[Ayla's POV]When I woke up this morning, I decided I would sit down and have a long chat with Aera. I knew that I had overreacted a little too much the night before, and I figured since we both had time to cool down and collect our thoughts, we would be able to discuss things like actual adults.At least, that was what I had planned, but somehow I walked right into something that could be straight out of a fucking drama.What's worse, I seemed to be the tragic heroine, and Aera was the hero who was being portrayed as the villain by the villain herself."Ayla," Celia murmurs, drawing my attention away from Aera, who was staring at me with an unspoken question in his eyes.Do you truly believe I would do that?He didn't have to say it for me to know that was what he was thinking, but I couldn't possibly react. Instead, I kept my expression as cold as I possibly could, for his sake and mine."Celia," I sigh, untangling the talented actress herself from around me. "Let go.""Ayla!" She g
[Ayla's POV]I stare down at the hand that is held out to me and find myself wondering if it would truly be okay to take it. If I said that I didn't feel a pull toward Aera, I'd be lying, but the fear of him turning on me remains.Would it be alright for me to trust this man in front of me, or would I come to regret it?Immediately, images of his reaction toward learning what my blood could do appear, and my wall begins to go back up, but I stop it before it can slam completely into place.Sure, he may have reacted like he did, but he was making an effort to make up for it, and I needed to keep that in mind."Well?" Aera pushes. "Are you going to make me beg?""Begging doesn't sound half bad," I admit with a giggle. "I wouldn't mind seeing that.""Then, mon avenir, will you please give me a chance to make up for all my crimes against you by worshipping you like the goddess you are?"A blush begins to creep up my cheeks, and I feel my heart do a somersault. Shit, this man was smooth. H
[Ayla’s POV]I wait as Aera processes what I’ve told him. From the look on his face, I have a feeling he is debating whether or not he should go and attack them, but in the end, he remains in place, clearly more concerned with not leaving me."Those bastards," he finally growls, pulling me closer so that his warmth seeps into my bare skin. "Why would they do something so fucking stupid? What about the child?"At his words, my heart drops. Would it affect the baby?Panic begins to build as I feel like a complete failure for not being able to protect it better."Hey!" Aera gasps as my breath hitches in my throat. "Calm down! It was just a thought, I’m sure that the child is perfectly fine.""But what if it isn’t?" I gasp, trying to stop myself from hyperventilating. "What if it…""Stop it!" Aera hisses, taking control. "Just remain calm. That child has alpha blood, and I’m sure that it will be fine. If you’d like, I’ll ask Hanson to do a scan to check if you’d like."A scan… If that hap
[Aera’s POV]Ayla doesn’t speak as she examines me, trying to figure out exactly what it was that I was getting at, but before she can question me, Hanson returns.His face is flushed, and sweat beads his skin, making it look like he had just run a marathon. "Was it that difficult going from here to the hospital?" I ask, eyeing him. "I didn’t think you were in bad shape.""Watch it," he warns, shooting a glare. "I couldn’t just stroll out of this damn temple and then waltz back in with this." As he speaks, he holds up a box that looks like an old FM radio with a small microphone attached to it. "The elders would certainly ask questions.""What is that?" Ayla asks, fixing her gaze on the machine."It’s a doppler," Hanson explains. "If you would, please lay down and lift your shirt."At his words, a growl of warning escapes me."Is that necessary?" I ask, not wanting another man to lay eyes on even an inch of my woman."If you want me to check the baby's heartbeat to make sure it’s sti
[Ayla’s POV]I sat fiddling with my fingernails while Aera sat calmly beside me. How he was so calm given what was about to happen was beyond me.After a little…fun… the night before, we both decided that we would tell my aunt and uncle together about my pregnancy. Although Isabella was aware of it since she found my pregnancy tests, I was sure that she wouldn’t blab to them."If you keep doing that, you’re going to end up ripping off your whole nail," Aera points out as I let out a hiss from accidentally tearing the nail from my nailbed."Sorry," I mutter. "I just wish they would go ahead and get here."So far, we have been waiting an hour for their arrival. Even though I knew that they should arrive any minute, the time spent waiting feels like eternity."Maybe we should have waited," Aera sighs."For what?""A time when you weren’t under a lot of pressure.""That time may never come," I sigh. "And it’s better they know before I start to show. I don’t think it will be long given the
[Ayla’s POV]I don’t speak as Aera’s words settle around us, causing the atmosphere to grow heavier and heavier. If we were talking about anyone else, this discussion wouldn’t be so uncomfortable, but since we were speaking about Celia, it was entirely different."You said," Uncle Silas begins, his voice cold. "Celia attempted to kill Ayla."I wasn’t sure if he was angry that he didn’t know about this or if he didn’t believe what was being said, but I knew that he was trying his hardest to not lose his temper."That’s right," Aera confirms, not backing down. "With her freakish fire.""Careful," Isabella warns, fixing a glare on Aera. "Even if what you’re saying is true, Celia is still my sister and my parents daughter. You will not badmouth her in front of us.""And what about Ayla?" Aera demands. "She was almost killed by your sister and their daughter. Does that mean nothing?""Aera," I murmur, giving his hand a gentle squeeze. "Celia wasn’t herself at that time.""And what of the o
