Ethan’s POV My eyes widened as I stared at Lowell, who had delivered the news, then at Layla who shook her head grimly. “What?” I exclaimed in shock. “How the hell did that even happen within the pack walls and how is it just now you are finding out?” I asked Lowell then turned to Layla. “How did you of all people not know Layla?” She gasped and clamped a hand to her mouth in despair, “I…I…Oh my goodness!” She tried to speak but she couldn’t, her face took a depressed look.I sighed and stared up at the ceiling, wondering what the fuck was going on. “How is it that a maid died and no one in the fucking pack knew about it until a day later?” I muttered the question. “How?” “I’m sorry…” Layla said and sniffled.That made me look sharply at her in surprise, was Layla crying? Her eyes were red and watery, her face was a complete melancholic portrait of sadness, she was genuinely hurt by this! I couldn’t fucking believe it. “I’m sorry I didn’t voice out my concerns sooner…”
Layla’s POV Back in the bedroom, as I got ready for the surprise Ethan to cheer me up, a cheeky smile played on my lips. I stared at the mirror with satisfaction, I could pass for the best actress of the year, that was spot on! It couldn’t have gone any better than that, but there was something that bothered me and that was the constant look that had been on Lowell’s face. It was the exact look someone gave you when they suspected something was off or they already knew what it was. Why was he making such a huge fuss over Sally’s death? She was just a bloody maid after all, what difference did it make if she was dead or not? Another maid could just replace her here, there were hundreds available after all. I stepped out of the bathroom to meet an empty bedroom, Ethan wasn’t in anymore. I wondered where he went, but I just shrugged and decided to get dressed. I looked stunning in the lovely sky-blue evening dress I wore. It clung to my body like a second skin and outlined my perf
Ariah’s POVComplete darkness.That's what I woke up to see, it was as though my eyes were cemented together. I couldn’t open them for a while, my eyelids were too heavy to be lifted. I felt a sharp pain at the back of my head and I was about to groan when I heard two voices chattering away. “What do you mean? She’ll be fine, right?” I heard a masculine voice ask with a tinge of worry and a lot of arrogance.Alpha James! It had to be him, I would recognize that menacing, hoarse, arrogant voice of his even in the most boisterous of atmospheres. A cold chill of fear crawled on my skin and I didn’t even have to open my eyes to realize where I was. I was back in the Blue Moon pack…my pack. It felt so awkward thinking about this place as my home when I had run away from it without looking back. I was petrified just knowing James was so close to me, it felt so unreal. “She’ll be fine, it caused no damage, she’ll just feel some pain for a while.” Another voice replied it was a more
Ariah’s POV I stared at him in confusion, I was so stunned by his words that I couldn’t even process them.Me? Complete him? How was that even possible? He was making no sense and he got the picture of my thoughts by the dazed look on my face. “What? Me…? Com...complete you?” I stammered. “What do you mean by that? We have nothing in common, I’m not like you, we’re not of the same class or the same anything for that matter, so how? How could I possibly complete a man like you?” I asked, wishing he could just disappear from my sight.He chuckled, “You already know what I fucking mean, a year ago, you felt something when you first met me.” He replied. “That’s what completes me and you’ve been missing for a while, I’ve been incomplete quite long enough, don’t you think so?” I stared in utter confusion, wondering what gibberish he was ranting on about. “Please, just let me go, I swear…I promise, I…I assure you, Alpha James, you would never see me again, I promise I would never step f
Ariah’s POV I saw the anger slowly rising to his face, he stared at me madly and then he asked in an infuriated tone, “Ariah, what did you do?” I frowned up at him and stared at him as if he was stupid, “What the hell do you mean?” I asked.His face became livid and he grunted and let go of me, “I’ll ask one more fucking time, what did you do? You…” He sighed and stared at me, visibly frustrated. He closed his eyes for a while, his hands on his waist as he exhaled hard. “The maids will help you freshen up.” He said, his voice suddenly calm and that made me alert. What the fuck was he brewing in that sinister and sick mind of his? “Freshen up for what?” I asked in a shaky voice.He turned and walked away, but I stopped him with my hysterical voice. “Why am I here? Why don’t you have me locked up in a fucking cell?” I yelled, panting heavily as I stared at his broad, hunched back.He turned around slowly and squinted at me, “Because you can still be of use to me and I’ll make su
