Untangling Aella

Chapter Twenty Five

Hi!! 

I couldn't resist writing the next update lickety split!

Here's a double dose for you all!

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Chapter Twenty Five

"Wha...what are you doing here?" I managed to stutter out from my stupor. I looked at both father and son and couldn't believe that they were both here in the Polis.

Then I looked behind them to see if Chase was with them but my crestfallen expression must've spoken volumes to them.

"He's not here," Fenrir breathed out with contempt. His face lowered and a fierce scowl seemingly stabbing me to death.

"More importantly, what are you doing here?" Carter inquired. He looked genuinely surprised although I could sense the ever-present malice laced in every communication the Cole's directed my way.

"Uh...uh...hmm," I was stumped. How to give these people the low down when all they really wanted was to flick me as far away as they could.

"There you are!" Ari said, finally catching up to me. His infectious smile felt all the way up to his eyes. "You ran away so fast, we nearly lost sight of you!"

I could feel my smile working its way back onto my face although the apprehension was still there, especially with the Coles opposite.

Ari noticed Fenrir and Carter, eyeing them over with suspicion.

"What are you two talking to her for?" He asked, calm on the surface with a neutral expression. Gone was the playful Ari from a few minutes ago. Now, he was serious.

"We were talking to Aella here," added Fenrir, equally leveled and calmed. "Wishing instead that would accomplish our business and be on our way."

"Aella is, shall we say, known to our family," Carter added, his disgust for me evident despite his neutral words. Both he and Fenrir moved to a neutral position, their hands behind their back and feet spaced shoulder-width apart.

"Yeah?" added Ari, his frown deepening with intrigue and a hint of dislike for the Coles, "How would she be known to the likes of you?"

"She is known to my son Chase, whom you have met on many occasions before, Aristides," Fenrir spoke, without acknowledging my presence. Nice to know that he is still an ass.

"Well, looky here! If it isn't the famous tramp who tried to bring down by brother!" out of nowhere another Cole added, Chase's younger brother Chris made a show of not mincing his dislike for me changing the nature of the conversation.

Whilst Ari and the Coles seemed to try and keep their talk civil and without clear dislike for each other, Captain Moron who waltzed into the scene did not care for propriety and from here, the conversation disintegrated.

"You will watch how you speak to Aella do you hear?" Ari said to him, his hands at his sides clear to keep from punching Chris in the face.

Chris just smirked at him and Fenrir and Carter visibly gulped.

Chris swaggered up to Ari, a half head shorter he had to look up to Ari although that didn't phase his arrogance. Luckily Fenrir had the good sense to yank Chris back by the scuff of his neck but both Chris and Ari still maintained eye contact.

"Oh yeah? And why does this whore seem worthy of protection?" Chris, foolish and unprepared for the punch from Ari that knocked him off his feet.

"Be careful how you speak to my sister, you dog!" Ari added, the arrogance wiped right off Chris's face, while Fenrir and Carter were visibly shaken.