The wood burner filled the entire room with warmth and a pleasant smell. It crackled and creaked but did little to lift the heavy silence that settled over the living room of the pack house. Most of them were getting ready for bed while I sat by window, watching the dim and grey clouds with a hot mug of tea.
Wrapping my arms tighter around my upper body, my fingertips dug into the ribs. A sigh escaped my lips as I thought about the uneventful day and general unease that made my body thrum with it, my heart beating fast. The sound of familiar footsteps approaching me filled my eyes. It was the Senior Pack Alpha.
He sighed. “You shouldn’t keep your phone so carelessly.”
I cradled the mug between my
“Luna”, I heard someone leaning over slightly and lowering their voice only to realise it's Beth.Ever since we received the news of the guards and Aiden coming back, it was decided that celebrations were in order. My pack didn’t do these things because our Alpha was a timid, scaredy-cat who didn’t believe in helping others. Despite the neighbouring packs begging him several times, he barely moved.“Huh?” I asked, finally refocusing my stare on her, ignoring the chatter from around us. The mated omegas and betas were getting dolled up in the middle of the living room for some reason, giggling loudly among themselves. Something tugged inside me, knowing that they were going through these efforts for their Alphas.
As an omega growing up, I read countless stories of romances—more than I cared to admit, the paperbacks hidden away under my bed and kept secret from judgemental eyes, mostly my mother. When I was with Zain, I thought that he was it, my soulmate, but he never made me feel the butterflies Aiden did, the nervous hitch in my breath and the flush down my chest whenever he was around.Some nights I did dreams of the scenarios from the endless cliche book I consumed, one where my mate and I lock eyes across a crowded room and feel the anticipation in our gaze, or at a ceremony where we both reach for the last slice of a dessert and sparks fly at the touch of our barely brushed fingers.Those fantasies never amounted to the actual feelings coursing through me as A
/Aiden’s POV/I was feeling hot all over. I tried to avoid it before, but now my gaze was drawn to Rose, the sight of her in my bed quickly making the cock bob between my legs, hanging heavy.Wrapping a hand around the base of my cock, I took a step forward, still hovering over the omega. I allowed a moment to look at my mate; Rose was staring at me, her cheeks tinted, loose strands of hair clinging to the side of her face. The omega sat there, perfectly still waiting for my order, which caused something to stir inside me. I smirked devilishly and tucked her untamed hair to the side.Slowly running my thumb over her plump lips, I relished in the pillowy plush. I pressed harder, forcing her lips open, and groaned when she presented her tongue.
Squeezing my eyes shut, I let out a strangled gasp, a single tear wetting a path down my cheek. It took me several seconds to come down from my high, watching as Aiden hovered above. I glanced down to see the Alpha slide his hand down his length as he jerked himself off. "Are you ready?""Umm," I stuttered before averting my gaze and flushing. My heart thudded against my chest, toes curling at the thought of taking his cock."Is that going to fit in me, Alpha?" I suddenly blurted, the tips of my ears going red.He stilled at that, taken aback by my question before slowly bobbing. "It will."I nodded my head, eyes sligh
I blinked at the Alpha, feeling as if invisible fingers were encircling my throat, squeezing all air out of me, and it went to my head, making me momentarily dizzy. Internally I wanted to curse myself for the silence that settled over us, still unable to move or open my mouth."Umm...." I echoed echoes, saying nothing else. I was not quite sure what to say, if I am honest. It still felt odd, this desire to talk to my Alpha without knowing how to articulate the ruckus in my brain. Many things remained unspoken between us, and as much as I wanted to clear the air, I didn't want to start something."That's all you are going to say?" The Alpha sat up, resting his back against the headboard with the hint of a smile. I tried not to blush as the sheets pooled around his waist, leaving his upper body completely exposed
/Aiden’s POV/I never realised that the mate pull could be so intense as to let go of all my inhibitions and control. The talk with my father lasted for barely five minutes, in which he hugged me for solid two minutes. He can be an emotional guy when he wants to be. As I walked out of the packhouse, my eyes fell on two familiar faces, and I froze.The sight of Rose with someone else, calling his name and laughing like they are long lost friends stirred something in me. My back stiffened, and I couldn’t control the words slipping past my throat.She gawked at me as I said those words out aloud, her lips parting.
I was hurting all over, every inch of my body prickling with it. There’s a headache pounding at the base of my skull, limbs aching, my stomach queasy. Something prickled behind my closed eyelids, toes curling around something soft. Sweat clung to my forehead, feeling hot all over.My body was practically glued onto the sheets under me, and it took me a while to realise that the smell of alcohol was coming from me. I tried to open my eyes, lids moving as harsh rays of the sun fell over my body. Sucking in a deep breath, I managed to crack a single eye open this time, blinking against the light, my mouth feeling dry and throat parched.Why did I drink? I thought to myself, fluttering my eyes shut, a sigh escaping my throat. The desire to go back to sleep was intensifying. Before I could manage
/Aiden's POV/My hands trembled when I pulled the covers over Rose small frame and managed to keep it together. While leaving the room, walking along the corridor, I couldn't help but think back to the words mumbled by my mate. The food and drink from earlier sat heavy in my stomach. A hot cup of tea may fix these haywire thoughts.Dragging my feet towards the kitchen, I found the old, battered box of tea right at the back and, in pulling it out of the depths of the cupboard, dragging a couple more boxes out with it. My hands quickly turned on the stove, filling the vessel with water and letting it boil. I leaned over the steaming pot and breathed in deeply until my face was hot and damp.I like you. A lot.
