Chapter 14

Ever since Alec and Eli got together, they started spending their whole time going on dates and getting to know each other.

It was to be expected of any new couple, and something Ari braced himself for ever since that day he witnessed them come to the realization that they were in fact mates. They just wanted to spend every passing moment together, and Ari was happy for them he really was, but he missed them both.

Mostly Eli.

Not that he didn't like Alec, but he was used to him not being around much with him being busy all the time with pack matters. Now he's busy all the time with Eli matters, so Ari barely saw the two of them those passing days. Rowan was kind enough to keep him company whenever she was free, but Ari found himself alone most of the time.

So when Eli came to him to spend the day together, Ari was more than delighted to do so.

"I missed being out like this." Eli told him looking around wistfully, and Ari smiled at that having missed him, too.

"It's been a while, yeah. How are things with Alec?"

Eli's heart stuttered. "They're great."

The tense smile he gave was not hidden too well making Ari knit his eyebrows in concern. There was nothing in his mind that could explain it. Why would things be strained between the two, weren't they mates?

He was unaware of the memories Eli was trying to stave off. Feelings of helplessness reemerged in him, and he couldn't prevent how it affected him as he hugged himself making it obvious that something was actually wrong. No matter how one may look at it, there was something stressing him out.

Ari thought Eli seemed scared.

People were around, so any words exchanged were at the risk of being heard. Guessing that this was the reason for Eli's refusal to open up about what's bothering him, Ari decided to deliberately lead them away from town. It was troublesome how this was the only way they could have any semblance of privacy away from curious ears, but going to each other's houses was out of the question.

Ari was sure his mother wouldn't react well to him bringing Eli to his room, and he was even more sure that even if they went to Eli's room, them being alone together implied many things, and it'll be disastrous if anyone knew about it.

Especially Alec.

It seemed that the woods were the best option here. They were at lower risk from angering anyone and they weren't going to stray too far. Eli stupidly followed trusting Ari despite everything that happened.

When they were far enough to be safe from curious ears, Ari turned around and gave Eli a solemn look as he leaned down close to him in an interrogatory manner.

"There's something wrong." He stated making Eli stare back at him silently. "You can tell me anything here. Nobody will hear us."

There was a moment where Eli intended to deny that anything was wrong, but he realized that if Ari went as far as to get him somewhere isolated, he knew that something was definitely not entirely okay. It made him wonder how much he could share, and how much understanding he'd get.

Something told him that Ari could sympathize to some extent with him being a beta and all. Betas weren't a match for alphas, and memories of him and Alec all alone in the woods flashed in his mind accompanied by a horrible grasp of everything that could have went wrong.

Yet he still followed Ari there repeating the same situation, but failed to notice his carelessness.

"I'm scared." He told Ari, who held his hand in his, the moment he heard that. It was a bit of a relief for Eli to just say it and be honest about what he's feeling, so he continued. "Everything is good with Alec, it is, but he-"

"Hold on a minute." Ari became alert. There was something wrong.

Something, no someone, was there watching them.

Eli soon realized it when he heard the snap of a twig and an unfamiliar scent entered his nose. Someone was there, and they didn't know who.

"We should head back." He whispered fearfully holding Ari's hand tightly. They didn't even go that deep into the woods.

Just what is this luck?

When they both took a step back, a growl reverberated making them both freeze in their place. Their situation was less than ideal and Eli cursed his luck.

An unfamiliar disheveled man came out from his hiding place looking crazed and feral. Something sweet-smelling had led him there, and he sniffed at them both finally locating the source of the sweetness. He then advanced forward and lunged at them pinning one of them down as his growls intensified.

Clearly he wasn't in his right mind as he was obviously driven completely by his instincts. He looked down at whoever it was he pinned in clear hostility, but he didn't attack mainly due to how affected he was by the scent engulfing his senses.

There was so much sweetness. So much concentration of it. The growl lowered sounding more like something primal than something hostile.

It was Eli who was under him, and he screamed as he struggled from under the feral rogue. There was no telling what his intentions were but it was easy to guess.

In his panic, Ari tried to push the rogue away but failed miserably and was pushed back on the ground in return. The situation seemed hopeless, but the rogue was pushed off of Eli quickly by the sudden appearance of Rowan who quickly grabbed Eli's hand and yelled at him to run.

And he did.

He ran with her as fast as he could not looking back.

"You're lucky I followed you two." She told him cursing as she almost tripped over a tree branch. Thankfully, the town was nearby, and they only had to get there to be safe from that feral. Her main concern was getting Eli out of danger. "And you're lucky that feral was a beta."

"I am sorry." Eli apologized as he cried, and his mind screamed at him to just run.

He felt Rowan pull him into the right direction snapping him from his distraught state. Eli was so scared and he swore off going into the woods in the future. All what he got was trauma from that.

They finally made it to safety and Rowan turned to Eli with a stern look.

"Just what were you thinking?"

Ashamed at his recklessness, Eli looked down. "I don't know."

"It's dangerous to be out there like that. You should at least be with Alec." She scolded and he couldn't voice his disagreement with that as he stayed silent. "What if that feral was an alpha? I wouldn't have been able to help you."

"I know, and I am sorry." He told her genuinely apologetic before he looked up at her in gratitude. "Thank you."

She stared at him before she shook her head. "Sure thing. Just be careful, alright? Alec would have killed me if something happened to you."

"Is that why you followed us?"

Rowan looked at him before nodding her head hesitatingly. Alec did ask her to keep watch on him, and he had a very good reason to. If she hadn't been there, anything could have happened to Eli.

There were so many things she wanted to say to Ari once she saw him.