Aniston's POV I felt my breath shudder as he walked right out the door. I looked away and closed my eyes as it felt like someone was using a dagger to shred what I knew were the last pieces of my heart.Maybe I was taking it so hard because for once I was really hoping Ari would be someone other than the person who wants to keep me his dirty secret.I thought captivity changed him.I was hoping he would choose to protect me but instead he left. I guess he didn't love me enough to risk his reputation.If he did, he wouldn't have left me sitting on a dirty floor and in tears. He would have fought for me and made sure I was alright. The man I love would have done that and more. But atlas, he was nowhere to be found.I tried to protect my face as the food throwing started again, harder than before and as much as I wanted to stand up and walk out of the cafeteria, my legs refused to move.But I am Vanessa Aniston Stillblood, I am bloody royalty! I wasn't going to cower because my legs s
Aniston's POV I stared at the ceiling like I was just noticing for the first time that it wasn't really a white colored ceiling; it had tiny blue dots that were almost invisible. They looked hidden, like they were secrets to be discovered. They were beautiful.Then I was no longer staring at the ceiling but the clear night sky, like I could see through the bedroom ceiling to the beauty above.I could count the stars forever and I wouldn't be able to count them all. I knew it was just my mind playing tricks on me by creating a space where I could have a moment of peace without my ridiculous life getting in the way.Slowly, the stars shone brighter but one caught my attention. It stood out. Like it was unbothered and it wasn't trying to impress anyone with its light, yet that star somehow was the brightest. No matter where I turned to face, my eyes unwillingly came back to the lone star.Slowly, the room returned to normal, there were no more stars and there was no more brightness.J
Dev's POV I stood in front of the full length mirror that was on top of a brown wooden stool. I was stark naked except for the black panties and bra. Beads of water dripped from my hair down to my shoulders. I didn't bother with them.I pushed a few rogue strands of hair behind my ears and wiped the beads of water that was about to enter my eyes. The other beads of water, I allowed to fall freely all over my body.I was unbothered.I ran my index finger on the scar just above my hairline. The scar was almost fading. I blinked and looked away from the mirror.I opened the wooden wardrobe and took out the navy blue towel that was folded among the pile of towels on the lower right side of the wardrobe. I am beginning to realize that I might have a thing for towels since I had about twenty of them.I went back to stand in front of the mirror.This time around I wrapped the towel on my head enclosing the brown hair. I looked closely in the mirror and a pair of blue eyes attached to an ova
Aniston I sat in front of the Alpha's office.I was nervous. I clasped my hand over the other and squeezed like I was trying to reassure myself which makes me a bonafide self soothing lunatic but who cares."Everything will be fine" I murmured reassuringly. Everything will be just fine… but then the panic kicked in.I was headed to the panic zone when the door opened and Alpha's PA asked me to come inside."The Alpha is ready to see you""I have never been called to the Alpha's office before, including my father's office. This would be the first time I am entering his office""So?" He was impatient.I smiled like I wasn't close to crapping my pants."So, I am gonna go in"I stood up ."Yes, please come with me"The PA led me to the door, opened the door and ushered me Inside."Miss Powell for you, Alpha Rayn" The personal assistant said out loud."Thank you, Mr. Heckler" Alpha Ryan said and the PA left, closing the door behind him.I walked inside the office and I was surprised to
Dev's POVI paced.It was the only thing that kept me rooted and grounded. The only thing keeping me from turning around and taking off in a run. The only thing keeping me from running forever - away from my father, away from my destiny and away from this feeling emanating from the pit of my stomach reminding me that I am a worthless traitor!Oh gosh! I am gonna throw up.I rushed to the side of the isolated wood and I threw up. What I was about to do made me physically sick!But it has to be done. I am saving his life. I am saving his life.I am fucking saving his life.Maybe if I keep telling myself that then it wouldn't be so bad but it didn't help one bit.Nothing did.I was about to sit down on the dry log of wood by the side when someone startled me."Dev""Jeez! Don't do that!" I jumped.I clutched my chest like I was trying to keep my heart inside my body.Ari stood there with his hand inside his jacket. Dude literally appeared out of nowhere."Sorry. I came as soon as I coul
Ari's POV "I will make it simple. Tell me the truth or get the hell out of my pack!"She looked at me and she shrugged as tears ran down her face.Oh my God!I felt my heart squeezed. Oh lord she's choosing to leave. She's choosing…wooh! I can't breathe.I tried to gather my wandering thoughts."Don't do this, Aniston" I spoke softly to her. "I really thought things were better between us""It was but you can never know who I am. You would hate me" I grabbed her, maybe too roughly than I intended."I could never hate you. I am incapable of hating you. Don't you know this by now?" I asked her and hugged her tightly…too tightly."I am sorry. I am really sorry"I saw it. It was the moment I lost her and there was nothing I could do about it. I pulled away from her. "You do realize that if you do this, we are over!" I yelled angrily at her."Yes""And I won't come for you. If you do this Aniston, we might as well be strangers to each other"She hesitated from answering. I didn't know
