Ari's POV Dev moved closer to talk to me. She was a goddess plain and simple. "We both know Dad won't let you leave the cage and we are both terrified of him. I also know you don't want to fight me because I am a girl, which is noble and sweet…" "Thank you" I quickly said. "You are welcome. It noble but also stupid and foolish since we will be stuck with each other for the rest of our lives" I blinked. "Wait! Are we being forced into a marriage because if we are…" Dev's eyes widened immediately. "Dude, no! I am going to be Beta after my father…your Beta" "But you are a…" my voice trailed off. "I am a girl, we've already established that and this is the twenty-first century also. Maybe decades old traditions of thinking girls are nothing but breeding cows are outdated…I mean we already have a female Alpha in England…having a female Beta isn't so far fetched, Mr. Black" When I looked around, everyone was looking at me. I grabbed Dev's hand and pulled her to a corner. "I don
Ari's POV I moved closer to where she was standing and handed her a face towel to wipe her face. I was covered with shame over hurting her. I should have taken my chance with her father. She had her head down but I could see the bruises. "How badly did I hurt you?" I asked her. She turned around and looked at me. "I am sorry" I murmured. "Don't sweat it…you won fair and square" she said and took the face towel. "There is nothing fair about that fight, I am an alpha blood and you are not" Dev took the bottle water on the floor and took a gulp before spitting it out. "I was sixteen when Papa realized he wasn't going to have his much desired son to be Beta after him. He loves my mother…he couldn't divorce her given the fact that he is madly in love with her and so, as his first daughter I became the next best thing" Her voice sounded sad and it tugged at my heart. I saw the bruise on her face and I trailed it with my hand. "Does it hurt?" I asked her. "No. Nothing does, I
Ari's POV I took off the kumpur on my hand and I tried to put my roughed up clothes in order before heading out with my bag. I took a minute to take in the scenery. This place that hasn't been home in quite some time. Unlike most packs that still retain the old ways like it was still the eighteenth century, Bayblue was infused with a lot of technology, for example the power plant just South of the border that supplied constant power to Bayblue and about six more neighboring packs, Black lightning included. The tractors and expensive farm equipment, the farm keeper had Alpha Ryan commission four years ago, the expensive cars most teenagers and adults drove and the mansion included…. Basically everything one would need to survive the twenty-first century was here yet we didn't turn our backs on our roots, we still kept the traditions like the forest surrounding us was endless. We have rivers and horses, a cohabitated packhouse and an Alpha's point. We still train with spears and a
Aniston's POVIn my distressed time even when I wanted to be alone, I found comfort in the arms of Stormi Black, my mate's younger brother. For the briefest of seconds, I allowed myself to wonder if there was a possibility the moon goddess made a mistake and fated me to the wrong brother.Stormi was warm, caring and loving whereas Ari was the perfect opposite of warm or caring or even human, he was an asshole who wants nothing to do with me…an asshole who would rather kiss a girl he just met than try to work things out between us.I hate him!From the depths of my heart to the soul of my existence I loath everything he stood for. He was a reminder that I am good for nothing and I don't like to be reminded of that by nobody. I am quite capable of beating myself down…this ground I am standing on, can't get any lower.So, Ari thunderbolt Black can do whatever he likes…he won't break something that is already broken.I held on to the boy in front of me, his kindness made it easy to be vul
Aniston's POV "Good thing, I am yet to unpack""I am not saying shit to Alpha Ryan. Bayblue is home for as long as you need it to be'' Stormi said and started walking away.His words surprised me. I guess I was so used to people I know stabbing each other in the back that his integrity surprised me."Really?" I asked him.He turned around and looked at me, he had a little frown."Aniston, I would never go back on my word. I said I will be there for you and I will…for as long as you need me to be"Stormi kept walking afterwards, he barely made it pass the pine tree when I spoke."Stormi, wait""What!" He turned around and looked at me.I exhaled shakily. This was going to be bad."You are right, I should trust you but I am not going to tell you one true thing about me…""Fine, whatever" he murmured."Would you shut up please? I won't tell you one thing…I will tell you two things about me. One, I have two middle names, one is Aniston and the other is Jensen and only my parents and sist
Storm's POV I watched Aniston very closely. I wanted to understand how she could keep it together after the story she just told me. I took a step closer. She turned around and she looked at me. Her eyes saw beyond my face to the deepest place in my heart. I recognized the look on her face. I have seen that look severally in the mirror staring right back at me. The droopy eyelids and posture, the self soothing manner she was rubbing her forearm. Right now, her breathing was becoming lowered and her chest heavier by the second. Then the feeling of being trapped in a little Cage follows, it was not a nice feeling. The worst were the headaches, the nagging pain in the neck, back and chest, it was like having a cold. The worst kind of Cold. I understood Aniston because I have known sadness these past few days. Sadness was…. heavy and Ani was carrying it all by herself. I came closer to her and next thing I knew I was hugging her. I saw her resist, I don't think she was used to bein
Aniston's POV "Stop!" Stormi yelled a few seconds later. Ari slowed down mostly because Storm was standing in the middle of the road. The car made a screeching sound and Ari stopped before he could hit his brother. He got out of the car mad as hell. "What the hell, fool?!" He screamed at Stormi "I could have seriously hurt her!" Wait! Was Ari Thunderbolt concerned about my safety? Well, that question was answered when he came around to check the bumper of his Impala. The fool wasn't worried about his brother's safety or mine, the 'her' he was worried about was his stupid car. "Shouldn't you be more worried about hurting your brother, Jerk?" I asked him. My voice was stronger than I wanted it to be. Ari turned to look at me. "Of course, I love my brother, Aniston but if I run him over, he heals almost instantly but do you know who doesn't, my freaking sweet baby!" "Baby?" I asked and peeked into the car and lo and behold, someone was sitting in the front seat with him. T
Ari's POVWatching her run away from me triggered something in me. It also made me ask myself a question. Why did I torment her about the kiss with Dev?I wasn't a cruel or mean person but somehow she brings out the worst in me whenever she's around me.I mean what about Ani brings out my most horrible and primal instinct?Was my hostility a cloak hiding a deeper problem? Or was I just a bad person?I strolled back to the Impala and I tried to push Ani out of my mind as I drove Dev to the clinic.I turned my attention to the girl beside me. She seemed lost in her own head. I wondered whether I should talk about the kiss we shared, I mean it was the only logical explanation for her showing up on my doorstep an hour after the incident that happened in the gym with a bleeding hand that had a piece of silver dagger still embedded in it.We didn't have a conversation about why she showed up at the mansion instead of going to the clinic. I simply took my keys and I offered to drive her to a
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