blake?" she said annoyed. Blake didn't know how to handle what he'd seen, he never knew Ally was that close to Aiden.
"I have to tell you something." Ally cold identify from his voice that this wasn't good news. Aiden watched as Ally's body drooped as Blake told her about Quinn. Instinctively he walked over to her, Blake was looking rather pitiful.
"Why didn't you tell me sooner Blake! Quinn's important to me you had no right to keep that from me." Ally was furious, if she had known she would have gone to him without hesitation.
Aiden, "What's going on?" Blake bowed his head shamefully.
"It's Quinn the young boy from the bar when Lucian attacked us. He's in hospital, he took it pretty hard." Aiden didn't need to dig deeper to know what she meant, he could hear it in her voice.
"Come on, we're going." Aiden took Ally's hand and led her away before turning around and giving Blake a cold look.
"Next time you c*ckblock me you'll be sorry." He said playfully. Blake gulped hearing the threat in his words.
---------------------------------Aiden's car----------------------------
"Poor kid, do you think we can help him?" Aiden said sadly. Ally pressed her head up against the window.
"I've watched that boy grow from a young pup and he's strong. Quinn lost his friend that night Aiden, I don't blame him for feeling this way." Ally knew how he felt, she'd experienced the same pain when she thought she lost Isaac. Aiden took her hand and squeezed it tight, she squeezed back and felt her anxiety decrease dramatically.
"How do you do that?" she said bewildered.
"Do what?" he said humorously.
"Calm me down." She said softly, grateful he had been with her on that tragic night. If Aiden hadn't of taken her in to the clan, she doubted she could have survived.
"I can tell when your upset it's like I feel it too." Ally looked at him in surprise.
"It's the spire bond isn't it, your connected to me. That's how you can influence my emotions, you can't change how I feel if you don't know what I feel." Aiden grinned as she worked it out.
"You hit the nail on the head." Ally suddenly felt defeated, if he could feel the same as her did, he feel her turmoil too.
"Aiden, does that mean you've been hurting too?" Aiden averted his eyes which gave Ally her answer.
"I'm so sorry I had no idea."
"You have nothing to apologize for. If anything, I'm happy I can understand you better. Before we were rudely interrupted, I know what you were feeling. Would you have let me do it?" Ally felt her cheeks blush as he questioned her about their encounter.
"Do what?" she asked nervously.
"Bite you, you know what it means if I do right?" Ally knew that a bite was an intimate thing and it also meant that she would be his. Other would be able to see his mark telling them to back off.
"Aiden…" she said hopelessly. Aiden chuckled to himself sensing her discomfort, that means she would have.
"Remind me to kill your brother when I get back. Don't worry we have plenty of time for that." He said playfully. Ally rolled her eyes returning her head to the window. Quinn's green eyes flashed through her mind. Terror within them as Lucian exited that storeroom covered in his friends' blood. Ally couldn't help but wonder if she hadn't of went to that bar would be where he was right now.
---------------------------------Hospital------------------------------------
Ally walked into the ward and saw some familiar faces, Aiden not far behind her. It was Quinn's parents and his younger brother Jake she'd met at breakfast in the pack house. They had forceful grins hiding their despair watching Quinn sleeping soundly. Jake turned around and shone brightly seeing Ally there, he quickly ran up to her. His parents turned around with shocked faces not recognizing the silver haired girl before them.
"Ally! You came." He was hyperactive and spoke quickly. Ally nuzzled his brown shaggy hair and smiled at his enthusiasm. Both parents walked over weary their little boy was talking with a stranger.
"Mr and Mrs Lamont, it's a pleasure to see you again." They both looked at one another confused.
"I'm sorry do we know you?" Ally realized she looked a lot different since the last time they'd seen her.
"It's Ally King, you know my mother." She watched as their jaws dropped coming to a surprising revelation.
"A-ally? I don't understand…" the mother stuttered.
"It's a long story Mrs Lamont but I'm not here to talk about me. How is he doing?" Both averted their eyes implying that is wasn't good. Ally bowed her head sadly, they looked behind her to see Aiden and their faces went white.
"Don't worry he's with me, I want to help him. Could I see him?" Both settled hearing he wasn't a threat and looked at each other contemplating if that was a good idea.
"Sure, it wouldn't hurt but as a warning when he wakes up, he won't be too pleasant." The father said sadly.
"I don't even recognize him anymore…" Jake took his mothers hand to comfort her and Ally felt heart wrenching guilt. These people were suffering, all three members part of her pack. It was her duty as the Beta to help whatever way she could. Ally nodded and took Aiden's hand guiding him to Quinn's room. There he was sleeping soundly like the world didn't spin. Aiden sat at the back of the room while Ally sat on his bed stroking his face. Quinn began stirring and his brown eyes shot open feeling her touch.
"Shh Quin it's okay." She consoled him gently hearing his heart beating heavily. Quin looked at her bewildered for a second, the recognized her.
"A-Ally" he whispered weakly, he grabbed her hand holding it against his face. Ally could see he was traumatized by what happened, he was only a young boy after all. It wasn't in his nature to be violent, or to witness such horrific things.
"Well your still handsome so that's a start." She said lightly, and he blushed in embarrassment shying his face away.
"Quinn, look at me." Reluctantly he tilted his head and could see tears in her eyes.
"I'm so sorry that happened to you, you didn't deserve that. I want to help you." Quinn's eyes began streaming hearing her kind voice, so she wiped them away.
"I couldn't protect her Ally. I was too weak and now look where she is." Ally shushed him placing her finger delicately on his lips.
