_Ryker’s POV_I sat in my private jet, staring out the window as the clouds drifted by. My mind was a million miles away, preoccupied with thoughts of her. Arianna. The woman who had somehow managed to infiltrate my thoughts and occupy my every waking moment.My head throbbed with a headache, which had by now become a constant due to the endless meetings and projects I’d taken on the last four days. The plan was to get my mind off her, so I barely gave my body up to three hours of rest, but each time I closed my eyes, she was right there.Jason, my beta and best friend, sat across from me, a sly grin spreading across his face. "You won't believe what happened to me last week," he said, leaning forward in his seat.I raised an eyebrow, but my mind wasn't really on Jason's story. I was too busy thinking about Arianna. What was she doing right now? Was she thinking about me? What did it even matter whether she was thinking about me?! I scolded myself, trying to silence my wolf who was f
I was trying to enjoy my sleep, sinking deeper into the plush mattress. The sheets were like clouds, soft and gentle against my skin. I was having a good dream, one where I reunited with my mother again. We were walking in a beautiful garden, surrounded by vibrant flowers and the warm sunshine. Everything seemed perfect in that dream, but even in the dream, I felt like I was being watched.I tried to brush off the feeling, focusing on my mother's smile. But the sensation persisted, and I couldn't shake the feeling that someone was staring at me. And then, I saw them. A pair of blue-green eyes, the most beautiful I had ever seen. I knew exactly who they belonged to.In an instant, the dream shifted, and I was now in a room. A dark, tiny room with no windows. I tried to move, but my wrists were tied to the walls. I tried to yank free, but the silver of the handcuffs burned my skin, making me scream."No, no, no!" I shouted, struggling against the restraints. "Let me go! Please, someone,
Ryker's eyes slowly dragged over my body, and I might as well have been naked. The way he looked at me made me feel exposed, vulnerable. I remembered the dream I had just minutes ago, and he had the same dark look in his eyes. It was as if he knew exactly what I had been dreaming about, as if he could see right through me and know I’d been having a dirty dream with him in it.He asked me, his voice low and husky, "What are you doing in my room, Arianna?"I stuttered, trying to come up with an excuse. "I... I slept off," I said, feeling like a complete fool.Ryker raised an amused brow. "You slept off? In my room? Why didn't you sleep in your own room?" He leaned closer towards me, his arms crossed over his chest, his eyes never leaving mine.I shook my head, feeling my face heat up with embarrassment. "I... I don't know," I admitted, my voice barely above a whisper.Ryker chuckled, the sound low and husky. "You don't know? That's interesting," he said, his eyes glinting with amusement
I woke up to the warm sunlight streaming through my room, casting on the lavish decor that seemed to suffocate me. As I sat up, I couldn't help but compare my room back home to this one. My room at home was a far cry from this grand space. It was a small, cramped space and a matchbox when compared to this one, but it was mine. This one, on the other hand, felt like a luxury hotel room, but without the freedom to leave.I thought about how I had been living in this house for a while now, and it still felt foreign to me. The opulent furniture, the lavish artwork, and the stunning views of the gardens below all seemed to belong to someone else. I felt like a guest, a temporary visitor, not the resident of this grand estate.Truly, that was all I was.I looked around the room, taking in the sight I was now familiar to. The massive four-poster bed, the elegant dresser, and the floor-to-ceiling windows, all screaming luxury.But despite the beauty of my surroundings, I couldn't shake the fe
I walked majestically out of the room, my head held high and my shoulders back. I vaguely wondered how proud my old etiquette teacher, Miss Doreen, would be if she saw me now. She had always drilled into me the importance of poise and confidence, and I was determined to show Ryker that I had learned my lessons well.As I entered the living room, I was taken aback by the scene before me. Ryker had his hand clutching a guard's neck, pinning him above the ground as he snarled angrily over a very mundane thing - the guard had apparently forgotten to polish Ryker's boots."How could you be so careless?" Ryker spat, his eyes blazing with anger. "Do you know how important it is to have polished boots?"The guard struggled to breathe, his face red and his eyes bulging. "I-I'm sorry, Alpha," he stuttered.Ryker's grip on the guard's neck tightened, and for a moment, I thought he was going to snap the man's neck. But then his head whipped around, his eyes locking onto mine. For a moment, he see
_Ryker's POV_My eyes blankly followed Arianna as she walked away, my fists clenched, and I couldn’t tell if it was to quell my anger or growing erection.Anger because I had actually allowed someone to walk away after talking to me in that manner, and aroused because, well, it was Arianna. Everything about her screamed seduction, and she didn’t even have to do too much. I liked her meek, timid, and frightened, but this part of her she had shown me that morning, the part that was feisty, more outspoken, and more outward, was an incredible turn-on. Just when I thought she couldn't get any sexier.I just then realize she was assertive in an insanely sexy way, and as much as I wanted her under my control, I wanted to see more of that unbridled part of her.I was taken aback by my own reaction. I had never been one to tolerate disrespect, and yet, I had let Arianna get away with it with a fucking smile on her lips. Not just that, but I had actually been on the verge of apologizing, and s
