I lay in bed, my mind reeling with everything I’d heard that morning. Ryker, the man who had brought me here, who had torn my clothes and left me feeling vulnerable and scared, was a monster. A killer. The thought sent a shiver down my spine, and I felt a wave of nausea wash over me.“The same man who had saved you,” my subconscious tattled, but I dismissed the thought.I couldn't believe what I had gotten myself into. What my uncle had sold me into. I thought of my mother, of the horrors she must be going through in the hands of Derrick. I thought of staying for her sake, of enduring whatever Ryker had planned for me in order to keep her safe. But staying with Ryker was only digging my own grave. He was a monster, capable of doing unimaginable things. And I couldn't imagine staying here, trapped in this luxurious prison with no escape.I felt a sob rising up in my throat, and I couldn't hold it back. I cried, great racking sobs that shook my body and left me gasping for breath. I cri
I searched around the room frantically, my eyes scanning every inch of space for something, anything, that could help me down. I couldn't possibly jump, not from six stories up. I would be dead before I even hit the ground.My heart was racing, my mind reeling with fear and adrenaline. I had to think, had to come up with a plan. And then, it hit me. The blankets. I could tie them together, create a makeshift rope to climb down.I quickly got to work, my hands shaking as I tied the blankets together. I tested the strength of the rope, pulling on it with all my might. It seemed sturdy enough, but I couldn't be sure.I tied one end of the rope to the bed, testing its strength once more. Satisfied, I threw the other end out the window, watching as it unfurled, the end dangling in the air, close to the ground.I took a deep breath, my heart racing with fear. This was it. This was my chance to escape. I climbed out the window, my bare feet finding holds in the stone wall as I began to make
As we entered the house, Ryker's thunderous voice echoed through the halls, sending shivers down my spine. "Who was the guard in charge of her room?" he demanded, his eyes blazing with fury.The guards assembled before us, their faces pale and trembling with fear. One of them, a burly man with a thick beard, stepped forward, his eyes darting nervously between Ryker and me."I-I was, sir," he stuttered, his voice shaking like a leaf.I had never seen a man so big, so scared in my entire life.Ryker's gaze narrowed, his eyes boring into the guard's very soul. "You were in charge of her room, and yet she managed to escape," he growled, his voice low and menacing. "How do you explain that?"The guard swallowed hard, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down. "I-I don't know, sir. I must have fallen asleep at my post."Ryker's expression turned glacial, his eyes flashing with anger, but it was only for a fleeting moment, and a sardonic smile spread across his lip. "You fell asleep at your post?
_Ryker’s POV_I entered my room and slammed the door with so much force it nearly came off its hinges.My wolf paced wildly in my mind, wanting to be freed, but I knew a run wouldn’t cut it.I couldn’t believe it. She tried to run away from me. She tried to leave me.The mere thoughts of it drove me to the brink of madness. I was so angry, and yet, her innocent eyes had a way of making me impossibly hard.It had taken every ounce of willpower in me not to tear her clothes and claim her tonight.Her scent, her taste, fuck, the scent of her arousal…I couldn’t.No woman had ever had such an effect on me, yet I found myself holding back from flipping her over and fucking her senseless.It was her innocence. It had to be. That innocence in her eyes that told me she had never known any man. That was the only thing giving her grace.But it wouldn’t be long before the thin thread of my patience snapped, and I would take. I would take and take till she had nothing else to give, and even then,
I entered my room and slammed the door shut, the sound echoing through the hallway. I was pacing angrily, my feet moving back and forth across the floor. I couldn't believe the nerve of Ryker, ordering me around like I was some kind of servant. My anger overpowered the fear I had for him, and I asked myself what kind of man he was. What kind of man treated a woman like this?I replayed the encounter in my mind, his authoritative voice and the way he addressed me like he owned me. I felt a surge of emotions at the memory, my anger boiling over. How dare he? How dare he treat me like this?As I paced back and forth, I ignored the voice in my head that told me that he actually did own me. He had paid the price for me, and my uncle had willingly sold me off to a monster. I pushed the thought aside, not wanting to think about it. Not wanting to think about the fact that I was trapped here, at the mercy of a man who seemed to take great pleasure in controlling me. A man who lived for the fe
I left the room with Claire, following her as she led me on a tour of the massive house. We walked down a long hallway, the walls adorned with expensive-looking artwork and the floors covered in plush carpets. Claire pointed out various rooms as we passed by, explaining their purpose and who used them."This is the living room," she said, gesturing to a large room filled with expensive yet uncomfortable-looking furniture. I held back a snort. "The Alpha likes to entertain guests here."I nodded, taking in the room's opulent decor. It was clear that Ryker spared no expense when it came to furnishing his home. Maybe the rumors about his wealth being as immeasurable as the sands of the earth was true after all, because boy, he was rich rich.We continued on, Claire showing me the dining room–which I’d already seen, the kitchen, and even a small movie theater. I was amazed by the sheer size and luxury of the house. It was like nothing I had ever seen before.As we walked, Claire chatted n
