DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN POPPY’S RESTAURANT.  I JUST GO THERE WHENEVER I GO TO ESTES BECAUSE IT’S DELICIOUS!

Anyways, read on!

Quote of the Chapter:
“Whoa, Hurricane Naomi strikes, leaving no survivors.”
~Ansel from Nightshade
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Chapter 9: Orange Rose

Ren 

Six months later…

Ren and Arya strolled leisurely in downtown Estes Park while the rest of the pack waited for them at Poppy’s.  Their hands were intertwined together as they passed the tourists.

“I remember the first time you showed me around town and we were in wolf form and we scared the crap out of tourists,” Ren whispered.  Arya giggled.

“That was awesome.  I do believe we need to do that again,” She mused.

“I’m inclined to agree with you.  How about… later today.  All of us,” he suggested.  With a grin, she agreed wholeheartedly.  Ren smiled as they fell silent.  His thoughts went to the night they had finally become boyfriend and girlfriend.  He’d been in pain from his fight with Tony but having Arya next to him (and underneath him at times), he’d been completely fine.  They’d had a long make-out session until she had pinned him underneath her, claiming he needed rest so he could heal and that she wanted to change clothes.  He protested against her changing because he liked her in the dress.  Arya didn’t listen.  Giving him a final kiss on the cheek, she jumped off the bed and went to her room.  She was gone for ten minutes.  When she came back, she wore sweatpants along with tank top.  Arya crawled into bed next to him.  They fell asleep together.  When Ren woke up, her head was on his chest and she was silently breathing; her arm stretched out protectively across her chest.

“Ren!” Arya’s voice broke through his thoughts.

“Hmm?”

“You okay?”

“Yeah, just thinking about when we started dating,” he replied with a brilliant grin.

“That was an amazing night, wasn’t it?  Well, besides the fact that you were shot and almost died on me and then got in a fight,” Arya said with a grimace.

“It was a bit of a damper on the day,” he joked.

“A bit?  I almost lost you!  Twice!” she exclaimed vehemently.

“Calm down, sweetie,” he consoled. “I’m not leaving you again.”

She gave Ren a half smirk while looking at him from the corner of her eyes.  He squeezed her hand reassuringly as they walked up to Poppy’s.

“Arya!  Ren!” Holly, one of the waitresses, greeted them. “You’re pack is waiting for you inside.  I don’t think you can miss them.”

“I would be worried if we did,” Ren joked.  The couple walked inside and their pack took up the whole middle section of the restaurant.  They greeted the alphas with a smile, wave, and a cheerful ‘hello.’

“Sorry it took so long,” Arya apologized when she and Ren sat down.

“What were you two up to?” Carrie asked with a mischievous smirk.  She and Shiloh were shoulder to shoulder, sitting as close to each other as physically possible.

“Nothing that you’re thinking of!” Arya retorted airily.  Carrie grinned before asking, “So what do y’all want to do afterwards?”

“I was thinking we could go into the park, romp around a little, put on a show for tourists,” Arya replied.

“That sounds awesome.  If they only knew who we were.  I do believe we would give some heart attacks,” Shiloh mused.

“I plan on never doing such a thing,” Arya said with a chuckle.  The appetizers came out which everyone had gotten the jalapeno poppers.  There was a plate for every two people.  Whilst they were eating, someone’s phone start ringing, or more like singing ‘Hungry Like A Wolf.’  Ren snorted as his girlfriend pulled out her phone, commented, “Oh the irony.”

“Shut up,” she laughed, giving him a slight shove. “I’ll be right back.  I need to take this.”

She got up, excusing herself from the table.  Ren watched her go, wondering who she was talking to.  Arya would tell him though.

“If you want to know, it’s probably her parents,” Ray informed, shoveling three jalapeno poppers into his mouth.

“Uh, do they know about me?” Ren queried worriedly.

“They do now…” Arya admitted sheepishly.

“You never told them about me?”

“I have.  I just never told them we were dating…”

“Why not?”