As the winter bled into spring, the sky grew more explicit and the clouds turned bright, unlike the gloomy days we had so far. I was nostalgic seeing the snow gone, but spring was a time of rebirth, a new beginning that I eagerly welcomed.Striding down the aisle, I twisted my head, staring at the faces that gazed at me and smiled. There were Alphas, betas, and omegas everywhere, and every single one of them sported an expression of joy and pride. Never in my life did I expect that this day would come, but it's happening.In the very front row, I spotted my father, my chest tightening painfully. My stepmother passed away a year ago, finally succumbing to her illness. Cara, along with her husband, had visited her in the last few days, but she humiliated both of them, not wanting to see their faces. I received the same treatment in the past, but still, it sadde
/Aiden's POV/Everything hurts. That's the first thought that dawned on me as I slowly drifted into consciousness. My hands twitched helplessly, and even though I could flutter my eyelids, they felt too heavy to open my eyes.My chest felt strange, uncomfortable sensations filling it up and throbbing in my ears, alongside horrid sounds that made it impossible to concentrate.I tried to open my eyes, just a little, and it's bright, blindingly so. It had been peaceful and dark seconds away, then an intense pressure in my chest made me hit the ground.I realised I was on a bed, covered by a thick duvet, sunlight spilling through the open windows at the opposite side of the room, so bright that it
/Rose POV/As soon as the dull thud echoed around the woods, it sent a searing pain through my skull. I was unable to move, taking a few more seconds to process that Aiden was on the floor, unconscious.With my sight going fuzzy around the edges and limbs twitching and shaking uncontrollably, I tried to work my muscles. Once that was under control, I put my body weight onto the palms, which burned and felt numb at the same time.Standing up, my chest lurched, and soon after, my stomach jumped violently. A fit of loud coughs escaped my lips, throat constricting, instinctively curling in."A-Aiden..." The sting was sitting deep inside as I finally scrambled forward, heart hammering
/Aiden's POV/My world stopped at that moment, mouth dropping open in shock, breath knocked out of my throat. I could feel the heat of my skin, feet automatically staggering back in the process. The people in front, the trees surrounding us, everything went blurry, a rush of memories surging through me, and suddenly I remembered.That strange encounter in the forest, his mark on my body and a promise to find me soon, those dreams with blurred faces and deep voices. It all made sense now."I-Its you..." My throat was burning, words jagged and breathy, tears were in my eyes. "Ronald," I uttered the name with so much venom that it made him chuckle. At the familiar sound, my hackles rose, goosebumps pricking.
/Aiden's POV/I had no idea what was it that woke me up. Suddenly, I was sitting up in bed, the sheets sliding off my chest along with my mate's arm and every last bit of fatigue that had been clinging to my body. It's still dark, no light shining in from outside and no ray of sun pouring inside.Instead, the window was still wide open, puddles of water covering the ground right in front of it.I slipped from beneath the duvet and got to my feet, mind-wiped blank and steps steady but languid as I made my way towards the window. When I looked ahead, far away in the distance, a hint of light on the horizon stared back at me, a line in the darkened sky.For a moment, I soaked the silence around me, the chilly a
/Aiden POV/I didn't know where I went wrong in my life. No. I was aware but did not want to acknowledge it for the sake of my mind. However, the problem is that I cannot change anything now. Staring into Slyvies desperate eyes only made me realise how much of a fool I have been.Rose was right all along. I sent her away in hopes that my guilt towards Sylvie would ease. When in reality, she's a pawn from Reece side, thrust into my life for my failure. Even though she had no choice but to surrender to fate, I couldn't help the resentment gnawing in my chest.I would never be able to trust her on anything again. As harsh as it may sound, I did not want to be fooled by her again.
A frown settled on her face, the hold of her hand loosening around my wrist. "Why? Do you not like chicken curry?"I let out a chuckle at her child-like pout, running my thumb across the plump of her cheek. "No, it's not that, baby. I love anything you make except for that pasta.”A squeal escaped her lips and she slapped lightly at my arm as if recalling the incident. Even though I almost died, it’s fun to tease her that the first dish she made gave me an allergy. The omega gets truly flustered every single time.“Don’t remind me of that ever again.”“Alright.” I fondly rolled my eyes.“Tell me why don’t you want
/Aiden's POV/Damon insisted on calling his mate to inform her that we were leaving for the clinic. I asked him to tell Rose about my location, not wanting to worry her. Along with my beta, we both stepped inside the room, finding Slyvie on the bed.The doctor bowed as soon as he saw, greeting politely. I waved at him, my eyes flickering towards the frail body of the omega. My heart clenched at sight, guilt swarming in my belly as I recalled the way I behaved with her in our past meetings. I should have given her another chance to explain instead of letting it go."H-How is she now?" I croaked, turning to the doctor, my hands falling by my side.
/Aiden's POV/To distract myself after the near depressing talk with my father, I decided to visit the training ground. I silently leaned against a tall pole while observing the guards shoot with a bow. Their targets were dead birds carcasses strapped up in a low hanging stand, and the goal was to hit either three or four within a few minutes.Crossing my arms together, I watched as one of the guards shot an arrow—with the wrong technique, of course, it missed and flew feet away from striking any bird. I could sense the tension in the air that vibrated in waves from the guard from being observed. With the war looming over us, we had no choice but train.I felt sick to my stomach as I watched him completely mess up the whole process.&nb