Ariah’s POV The next two days were awkward for me, I lived them in anticipation and fear.Fear of what James was planning for me in his usual brutal and inhumane manner. For this period, no one else was allowed to come into the room, where I was locked up unless it was time for the maids to deliver my food and set up my bath. Once I got so fed up with it that I completely snapped at them, "Listen, you don't have to set my bath at all. I can do it myself, I'm not a fucking child." I said as the same maid, who I had recognized on the first day James captured me, came out of the bathroom with a smile on her face. That smile disappeared and the other maids exchanged awkward glances, "The Alpha insists that we do it for you instead," She replied timidly. "We have to follow the Alpha's orders." "Fuck the Alpha's orders!" I snapped and their horrified faces clouded with shock. "I don't want you in the fucking bathroom before I have fucking bath!" They didn't know what to say as they
James’s POV Nothing!I felt nothing even after I had raped Ariah again. Her screams and cries as I thrust into her filled my ears and there was an awkward satisfaction in me when I was done, but then, I didn’t feel the mate bond. There was no sizzling feeling or current running through me as I sat next to her weak body on the bed. I sat silently, just thinking and wondering what it was I had to do to stir up the mate bond again. That was when I heard something, it was coming from behind me, softly and filled with so much agony and sorrow. It was Ariah, crying silently, sniffling, and shaking slightly as she lay on the bed. Even though I don't feel the mate bond now, Ariah brought so much sexual pleasure to me that it didn’t matter if she did it willingly or not. I was the fucking Alpha and any lady would give any fucking thing to be on my bed. I got up, completely naked, and turned to look at her. She crouched away, curled up like a ball in the softness of my blanket, crying her
Ariah’s POV “Ugh!” I exclaimed as I rushed to the water cistern again and dropped to my knees. “I’m going to be sick!”It was the third time I was retching my guts out in two minutes and I felt so sick, like I was going to die any moment from now. I felt so much pain in my body, my legs were shaking and so was my scalp, that animal had my hair in his vicious grip the whole fucking time! I sat on the tiled floor of the bathroom for a while, next to the bathtub, my bath had already been set before I had lashed out at the maids. There was a disgusting taste in my mouth that made me grimace. I struggled to my feet and left the tap running as I washed my mouth and scrubbed my tongue furiously. “You might want to take it easy, Ariah, or else you’ll hurt yourself and start bleeding,” Leia warned softly.“Oh, I’m already bleeding, Leia! Bleeding on the fucking inside! I have to get this horrible taste out of my mouth! You seem to have forgotten that that motherfucker came in my mouth and
Ariah’s POV Two weeks later, we still had not heard anything about Layla or how she managed to escape, but then it wasn't about her anymore. The Blue Moon pack had been conquered and merged into Ethan's pack, but then that wasn't even all. The Lycans were dominating over the werewolves and Ethan was at the forefront of it all. There was going to be a rule implemented soon that would see a supreme ruler ruling over both the Lycan City and the Werewolf City. One faithful day when I was in the master bedroom of the pack house, Ethan walked in with a bright smile on his face. It was the normal time he came back from the pack office in the evening, but this time just seemed different. "Guess what?" He asked."Hmm…" I looked at the ceiling as I pretended to be in deep thought. "You're still on cloud nine after the sex we had last night?" I asked. He smirked, "Very close, but no." He laughed softly. "It's something way bigger than that. The elders want to meet with you and me in th
Ariah’s POV "Make up your mind, Ariah. We don't have the time for you to ponder." He urged quickly. I stared at Lowell, I could bet that James was going to kill him if I didn't act quickly. "One…two…it's a three count." He smirked. I set myself and kicked him between the legs with all the strength I could muster and his eyes almost bulged out of their sockets. He let out a loud, sharp cry and the next moment, he was on the ground, groaning in pain. His forehead bulged with veins and his face turned red completely. "You fucking bitch!" He yelled.I kicked him hard in the stomach and rushed towards Lowell. He was bleeding from his nose and the edges of his lips. "Lowell! Lowell! Are you okay?" I asked hysterically as I helped him into a more comfortable and less awkward position. He groaned slightly, "I'm…I'm okay…Come on, help me up." He said in a low, breaking voice. I grabbed his arm and heaved him up with surprising strength. He staggered and then dropped to one knee.