“You haven’t met her dad,” Shiloh remarked. “Dude is scary as hell.  He could kick Bruce Willis and Chuck Norris’s ass with his hands tied behind back while blindfolded.”

‘Thank you Shiloh,” Arya grumbled. “Guys, change of plans. Um, we need to do a really quick spring clean when we get back.”

“Why?” Carrie scrunched her eyebrows in confusion.

“My parents are coming to town.  Along with their pack meaning Shiloh, Carrie, and Ray’s parents are coming.”

“I’m not sure who’s scarier, Arya or Shiloh’s dad,” Dmitri joked humorlessly.

“Lovely, two guys who are going to hate me,” Ren groaned.  Arya’s dad would hate Ren for dating his daughter, and Ren had no doubt that Shiloh’s dad knew about Shiloh’s temporary feelings for Arya and would most likely think Ren stole her away from Shiloh.

“Hey, just be your charming self and my dad will love you,” Arya promised, giving him a kiss on the cheek.  The group tried to finish their meal as quickly as they could.  Arya ordered Shiloh and Carrie to take half the group to the store while the other half went back to the Compound to do a quick yet thorough cleaning.  For the most part, the Compound was relatively clean.  Only Dmitri, MJ, Rigg, and Derek had seriously filthy rooms.  After two hours of cleaning their house, Ren and Arya plopped down on the couch together.  Arya sat between his legs with her back pressed up against his chest.

“So did you tell your dad we were dating on the phone or are you going to tell him when he gets here?” Ren queried.

“I’m telling him when he gets here.  It’ll be easier.  And then my mom can keep him in check,” Arya chuckled.

“What is his pet peeve?  What shouldn’t I do when he’s around?  I just want to make a good impression on him.”

“Well, let’s see.  My dad has always been very strict since I’m an only child, so he won’t mind if we hold hands or anything but no ostentatious displays of affection.  He’d kill both of us.  Let’s see, we might have to sleep in separate rooms so your scent isn’t all over me and he gets the wrong idea about what we’re doing.”

“Two things: one, he wouldn’t be wrong, and two, you might want to take a shower because my scent is completely all over you,” Ren pointed out.

“Oh crap!” she exclaimed, jumping up.  Arya dashed upstairs.  Ren decided to take a shower as well.  Her scent was probably all over him.  He padded upstairs; he heard Arya scrambling around their room, grabbing a new outfit to wear.  He opened the door just as she disappeared into the bathroom.  Ren grabbed a new outfit of his own, going to his old bedroom and taking a shower.  An image of Mr. Lightwood formed in Ren’s mind.  He imagined a pure black wolf with eyes the same color.  A wolf that was bigger than even Ren or Derek, a feat considering the size of Ren and Derek in their wolf forms.  This wolf took crap from no one.  This wolf would die for his only daughter without second thoughts, he would kill for his daughter without second thoughts.  Mr. Lightwood was not a man to be taken lightly.

Ren stepped out of the shower, drying off with the towel and getting in a nice pair of dark jeans with a button down light blue polo shirt.  He ran a hand through his damp hair.  It would dry quickly since practically no humidity existed whatsoever in Colorado.  Ren went back downstairs to find Shiloh and Carrie waiting in the kitchen.

“I don’t even need to ask why you took a shower,” Shiloh chuckled.

“Shiloh!” Carrie upbraided. “Sorry Ren.”

“Will your parents be okay with Carrie’s scent all over you?” Ren countered slyly.

“I think I’d rather face my own dad than Arya’s.  I’m glad you’re the one that gets to deal with him,” the second chuckled.

“Shut up…”

“You’ll be fine.  Where’s Arya?”

“Where do you think?”

“She needs to hurry.  Our parents are almost here.  Her dad will be suspicious if she’s not down here.”

“I’m here, calm down,” Arya announced, leaping the last few steps.  Ren smiled at her. “Ready?”

“No,” Ren admitted, “but I have no choice.”