I was greatly infuriated at the way Ryker lifted me like a rag doll and tossed me over his shoulder. My fist pounded his back as hard as I could, but it was like I had no effect on him whatsoever. Almost like I was an annoying fly on his shoulder that needed to be flicked off. I was angry and livid at the sheer embarrassment of doing that to me in front of my new friend, a boy my age. I couldn't believe Ryker would humiliate me like that."How dare you!" I shouted, angrily blowing off the hair that had entered my mouth from my position. "You can't just treat me like some kind of...of...animal! Put me down this instant!"Ryker didn't even flinch, his long strides eating up the distance as he carried me away from the garden. I continued to struggle and shout, my anger and humiliation boiling over."You're an arrogant, self-absorbed, misogynistic pig!" I spat, my words tumbling out in a furious torrent. "You think you can just do whatever you want, whenever you want, and nobody will ever
Ever since that dream that night, I’d fantasized about Ryker more times than I’d ever admit, and most times, these fantasies ended with a pool of sticky wetness in my panties.The same wetness that now trickled down my exposed thighs as his eyes raked my body like hot coals. The scent of my arousal filled the air, and he took a sharp breath, and then his eyes dilated till it was almost black.“Climb up the bed, Arianna. Get on your fucking knees!” He growled deeply, and I shuddered.His voice was scary and thrilling at the same time. It had his commanding Alpha pull to it, one I couldn’t resist even if I wanted to, and I found myself walking briskly to the bed, and taking the position he asked me to.I had never been so exposed in my life in that position, and worse still because I couldn’t see him or the look in his eyes.I was no saint. I had read enough erotic books to imagine just what type of view I was giving him, and that made my heart slam wildly against my chest.He slowly wa
I walked downstairs, my heart racing as different questions swirled in my mind. The mere thought of this visitor being Derrick filled me with a sense of dread that threatened to consume me and it felt like ice seeping through my veins.My palms grew sweaty, and my legs felt like jelly. I held my breath, my eyes fixed on the floor as I descended the stairs.My heartbeat spiked, and the maid turned to me with a curious look, but I ignored her, not wanting to break down.As I reached the bottom step, the guest stood up, and I raised my eyes to meet his gaze. Time seemed to stand still as our eyes locked. My mind went blank, and all I could do was stare.The man stood proud and tall, his muscular build towering over me, and I subtly pinched myself to make sure I wasn’t dreaming.But all I got was the painful sting, yet, I didn’t wake up. I was still standing right there in front of him, definitely not dreaming.Too lost in my thoughts, I vaguely heard the maid excuse herself and leave.Th
I stood there, frozen in place, my mind reeling with the meaning of Claire’s words. Ryker? Applying healing balm on me? It didn't make any sense. He had been so angry with me, so furious that I was certain if my head had been served to him on a platter at that moment, it would have made up a nice meal for him.And yet...and yet, it seemed that he had taken the time to tend to my wound, to soothe the pain that he himself had inflicted.I didn’t even realize he knew he’d hurt me. He had been so blinded by his rage to stop to notice my pain. So how did that happen?I tried to chalk it down to my imagination, to tell myself that it couldn't possibly have been Ryker. But I knew what I had heard, what I had felt. Someone had entered my room that night, and the next morning, the bruise was mysteriously gone. It couldn't have been a coincidence.Claire's words came back to me, her statement that only Ryker had access to the healing balm. I felt a shiver run down my spine as I realized that it
I woke up to the warm rays of sunlight peeking through the curtains and fanning my face with its warmth. I slowly opened my eyes to see l’d slept longer than I usually would.I yawned, stretching my arms over my head, but something made me pause. I realized that the pain on my elbow was gone. I looked down, and my eyes widened in surprise as I saw that the skin was smooth and supple, like there had never been anything there.I touched the skin, in case I was still sleeping, and that would wake me up, but I wasn’t. I was awake and the bruise was gone.I sat up, my mind racing as I tried to remember what had happened after I fell asleep, but my memory failed me. I vaguely remembered someone entering my room, but it was a blank after that. I couldn't recall anything else.It was probably one of the maids that applied a healing gel on my arm, and I guess I knew exactly who it was.I made a mental note to ask Claire about it later, so I could thank her properly. I threw off the covers and