After finishing the tour of the house, I excitedly returned to the library. I had fallen in love with the room, and I couldn't wait to explore it further. As I entered the library, I was immediately enveloped in the musty scent of old books. I breathed deeply, feeling a sense of calm wash over me.I scanned the shelves, my eyes running over the countless books that seemed to stretch up to the ceiling. I knew I'd spend hours in here, getting lost in the stories and adventures that lay within the pages. I finally picked a book, my fingers trailing over the cover as I read the title."The Duke's Heart" was written on the cover in bold, golden letters. I smiled, as I read the short description at the back. I loved romance novels, and this one seemed like it would be right up my alley. I opened the book, feeling the worn pages crackle beneath my fingers. The book seemed old, like it had been read and reread countless times.I wondered vaguely if Ryker was into romance stories, but the thou
_Ryker’s POV_I stood by the door of the library, watching her as she sat cooped up in my reading nook with a book on her lap. She was completely absorbed in the book, her brow furrowed in concentration. I noticed the way her lips pouted when she read something she didn't like, the way her golden brown hair fell over her eyes. My fingers itched to move it out of her face, to see her clearly.I couldn't believe how beautiful she was. She was like a ray of sunshine in this dark, gloomy house. And she was mine. The thought sent a surge of possessiveness through me, and I felt my eyes narrow.But as I watched her, I knew I couldn't let myself get too close. She was pure, innocent, and I didn't want to stain her with all the dirt I had on me. I had done too many bad things, hurt too many people. I didn't deserve someone like her.Just then, she looked up, and our eyes met. For a moment, I forgot to breathe. I forgot to think. All I could do was stare at her, drink in the sight of her.But
“That one’s not finished yet,” he said with so much emotion to evoke only one emotion from me. Curiosity.I stared at the covered canvas and my mind wandered. There were a lot of questions on my mind, but from the way Ryker’s lips thinned, and his eyes grew dark, I didn’t need to be told that that was the end of that conversation.“Ryker….” I started but stopped mid-sentence when something caught my attention behind him.It was a huge painting, not as huge as the unfinished one, but equally big. It was hidden behind an array of broken canvases, with only a small, imperceptible part of it sticking out.I could have easily missed it, but there was something about the neatly-styled raven hair that was visible in the painting that struck me.“That one,” I said, pointing a finger towards the painting. “What’s that one?”My curiosity was piqued by the fact that unlike other portraits that were hanging and scattered across every inch of the wall, covering up all of its dark brown paint, this
My shock level shot up the roof as soon as I stepped into the room. It was dimly lit, but just enough to make me stare with my mouth wide open.From the way the maids had whispered about what was behind this door like it was some top secret, and coupled with Ryker’s reaction to me going close to it the other day, I thought the room would be some sort of torture chamber, slaughter house, or worse, some kind of kinky red room with chains and handcuffs.So imagine my shock when I saw it was a room filled with canvases, painting brushes, and a mix of colors. I turned to Ryker to express my shock, and his eyes were fixed on me, his lips set in a thin line.“Can I….can I look around?” I asked cautiously, careful not to set him off.To my surprise, he shoved his hands into his pockets and nodded. “Take your time.”I turned back around, and hobbled deeper into the room with the help of my clutches. The room was filled with the scent of paint, and it looked like I’d stepped into another world,
_Ryker's POV_I felt like my skin had been scorched by a hundred hot knives, each tugging and peeling at my skin excruciatingly slowly. And all of that, I felt from Arianna’s wordsIt wasn’t the first time I’d heard those words, in fact, I’d heard way worse, but what I didn’t expect was to feel the way I did, like my heart had been ripped out of my chest and I was left to bleed out.I couldn’t remember the last time I let anyone’s words get to me, never mind getting hurt by them. Even my wolf took a blow, and recoiled into my mind. I could sense him silently blaming me for being too hard on her all this while, and pushing her away, now, she was only giving me a taste of my own medicine.It had been minutes since I left the room, but her words still stung kike she’d just said them, and maybe what stung the most was the fact that she was actually right, and I would have remained the same shitty person if that accident hadn’t made me discover who she was, and change my perspective of her
