Stella

 

Stella blinked. Their mate bond had been solidified physically. She could feel it down in her soul. Tears sprang into her eyes when she realized that not only was Rick still inside of her, but they were back in his house.

“Rick! You’re home! We’re home! Oh my God!” Stella sobbed as she pulled Rick flat against her.

Relief like she had never known filled her. They had fulfilled the first hurdle and gotten him home. Rick started to lift himself up and look around. He seemed confused at first, and then he looked down at Stella. Tears continued to flow down her face.

“Shh, baby. We’re safe. We’re together. That’s all that matters to me,” Rick whispered, pulling himself out of her. He laid down on his back and pulled her onto his chest.

“I know. I’m just so happy. I’ve never felt as crazy as I have been since you disappeared at the bar,” Stella said as she caressed his chest, savoring the feel of it against her fingertips.

“I don’t understand. How did she keep me from going feral?”

“She bought you time by sending you to another place and erasing your memories. With no memory of me, the curse on you couldn’t take place.”

“Curse?”

Stella explained to him all about the curse. He tensed when she told him about Arriell. When she was done, she rolled on top of him and looked down at him. Anger was radiating off of him, but Stella stayed where she was. She laid her head down on his chest and listened to his rhythmic heartbeat.

“Arriell was in Carolina,” he finally said.

“If what she wants is you, I wonder why she hasn’t killed me yet?” Stella pondered out loud.

“Who knows? None of this seems to add up.”

“Maybe it’s time we go down and talk to Grandma together,” Stella said.

Rick nodded, and they finally dragged themselves away from each other and got dressed. Stella drove them back over to Jasper’s. Everybody was still there, and Justin and Veronica had arrived as well. When Stella first walked in, they couldn’t tell Rick was behind her. Then she stepped out of the way and everyone jumped up at once.

Everyone was talking simultaneously, and trying to hug Rick. He seemed a bit overwhelmed, but Stella knew it was good for his bear to feel the connection between him and his pack mates after being separated for so long. When everyone finally calmed down and sat back down she went back to Rick’s side. He wrapped an arm around her and pulled her against his side.

“Stella’s been catching me up on everything,” he finally said.

“You’ve got one tough mate,” Jasper said.

Rick nodded and looked down lovingly at Stella. She blushed and leaned into his side. She didn’t feel like she deserved any praise. At least not until Rick was in the clear for good.

“What do we do now?” Austin said.

Usually everyone would look to Austin or Grandma when they asked that question. This time everyone looked to Stella. She knew she should probably have some sort of game plan, but past getting Rick home, she hadn’t thought of much else.

Before she could respond her phone rang in her pocket. Her palms began to sweat and rage built up inside of her when she saw that it was an unknown caller.

“Hello?” she answered.

“Well, well, well. I guess you have a backbone in that weak little body after all,” the woman hissed.

“You don’t take what’s mine without a fight,” Stella responded.

“What’s yours, huh? He’s been mine much longer.”

“Arriell? Is that you? If you need me gone, why haven’t you tried to kill me yet?” Stella yelled.

Then a thought crossed Stella’s mind. If Arriell was able to, she would have killed Stella by now. Something or someone was stopping her.

“You can’t, can you? You’re not powerful enough to come after me. The person who is won’t let you.”

“I see you’ve been talking to Grandma.”

With that the woman hung up the phone. Stella pulled her phone back and looked at it. She yelled in frustration then. More than anything she wanted to throw it across the room, but if the woman was making contact, maybe they could get some piece of vital information from her.

“What just happened?” Emma asked.

Stella realized everybody was waiting for her to fill them in. She started to explain how the woman had called, but then a flash ripped through the middle of the room. Suddenly a woman surrounded by a purple haze stood there. She didn’t turn to confront Stella or Rick, but instead went to stand directly in front of Grandma. Before anybody could react, the woman zapped Grandma in the chest with magic, and then was gone as fast as she came.

Grandma crumpled to the ground in the midst of the screams and cries from everyone rushing to her. Stella felt the world get kicked out from under her feet. She fell to the ground and screamed.