“You have that right,” Shiloh commented.  He turned his head to face the window at the sound of a car horn.  Five cars- a Ferrari, two Corvettes, an Audi A8, and an Alfa Romeo- pulled up into the courtyard. “Ah, they’re here.”

“Thanks, I couldn’t tell,” Ren retorted.

“Easy Ren,” Arya admonished gently.  She grabbed onto his hand, leading him outside.  The rest of the pack joined in.  Ten people got out.  The man who owned the Ferrari obviously was the alpha male of the pack.  Ren stiffened.  This meant he was also Arya’s father.

“Dad!” Arya exclaimed, letting go of Ren and running up to her father.  Mr. Lightwood enveloped his daughter in a huge hug.  Shiloh, Carrie, and Ray went up to their parents, giving them hugs.  The older wolves greeted the other younger wolves as if they were their own.

“Arya, who is this?” Mr. Lightwood asked curiously, staring at Ren.  Arya slid over next to Ren.

“Dad, this is Renier Laroche.  Ren, this is my father, Jeremy Lightwood,” She introduced.

Mr. Lightwood stuck out his hand which Ren shook. “Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Lightwood,” Ren greeted sincerely, shaking the alpha male’s hand firmly.

“Nice to meet you too, Renier.”

“Please, call me Ren.”

“All right Ren.” Mr. Lightwood’s gaze shifted down to where Ren and Arya’s hands intertwined with each other. “Ren, is there something you would like to say?”

“Dad, he and I-” his daughter began.

“I didn’t ask you, Arya.  I asked him.  Now, Ren, answer my question.”

Ren gulped discreetly but answered, “Sir, I’m dating your daughter.”

“How wonderful!” A female voice said cheerfully.  A blonde woman appeared next to Mr. Lightwood.  She was the older version of Arya.

“Hi mom,” Arya told her shyly. “Ren, this is my mom, Vivian Lightwood.  Mom, this is Ren Laroche.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you dear,” Vivian said, giving him a genuinely pleased smile.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you as well, Mrs. Lightwood,” Ren replied, giving her a charming smile.

“Sweetie, we’re going to go get unpacked and then we’ll decide where we’ll have dinner,” Mrs. Lightwood decided.  Her husband attempted to protest; she gave him a warning glare that clearly said she would not give in.  The other pack members greeted Ren in a friendly manner which he returned.  Once the pack disappeared into their guest houses, leaving only the Lightwood pack outside, Ren let out a breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding.

“Arya, if I’m not here in the morning, it’s because your father murdered me in the night,” Ren remarked casually.

“That was relatively good if you want to know,” Arya told him. “Everyone, go relax until round two of my parents.  We’ll see you later.”

The pack dispersed.  Ren and Arya walked into their house, not letting go of each other’s hands.

“You weren’t kidding about your dad,” Ren said.

“I’m sorry.  I should’ve told him before he came,” Arya groaned, plopping down on the couch in the living room.  Ren sat down next to her, wrapping his arm around her shoulders.  She leaned into him. “I don’t know why he’s so protective of me.  I know I’m young, I’m only eighteen, but honestly, I’ve been running this pack just fine for years now.  It’s like he doesn’t trust me!”

“I think it’s me he doesn’t trust, Arya, not you.  You’re his only daughter.  Of course he’s going to be protective.  I just have to make sure I don’t let certain feelings for you get me into trouble with him.” He gave his girlfriend an impish smile.

“Feelings mutual.  Why don’t we watch some TV?” she suggested, grabbing the remote on the other side of the couch.  The TV turned on, showing Tony DiNozzo from NCIS rolling his eyes at McGee. “Perfect.”

Arya rested her head on his shoulder.  It didn’t take long for her to fall asleep.  Ren placed his head on top of hers, allowing his eyes to slowly drift to sleep.
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Mr. Lightwood 

“Honestly Jeremy, I think Renier is a fine boy,” Vivian said, unpacking her suitcase.

