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 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 was still reeling from the emotional reunion with my uncle when a thunderous growl shook me to my core, jolting me back to reality. I looked up to see Ryker standing in front of me, his eyes blazing with fury. But it wasn't just his eyes that caught my attention - his entire body had transformed. His fangs were bared, his claws were out, and his skin was covered in a thick, black-blue fur that seemed to ripple with anger.He looked bigger, and his shirt shredded apart, making him look five times scarier than he normally would. He looked like his wolf was just a second way from bursting forth.My heart jumped into my throat as I took in the sight of him. I had never seen him like this before, and I couldn't help but feel a little intimidated, scared even. But as I looked into his eyes, I saw that his anger wasn't directed at me - it was directed at my uncle."What the fuck are you doing here?" Ryker snarled, his voice sending chills down my spine. He took a step closer to my uncle,
I watched as Arianna glared at me, her eyes flashing with anger and hurt. She was shaking, her small body trembling with rage, and for a moment, I felt a pang of guilt. But it was quickly replaced by anger, anger at Elijah, anger at the world, anger at everything.As I stood there, my mind was a jumble of conflicting emotions. I was angry, yes, but I was also hurt. Hurt that Elijah had come to my home, hurt that he had talked to Arianna, hurt that he had disrespected me in my own territory after everything he had done to me.I thought back to the moment I had seen Elijah standing in my living room, talking to Arianna. His eyes were so tender like the hypocrite he was, and Arianna, knowing how gullible and naive she was, I already knew she had fallen into his web. I had felt a surge of anger, a surge of possessiveness. Who did he think he was to show his face here, and why was he talking to my Arianna?But as I looked at Arianna now, I saw the fear in her eyes, the hurt. And I felt a p
I sat in the dining room, staring blankly at the wide spread of breakfast in front of me. The aroma of freshly baked bread and sizzling bacon wafted through the air, making my stomach growl with hunger. But despite the tantalizing smells and even more mouthwatering sights, I couldn't bring myself to take a bite. My mind was elsewhere, my thoughts consumed by the events of the past two days.My eyes kept flickering towards the stairs, trying to see if Ryker would come downstairs. It had been two days since that explosive argument, but he had kept himself locked in his room. I knew he was around because I would occasionally hear the sound of shuffling, things being moved or something being broken. It was as if he was trying to avoid me, and I didn't blame him. I didn't want to face him either.The memory of our argument kept replaying in my mind no matter how hard I tried to block it out. I didn't want to relive that moment, didn't want to face the emotions that came with it. So I sat t
I stood frozen in the doorway, my eyes fixed on the scene before me. I blinked severally to make it go away, but it wouldn’t leave. Ryker was sitting behind his desk, a woman perched on his lap. Her hands were all over him, her fingers tracing the lines of his face, her palms pressed against his chest. Ryker looked bored and his eyes were fixed on some point in front of him, but he didn't push her away. Which meant he wanted her.I felt like I'd been punched in the gut. The air was knocked out of me, and I couldn't breathe. I tried to process what I was seeing, but my mind was whirling with emotions. There was absolutely nothing going on between Ryker and I, but at the same time, there was so much going on for me to feel hurt.I hated how easily attached I’d gotten to him even when he showed all of his red flags right in my face. I hated how he could do whatever he wanted because he felt like he was untouchable, but most of all, I hated how my heart broke as I watched the man, who w
I heard it before I felt it.The crack of the whip echoed through the backyard, slicing into the silence. I felt the sting of the lash on my back next, the searing pain licking me up like wildfire as I crumpled to the grass.My vision blurred, and for a moment, I saw stars dancing before my eyes. There was a bloodcurdling scream, and it took me a few seconds to realize it had come from my throat."No, Derrick, please! She’s just a child," my mother's voice pleaded as tears streamed down her cheeks. Her words were filled with raw fear, a fear that had become all too familiar in our household.I heard the sound of heavy footsteps as Derrick approached me. His breath reeked of cheap liquor and cigarettes, the stench making my stomach churn with nausea. "You're nothing but a worthless, wolf-less abomination," he spat, his words dripping with venom. His eyes gleamed with sadistic pleasure, his face twisted in a snarl.My mother's cries grew louder, but I knew she was powerless, just like m
