An unusual feeling sat in my chest all night. It was a peculiar combination of pent up anxiety and excitement for my day. I had trouble sleeping, mulling over all the possible scenarios in my head on what could occur at the daycare.I was nervous about the potential rejection. So much of my personal identity revolved around caring for children. When I lost my parents, working at the daycare gave me a purpose and a newly-formed family. If I couldn't find that type of relationship here, I fear I wouldn't be able to find it anywhere else in this pack.It took me hours to finally convince my brain to fall into a soft lull of silence, welcoming sleep with open arms.♕♕♕"Are you nervous?"I thought the answer to his question was clearly obvious, considering my restless movements since I entered the kitchen. The unsettling feeling I felt last night still sat in my stomach, making it hard for me to simple sit down with him and relax.The harsh words from his father still rung in my ears. I h
Elise's smile was warm, immediately quelling my previous nerves. Her welcoming demeanor quickly reminded me of people like Dotty and Gwen, who took me in with open arms and made me feel comfortable."Hi," I squeak out, finally finding my voice. "It's nice to meet you. I really appreciate you letting me come and help out."She waves her hand in the air, laughing off my pleasantries as if they are nothing. "Are you kidding me? I should be the one thanking you. We don't get many pack members wanting to volunteer in the daycare center. And Alpha Benji mentioned you have experience with pups, which is amazing."I can't imagine why people wouldn't want to help. The center is covered with colorful drawings, plush toys, and gleeful kids. This is the most peaceful place I've come across since coming here. Why would someone willingly request to do security on the underground cells, instead of caring for pups?Jeremiah clears his throat from next to me, bringing my attention back to the conversa
He laughed at my question, collecting the books from his lap and discarding them on a nearby table. "Believe it or not, I don't spend all my time in the infirmary." A warm smile graced his lips as he paused. "When I'm not booked with any patients, I like to volunteer and help out down here. It saves Elise the trouble of bringing the pups to me when they hurt themselves.""Hush!" Elise swiveled to face him, swatting her hands at his chest playfully. "You're going to make me look bad in front of her. The only time they get hurt is when they roughhouse with each other, and I try to get them to stop."I watch the two of them with interest, confused on whether they are close friends, or possibly mates. Noah is still undeniably attractive, with a charming personality, but my draw to him is no longer as fresh as it was when I first encountered him. After spending more time with Benji, our mate bond has solidified to the point that I can't look at another male without feeling a sense of guilt
"You're not coming inside?"I pause, my fingers already curled around the knob of the door. I hadn't noticed Jeremiah's slowed pace until he was already behind me, ready to make his way back to his home. He stopped, turning on his heel to face me."No," his response was curt, like it usually was. He wasn't a man of many words. "Benji's here. I already talked to him."I furrow my eyebrows, still staring at him. "You did? When?"Jeremiah sighs. His expression is one similar to an older sibling being pestered by their siblings - he's irate. In a pointed manner, Jeremiah raises his pointer finger to tap on his forehand two times, waiting in silence for me to understand."Oh," A blush creeps up my face immediately. I'm embarrassed that it took me so long to realize they had mindlinked. "well, alright. Goodnight."He barely registers my pleasantries before he makes his escape. I huff, turning back to the door. Jeremiah is a confusing man. He certainly acts more like what I expectedfrom thi
Jeremiah's face haunts me at night, taunting my restless mind. I was quick to leave him after his outburst. My body went into fight-or-flight mode, wanting to put much needed space in between us. Benji picked up on my change of attitude as soon as I came inside. I managed to avoid his questioning eyes, instead locking myself in my room with the lame excuse of a stomach ache. The light of the moon creeps in through my open window, partially illuminating my room. I hoped the fresh air would lull me in to a sleep, but I'm left disappointed. Every time I close my eyes, I'm drawn back into the cold cells. I'm reminded of the concrete floors stained with blood and the soggy pieces of bread thrown through our gates. Instead of nameless guard wolves tormenting me, though, their faces are all replaced with Jeremiah's. I can't shake his emotionless stare from my head. With a frustrated groan, I push my comforter off my bare legs, letting it fall to the ground. My eyes are strained from
My breath was ragged as I ran through the clearing, beads of sweat beginning to form at my temple. Victory was just in sight. I could almost grasp it.A sharp burst of energy caught me off guard, making me stumble over my feet. I barely managed to twist my body to avoid hitting the small child grabbing at my ankles as I crashed down on the floor."Geez, Tommy, you're strong." I comment, groaning as I roll on to my back, shaking the little boy from my feet. My chest rose erratically as I took the momentarily time out to catch my breath. These pups were a lot faster then I expected and stronger. I always knew I was a weak wolf, especially for my age, considering my Omega status. But, I didn't think I was this weak.It was midweek and the kids were antsy from being inside all day. Elise usually liked to have at least two outdoor activities, but it has been hard getting guard approval for us to take all the pups out. The pack patrol has been strict lately, which is odd. I tried to
