Banes by Tara Brown Page B

wobbly legs. It pushed itself against her to hold her steady. It was large enough she was pretty sure she could ride it but she settled for it leading her. She was still dizzy and tripped a lot but the wolf caught her with its huge body, always keeping her standing and moving. She shivered against the cold air but the heat coming off the wolf made her feel a bit better.
    New Ari was contented inside, almost purring from the pain and suffering she had endured. She realized she would have given up on the running miles back that she had let the want for pain in New Ari drive her to hurt herself beyond what she would normally do.
    Ari limped alongside the wolf feeling desperately lost and hopeless until she finally saw the peaks of the house in the distance. She rubbed the wolfs face and ears, "Good boy. That’s a good boy."
    It rubbed against her bare legs with its muzzle, nuzzling her. She could feel the force of the strength inside of the wolf. It barely moved and nearly set her flying across the forest. She sighed when she saw the path. Suddenly the wolf was gone. Her foot touched the path and it was running as fast as it could away from her toward the house. She stumbled with nothing to help her.
    "Stupid weak body."
    "Ari." She looked up to see a man she didn’t know. He was jogging toward her, "Ari I'm Ben, Lydia sent me looking for you. She said you were in trouble missy and that you'd better let me help you or else. She said you went for a run."
    He was gorgeous, her insides warmed at just seeing him running toward her in a t-shirt and jeans. She melted a little bit. She stopped walking altogether letting him come to her. Lydia had sent him, she must have heard her thoughts and panic.
    Ben was tall, very tall and strong looking. He reminded her of Lucas immediately. His face was more handsome and his smile was electrifying. His emerald green eyes looked familiar but she knew she didn’t know him.
    He stood in front of her looking her over, "So you're Ari?" He looked at her tattoos running down her arms and up her neck and smirked, "You look like a lotta trouble Ari."
    She would have smiled but she couldn’t. Her legs hurt so much that one more step was too much. She tried it but fell. He caught her before she could take the step. He smelled familiar, he smelled like the wolf that had helped her, same earthy scent. She laughed imagining him as a wolf.
    He picked her up and carried her close to his chest, "You're freezing Ari."
    She whispered, "I like it when you say my name," and passed out.

Chapter Eleven- The Runaway
    Ari
    She could hear talking, "She met young master Ben, I'd say she has a hard time pickin which one she likes better huh. I's always liked Master Lucas better myself yup."
    "Hush Annabelle. She's waking up now. Fetch her some hot cocoa."
    "Yes Miss Lydia."
    Ari opened her eyes seeing the firelight in her bedroom room flickering off Lydia's worried face.
    Lydia bent over speaking in a low irate tone, "You ever scare the hell out of me like that again Missy and I will lock you away in a tower until your hair grows long enough its your only means of escape. You hear me?"
    She nodded at the feisty older woman's livid face, "Sorry Lydia." She whispered. She felt like her old self again.
    "I think you might be right about seeing Elsie though. The not so good Ari is actually trying to kill you both."
    Ari shook her head, "No she wants to save the orphans. She doesn’t want me, uh us dead."
    She watched Lydia's face tighten, "We leave in an hour. When you're warmed up."
    "Who is Ben?"
    Her eyes gleamed with humor, "Lucas's brother, older brother. He's been in New York and Boston working."
    "Thanks for sending him. Was that his pet wolf?"
    Lydia chuckled, "I never sent him, he found you himself and yes, I guess it is his wolf."
    Ari smiled remembering the animal helping her, "He's lucky, wish I had a wolf."
    Lydia burst out laughing, "I think you’ve got a couple Ari the question is what ever will you do