The Panther

17

Arianna

Before he can say anything, I cautiously leap over to his balcony and close the doors, leaving us outside and alone.

"What are you doing up? It's very late." I say looking around to make sure no one else is awake.

"I could say the same for you." He hisses at me.

"What else did you hear?" I ask once my eyes finally settle on him.

"Everything." He said sighing and looking at me with pitiful eyes.

"You can't tell anyone," I say as tears well up again. I can't have anyone knowing, the things they could do to me plague my mind and make me shiver slightly.

"Does Anthony know?" He asks in a quiet voice. I point my eyes toward the door to his room and I shake my head. "You need to tell him before he marks you, he'll be so pissed when he gets more strength than he had thought."

"I know, I will, I just, I need time," I say looking at the sky. "Please don't tell anyone, I wasn't ever supposed to try and get that life back. The institute forbids it and I want it so bad." I say as a tear falls.

"Arianna, I'm not going to tell. After all, you are my Luna, I'm not going to do anything to put you at risk." He says with a small smile.

"Thank you so much Beta," I say with a bit of a chuckle before pulling him in for a tight embrace. I know I can trust him, regardless of his higher position in the pack and the fact that I should be scared.

"Please, call me Wil." He says with a warm smile after we pull apart.

"Wil, you should probably get some sleep, I'm sure Anthony is going to give my brain another workout tomorrow when I finally realize what situation I'm in," I say with a sigh.

I know I'll go back to being the coward in front of the eyes of everyone, it's only cause I know they could really hurt me and I won't be able to stop it. Whether I like it or not, I'm weak and there's nothing I can do to change that.

"You should too, especially because Anthony might realize you are gone." He says entering his room again. I nod to him before leaping back to Anthony's balcony.

I take a deep breath of relief when I notice him still sleeping soundlessly. I smile slightly before climbing on the railing and sitting on the edge of the roof, letting my feet dangle in front of the balcony doors. I only do this because I know Anthony will worry if he does not know where I am, this way I'll tell him silently.

I watch as a deer runs across the courtyard, where all the children play during the day. The stars slowly start to disappear as the sun rises and bring light and heat to the world. When the sun finally starts to shine on me, I close my eyes and enjoy its warmth.

I hear the balcony door open and I know that Anthony is looking at me, I can feel his gaze. It's warm and fuzzy when he looks at me.

"What're you doing up there?" He asks with a light chuckle when he notices me just looking off toward the sun.

"Usually, when I'm set to watch over the house at night, my favourite part is the sunrise. The heat and light the sun brings symbolize a new better day for me." I say with a small smile as I jump down to his level.

"Cmon, we should go down to breakfast." He says with a small smile, putting a hand around my waist. I nod and follow him down the hall.

Halfway there, I realize I'm in my sports bra and shorts. I don't care, but I'm not sure how Anthony will react.

The instant we reach the dining room, it goes silent and I take a step away from Anthony. He whimpers slightly before sitting at his seat. When he notices me not sitting next to him, he holds a certain amount of sadness in his eyes.