The Somber Call: The Ariane Trilogy, #2

By Michelle Dare

A tragic loss. A broken pack. A lone wolf.

The pack war was drawing closer, and Ariane found herself at a crossroad amid the chaos that was her life.

Which road should she follow? One gave her a chance at normalcy, while the other threw her deeper into turmoil.

She had new powers, a shifter for a boyfriend, and blood on her hands.

There was also the lone wolf who had been cast out and sought solace with Ari as he fought to return home.

This wasn't how she thought her life would play out.

Nevertheless, a decision had to be made. And in the middle of it was Orion, wondering which road Ari would follow.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Daring Romance LLC
• Release date: Jun 22, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223007883

Michelle Dare

Michelle Dare is a USA Today Bestselling Author. Her stories range from sweet to sinful and from paranormal to contemporary. There aren’t enough hours in the day for her to write all the story ideas in her head. When not writing or reading, she’s a wife and mom living in eastern Pennsylvania. One day she hopes to be writing from a beach where she will never have to see snow or be cold again.

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The Somber Call by Michelle Dare

The Somber Call

Copyright ©2018 Michelle Dare

Cover Design & Photography by ©MaeIDesign and Photography

Editing by Barren Acres Editing

Proofreading by Landers Editorial Services, Tiffany Landers

This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without express written permission from the author/publisher.

No Generative AI Training Use. The Author expressly prohibits using the Work in any manner for purposes of training artificial intelligence technologies to generate text, including without limitation, technologies that are capable of generating works in the same style or genre as the Work. The Author reserves all rights to license uses of the Work for generative AI training and development of machine learning language models.

Author’s Note: No artificial intelligence (A.I.) or predictive language software was used in any part of the creation of this book.

CONTENTS

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The Somber Call

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

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The Somber Call

A tragic loss. A broken pack. A lone wolf.

The pack war was drawing closer, and Ariane found herself at a crossroad amid the chaos that was her life.

Which road should she follow? One gave her a chance at normalcy, while the other threw her deeper into turmoil.

She had new powers, a shifter for a boyfriend, and blood on her hands.

There was also the lone wolf who had been cast out and sought solace with Ari as he fought to return home.

This wasn’t how she thought her life would play out.

Nevertheless, a decision had to be made. And in the middle of it was Orion, wondering which road Ari would follow.

1

The last time I went to a funeral I was twelve. My grandfather on my mom’s side had passed away from a massive heart attack. I was upset, devastated at losing him. Today, we're saying goodbye to Cace. I've gone through a few stages since he was killed before my eyes. I cried so hard I couldn't breathe. I hated myself for being the reason behind his death. Now, I'm numb.

Cace's mate's cries can be heard throughout the area. The sky is dark, the tall trees of the forest at our backs. She's diagonally across from me as we form a circle around the raised wooden platform with Cace’s body at the top. No one steps forward to say a few words. No one says a prayer. There is no formal religion here.

As pack leader, it's up to Aries to light the fire beneath Cace. He strides forward in the darkness. There are more pack members here than I’ve ever seen in the house. With a flick of his lighter, Aries bends down and ignites the timber beneath Cace. He steps back to stand beside Lena, Cace's mate. She rests her head on his shoulder as he puts his arm around her.

As the flames lick higher, and the fire starts to consume Cace’s body, Lena's cries grow louder. With every cry, my guilt grows. There's nothing I can do to bring him back. Nothing I can do to take this pain away. It's taking everything in me not to turn and run from the scene before me. But I can't leave. I told myself I'd stay and honor Cace's memory and what he was willing to do to save me.

We stand watching, remembering who he was and the life he led. If only I had more time to spend with him.

The second I drop my guard, thoughts from those around me slam into my mind. Anger. Grief. Heartbreaking, gut-wrenching misery. It’s enough to make my knees weak. As quick as they hit me, I block them out again, unable to stand it for a second longer.

The flames eventually begin to calm and slowly start to recede. As they do, every member of the pack takes a turn speaking with Lena. I don't move from my spot. I'm rooted to the grass beneath me as if vines have sprouted and hold my feet to the earth.