“He’s too perfect,” Jeremy muttered, pacing the floor.

His wife rolled her eyes. “You don’t like him because he’s too perfect?  Honestly, that’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard come out of your mouth, and you’ve said a lot of stupid things.”

“I don’t want to see my daughter get hurt!  That boy will get what he wants from her and leave.  I don’t think he even knows what she is, what her pack is.”

“Whether he does or not, it’s not your place to bring it up,” Vivian warned. “Now finish unpacking so we can get dinner early.”

“Do you like him?”

“I think it’s obvious Arya loves him, and if I’m not mistaken, I think he’s wrapped around her finger,” Vivian claimed, stuffing her suitcase into the closet and shutting it.  She turned to face her husband with her hands on her hips. “I haven’t seen Arya this happy in ages.  Do not ruin this by running off her boyfriend by telling him things he may or may not know.  If Arya hasn’t told him anything, she has a valid reason behind it.  Let’s go talk to them.  Why don’t you have a boys’ night out with him and the others?  Interrogate him then.  And Jeremy, don’t you think if he was faking loving Arya, her pack mates would’ve realized by now?  Just food for thought.”

Vivian walked out of the room, with her husband trailing behind muttering to himself about how he hated it when she had a point.  The couple went to Arya’s house and opened the door.  No one greeted them.

“I swear, if he’s up in her room…” Jeremy growled.

“Oh hush,” Vivian scolded.  She peered into the living room; he did so as well.  The sight of Arya asleep, wrapped protectively by a sleeping Ren’s arms, made Vivian smile; her husband stared daggers at the boy.

“He needs to get off of her,” Jeremy mumbled.

“Oh I feel bad if I wake them up,” his wife mused. “Jeremy, go wait in the kitchen.  I’ll wake them up.”

He didn’t ask why, he simply did as he was told.  He didn’t want to see his daughter look up with loving eyes at the Laroche alpha.  If she only knew the truth…
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Arya

Someone shook Arya’s arm gently, trying to get her to wake.  She didn’t want to.  She liked being curled up in Ren’s arms.  Besides, getting up meant she had to face her over protective father.

“Arya, sweetie, get up,” her mother cooed.  Well, at least it wasn’t Mr. Lightwood.

“I’m up,” Arya said, opening her eyes.

“Good.  Wake your Prince Charming and talk to your father and I in the kitchen about dinner, okay?” Mrs. Lightwood ordered gently.  Arya nodded, sitting up.  Ren shifted, unconsciously tightening his grip on her trying to get her to stay.  Once her mother had left, Arya smirked to herself, kissing Ren next to his ear before she started a trail of small kisses all the way to lips.  He groaned.

“Ren,” Arya sang his name softly, kissing him again.

“Arya, stop.  You’re making me want to do naughty things with you and your dad already wants to kill me,” he murmured, opening his eyes.  She smiled at him

“Get up and I might,” she teased.

“Round two?”

“Round two.  Come on sweetie.” Arya pulled him up off the couch.  He playfully acted like a child, gently tugging in resistance. “Bad boy.  You’ll need some reprimanding for your behavior.”

“Will tonight do?” Ren whispered into her ear.

“We’d have to be quiet.  My dad has bionic hearing,” she mumbled.  The two walked into the kitchen where Mr. and Mrs. Lightwood sat at the bar, conversing.

“Took you two a long time to get up,” Mr. Lightwood observed in an unemotional tone.

“Ren wouldn’t wake up,” Arya laughed. “He’s a deep sleeper.  Would y’all like anything to drink?”

“Water for both of us please.  So what are we doing for dinner tonight?” Mrs. Lightwood inquired. “I was thinking going into town was best, save you from making so much food.”

“Hmm, I’m trying to think of a restaurant that could seat thirty people.”

