RIONA'S POV I braided my fingers through my hair, unsure of the best response to give. The incident happened a few years back, and I was the only one at the scene. “I don't think so,” “I know so,” Theron said, his voice low and throaty. He rested his weight against the cushion opposite me, “Hurting Luna Stacy isn't something you'd do,” I shrugged weakly. “Well, my entire pack thinks I'm responsible—” “I'm not a part of your pack, and I really don't want to be a part,” he paused, holding my gaze, “I believe you,” My head pounded violently. Alpha Theron's words spun around my head, and rested on my skin. Leaving a wave of goosebumps in its wake. He groaned. “I’ll be in my quarters, you still need to rest for a few days,” I nodded. I lifted his chin, and his smoldering look melted a delicate nerve in my heart. I racked my head for the right emotion, but it was foreign, nothing like I've ever felt. I watched his intimidating physique disappear behind the thick oak door. Elara clam
THERON'S POV Riona's face flushed bright red as I dressed the wounds. She groaned at the slightest brush of my hands over her skin. Her eyes dilated, and I could feel her gaze on me, when I wasn't watching. Still, her scent scrambled with my train of thoughts. It took me every bit of willpower to keep my focus in place. From the way she curled, and uncurled her fist, I could instantly tell Riona was on the verge of having a fever. Her palms were ice cold, and sleek with sweat. She drew in deep breaths, and let them out in a ragged motion. The nape of her neck, pale white and delicate. As if it was beckoning to me to dig my fangs against it. I swallowed past the bile that gathered around my throat, focusing my gaze on her wounds. Guilt stabbed me with jagged blades. All the while, Riona had been subjected to severe treatment. Heck! I was a total asshole to her. Vuk gnashed its teeth at me, resurfacing. ‘Theron! For crying out loud! Do I need to spell everything out for you?’ He s
THERON'S POV My reflexes kicked into action, my blood pumping with exhilaration. I grabbed her before she fell to the cold tiles. Her teeth grinded against each other. Riona let out a groan, as I lifted her in my arms and placed her gently on the bed. I tucked her under the thick comforter, and watched her closely. My wolf growled inside of me, seething with feral dominance. Vuk was slowly slipping out of control. And it was only a matter of time before he broke free from the torture of not marking his mate. She winced, stirring on the bed. I inched closer to her, and held her by the shoulders. She clung onto my arms instinctively, and her breathing slowly returned to normal. I couldn't let her alone in this state. It could result in a nasty situation. And by the goddess, I would drown in the abyss of guilt, if she hurts herself. I stood by her bedside, watching her. The clock ticked, and hours passed, leaving the sky misty with blue and orange streaks— an indication of sunset.
RIONA'S POVI made to stretch of my sleep, when the heat from a calloused hands keeping me in place, holding me back. My heart thumped violently against my ribcage, as I tried to wriggle out of his grip. I held my breath, close to the brink of freedom when he pulled me right back into his bosom. Gosh! How did I end up on the same bed with Alpha Theron? Snippets of last night cake flooding in, and my head was full as if it was going to explode. I wiped a frustrated hand over my forehead carefully, so I wouldn't wake him from his sleep. Slowly, I lifted his hands and carefully placed them against him. Phew! I heaved a sigh of relief, as I skitted to the edge of the bed. A strange sensation clouded me, as I swallowed the lump in my throat. It fizzled out, leaving my body feeling light. Almost like my bones couldn't carry me much longer. Alpha Theron splashed fast asleep on my bed like a dream. The slow rise and fall of the perfectly honed muscles on his chest. His lash fringed over h
THERON'S POV I held her in place, her eyes tightly shut as she groaned. My words had triggered something in her past. I had a lot of unanswered questions, I was dying to unravel.Suddenly, her muscles eased and she slipped into the peaceful oblivion of sleep. Minutes passed, and I mindlinked Gamma Vincent. ‘Yes Sir,’ He answered the minute he connected to the mindlink. ‘I need two of Silverfang’s finest warriors to come stand guard here.’ ‘They’ll be there in no time. And I was able to lay my hands on what you requested.’ Vincent said and zoned out of the mindlink. There was no need to prove further with questions. He knew I'd spent the last couple of days straddled by her side. And for some goddamn reason, I was going to do that over and over again. My jaw clenched. My mind raced back to the last part of his statement, leaving a wake of curiosity buried in my bones. Vuk snickered, ‘Someone is finally warming up to his mate. Isn't he?’ His sarcasm poked at my ego. My face turn
RIONA'S POV I stared blankly at my plate of breakfast. The aroma from the peppered sausage filled my nose, and my stomach rumbled in response. My mouth salivated with an urgent need to devour the meal in front of me. “You could always have another round if you want,” Alpha Theron said from across the table. His intense eyes take in every movement. I gave him a stiff shrug. A thousand words floated around me, and rested at the tip of my tongue. “Thanks,” Was all I could bring myself to say. He reached for his cup of coffee, and took a sip. I took one bite at the sausage, and the spicy taste filled my mouth. I can't remember the last time I had something this nice. I didn't need to lock gaze with him to know his eyes were burning deep holes in my head. My hand shot out to reach for the bowl of grapes, at the same time his hands landed on them. I stilled as his cold calloused hand brushed against mine. It was then I shifted my gaze to meet his. There was something about the way he