Aries was the one who broke the news to her. He was the one who brought Cace home.

That night comes rushing back, hitting me with the force of a freight train. Orion and Garrison fighting. Me jumping into the fray. Cace following me. Cace dying.

After I blacked out from Travis trying to strangle me, I didn't come around again until I was on the ground outside the home Rion shares with Aries and his mate, Cassandra. Ford was peering down at me, a look on his face I'd never seen—sheer panic.

I found out the reason Wake wasn't at dinner that night; Travis, the Diaminsey alpha, had beaten him within an inch of his life and then banished him from the pack. They found out Wake was talking to me and relaying information. The Diaminsey Pack let him live because they said he would truly be alone now. Only the Diaminsey and the Avynwood Packs are in the area. Wake had nowhere left to go. He’d been kicked out of both packs. He almost died, and that’s on me as well.

Wake repeatedly shifted so he could heal enough to make the long run to his old home. He's the one who warned Aries and the others of what was about to happen at the Diaminsey Pack house. Luckily, they know a couple of vampires who were willing to teleport them. Aries and about half the Avynwood Pack broke the doors down and rescued those of us inside. He also killed Javen in revenge for his murder of Cace.

Others in the Diaminsey Pack fought, while some ran. I'm not sure about many of the other details, except Kiara and Ford joined in the effort to help teleport everyone out of there. Some had to be removed by force. It's a good thing vampires are strong. They couldn't teleport until they got outside. I shudder to think what would have happened if Wake hadn't alerted the others to what was going on. Then again, maybe I would have been better off dead.

No, I couldn't be killed by Travis strangling me—thanks to the power Ford’s mom bestowed upon me—but it took a few minutes before the bruising on my neck healed after I came to. Ford teleported Rion after me. Rion stayed with me while Ford and Kiara pulled everyone else from the house. Rion shifted a few times. Both he and his wolf checked me over while he healed from his injuries.

I cried all night in Rion's bed. No amount of comforting he, Ford, or Paige offered made it better. Eventually, I passed out from sheer exhaustion. When I woke next, I grabbed Paige's hand while she slept beside me and teleported us to her house, where we stayed until tonight, Sunday. The night of Cace’s funeral.

My mom insisted on coming over Friday after work. She didn’t like that I wasn’t better from the fake illness I told her about when I disappeared from school, thanks to Cace and Javen fighting on the baseball field. She took my temperature, fussed over me, then determined I was fine but weak and needed sleep. Fortunately, she let us be, stopping by on Saturday night to drop off dinner, when she determined I was recovering well enough to return to school on Monday.

Paige is on one side of me, Ford on the other, as Rion pays his respects to Lena. I'm holding on to Paige like a lifeline. She didn't fare much better than me. The mental trauma she experienced will stay with her for the rest of her life. Travis didn't treat her well when he kidnapped her. He tied her up in one of his bedrooms. None of the pack tried to touch her, but they taunted her. Called her names, didn't feed her. They brought a vampire in to read her mind and find out what she knew. The same was done to Kiara. She refused to cooperate and was beaten for it. If they wanted to kill both of them, they could have. However, the goal was for them to suffer until I arrived at dinner. What a fool I was for thinking I could swoop in and save the day. Instead, I got Cace killed and nearly everyone else who was there with me.

Lena came to me before the funeral tonight. She told me it wasn't my fault. I tried to correct her repeatedly, but she said she'd heard the whole story from Ford. She knew what happened and still said it wasn't on me. Cace understood what he was doing when he took my place in the fight. The women and children of the pack are precious, and all the males will fight to the death to protect them. Though I’m not mated to Rion yet, I’m still considered part of the Avynwood Pack.

I hugged Lena and we both cried. I don't know if I could have forgiven her if the situation were reversed. Then again, she's much older and wiser than me. She's also a shifter, so she understands everything better than I do.