“What if we split up?  Boys and girls?  Relatively even with that,” Mr. Lightwood suggested. “It’ll make for some good bonding with Ren here.  After all, he’s a part of your pack now, meaning he’ll need to get along with mine.  It’s settled.  Boys’ and girls’ night out.”
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            The girls got home before the guys did.  Arya bit her lip, anxiety gnawing at her insides.  It wasn’t because she hated being separated from Ren, it’s was because she was separated from Ren while her father was with him.

“I’m sure everything is fine,” Mrs. Lightwood assured.  Her consoling didn’t ease Arya’s nerves.  Arya would be fine when Ren walked through that door with a smile on his face.  The wait wasn’t long.  Ren and Mr. Lightwood strode into the house; the former smiled brightly, his blue eyes sparkling.

“Hey sweetie,” Ren greeted giving Arya a brief kiss.

“Hey, how was dinner?” she asked as innocently as she could, putting on a fake smile.

“It was great.  The boys and I had an eating contest with dessert.  MJ won.  Dude can stuff half an apple cobbler in his mouth at once.  It’s not normal.”

“Well, your father and I should head to bed.  We’re going out in the morning to the park for some exercise.  Would you like to join us?” Mrs. Lightwood offered.

“What time are you leaving?” Arya asked.

“Seven-thirty.”

“Geez, why do y’all wake up so early?”

“I’ll take that as a no,” Mrs. Lightwood chuckled.  She gave her daughter a hug and a kiss on the cheek.  She gave Ren a hug as well. “We’ll see you two tomorrow.”

Mr. Lightwood hugged his daughter and shook hands with Ren.  When they were gone, Arya turned to face her boyfriend. “How was my dad?”

“Not bad.  He was really friendly.”

She smiled. “Good.  I was worried.”

“No need to be.  Now, about that reprimanding you were supposed to give me tonight…”
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Mr. Lightwood 

He stared out his window at Arya’s house.  The curtains to her living room were open so Mr. Lightwood could see all that was going on in there.  Ren pulled Arya into a kiss which she willingly returned, wrapping her arms around his neck.  The kiss didn’t last long.  Arya broke it off, walking over to the bookshelf.  She pulled something down.  Ren came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist and resting his head on her shoulder.  They were both smiling.

Ren didn’t know.  He didn’t know Arya’s secret.  He had asked Shiloh for confirmation.  If Ren wanted to be in a relationship with Jeremy Lightwood’s daughter, he had to accept her for who she is and what she is.
_________________________________

The next day, evening…

Arya 

“Hey Ar, Walt caught a strange scent earlier.  The guys and I are going to go check it out,” Ren announced.

“Be careful.  Do you want me to come?” she queried.

“No, you stay here and catch up with your mom.  You two haven’t seen each other in a while.” He kissed the top of Arya’s head. “I’ll be back later.”

She nodded continuing to converse with her mom about pack relationships and couples and all that had gone on in the past couple of months.  Mrs. Lightwood seemed elated about Arya and Ren’s relationship.  Unlike Mr. Lightwood, she seemed genuinely thrilled for her daughter to have found such “a wonderful young man.”

Two hours had passed, meaning it was now eleven o’clock.  The boys just got back.  When Ren entered the door, he looked upset, not sad, but angry.

“Arya, I’m going to bed.  I’ll see you upstairs,” he said stoically, not even looking at her.  She narrowed her eyes after him, wondering what had gotten into him.  The answer came to her quickly when her dad entered the living room.

“Dad, what the hell did you tell him?” Arya demanded, standing up.

“You never told him your secret.  For him to be in a relationship with my daughter, he has to know everything about her.  Why did you hide it from him Arya?”

“It wasn’t your place to tell him!  I was going to at the right time.  It’s not something you exactly bring up into conversation.”

“That didn’t answer my question directly.  Do you not trust him?  Is that it?”  Her father remained frighteningly calm.

Arya, on the other hand, didn’t. “I do trust him.  I just didn’t know how to tell him.  How could you do this dad?  How could you do that to me?  To him?  What do you have against Ren?  He’s been nothing but good to me!”