"Are you mad at me?" The question sounds pathetic coming from my lips, but I can't help but ask. Ever since we left the daycare center, the mate bond has left a nagging feeling in my chest. I know something is wrong – I can feel it. The noise of cluttering utensils fills the silence. From my spot across the kitchen table, I stare at Benji, willing him to answer. My food has remained untouched since we sat down. It's hard to eat with so much anxious energy floating in my tummy. He finally has the decency to look up, pushing his plate away to focus on me. His features are no longer riddled with anger, but I know he's still irate. "I'm not mad at you." He answers, putting emphasis on the last word. "Well, who are you mad at, then?" I ask, even though I already know the answer. Benji must have thought the answer was obvious as well. He snorts, "I'm mad at that disrespectful pack doctor. If he weren't one of our best doctors, I would have ripped his head off his shoulders for acting l
"I need to talk to you." I spent hours mulling over my words in my room, debating if I should even go through with the conversation. But it had to be done. Dotty's words have been weighing heavy in my head. She thinks that I can make a difference in this pack and I'm going to try."Hm?" Benji peered up from the papers littering his desk. I don't usually like to venture in his office. It was one of the few 'off limits' places in the house, when I first arrived. "What's bothering you?" He asks.A nervous energy nestled in my chest. Goddess, why am I such a coward? It was times like this where I desperately wished I had a stronger backbone. A backbone like Dotty's or Gwen's. A nearly fading memory of dirty blonde hair and determined blue eyes sprung to mind at my thoughts. Nerves were quickly replaced with unwavering guilt. I've been so focused on my own personal life that I've become selfish. I've lost focus on where I came from - what brought me to this pack.Those horrid cells.
Benji flanked my side the entire way to the pack house. He slowed his strides, trailing closely next to me as we abandoned the silent sanctuary we inhabited to enter the main portion of the pack. I had gotten used to the heated stares, quick but curious, whenever I walked in the pack with one of their superiors. The stares were always worse with Benji, but he paid no mind. All he had to do was send one lazy sideway glance to a peeping pack member, and they would all scatter in fear. He was quick to leave me, mumbling something about having to get this conversation over with. His hands skimmed along the length of my arm for a fleeting moment as a goodbye, before turning on his heel to leave me with two wolves following my shadow. I stood in front of the familiar door he had left me at, knowing I was in good company, even if it wasn't him. I didn't bother to knock, retching the door open. Gwen didn't seem that surprised, not having many people to expect as a visitor. Her lips curled
I stare at him for a moment, gulping. Was he being serious? He wants me to attack him? I had asked for basic self defense skills, not to become a sparring warrior. Even if Dotty had trained me well, which she hadn't, I still wouldn't pose an ounce of a threat to Benji, of all people. "I, uh, um – I think Dotty may have exaggerated just a bit, about my..."His sudden laugh interrupts me, catching me off guard. Benji's nonchalant expression morphs to one of mildamusement, eyeing me. He interjects, "Stop, relax. I'm just joking." I furrow my eyebrows, clearly not getting his sense of humor. He continues, "Dotty told me your training sessions haven't been that fruitful. I was just joking.""Joking, huh...that's a new one." I take a deep breath to laugh off my previous indication, taking advantage of his good mood to tease him. "Yeah? Want to hear another joke?" Benji scoffs, gesturing to the floor. "Fifty push-ups. Now." "Oh, stop being such a grouch.""Now." Something is telli
I'm not sure exactly what I'm expecting when I open the door. But, one thing I definitely wasn't expecting, was a shirtless Benji to be greeting me. Standing in the middle of the entryway leaning against the back of the couch is Benji, shirtless in all his glory. He's clad in only black athletic shorts hanging almost dangerously too low on his hips and a pair of running sneakers. His head is downturned, distracted by whatever message he's furiously responding to on his phone. Always busy with pack business. He types away for a few moments before carelessly tossing his phone to the couch, looking up to finally acknowledge my presence. "Is that what you're wearing?"The heat that spreads quickly throughout my cheeks is humiliating at his simple comment. I shift the weight on my feet, glancing down at the simple outfit I had worn to the daycare. It was almost identical to every outfit I wore, yet he never complained before."You want me to change for dinner?" I ask incredulously,