Rion returns to stand before me. Things have been strained between us the last few days. It didn't help that I lashed out and told him I didn't think I could be in a relationship with him anymore. How can I when I only bring death and darkness to those around me? Rion has had enough pain in his life. I don't need to make it worse. He's been keeping his distance; said he was giving me space. He's with me everywhere I go. Even if I can't see him, I can sense him.

Another part of our bond clicked into place while he was fighting Garrison. I didn't realize it, at the time, since I was too busy fearing I would lose him before I got the chance to tell him I love him. Now, every emotion he has, every place he goes, I’m aware of in ways I wasn’t before. Whether he's home or outside Paige's house, I always know where he is. We're bonding, and if I don't do something soon, it will be irreversible.

I can't do that to him. I can’t make him commit himself to me any further. He almost died before my eyes once; I can't take the chance of it happening again. If I stay with him, it's sure to be certain death. I'm part of this pack war that's coming. After Cace’s death, as well as, Javen’s and Garrison’s, there’s no stopping it now. Maybe if I disappear from Rion’s life, they’ll spare him.

The only one who knows my thoughts is Ford, and that's not because I told him. My vampire bestie has free access to my every thought. We’re also connected but in a different way than I am with Rion. Ford’s been there for me when I needed him, and for that, I’m grateful. I don't even try to shield myself from him. What's the point? My emotions are written on my face as clear as day.

Ford has sat up with me when I couldn’t sleep the past two nights. When I did finally sleep, he was there in my dreams. Paige took her mom's sleeping pills to quiet her mind enough so she could sleep. None of us will ever be the same after that night. I regret dragging Paige into it, but like everyone else, she doesn't blame me for what happened and keeps telling me I need to let the guilt go. That's easy for her to say. She doesn't have blood on her hands. Garrison, Javen, and Cace all died because of me. Others were injured. Lena lost a mate, and I'm sure Javen has a widow now. Javen and Garrison might not have had the best intentions, but they were doing what Travis asked of them, and at the end of the day, he made those decisions for his pack. Still, the blood is on me. Had I never entered this world of paranormals, none of this would have happened.

I always thought it would be amazing to enter the worlds I read about in romance novels. I was wrong. So very wrong. Happily ever after doesn't always exist. Ask Lena. She's a prime example of what could happen. Her entire world has been upended.

Ari? Rion says, pulling me back to the present.

Lifting my gaze to his, I notice the green eyes of his wolf flashing in between Rion's crystal blue. I don't say anything. The pain on his face has emotion clogging my throat, making it difficult to swallow. His packmate is gone. His mate—me—is barely speaking to him. He's hurting badly, and I can't find it in myself to end his turmoil.

A part of me wants to. I want to wrap my arms around him and let him hold me as long as he wants, but doing so would mean letting him hope that things will be fine between us. I can't give him that. How can I when there’s no light inside of me?

With Paige's hand still in mine, and no one left in the field but the four of us, I snap my fingers, leaving Ford and Rion behind. When we appear in Paige's bedroom, the pain lancing through my chest has my legs giving out and me collapsing to the floor, with tears running down my face.

Paige drops down beside me. You have to talk to him, Ari. I know you think this is for the best, but he's hurting as much as you are.

I know, I sob. I can feel him. My hand rubs the center of my chest.

The shift Rion makes from man to wolf hits me. He’s running now, heading for Paige’s home, not bothering to drive. But I'm not staying here tonight. I told my parents I'd be home.

After everything that happened, and them thinking I was sick, I need to show my mom I’m okay—at least on the outside.

Paige rubs her hand up and down my back as I continue to cry. It's all my fault, I sob. Everything.

You can't keep doing this. I get why you are, but this isn't good. They knew what they were doing that night, Ari. They knew the risk of going there.

It's still on me. Cace, I inhale a shaky breath, trying to ebb the tears, he didn't deserve what happened to him. Neither did you or Kiara or any of them, for that matter.

And neither did you. You have a huge heart and wanted to help. You can’t go back and change things. It's how we react to what happened that's in our control.