“I know boys like him.  He has one thing on his mind.  He’ll get what he wants from you and leave.  I don’t want him breaking your heart,” Mr. Lightwood argued.

“Ren took a bullet for me!  Literally!  He nearly died from it!  He nearly killed a guy who said a lot of shit about me.  And you know what, who’s to say we haven’t had sex already?” Arya growled.  Her parents’ eyes bulged out of their heads at the announcement. “I’m eighteen.  I’m young, I get that.  But legally, I’m an adult, and I can do what I want with who I want.  I choose Ren.  You can accept it or not.  But now I have to go fix my broken relationship.  Thanks a lot dad.”

            As she stormed up the stairs, she heard her mom say to her dad, “I have never been more ashamed of you Jeremy.”

            Arya found Ren changing into his pajamas.  He looked up at her when she entered.

“Ren, what all did my dad say?” she prodded hesitantly.  His livid gaze did not help her nerves.

“When were you going to tell me?  When were you going to tell me that you and your pack could change coats?  Or did it just slip your mind?” he asked with an eerie calmness.

“I was going to tell you, I swear.  I didn’t know when.  I didn’t know how.  It’s not something you bring into conversation easily.”

“Yeah, sure you were.  I’ll be up later.  I have to make a phone call,” he said.  She tried to grab him, to get him to stay, but he brushed roughly past her.  Arya slumped down onto her bed, shaking with anger and disbelief.  How could Ren forgive her for this?  Six months she’d hid the fact she and her pack could change their coat colors at will.  The problem with the secret didn’t have to do with the actual coat changing ability, it was the past that came with it.

“What have I done?” Arya sobbed softly.
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Ren 

The TV played silently while Ren lay on the couch, staring at the glittering diamond in the red velvet box.  He had been going to ask her father for permission since he thought Mr. Lightwood approved of him.  That wasn’t the case.  Deep down, Ren knew that Mr. Lightwood telling him Arya’s secret was meant to cause them to fight.  Ren shouldn’t have let it get to him.

But he did.

Now he and Arya weren’t speaking.  It was their first big fight since the night they’d gotten together.

Someone entered the house.  Ren hastily hid the box. “What was that?” Mr. Lightwood’s voice inquired.  Arya’s father leaned against the frame of the door that led to the living room, his brown hairs studying Ren.

“I’m not going to hide anything from you, sir.  Here.  Catch,” Ren said, tossing the box to Mr. Lightwood.  He caught it.  Ren got up from the couch and went to the kitchen to get a glass of water.  Mr. Lightwood followed him.

“You were going to propose?” he demanded incredulously, quietly.

“Once I had your permission.  I already asked the pack.  They agreed.  Looks like it won’t be happening now,” Ren mumbled.

“Why?”

He stared at the elder alpha with a bemused, irate expression. “We’re not speaking because what you told me caused us to argue.  I’m stupid because I knew you weren’t going to accept me.  I knew you were going to see how much I could handle in interrogating me about your daughter.  No offense, but what you pulled, that was low.  Arya’s crying, I’m miserable, and the whole pack expects us to make the announcement we’re engaged tomorrow.  You had them fooled too, with your act of actually accepting the fact I was Arya’s boyfriend.  Kudos to you.”

Mr. Lightwood stood still, holding the red velvet box. “If you weren’t right, I’d be strangling you.  It’s… come to my attention I was wrong about you.  I’m not sure if you heard my argument with Arya, but I must ask, did you take a bullet for her?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“Look at the box in your hand.  That should help you figure it out.”

“Did you beat up a guy to defend her?”

“Yes, and I’d do it again.”

“Have you had sex with her?”

Ren was caught off guard by the question. “I told you I wasn’t going to hide anything from you.  Yes.  We have.  We were safe about it.  I don’t want to be a dad just yet, and I know for a fact Arya doesn’t want to be a mom right now.  For the record, we waited a few months before doing it.”