I woke up to the sound of the pig pen door creaking open, and the sunlight that streamed in, momentarily blinded me. A maid stood in the entrance, her lips set in a thin line and her eyes filled with disgust. "Get out," she spat. "You're needed in the house."I stumbled to my feet, my body aching like I was doused in kerosene and lit up in flames. The maid didn't offer to help me, didn't even look at me with a hint of compassion. I was nothing to her, just a worthless mutt.I made my way to the bathroom, my legs trembling beneath me. The warm water of the bath trickled down my body and red water swirled around the floor before disappearing into the drain. I watched it go from red to pink till everything ran clear. I soaked for what felt like hours, trying to wash away the pain and dirt that clung to me.As I bathed, I couldn't help but think of my mother. Where was she? What was she doing? Was she okay? The thought of her with Derrick made my empty stomach churn.Finally, I emerged fr
I stood frozen in the doorway, my eyes fixed on the scene before me. I blinked severally to make it go away, but it wouldn’t leave. Ryker was sitting behind his desk, a woman perched on his lap. Her hands were all over him, her fingers tracing the lines of his face, her palms pressed against his chest. Ryker looked bored and his eyes were fixed on some point in front of him, but he didn't push her away. Which meant he wanted her.I felt like I'd been punched in the gut. The air was knocked out of me, and I couldn't breathe. I tried to process what I was seeing, but my mind was whirling with emotions. There was absolutely nothing going on between Ryker and I, but at the same time, there was so much going on for me to feel hurt.I hated how easily attached I’d gotten to him even when he showed all of his red flags right in my face. I hated how he could do whatever he wanted because he felt like he was untouchable, but most of all, I hated how my heart broke as I watched the man, who w
I sat in the dining room, staring blankly at the wide spread of breakfast in front of me. The aroma of freshly baked bread and sizzling bacon wafted through the air, making my stomach growl with hunger. But despite the tantalizing smells and even more mouthwatering sights, I couldn't bring myself to take a bite. My mind was elsewhere, my thoughts consumed by the events of the past two days.My eyes kept flickering towards the stairs, trying to see if Ryker would come downstairs. It had been two days since that explosive argument, but he had kept himself locked in his room. I knew he was around because I would occasionally hear the sound of shuffling, things being moved or something being broken. It was as if he was trying to avoid me, and I didn't blame him. I didn't want to face him either.The memory of our argument kept replaying in my mind no matter how hard I tried to block it out. I didn't want to relive that moment, didn't want to face the emotions that came with it. So I sat t
I watched as Arianna glared at me, her eyes flashing with anger and hurt. She was shaking, her small body trembling with rage, and for a moment, I felt a pang of guilt. But it was quickly replaced by anger, anger at Elijah, anger at the world, anger at everything.As I stood there, my mind was a jumble of conflicting emotions. I was angry, yes, but I was also hurt. Hurt that Elijah had come to my home, hurt that he had talked to Arianna, hurt that he had disrespected me in my own territory after everything he had done to me.I thought back to the moment I had seen Elijah standing in my living room, talking to Arianna. His eyes were so tender like the hypocrite he was, and Arianna, knowing how gullible and naive she was, I already knew she had fallen into his web. I had felt a surge of anger, a surge of possessiveness. Who did he think he was to show his face here, and why was he talking to my Arianna?But as I looked at Arianna now, I saw the fear in her eyes, the hurt. And I felt a p
I was still reeling from the emotional reunion with my uncle when a thunderous growl shook me to my core, jolting me back to reality. I looked up to see Ryker standing in front of me, his eyes blazing with fury. But it wasn't just his eyes that caught my attention - his entire body had transformed. His fangs were bared, his claws were out, and his skin was covered in a thick, black-blue fur that seemed to ripple with anger.He looked bigger, and his shirt shredded apart, making him look five times scarier than he normally would. He looked like his wolf was just a second way from bursting forth.My heart jumped into my throat as I took in the sight of him. I had never seen him like this before, and I couldn't help but feel a little intimidated, scared even. But as I looked into his eyes, I saw that his anger wasn't directed at me - it was directed at my uncle."What the fuck are you doing here?" Ryker snarled, his voice sending chills down my spine. He took a step closer to my uncle,
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