♕ Aria ♕ "Well, well...look who we have here. I was starting to think one of the pups scared you away." Elise smiles from her spot in the center of the daycare. The echoing noise of the door gave my arrival away, announcing to not only Elise, but Noah, that I was back. With Dotty's 'training', it had pulled me away from the daycare center. While I had missed Elise's warm energy and the constant changing day with the pups, I welcomed the break. Ever since my unsettling encounter with Noah, I had been finding it harder to shake my unresolved nerves. I thought Dotty teaching me how to defend myself would help, but that didn't work out as well as I had planned. "And let them win? Never." I smile. Elise was quickly distracted by the arrival of the pups, deserting me with a simple wave. Noah stood rooted in his spot, leaning against the wall with a box full of crafts in his hands. He was dressed more professionally today, wearing slacks and a button down. From the corner of my eye,
( THIRD P.O.V ) Benji didn't like her spending so much time with his sister. It irked him more then he would care to admit. Was he jealous of her? It was a foreign concept to him, to be envious of his childish sister. But, a nasty territorial side of him surely was. He would rather it be him with her. Training her. Teaching her. But he couldn't. He didn't trust himself around her like that, in his wolf form. It had been getting harder to reason with his wolf as the promise of a threat grew by each day. They were both desperate to protect her, but had different ideas on how to. Where as Benji would prefer to keep her locked away in a guarded home, his wolf was needy to claim her. To warn people in his path that she was his, and anyone that hurt her would face the consequences. He was fighting an uphill battle with himself, and the growing threat wasn't helping. Devin Berkshire was just the beginning of a rebellion Benji was interested in humoring. There had been talk of escaped r
The gravel path turned to worn down grass as we got further and further away from Benji's property. The first thing I noticed was the noise - grunts, growls, and a chorus of commands. My strides stalled for a moment as Dotty continued to tug us towards the commotion. "Dotty..." I warned, eyeing her carefully. "I'm not sure I like whatever you have in mind for inspiration. Maybe we should just go back to you beating me up in Benji's backyard." "I do not beat you up!" She looked mildly offended, rolling her eyes. "And besides, we're already almost here. It'll be fun." A thunderous growl followed her words, echoing off the forest walls. Where I saw it as a warning sign, it only fueled Dotty's eagerness to stride forward. Dotty immediately noticed my hesitation, my heels digging into the earth, kicking up dirt in our path. "Don't worry. It's just the warriors." Dotty quickly explained, pulling on our arms again. "They're training today. I thought you might like to watch." This c
══════════════════ The morning air was sharp against my cheeks as I pushed open the back door. Like I expected, Dotty sat perched in the backyard, sitting criss-cross on the grass floor. She perked up as I got closer, turning to smile at me, waving enthusiastically. "Aria! Nine a.m sharp, wow. I would say I'm impressed by how prompt you are, but that seems pretty fitting for you." Her gaze flickered to the now shut back door before bouncing back to my approaching figure. "Is Alpha Dumbass coming out to say hello?" I cringed at her comment, knowing fully-well that she was still in ear shoot of Benji who had only left a few minutes before me. "I thought you said you weren't mad at him anymore." I shook my head slightly, offering her hand to help her up. A few days had passed since the breakfast incident, yet Dotty's anger still lingered. She promised me she would let it go, but it didn't seem that likely with her constant need to jab at him for it any chance she got. It was situati
♛ THIRD PERSON P.O.V ♛ The night before... The mildew scent clings to the cell walls, making the air thick and hard to swallow. There are so many different scents lingering underground: unfamiliar wolves, sweat, piss, and blood. So much blood. The iron aroma is so potent - so raw - that it makes the pack guards choke on their own saliva. They can taste it when they gulp, as if it's their own blood their smelling. But it's not their blood. It's Devin Berkshire's. A twenty-four year old wolf from the Sapphire pack. He's a prisoner who's always had a smart mouth on him, but never tested his luck. A sharp gaze that tracked your every move as he lurked in the back of his cell. He never went out of his way to make the new people feel welcomed. If anything, he was the first person to shove them to the front of the crowd when it came down to selecting for Cleaning Day. His philosophy was survival of the fittest. He wasn't down here to make friends. He had plenty of friends on the outside
The room was painfully silent as my question festered in the air. For a moment, all I could hear was Benji's labored breathing as he tried, and failed, to control his reaction. A snarl ripped through his chest, breaking the noise. "That's enough." He snapped, standing up from his seat so suddenly it screeched against the floor. "We're leaving." I hesitated, frozen in my seat. I had expected him to get mad, sure, but I didn't expect this level. When I didn't get up right away, he pulled on the back of my chair, startling me. "I said, we're leaving." He repeated through clenched teeth.Dotty got up before I did, thrusting herself between us. "Aria may be too nice, but I won't hesitate to rip your throat out if you keep this attitude with her." "Attitude?" He scoffed, clenching and unclenching his fists at his side. "Go back to playing dress-up or whatever you do with your free time. I don't need you to lecture me on how to talk to my mate.""Are you in heat or something? Your