RIONA'S POV Nothing on earth prepared me for the simplicity of his study. Given his complexes, I’d expected an eerie looking statue carved in the firm of shelves, and books scattered everywhere. My eyes flickered around, there must be some sort of answer lurking in the pages of one of these books. This seemed like Alpha Theron's sanctuary. Urgency prickled through my veins. I quickly ran to the oak shelf, and a groan of frustration seeped through my lips.Stack of documents piled glumly at one end of the shelf. The other end was lined with strange tiny ornaments. I rubbed my hand over my forehead to wipe off sweat.“Ugh. This was a bad idea from then on—” I barely finished my statement when my eyes landed on something strange. An old journal with a worn out spine. It wasn't the journal, it was the inscription on it.I reached for it, amidst my raging heartbeat. My breath got caught in my throat. Why was a journal with my name inscribed against it here? Troubling thoughts clouded my
THERON'S POV Riona's eyebrows furrowed into a deep frown. “Wh-wh-what—” she stuttered as her voice trailed off. I pulled at a strand of her hair, and she shoved my hands aside. I grunted in sheer disapproval. If there was something I loathed, that would be blatant protest. Especially from a female that was at loss for her own identity. Anger ripped through my spine. I was equal parts infuriated, and equal parts fascinated. Fascinated at her courage to sneak into my study unnoticed. How'd she bypass the warriors to start with? How'd she get her hands on the journal? Did she have someone telling her about her identity? So many questions rummaged through me. I swear by the moon goddess, I was going to find the culprit if there was anyone feeding her some sensitive information. “Can I go now?” She spat, when she finally found her tongue. Surprise flickered through my core, but I pushed it to the farthest back of my mind, and locked it off. “Riona, you have no say in this pack house—
RIONA'S POV I watched Rylan and his grandmother speaking. Equal parts confused, and equal parts curious. Odessa whined inside of me. She perked her head to take in everything in front of her, but the heat from his mere presence confused her. “Camilla, there's never a good time for anything,” he muttered. Whatever the problem was, it was obvious it drained a part of him, he didn't want to talk about. A mixture of panic, and pain lined his facial features. His jaw clenched harder with each word he spoke. His gray eyes became tawny, coloured with wariness. Camilla reached for his hands, and squeezed it softly. “Son, we can't have you plunging into something that delicate,” frustration carved wrinkles on her face, “Remember you still need to win the heart of your subordinates, to become the official heir to Oakville throne.” His lips parted like he was about to counter her, when she added, beating him to it. “I don't think the pack members would want an injured Alpha.” He grunted, r
Tree branches slapped and scratched me, searing my skin as I ran through the thick woods. Heavy stomps of feet raced closer to me, covering the distance between me and my predators, and reached my ears. My vision became blurry, and it took every bit of willpower in me to keep my heavy legs running through the woods filled with thorns. My lips fell slightly apart as I struggled to drag in oxygen into my lungs. “Riona, you can't run away from us…” one man growled behind me before he let out a sinister laugh.My wolf, Elara, twirled inside of me, fighting and scratching to come to the surface. Unlike me, she was raw, brutal, and wouldn't hesitate before her claws sliced out and dug out their eyes.Elara was nothing like me. She was always ready for a faceoff with anyone she perceived as an enemy. But letting her have her way would mean shoving her as bait to her enemies. They would easily outnumber her, and the last thing I wanted was a weakened wolf.With each step I took, my legs fel
RIONA'S POV My day started badly. My feet tingled with a foreign stiffness I wasn't used to. I made to turn but my insides twisted with a torturing pain. I fell with my back against the bed. I let out a groan, when Alpha Theron's scent floated into my nose. Elara reared her head in sheer pleasure. His presence soothed a part of her, a part of us we didn't know needed to be calmed. What followed next was the stomping of his feet against the marble tiles as he approached my bed. His gaze net mine, and even with the signature permanent scowl etched on his face, his eyes glimmered with a soft smile.I made to push myself up, Alpha Theron covered the small distance between us, and wrapped his arms around me, serving as an edge. The warmth pressed harder into my bones. “Hey,” A faint bitter taste lingered in my mouth. I tipped my head sideways to take in his facial expression. The skin beneath his eyes was smudged from exhaustion. My eyes hovered around the room, and the pieces of puzz