Ariah’s POV Ethan also stopped by my side abruptly as he stared ahead. We were in the middle of the bloodiest battle I've seen in a while and we were just standing there like statues. "Either I'm blind or that's Layla standing by James's side," I said in a shaky voice.I was somewhat shocked, she still wasn't remorseful, even after what had happened, Layla still wanted to get at me. "That's her alright," Ethan said. "Now I wonder why I'm even surprised."Of course, I should have known that she was the one who told James my whereabouts from the moment Lowell walked in with that letter. What a fucking snake! James walked towards us with a wicked snarl on his face and said, "Well, well, well. I'm sure you got my letter, instead of waiting for me to come at you, you struck first. Brilliant!" He exclaimed in a loud voice. "I'd have attacked either way," Ethan said calmly.Having Ethan and James in the same place and at the same time was quite unsettling. Not for once did I envisi
Ariah's POV I was really tense by the time the next morning came. The previous night, before Lowell's interruption, I was pretty sure that Ethan and I were going to have sex. The moment was there, everything was perfect, but then, things weren't just the same anymore. I became restless after that letter, I started to see real danger for Ethan. Even though he was a Lycan and Lycans were much more dangerous than werewolves, I was still very anxious. James was cunning, I wanted him to pay for all he did to me, but I didn't want anything to happen to Ethan in the process. I heard a noise outside the window and with a thumping heart, I quickly rushed to it and peered out into the dark. My eyes took some time to adapt, but finally, I started to see and make out the figures below. I gasped.I couldn't even count them! All of a sudden, I felt an overpowering presence behind me. One that gave me comfort, one that made me feel safe. I didn't have to turn to see who it was, Ethan towered b
Ethan's POV Lowell was excited as he stormed into my study the next day with a huge smile on his face. "The war's over! The bloody war's over, Ethan! You fucking genius! You did it!" He exclaimed with excitement, he was beyond himself with joy. The edges of my lips curled into a narrow smile, then my face went serious again. "How?" "Layla's father called a meeting yesterday evening with all the Alphas of the werewolf packs and guess what? They have called off any hint of a war. Sheesh! I can finally breathe and so can you!" He replied and laughed. "Hmm."He frowned at me, "Hmm? Hmm? That's all you have to say about this? Hmm?" He asked. "What else do you expect me to say? I saw it coming." I replied imperiously and he smirked. "I have something to take care of, Lowell and I don't know if you'll come with me or not," I said and his face went serious. "Someone has been messing with Ariah in all the wrong ways and I intend to take care of that." "But I thought you had alread
Layla’s POV "You blew it."That was all my father said when we got back to our pack. The look of disappointment and visible exhaustion on his face genuinely made me feel bad for him. "You're my only daughter, Layla." He said as we walked into the living room.I trailed behind him recently, hoping he wouldn't turn to look at me as he glared up but he eventually did and I had nowhere else to turn but to look straight at him. "You had everything you needed right from when you were young. So what the hell went wrong, Layla? What? How did you turn into this?" He asked so many questions at once that I wasn't sure he wanted me to reply. "Father-” I called but he cut me off harshly. "Not a fucking word, Layla!" He roared, stunning me to silence immediately. "Why do you have that look on your face? Why do you have that look in your eyes? Where's the bloody remorse? Don't you feel bad for the people who died along the way just for you to fulfill your goals?" I swallowed my words, but I
Ariah’s POV I welcomed the idea, I needed to clear my head because everything that had happened there happened so damn fast! We got into the car and didn't say a word until the chauffeur got the engine rolling. He looked at me and suddenly his arm wrapped around my waist and pulled me to him. Our faces were almost touching and the full weight of my breasts pressed against his heavy chest.I wondered if he could hear the loud thumping of my quick-beating heart. "Why didn't you tell me that was going to happen?" I asked finally. "You left me so dumbfounded!" He grinned, "I think the only person who wasn't left dumbfounded in that room was Lowell." He remarked. "I wanted it to be a surprise." "Well, heck yeah it was!" I exclaimed, still not able to come to terms with the fact that there was a future in store for me and Ethan. "I still can't believe it," I said slowly. He arched an eyebrow at me, "Believe what?" He asked, pulling me closer so that my forehead rested on his and our
Ariah’s POVI was so surprised to see him that I didn't know when I lost grip of the towel around my body. I gasped and was about to pick up the towel when his eyes stopped me. The way he looked at me set my body on fire and I wasn't sure if I wanted to cover up my nakedness anymore. His eyes traced over my body, taking their time on each of my features until they finally looked into my eyes again. That was when I snapped out of it and quickly picked up the towel and covered myself. My cheeks blotched red with embarrassment, but there was a little tickle of delight in my tummy. He blinked severally and looked away. "Uhm…try something called knocking next time?" I said mockingly as I walked to the wardrobe. "You should handle your towel better, you can't keep dropping things." He replied, his voice teasing me rather than scolding me.I hid a smile as I dressed up, although I didn't look at him, I knew his eyes were glued to me the whole time. When I slipped on a sky-blue gown that
Ethan’s POV Her entire body was trembling as she stood at the door, staring at us. This wasn't the Layla I knew, she looked hideous, and this was the first time I had ever seen her shed tears. "Ethan…" She called softly and shut her eyes tightly as the tears poured out. "Can we talk for a short while, just me and you, before you do anything else?"I exchanged glances with her father, and although I didn't want to talk to her, I still granted her this last wish. "Alright," I said huskily and her father rose slowly to his feet. He hugged and kissed her forehead on his way out and closed the door gently behind him. "There isn't much to say, Layla," I said as she walked to the chair slowly. "I know." She said, "You don't have much to say to me but you have a lot to hear, Ethan. There's no use saying I'm sorry," She sniffled. "It was all for you…and I would keep saying that the biggest regret of my life was that you didn't end up falling in love with me, even when I had gotten