I lift my head and begin to wipe away the tears, realization dawning on me. You're right. I need to face Orion, but not tonight. I just want to go home and crawl into bed. Can you drive me? Unfortunately, my car isn’t here. The drive home will give me the chance to try and pull myself together for the sake of appearances. The last thing I want is my parents thinking there’s more wrong with me than my fake illness. Too bad I can’t teleport into my bedroom.

Sure.

We both stand. I lean forward and wrap my arms around Paige, pulling her into a fierce hug. I love you, P. Always.

She hugs me back. Ditto.

Bet you wish I never involved you in all of this.

She pulls away. Are you serious? Even with all that happened, I'd rather have my eyes open and know what's going on around me than be blind to it. Plus, you need me, and I need you.

I'll always need you.

The drive home is short, and by the time we get there, I’ve managed to calm enough that my face isn’t blotchy and red. Paige offers to stay. I tell her to go home. She wants to catch up with Brayden. He's been chomping at the bit to see her, but she knows I'd rather avoid people.

Mom and Dad are watching television when I step inside. They both look up as I enter.

My mom is on me like a hawk the second I shut the door behind me. Are you sure you're okay? You still look a little pale.

Yeah, I force a smile. Just a long night. Paige and I watched movies until early this morning then slept half the day away. I'm still tired.

You girls, she mutters.

2

Orion is outside my home in wolf form, pacing restlessly as I'm trying to sleep. It's not easy knowing he's out there and as unsettled as I am. My parents are both asleep and have been for an hour or so. I could go out and visit him, but it wouldn't be smart. I need time. Time to evaluate what I'm doing and how I'm going to handle things. All I want to do is sleep and go to school tomorrow.

Brayden informed Paige that the kid who saw the wolves outside fighting on Thursday was quickly told there was nothing there. The whole school thought he was seeing things. Thanks to quick work on Cash's part, there was no video evidence, easily dispelling any rumors by saying they did a full search and no wolves were discovered.

I toss and turn in bed, eventually throwing the blankets off and pacing the room in sync with Orion outside. Then Ford appears. He puts his finger to his lips to keep me quiet and takes my hand in his. With a quick snap, we disappear out of my room and reappear in his home in Duck on the Outer Banks.

If I had known years ago there was a vampire living on the barrier islands of North Carolina, I would have visited more often. It's probably the last place someone would think to look for a creature of the night.

Unlike some of the tales told, vampires can be outside during the day. Ford is unique in a lot of ways, though. He has powers not every vampire does. Ones inherited from his very old and powerful parents. His mom is four thousand years old. I never would have guessed that when I met her. She’s stunning.

I have Ford to thank for my ability to teleport and his mom for my ability to heal rapidly and read minds.

I didn't want Orion to know where you were going, he says, rubbing his thumb over my hand before releasing it.

He'll know. We're connected, remember?

I keep forgetting. Oh, well. It will take him a bit to run out here.

I'm not sure he's going to. I rub the center of my chest where he resides in my heart. I can feel him as if he were standing before me. He's still outside my house.

A guy with messy, dark brown hair and sad brown eyes steps into the room. His feet are bare and his shorts and T-shirt are wrinkled. Ari? he asks and rubs his eyes. He must have just woken up.

I don't hesitate to run toward him, throwing myself into his arms. The tears come freely as I soak in his warmth and comfort. He holds on to me as tightly as I do him.

Wake was nowhere to be seen when I got back to Rion's that night. I asked about him a couple of times, but Rion just clenched his jaw and clammed up. Ford didn't tell me he was living with him.

He had to stay somewhere, Ford says behind me, reading my mind. I couldn't let him wander around the forest again.

I didn't know what happened to you or if you were okay, I tell Wake.

He leans back but keeps his hands on my arms. I had to shift a lot to heal.

Thank you for going to Aries and the pack. You saved everyone. Without you… I shiver as a chill races up my spine.

Ari, he says, drawing my gaze to his, it wasn't your fault.

I look away. You weren't there.

Using his finger, he gently pulls my chin back. No, I wasn't, but Ford was. He told me what happened.

He's biased.

"Normally, I'd agree with you, especially