“I’m glad you’re being truthful with me.  Did I want my daughter doing it at eighteen, no, but I’m one to talk.  I did it earlier than you two.” Mr. Lightwood sat down at the dining room table. “I wanted you to know what you were going into dating her.  You have my permission Ren.  If you have trouble getting her back, let me know.  I’ll talk to her.”

“Thank you.  I guess I’ll go to bed.  She’s either asleep, pretending to be, or taking a shower.”

“Behave tonight, that’s all I ask.”

“I heard you have bionic hearing so don’t worry, I will.”

Mr. Lightwood smiled, handing back the box to the young alpha. “Good night, Ren.”

“Goodnight Mr. Lightwood.”

After Arya’s father left, Ren padded silently upstairs.  Entering his room, he saw his girlfriend curled up in a ball, her back facing away from the door.  He crawled into bed next her.  She didn’t stir, not even when he shook her.  Anger shot through Ren.  What right did she have to be mad at him?

“Fine, I’ll talk to you in the morning,” he muttered, turning over on his side to go to sleep.

“Ren!  Damn it, wake up!” Arya’s voice ordered through his dreams.  He shot up like a bullet, breathing heavily.  He felt her hand leave his arm. “Are you okay?”

“I- my pack.  Dax, Neville, Sabine, Cosette…” he trailed off. “They’re all gone.  They’re not coming back.  Two are dead, one is loyal to another pack, one gave up her ability to change.”

Nightmares of the deaths of the Bane pack haunted Ren regularly.  Tonight was the worst attack he’d had.  Why tonight was questionable.  But all that Ren could think of was the coppery taste of Dax’s blood as it filled his mouth from him snapping his second’s neck in half, instantly causing him to die.

“Hey, Ren, look at me, everything’s okay,” Arya consoled.  He wrapped his arms around her, glad to have her next to him, no matter what was happening between them. “If you need to talk, I’m here.  I understand what you’re going through, okay?”

At this, he looked at her. “No, no you don’t.  You’ve always had your pack.  You didn’t see any of them die right before your eyes.  You didn’t kill your second.  No, you don’t understand Arya.  No one does.” She looked at him emotionlessly before getting up. “Where are you going?”

“Downstairs.  You obviously need time on your own.” She left, not giving him time to protest.  Ren fell back onto his pillow, banging his head.  He couldn’t do anything right at the moment.  Instead of following her and risking messing up more, Ren stared at the ceiling for ages, playing scenarios in his head that could possibly help salvage relationship. After about an hour of this, he went downstairs.  His girlfriend was nowhere to be found.  Ren ran to the front door.  The lock, which he had bolted shut after Mr. Lightwood left, was now unlocked.

Arya had snuck out this way. 

How had he not heard her?  Shifting to wolf form, with his nose to the ground, Ren followed her sweet scent deep into the woods, through an open field, back into a forest, past a giant boulder, past a pond, and to a secluded spot hidden covered by a bunch of big trees.  If Ren wasn’t part wolf, he easily would’ve passed it. He went back to being human, peering between the trees into a small clearing.  Arya sat there, holding a metal box.

“More secrets?” Ren asked calmly.

Arya jumped. “You know nothing Ren.”

“Then tell me.  I’m all ears.” He sat down on the ground next to her.

“I wasn’t lying when I told you I understood what you were going through about losing a pack.” She handed him a group photo of ten people: five girls, five guys.  In the middle of it stood a young blonde girl, about ten years old: Arya; she beamed at the camera.  Next to her stood a boy with black hair and green eyes; he looked the same age as her.  In fact, they all looked the same age.  There were two brunette girls next to Arya and the strange boy.  Two guys with blonde hair, who appeared to be twins, grinned at the camera.  The other two girls had black hair: one down to her back, the other a pixie cut.  The final two guys, one had brown hair, the other black, stood behind Arya and the boy next to her, mustering serious faces.

“Who are they?” Ren asked.

“My old pack.”
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Dun dun dun.  Hope you guys enjoyed!  Another long chapter :) Please review!