The car slowed down before rolling to a stop at the end of the insanely long driveway. Ryker parked the car and stepped out, and he was by my side of the door in seconds, holding it open for me.I was already trying to help myself out, tired of feeling like an invalid, but Ryker wasn’t having it. He ignored my not-so-strong protest, and scooped me up in his arms bridal style, carrying me towards the house.I should already be used to his arms around me by now, but it never ceases to make my heart flutter, and the feeling of my body pressed against his hard chest, his sturdy and veiny arms holding me up, his mint-coffee breath fanning my face, and his scent filling my lungs, all of it never got old, and each time, butterflies erupted in my belly.For a moment, I felt apprehensive knowing the maids, especially Claire, would see my closeness with Ryker and start to have other thoughts. But that feeling was immediately suppressed by a new, unfamiliar one I could only name as pride. Pride
The door opened, and a young doctor in scrubs walked in with a shaky smile. There was always a new one each time, making me think they dreaded coming to this room. Which they probably did, and it was all thanks to the 6’3 of pure muscles, standing by my side and delivering a death glare to anyone who as much as came a twenty feet radius from me.“Alpha Ryker,” the doctor said, his smile going from shaky to a full grimace as he bowed his head in greeting. Ryker’s response was a forced grunt as he glared lasers at the doctor, and I resisted the urge to roll my eyes.The doctor quickly turned to me, and I could almost touch the relief in his eyes. “Good morning, Arianna.”“Good morning, doctor,” I said with a smile, hoping to make up for Ryker’s ill manners.The doctor visibly relaxed, and a small, genuine smile played on his lips. “How are you doing today, Arianna? Are you feeling any pain or discomfort anywhere?” He asked, touching my affected foot.Surprisingly, it didn’t hurt half a
“And he’s always taking care of you,” she said just when I thought she was done.My frown deepened despite my heartbeat skyrocketing in my chest. The doctors had said it, I’d seen it firsthand when I woke up to him by my bedside after literally shutting him down last night, but I guess I didn’t want to admit what the blood rushing heavily to my ears was telling me. Not until I heard it from the little girl.“Always taking care of me? What do you mean?” I asked, swallowing hard to provide moisture to my dry throat even though I had a good feeling what she meant.The man had literally carried me to the bathroom to help me pee! Now that I thought about it, I felt heat crawling up to my cheeks, but I quickly shook it off, focusing on Susan as she bobbed her head.“He combed your hair everyday when you were sleeping, and he cleaned you up too. He’s always staring at you and he’s always telling me to stay away from your bed and be quiet,” she shrugged her tiny shoulders.My heart slammed ha
I whipped my head to the side, following the sound, and then, my eyes fell on a little flurry of energy, her two ponytails bouncing as she ran towards me, and her bright blue eyes looking up at me.I felt Ryker stiffen and mutter a curse under his breath, and I realized how awkward it was still being in his arms.“Put me down,” I shimmied in his hold, and I felt a growl rumble through his chest, but he walked over to the bed and gently laid me on it.He stood off to the side, and the girl rushed up to me, a very contagious smile on her face as she showcased her missing tooth, just like I’d remembered.The girl at the mall! The samed one I’d tried to save. My heart swelled seeing her again, even though I didn’t think it would be in the hospital.I was about to say something, but a shrill sound beat me to it, and my words got stuck in my throat.“Oh my goodness, Susan!” Susan’s mother burst out. She looked scared. Really scared.Susan halted in her track a few feet from me, and she had
Ryker looked like he had more to say, but decided against it. He took one last glance at me, his eyes lingering on my face before he turned and walked away. I watched him go, feeling a mix of emotions swirling inside me. I was relieved that he was gone, but at the same time, I couldn't shake off the feeling that he had been trying to tell me something important.I couldn’t understand why he was acting the way he was doing. Why he was acting like he hadn’t been avoiding me for days up until now.His shoulders slumped in defeat as he walked away and I couldn’t help but think something had changed with him. I could see it in his eye, but I couldn’t tell what that was.As soon as Ryker disappeared from view, I let out a shaky breath and felt a wave of tears wash over me. I had been holding them back for so long, but now that I was alone, I couldn't stop them. I felt so confused, so alone. I was in a coma and now I found out I was bedridden and my legs couldn’t move. I didn’t know what was
I stared at the doctor, my eyes wide with shock. "An accident?" I repeated, my voice barely above a whisper. "A coma?" How? How was that even possible? One minute I was shopping for groceries with Claire and the next minute, they were saying I had been in a coma, not for one, but for three whole days?!How on earth was that even possible? I didn’t want to believe it, but as the scent of antiseptic kept hitting my nostrils, I was filled with dread at the realization it might not be so far from the truth.The doctor nodded slowly. "Yes, Miss Arianna. You've been in an accident, and you've been in a coma for three days." He spoke slowly, enunciating each word as if he feared I might mishear.I felt like I had been punched in the gut. The air seemed to have been sucked out of my lungs, leaving me gasping for breath. I didn't remember anything. And even when I tried to remember, all I heard was a loud screeching sound that seemed to pierce through my brain. I rubbed my temples, trying to