[Aera’s POV]"Do you feel better now that you’ve told your aunt and uncle about your pregnancy?"After finishing their discussion about Celia and about Ayla being on guard for the time being, Silas and Lennox headed out along with the kids.Since their departure, Ayla has been quiet, and I couldn’t help but want to know what was on her mind.When her green eyes come to find mine, I see a flash of unease, but it quickly disappears."About some things," she admits."At least it’s one less thing for you to worry about," I murmur, pulling her into my lap so that she was straddling me. "And if you need help forgetting other things, I’m more than willing to help with that too."As I speak, I begin to slide my hands beneath Ayla’s shirt until they reach the hooks of her bra. Leaning forward, I begin to trail kisses along her collarbones and then her throat while getting the pesky garment out of my way.A small moan escapes Ayla’s lips as I pull her shirt off and then the bra so that her brea
[Aera's POV]Later, I lay in bed staring down at Ayla's sleeping face while fighting the urge to wake her up for another round of fun. Even though we had gone multiple times already, I still just couldn't get enough. Was it because she was my mate that I couldn't stop myself from wanting to feel her against me? To hear her voice screaming my name? And to be by her side at all times?Deciding that had to be it, I let my eyes travel down to her exposed breasts and felt my dick throb with anticipation.'Don't,' Rayze warns as I prepare to grab Ayla's breast. 'She's carrying our pups and needs all the sleep she can get.''One more won't…''Think with your head, not your dick,' Rayze warns, fighting to take control to stop me from doing what I wanted to do.'Fine," I growl, giving Ayla's naked body a look of longing.For now, I would let her sleep since there was something I needed to do anyway. I knew that Silas and Lennox intended to send someone to keep track of Celia, but what if she m
[Aera’s POV]9 months Late"Mmm, Aera, right there."Ayla’s voice echoes around me, spurring my movements even more. Knowing she was enjoying what I was doing to her was all the encouragement I needed."Ah!" she gasps, leaning more into the chair in front of her. "Not so hard."Chuckling, I lean forward and nip at her ear, earning myself a small whimper and a shiver of delight."Sorry, you’re just really tense," I chuckle, lightening my massage.Since the triplets were due any day now, the doctor suggested that I help Ayla relax however I could, and since she requested a massage, I was more than willing to oblige. This was the least that I could do, given what she was about to go through. I knew childbirth was hard with just one child, but I couldn’t even imagine what it would be like with three."Why’d you stop?"Cursing, I look down to find Ayla’s big green eyes staring up at me, but I barely register them as I take in her huge belly.Smiling, I let my hands slide down her shoulders
[Celia’s POV] I stare up into Alphonze’s dark, unreadable eyes while trying to figure out exactly what I was feeling. Was I just caught by surprise because he suddenly appeared, and that was why I suddenly felt jittery and my heart was racing? Right, that had to be it; there couldn’t be anything else. I was already horrible at social events due to being afraid of the judgmental eyes of others, especially when they compared me to my perfect twin sister. So to suddenly be alone with a man twice my age and handsome as hell, of course, I would feel weird. "S-sorry," I stammer, deciding that the only correct way to handle this was to run as quickly as I could. "I should…" "Wait," Alphonze hisses, holding up an arm as I attempt to sneak past him. "Just… wait a second." Frowning, I try to remain calm and not shove his arm away. As the heir of an alpha, I was strong, and my strength would easily be on par with Alphonze's, especially since he just regained his strength and power thanks to
[Alphonze’s POV]I stand to the side, watching as everyone present for the evening enjoys themselves, laughing, dancing, and being merry. It had been a while since I had attended something like this, so it was taking a bit to get used to it again.The last time I came to a full moon ball was when I found Gloria. It was the day my whole life changed for the better and then for the worst.Immediately, memories of that day began to come crashing into me, from the falling of autumn leaves to the sounds of crickets that chirped around us. I was only twenty-one then and forced to attend the ball, so I found somewhere to hide to avoid being bothered until it was time to leave.Back then, I hated social events and only wanted to focus on my alpha duties, as I had just taken over for my father.After having my heart ripped out of my chest by Hana, I didn’t want a damn thing to do with things like love and mates. That was another reason I didn’t want to be at this damned ball: I risked finding