Aniston's POV I took the necklace from the guard begrudgingly. He would surely pay for his rudeness later. Picking up the helm of my makeshift curtain dress, I took off in a run leaving every other belonging behind. I was certain that the sourly looking keeper would care for them as if his life depended on it.The first place I rushed to as soon as I entered the castle was the Alpha's court. I was almost sure my father was going to be there. He was hardly anywhere else.I walked through the hallway and everything looked so different like someone made a conscious effort to redecorate. I even stopped once to admire the little things. The new stone carving that was lined at every pillar of the hallway and new curtains that were soft to touch. It reminded me of something. I don't know what exactly.It reminded me of something warm and inviting, then it dawned on me…it was a woman's touch, someone finally convinced Papa to add color to the castle.I resumed my journey to the king's court
Ari's Pov I entered my bedroom. I just spent an hour listening to Raven talk about fashion while making me watch a romcom movie in the living room and I was bored out of my mind. It was why I excused myself to take a shower. I was miserable and I knew it. Life without Aniston wasn't as easy as I thought it would be. And then there was also the little problem of being stuck between loving the girl I hated with every fiber of my body. I wished I could attach a single emotion to her. I wanted to hate her in totality or love her without regret…I wanted just one emotion for Aniston Powell because doing both was exhausting and I didn't know how much longer I could keep it up. Most nights I lay awake in bed thinking of her and hating myself afterwards. Not knowing what she chose over me was hard…harder than being bitten by a hungry python. I wanted Aniston to either break my heart in totality or heal what she broke. I pulled at my pants and unclad myself. I entered the shower but
R18Warning.This chapter contains explicit sex scene. Please read at your own discretion.Aniston’s POVI stood in the shower naked as a new born baby counting minutes till my hot…hot mate who just told me he was in love with me joined me.Then the doubt started to creep in. He was going to see me naked and be…inside me and stuff. Did I even shave?I am supposed to shave right?! Quick Ani, check!I was about to when the door opened and Ari walked inside and locked the door behind him.He joined me in the shower and stood behind me and let his hands wander.I should say something…right? I could sneak out for a minute and shave my legs.I opened my mouth speak...All that came out was a hum.A hum?Are you fucking kidding me?!A freaking hum like a cave person. Ari ran his hand through my dark thick wet hair that fell to my back before grabbing a handful of it to rub on his cheek. When he was done, he pushed them away to expose my bare back. First he kissed my neck as his left hand
Aniston’s PovI sat on a swing by the playground for a while. God, I don’t think I have ever been so nervous like this before. Forty-five minutes and counting, that is the amount of time I have sat at this spot waiting for Ari to come, refusing to accept that it might just be over for us.I tried not to imagine a world without him, I did just the opposite. I allowed myself to daydream…about a possible future where I was actually happy with the love of my life, we had two children, a daughter named Dani and a son name Ari-Storm. And two rescue dogs and a white picket fence.I knew that the possible of that happening was slim…it got slimmer when I felt the first drop of rain.It was almost an hour, he wasn’t coming.Storm came to sit beside me."What are you doing?" he asked me."Waiting" I murmured."For?" he asked but I kept quiet. "What are you waiting for? It is going to be a downpour, Ani. I don’t think he is coming".I turned to look at him. My eyes had a glint of tears in them bu
Aniston’s POV“Few weeks ago when you told me you love me, did you mean it?” Ari asked.“Yes. I love you”“Okay…okay then, because maybe I can live with your secrets” he murmured. “Even thought it hurts that you can’t trust me with them but I am tired, Ani…tired of hoping I could catch a glimpse of you in my dreams...Tired of hoping, praying that maybe you would give me a reason why I am so untrustworthy. I have recurring nightmares of you lying dead in a ditch somewhere and then I would wake up and pace and scream and pray! I am tired of being left on the side walk”“You asked me to leave, Ari”“Well, you didn’t want to stay. You would rather be elsewhere but with me, Aniston! You chose your bloody secrets over me! That hurts you know”I grabbed his arm. "I am sorry. I got scared and I panicked. And I just…ran. I didn't think, I couldn't think…I just ran. And I thought I would never see you again but you are here and I am here now and I want to tell you everything, Ari…everything fro
