Lost By His Smile.

The trip to the sundown midnight pack house was a short one since they lived in the woods just like Ariel's pack did.

They also believed staying away from humans would help keep them safe from danger. Though they were stronger than humans, they still feared the human species.

Ariel would have joined the rest of the pack in the fj cruiser Jeep they rode into the trip to the sundown midnight pack in helping out with the mating ceremony of her sister Avril and Carter.

She was always a loner so she wasn't invited to join them in the Jeep so she had to use legs instead which she did. 

Thankfully the trip wasn't a long one since the sundown midnight pack house was 1miles away from the Mills pack.

On reaching a tall big black aluminum gate, Ariel stopped and knocked on it. Usually there were always two females in charge of the gate duties but she saw none there to open the gate for her.

She knocked on the gate again but this time it sounded like a heavy thud, she was losing patience already. Where the hell did the gatekeepers go?.

Checking out the time on wrist watch wrapped around her wrist, Ariel bellowed in anger. It has been over five minutes she had been knocking but there was no answer.

Baam! Baam! Baam!.

Ariel knocked on the gate continuously and shaked it vigorously at the same time. She knew she wasn't welcomed over there anymore but they didn't have to make it so obvious.

Carter was the only reason she came over to the sundown midnight pack house anyways whenever she wanted to visit him due to the fact that she was also looked down upon by his pack members.

"Hey, take it easy!" A voice barked, walking towards the gate. Ariel knew the voice because it sounded very familiar to her. 

It was Amy's and not Diana who was also in charge of the gate duties. 

"Do you want to break down the gate?!" The voice asked, it didn't have a calm tone rather it sounded hostile.

"I would have been nicer to the gate, if only you noticed that I have been knocking for some minutes now and opened it on time!" Ariel growled angrily, her two hands placed on the gate's bars tightly.

She was furious!.

She had been knocking on the goddamn gate for over five minutes and that was how she was being attended to.

"Well well well" Amy scoffed on reaching the gate, her hands crossed against her chest. "If it isn't Ariel, the rejected mate of the Alpha of the sundown midnight pack ".

Ariel fumed with rage inside of her, she relaxed her head on the gate while her body leaned on it and closed her eyes mumbling something to herself. 

"Don't let her get to your head, don't let her get on your nerves-"

"Are you praying?" Amy shot the question at her with contempt. Ariel opened her eyes immediately the question was shot at her, she knew Amy was trying to make fun of her but she wasn't going to let her.

"Oh hi Amy" Ariel waved to her, "I see you're still incharge of the gate duties" She grinned sheepishly. 

Amy knew that the grin on Ariel's lips wasn't a friendly one; rather, it was a clear warning for Amy to try not to mess with her.

Unfortunately for Amy, she didn't know Ariel was ready and prepared herself for any funny gestures or pranks that were going to be played on her today.

Unlike the old times when she visited and was made fun of, she was only safe whenever Carter was beside her. Ariel wasn't going to take any shit from no one today whether Carter was nearby or not.

"Can you open the gate for me now?" Ariel pouted her lips, as Amy glared viciously at her while opening the gate for her which Ariel didn't give a damn about.

Ariel walked into the compound and stopped, she turned around going back to Amy who was closing the gate.

"Where are the preparations being made?" 

"In the flower garden" Amy glared at her one more time and tried leaving but Ariel stopped her.

"Please wait" Ariel pleaded, fuck! Why was she begging someone she just got into an argument with?. Well she had to do it if she wanted her questions to be answered.

"Carter, Is he around?" Ariel asked Amy scratching her head in disarray, what the hell was wrong with her? And why was she asking about Carter?.

"Alpha Carter isn't around, I saw him left with his soon to be Luna" Amy said to her and tried leaving but Ariel drew her back again.

"Alpha?, What do you mean by Alpha Carter?" Ariel's face was gloomy, all the colours draining off her face.

"He was crowned alpha yesterday after defeating his father in a duel," Amy said to her, taking Ariel's tight grip off her arm with a grunt and left.

"If Carter is alpha, then Avril's going to be his Luna" Ariel could feel her legs go numb, she was supposed to be Carter's Luna not Avril.

Who was going to save her from her grandmother's curse?Was she going to be able to find an alpha for a mate before she clocked twenty to save her from death?

****

Ariel entered the house, surprised that her numb legs were still able to carry her around. She was the only one in the house.

Maybe the others were in the flower garden, preparing for the big occasion tomorrow. She thought while climbing the stairs leading to Carter's room limply.

Thankfully his door wasn't locked as she held the doorknob and opened the door,

Ariel hesitated for a bit before entering the room.

Looking around Carter's room and walls, were wallpapers of him and Avril. She used to be the one in those wallpapers and not Avril. 

Ariel couldn't take it anymore so she fell and luckily enough for her, Carter's bed was close for support.

Ariel dragged her knees closer to her while burying her face on her laps. She didn't fight back the tears, rather she let them flow this time.

"Ariel" A voice called her softly.

She swiftly wiped the tears off her with her face still buried on her laps, she looked up tracing the voice which called her. 

To her greatest surprise, it was Carter.

Why was she surprised when she was the stranger in his room?.

Ariel quickly got on her feet, still wiping the stubborn tears off while looking at Carter standing beside the door.

"I thought you weren't around?" She threw the question at him, her eyes going around the room trying to avoid his gaze meeting with hers.

"I was in the flower garden checking out how the preparations were going" He closed the door, walking over to where Ariel stood.

"Amy lied to me, bitch" She groaned through gritted teeth.

"Anything wrong?" Carter asked, examining her. Ariel was quivering which he observed, she wasn't the type to quiver because she always acted tough.

Why did he have  to be around?, Ariel only came into the room to check it out for the last time since she was never going to be in that room ever again.

"I heard you are alpha now" Ariel told him the only words she was able to form in her head at that tense moment.

Carter must be wondering what she came into his room to find?That thought of hers got roused when Carter said to her.

"Yeah, I defeated dad in a duel yesterday" He scratched the back of his head softly, while letting out a pretty soft smile.

Ariel got caught up and lost by his smile.

She tried controlling herself from trying anything stupid but her body didn't listen. It seemed like her body loved Carter more than she loathed him.

Her legs carried her closer to Carter as she leaned more closer and crushed her lips against his.