ALPHA THERON'S POV Streaks of anger resurfaced at the edge of my consciousness. I got her to the safety of the pack house. The instant I set her in bed, I checked her thoroughly. My heart slammed against my ribcage with a bruising force. Examining her wounds was like stabbing my muscles with a silver dagger. Asides the cuts, and the mild concussion there was nothing to panic about. Still, the surge of adrenaline slithering through my veins petered out any sense of reasoning. I…I thought I'd lost her. Mental images of holding Riona's limp body emerged at the edges of my consciousness. Her body felt limp, cold. Riona's temperature was beyond belief. I unbuttoned her shirt, and waited for the slightest response from her— I got nothing. The lingering fear of losing her pressed further into my consciousness. I made a mental note to deal with Kanesha much later. For now, all I wanted to do was see Riona back to her feet. That was what mattered to me. I placed a bag of ice packs agains
THERON'S POV My curled fist hung midway in the air, as I fought with my guts whether to knock on her door or not. It's been a few days since I flipped on her. Somehow, Riona had thought the best option she could come up with was keeping to herself. The first couple of days I'd ignored her. Yep. I'd struggled through breakfast and having to train without feeling the gaze of a certain five foot six inches staring at me. Today was the height of it. Vuk had snugged me out of my sleep and dragged me straight to her door. ‘Vuk, we really don't have to do this,’ I tried to cajole him. He hissed. ‘Do what exactly?’ Vuk reiterated. My jaw clenched. ‘Going to meet her right in her room! It's absurd man, and you know it.’ ‘Hmm. Last I checked, a certain Alpha wouldn't keep his arms off his mate while in bed—’ Wait a quick minute. I cut him off before he had a chance to continue his rambling. ‘That was different and you know it. She was sick, sick! I couldn't let her suffer that alone.’ V
RIONA'S POV My insides collapsed as Alpha Theron masculine scent swooshed out the last ounce of oxygen from my lungs. Everywhere spun around in a haze of polaroid, and I tightened my grip around him— technically, Alpha Theron's bulky physique prevented my arms from curling around him perfectly. This should've felt perfect. But a tiny feeling of nostalgia wrapped around me. Elara was all but calm. We remained in that position for what seemed to be like forever, when it actual sense, it lasted for ten minutes. Alpha Theron pulled away from the hug, and a strange feeling of disappointment engulfed me. “What was it you wanted to talk about?” He quipped. His voice, sleek and husky. I swallowed the lump that gathered my throat. A slight headache was starting to blossom at the base of my skull. “I-I-I–” I stopped when Elara stirred. She didn't seem like she was satisfied by the abrupt end of the contact between I and Theron Moretti. He—We were yet to consummate the bond between us. Conc
ALPHA THERON'S POV I spent the next couple of days shuffling between pack duties, and keeping things in place. Vuk was even more disgruntled by my refusal to consummate the bond with our mate. “Fire!” One of the warriors screamed out the order to the rest of the warriors. The sun had just appeared from the dark clouds indicating the start of a new day— which meant training. There was no trusting anyone else. Especially when it had to do with my pack subordinates. Heck! Even the warriors at the pack might flaunt my rules in my absence. So, the only right thing to do was doubling the security around the pack house. It was the powerhouse of the Silverfang. My jaw clenched in disgust when one of the warriors hit Gamma Vincent to the ground. Vuk hissed in response. Embarrassing. My nerves tightened with animosity. “What the hell are you doing huh?” I sneered. “Do I smell incompetence with my Gamma?” I demanded in a husky voice. Gamma Vincent struggled up to his feet. I narrowed my e
THERON'S POV This second, I get lost in the swing of emotions. In a swing of an eye, I snap out and irritation prickles through my veins. Ugh! I hated dealing with weird intense emotions. They killed me, ripped me apart. It was already enough that Vuk struggled to dig his fangs into her skin and mark her his, each time we set eyes on her. I took the left staircase, and headed to my chambers. I had a brief meeting with the pack elders. I hated meetings. And it got worse since they started questioning my capability as an Alpha. Who the hell do they think they are! Riona's Alpha instincts were way stronger than I could imagine. There was more to her than she knew. She was the broad canvas with her pieces scattered all over the place. One piece held a different story from another piece. I was going to— “Theron!” A sultry feminine voice cut through my train of thoughts, and a low growl erupted from the corner of my lips. I stopped abruptly in my tracks, and turned to the direction o
RIONA'S POV I relished in the ecstasy of the moment, as I took in the sight before me. I'd seen the sunrise— from a good distance of course. Capturing it this close. My arms brushed against his sharp shoulder blade. I tightened my grip around the rails, taking in the crisp fresh air. “It’s really beautiful,” the words fell out of my mouth before I could think it through. Still, the pangs of regret I thought would linger weren't there, not even slightly. Silence rented the air around us. Still, I could practically taste the serenity that dug in the crevices of the silence. “Exceedingly perfect,” he said in that familiar husky tone that left a trail of tingles in its wake. Elara reared her head sideways, her body rippling with an intense urge to rub her fur against his. It was one thing to know my mate. Yet another to consummate the bond between us. Another round of silence pressed in around us. I had so much to say. Since I thought they were baseless, I clamped my mouth shut and w