"Listen to me. If you had tried to fight that man you would have died too. I'm proud of you for coming to me when you did. Quinn, losing someone so close to you is the worst pain anyone could endure but guess what your still here. You're not weak if anything your one of the strongest wolves I've ever seen." Quinn calmed his breathing and tuned into her words. It was mesmerizing the way she spoke, and it calmed him down.
"Right now, what your feeling isn't weakness it's strength. You need to take this pain you feel and mold it into something better. Think of it as a sharp knife inside of you, if you keep it in there too long it will eventually hurt you. Carefully, you need to take that out and use it like any other weapon. Pain makes you strong but only when you use it correctly." Quinn listened to her wisdom filled words, she was right. Everything she said connected with him because she had experienced the same thing.
"I want to use it against him for what he did." He said suddenly filled with anger. Ally smiled.
"It's too late I already beat you to it." Quinn looked at her wide-eyes, he knew who that person was. It wasn't only a vampire but a pure blood he could tell by his scent.
"Y-you killed a pure-blood…" he said suddenly interested looking at her like a shiny new toy. Ally chuckled but didn't see it as a victory.
"Yeah. Now he can't hurt anyone else and you don't have to get your hands bloody. Don't worry I hurt him enough for the both of us." Quinn sat up and wrapped his arms around her, she was like a big sister to him. After serving her in the bar for a while, seeing her now she was a totally different person. It was the warmth in her aura and kindness in her words that sparked this sudden love he had for her.
"Thank-you." He said quietly, Ally squeezed him tight then whispered in his ear.
"You have to get well for your family's sake as well as your own. I will always be here if you need but I need you to be strong, you brother admires you a lot. Your parents adore you, your going to be okay Quinn." Quinn nodded and stayed embraced with her for a while. Aiden didn't even need to say a word and watched her save this poor boy soul. Therefore, Aiden felt the way he did because she always had a way of helping others without lifting a finger. On the surface she was the stone-cold hybrid but deep down she was a caring delicate woman. Ally ruffled his hair before leaving his room. His parents entered, and he embraced them with a smile on his face and they both nodded thankfully.
"Is brother Quinn all better now?" Jake tugged at her sleeve.
"Not just yet but he will be soon. Can you look after him for me?" Jake nodded innocently and hugged her before she left with Aiden.
-------------------------------------Aiden's car-------------------------------
"You're awfully quiet." She said curiously noticing he hadn't said a word for a while.
"I'm still in awe, you really do have a way with words." He felt proud of her for using her own pain to ease another's.
"It's the least I could do, I wish I could take it away, but I can't." Aiden took her hand causing her to jump.
"You did you just don't realize it. You really are something Ally King." He smiled cheerfully as he watched her face turn bright red again.
"Did you really mean what you said about leaving?" he said reminiscing her outburst on the training field. Ally looked out of the window thinking if she really did mean it was it just her anger talking.
"No, you can't get rid of me that easily." Aiden smirked and breathed a sigh of relief, he couldn't bare her leaving he'd be lost. As they were heading back Aiden dashboard lit up indicating a call was coming through. It was Dash and he suddenly felt an uneasy wave come over him. Slowly, he answered it. Almost immediately Isaac went off.
"Are you f*cking stupid Aiden, you let her leave the clan without us!" Ally could hear the anger in her voice and knew this wasn't good.
"She's fine brother I'm bringing her home now." Aiden didn't have time to contend with him and spoke unphased.
"You think you can protect her all by yourself, don't make me laugh." Isaac was taunting him but really, he was jealous Ally was alone with him. Ally felt a bout of anger take over, all of a sudden, she felt protective over Aiden.
"I didn't ask for his protection, I asked for his support. Perhaps you should take a page out of is book and stop being so petty." Ally ended the call and breathed heavily trying to calm herself down.
"Where did that come from?" he said shell-shocked, but Ally couldn't answer.
"It annoys me he puts himself above you like your beneath him, I won't stand for it." Aiden was surprised she was so wound up usually events like this didn't phase her. Did she care about him that much?
-------------------------------------Lang Clan-------------------------------
Blake, "I shouldn't have told her out of the blue I should have known she would have gone without telling us." He was hitting his head in annoyance. Isaac was pacing back and forth waiting for Aiden's car to pull in. The way Ally defended him in the car worried him, he speculated whether he was using the spire bond to manipulate her. If he was there would be hell to pay, Ally wasn't one for standing up for others. Helen and Joseph were out making dinner, they had no idea Ally had left leaving Blake and Isaac waiting apprehensively for her return.
"Are you angry because they're dating?" Blake wasn't dumb but when it came to concealing things he wasn't clever. Isaac looked at him darkly.
"What are you talking about?" Blake immediately realized he wasn't aware and clammed unseeing the fire in Isaac's eyes.
"What makes you think they're dating." Isaac sat across from him, this was like an interrogation. Blake had messed up big time letting his lips loose but the way he saw her sister fooling around with Aiden they looked like they were a couple.
"I-I'm not sure they just seem close that's all." Blake couldn't make eye contact with him but could feel his face tingle as he glared.
"Define close." Isaac felt his blood boiling, if his brother had touched her, he was afraid what he might do. Blake wished he'd never said anything, but he was just curious as to why Isaac had seemed so unhinged lately and Ally was acting strange around him.
"Blake cut the sh*t and tell me what you mean. Did you see something?" Blake looked away clearly guilty and Isaac moved closer grabbing him by the collar, he didn't care if Ally would kill him, he needed to know if Aiden had touched her. Blake closed his eyes in defeat.
"I saw him kiss her neck when I went to find her in the garden." Isaac felt his face burn up.
"Did he bite her?" Blake shook his head, but it wasn't enough. If he was kissing her neck, then he had the intent to mark her which means she would be his. Isaac wouldn't stand for that…