ChapterAri’s POVI stared at her face and then everything stopped. Time stopped like I wanted it to, because right this minute…right this second, everything just became too real and I had to deal with it.But I don't want to.I want to go back to the beginning. To the time when I was a boy and my only concern was the butterfly outside my window, when my mother's embrace was the safest place for me.I want to go back to the time when my father's shoulder was the highest place in the whole wide world…to the time when crying meant a smile was just around the corner.I want the beginning, when mother's laughter was music to my ears and father's voice was a source of admiration and solace.I want the little tree house behind the house, I want the fake dance parties and fast car races…to the time of tooth fairies and little gods, when Santa Claus was real…when all I had to be was… good and everything worked out just the way they were meant to be.I want the beginning and the goodies that c
Ari's POV I must have stood there for a very long time, just staring at nothing. Images of a naked man in Aniston’s room stayed with me for as long as i stood there. I mean nothing made sense anymore; nothing seemed real anymore too…everything has gone to shit. “Ari?” Everything seemed so far away like I was floating and nothing was keeping me tethered to earth anymore. Something didn’t feel right. I could feel it from the depth of my soul…I could feel it. I just can’t explain it. “Ari? Hey, are you alright?” Dev’s voice brought back to reality, I turned around and looked at her. She had a smile on her face. “Making this trip is the best thing to have happened to…” “I have to go” I murmured, more to myself than for her benefit. “What? Go where?” she looked puzzled. “I just saw a naked man in Ani’s room” I said and looked at her with this deep frown that came from my soul. “I am so sorry” She said. It sounded like she meant it. “It is a good thing we are here…away from all t
Aniston's POV "No, I am not""Yes, you are. It was idiotic of me to trust someone like Anton, I know but I was going crazy with boredom and…" I was interrupted by Markle "Do you know what is worse than boredom? Death, sis. You went with a strange man to God knows where, outside the scope of my protection and he could have hurt you…really hurt. Did you even think it through….""I am not a child, Mark. I can fucking take care of myself and stop treating me like some porcelain doll that will break at the sign of trouble! I am not breakable! Or I would have shattered a long time ago…so, just stop! Just…cut me some slack" i voiced my opinion strongly before continuing on my journey to my room, he tried to follow me but I stopped him"I know you suddenly want to be a good big brother but Just give me some space…I am serious, Mark, don't follow me!"I walked away and banged the door as loudly as I could when I got to my cabin.I went into my makeshift closet to change into something less
Chapter "Wow…you are really…really bad at threats, Aniston. Laxatives? Laxative was the best threat you could come up with. Even the way you are standing doesn't encourage fear and your face looked like you are about to offer me chocolate"I was taken aback and I couldn't speak. Anton removed his hand from his pocket."I am going to do something I rarely do. I am going to teach you how to effectively threaten someone and get them to take you seriously. Now stand upright, it will make you taller, narrow your eyes…please stop smiling…move closer to your intended recipient, pout and make sure to voice out each word with precision and bone chilling coldness, none of your sweet soprano voice, for Christ sake you are threatening someone not trying to get them to fall in love with you. Now, give it a try" Anton instructed me.I relaxed. I was always in the mood to learn something new.I stood upright earning another inch; I narrowed my eyes and pouted. When I opened my mouth, every word was
ChapterAri's POV Chioma didn't give it much thought; she just went around the table and hugged Veronica. "It won't be enough for the whole project but it is a good start. You can stop hugging me now, I haven't told you but…there is only a tiny hiccup, we need an engineer""Oh that's okay, Ari is one and a damn good one too. I am sure he is happy to help" Lee said and I turned sharply to glare at him in shock.Why on earth would he volunteer me for a project that huge when we leave in three weeks for home?"Will you?" Chioma asked me with a puppy dog look I couldn't turn down."Sure. Excuse us, come on guys" I ushered my friends out the door specifically to get my hands on Lee and murder him.When we were out of a hearing distance from Veronica's office, Lee took off on a run.I looked at Dev and I didn't have to ask too. She seemed pissed off."I will get him and I am going to fucking kill him!" She ran after him leaving just Caleb and I to stand in the middle of the hallway stari
ChapterAri's POV "Yes, that's one reason and second, is I don't want anything complicated right now. Nothing about starting up a relationship with Chioma screams simple. So, just drop it" I told him firmly. "And Lee, don't talk about Aniston like that ever again"Lee was quiet for a few seconds before he said something."Let's see how long you can go without sex, Ari""You make it sound like I am an addict" I turned to look at him."Just saying….the only thing the two of us have in common is the fact that we aren't saints. We all including Caleb love a good bang, maybe you more than all of us""I love sex! I ain't ashamed to acknowledge that but I am not a dog and I have self control. And I refuse to treat women like a sex object. Worry about yourself, Lee"I said and walked away but not before I heard him mutter "you are so full of it"I almost made it to my room which was opposite Chioma's when I saw a boy knocking on her door.He was skinny, average and had a dark chocolate skin