[Aera's POV]Soft music drifts toward me as I stand to the side of the large ballroom, waiting for my date to arrive.Despite all the chaos that had been happening in our world, Silas and Alphonze insisted that we have a small, intimate gathering for the full moon as a way to relax and unwind after all the headache of cleaning up Barren's mess.That's why I was forced into an uncomfortable black tux with a purple vest beneath it and a white button-up beneath that and made to wait while Ayla was dolled up by Isabella and Celia."You look like someone killed your puppy," Alphonze chuckles, coming over to join me. "Try to loosen up, will ya?"As he speaks, I take him in while still thinking that this is some type of alternate universe.Never in my wildest imagination did I ever think that my brother would be returned to the man he was before his accident, but here he was, standing in front of me, dressed in a white button-down with the sleeves pulled up so his strong, lean muscles could
[Ayla's POV]The next day, I sit in the passenger seat of Aera's car, staring at Crimsone Tides Estate while fighting the urge to run away. When I entered that building, I'd be making the toughest decision of my life, and I wasn't exactly sure if I was ready.Beside me, Aera remains silent while holding my hand, so that soothing warmth radiates through me, but it doesn't do a thing to calm my nerves."We can go back," he offers, breaking the silence that has settled around us. "You don't have to do this so soon; you can...""No," I sigh, giving him a small smile. "This needs to be done. You didn't see him there. He's suffering, and despite making some ridiculous choices due to being tricked by my mother, he doesn't deserve to live like that."After much deliberation, I decided to grant my father's wish and put him out of his misery.To live your life trapped by the curse was no way to live, and as his daughter, I had an obligation to grant his request."Come on," I continue, gently pu
[Aera's POV]I watch as Ayla turns around so that her ass is almost in my face while she begins to undo my pants and free my dick.From my point of view, I can see everything from her perfectly shaved pussy to her glistening lips and her throbbing clit, which is just begging for me to please it.However, with my hands cuffed above my fucking head, I couldn't do anything but continue to stare while she slowly took me between her lips so she could begin attacking my tip with her tongue."Fuck," I hiss, lifting my hips so she would swallow more of me. "That feels so fucking good."Giggling, she continues her attack while beginning to slide her body across mine until her thighs rest on either side of my face.'Eat me,' she growls through mindlink while wrapping a hand around my shaft and the other around my balls so she could drive me even crazier.Not needing to be told twice, I dip my tongue between her folds and begin to glide it up and down her clit while using my teeth to nip at her
[Aera’s POV]I remain in place, staring down at Ayla, who is fast asleep, as her face twists into a look of pain. I can’t help but wonder what exactly it is that she is going through there in the dream plain, where I can’t protect her. Did she find her father, and the result wasn’t what she expected? I wouldn’t know until she awoke and told me.Feeling utterly useless, I turn my gaze to Vince and begin to take him in. When Ayla introduced us, I pretended to not know him, but I remembered the great alpha he once was. To see him like this was painful, but it was proof that even the mightiest could fall, and when they did, they fell hard."I’m sorry," I murmur, feeling somewhat responsible for his condition.Maybe if all of us realized the corruption that was going on back then, this wouldn’t have happened, but we were all blinded, and in the end, we only realized when things were too late."Mmm."I snap my gaze away from Vince to find Ayla beginning to stir.Her bright green eyes slowly
[Ayla's POV]I stand in front of Crimson Tides Estate while my stomach churns and my heart races. Even though this place had always been my home, I wasn't back here for something pleasant.After mine and Celia's discussion, I made the choice to come home and see the man that haunted my dreams and try to see if I could help him.Of course, I had to wait a few days so that Brian and Gwen could be sure that everything was alright, and when I was released, Aera came to fetch me after I explained to him what I wanted to do."Ready?" He asks now, after a moment too long of standing in place. "Or have you changed your mind?""I haven't," I respond, snapping my gaze to the window of my father's room. "This is something that needs to be done.""And what if he is a hopeless cause?" Aera continues to push. "What do you plan to do then?""I'll figure that out when the time comes," I sigh, beginning to move."Welcome back," Aunt Lennox beams when we enter the estate. "I'm so happy you're alright."
[Ayla’s POV]I sit alone in a bed, staring at the door in front of me, while the soft beeping of machines fills the silence around me. One had multiple little beeps as it was monitoring the baby's heartbeats, while the slow and steady one was my own.After dealing with the elders, I was rushed into the temple and taken to their medical wing so that Brian and Gwen could do a thorough examination on me and the babies to make sure that everything was fine after the ordeal I went through.Despite my protests, in the end I lost out and found myself bedbound.Sighing, I lean back and close my eyes, thinking maybe I could try to get some sleep, only to find that the noise makes it damn near impossible.Huffing, I snapped them open and turned my attention toward the small monitor that showed the babies heartbeats. I found myself taking comfort in the fact that their hearts beat strongly, as they should.It was the only reassurance I had right now, given the fact that Gwen had to go back to Cr