His eyes were bleeding black, his shoulders were slightly hunched over, and his hands were clenched in fists so tight.My mouth ran dry, and I tried to come up with something to say. Claire had told me before that that room was totally off limits, but the seed of doubt she had planted in my mind had grown so rapidly I couldn’t wait till Ryker wasn’t around to check it out.Ryker, who was already fuming, closed the distance between us in long strides. “How dare you…..”My instincts kicked in when he thundered at me, and I immediately raised my hands up to shield my face, ready for him to strike.I knew what happened whenever men got angry. I had experienced it far too many times with Ryker not to know when to shield my face.But the strike I was waiting for never came, and I slowly lowered my hands, and was met with a confused-looking Ryker. Realization soon flashed in his eyes, and an emotion I couldn’t place filled them, but it was gone before I could even decide whether I’d imagine
I looked up to see a strange face standing in the doorway. The man was huge and muscular, standing almost at the same height as Ryker. He was just as good-looking, with chiseled features, piercing blue eyes that seemed to see right through me, and a head of curly brown hair. From his aura, I could tell he was the pack's beta.He lowered his neck in submission as he greeted Ryker. "Alpha," he said, his deep voice rumbling through the room.Ryker's response came out curt. "Jason. What brings you here?"Jason turned to me, and he smiled lightly. "You must be Arianna," he said, his eyes narrowed in slits as he smiled. "I've heard a lot about you."I nodded, feeling a blush rise to my cheeks. "Nice to meet you," I said, trying to sound polite, while wondering what this stranger might have heard about meJason's smile grew wider. "The pleasure is all mine," he said. "You're even more beautiful than I imagined."I felt my face grow hotter, and I looked away, trying to compose myself. But bef
After kissing me, Ryker started to pepper kisses to my ear, his warm breath sending shivers down my spine and leaving me breathless. When he reached my ear, he whispered, his voice dropped to a mere whisper. "I'm going to teach you a lot more than just kissing, Arianna."From his husky voice, I could hear the dirtiness in his tone, and could paint a clear picture of what he meant, and my face turned beet red. I quickly shimmied out of his hold and ran away, leaving him chuckling deeply behind me.My face was still red when I got to the room, and my heart was beating rapidly too. I couldn't believe what had just happened. Ryker seemed to be in a good mood, and I had to admit, I liked this playful side of him. A lot.After spending a few more minutes in the room, trying to catch my breath, I walked out of the room and to the dining. It was already past 10 am, and time for breakfast. In the dining room, the maids served the food, and I saw Claire with a tray of food. “Hey, Claire,” I g
I was caught off guard when Ryker's lips captured mine. At first, I didn't react, my mind frozen in shock with my hands laying limp on his chest. But as his lips moved against mine, something inside me sparked to life. It was like a flame had been lit, and it was spreading rapidly, consuming me whole.I felt a rush of butterflies, flapping their wings ferociously in my stomach, and my heart began to pound in my chest. My lips, seemingly of their own accord, began to move against his. It was like I was melting into him, our lips molding together as one.That was my first, proper kiss. One where he wasn’t shoving his tongue down my throat to show me “show I belonged to”, and even though I tried to make it sound disgusting, I couldn’t help the way my body lit up at the thought of it.The world around us melted away, leaving only the two of us, lost in the moment. I felt like I was floating, like my feet had left the ground and I was soaring through the air.Ryker's lips were soft and gen
I ignored the lustful look in Ryker's eyes as I spoke, wondering how men could be so weird. One minute they're growling and snarling, the next they're looking at you like they want to devour you whole.I took his hand, trying to ignore the jolt of electricity that ran through me at the touch. He felt it too because he tensed a bit, but to my surprise, he didn’t try to pull away as I led him out of the gym. He followed silently behind me, his eyes fixed on me with an intensity that made my skin prickle.After that incident with Ryker early that morning, none of us had gone back to bed. We just sat side by side, staring at the television. “Staring” being the keyword because while the characters were moving, both our minds were miles away.Me, wondering what could be the problem with him. What could have hurt him so deeply to have tormented him in his dreams. Before now, I could have sworn Ryker didn’t have any problems, but my view of him had changed totally after last night. It made me
_Ryker’s POV\I stood in the gym, the sound of my fists pounding against the punching bag echoing through the room. The bag swung back and forth, its leather surface worn and cracked from countless hours of use, and I knew it wouldn’t be long before it joined the pile of broken ones on the ground. I hit it again and again, the impact sending shockwaves through my arms and into my chest.My wolf was close to the surface, my fangs bared and my eyes glowing. I could feel its power coursing through me, urging me to let go, to surrender to its primal instincts and let it make control. But I couldn't give in. Not now, not when Arianna was around. I had to keep control, had to keep my emotions in check. My wolf could be wild when unleashed and I didn’t want to risk anything happening to her.As I punched the bag, my mind replayed the events of the previous night or the early hours of this morning, depending on what 4 am was to you.Arianna's face swam before my eyes, her big doe eyes filled