Layla's POV Ariah’s absence in Ethan’s life left a huge hole in his heart. I didn’t have to be told, a lot of things about him changed when she started to distance herself from him. I watched from afar initially with keen interest, like a predator in the wild waiting to catch its prey at the right time. I was patient, I wasn’t in a hurry to step into Ethan’s life, it had to be timed to perfection otherwise, all my efforts would go down the drain. For some time, Ethan was able to bottle up his feelings and hide his pain like he was okay, but gradually, that self-control started to fade. He began to express his frustrations and I loved every moment of it because each of these moments brought me a step closer to him. On a certain night, he sat on the king-sized bed in the master bedroom we shared with a grim expression on his face. When I walked in, he stood up and walked out. I followed him at a safe distance and watched him through the glass door of the patio. Suddenly he hurled
Layla's POV It was easy enough to figure out what to do. The plan was clear, Ariah had to go away. I had a plan to find out what pack she was from and I had an idea that there was a chance I could get to find out if I took her to the upcoming feast of the eve before the next blood moon. Surely all the alphas would be gathered at that event and then I would be certain that either she was a member of the Blue Moon pack which I had seen her in, or another. "The blue moon pack...who's its alpha again?" I wondered, straining my mind to recall and finally, it came to me. "Ah! Yes! Alpha James..." The last time I saw him was at my coronation, he hadn't been present at the feast after because of some issue he had to take care of. How come Ariah didn't bump into him then? I mean he was right here in Ethan's pack, how did she miss him and vice versa? I wondered. Then my eyes widened and I sat up from the couch I was slugged on. The only way they could have missed each other was if Ari
Ethan's POV "Hey." She said as she walked into the bedroom that night with an awkward look in her eyes.I sat at my desk, going through some of the files that Lowell had submitted to me. I stared at Layla as I felt a strange energy emanating from her. "Hey," I replied. She smiled and walked over to me, "So, what have you been up to?" She asked, staring down at the papers scattered all over my desk with very little interest. "I haven't seen much of you lately." She said, She was wrapped up in one of my robes that made her look little in it and from the incentive look in her eyes, I suspected that she was up to something. "Well, I have been busy with work as you know," I replied, forcing my attention back to the paper in my hands. "Always so hard working and busy, you never really have time for yourself, it's crazy." She said slowly and walked around the table. She took the paper from my hand and kept it aside. "What are you doing?" I asked. "Helping you relax, I must take ca
Ariah's POV "A blood moon? Why exactly am I supposed to panic now, Leia? I've seen about five of them go by in my short life." I said, brushing my hair as I stared at the mirror."How could you be so naive, Ariah?" Leia asked, her voice laced with worry. I rolled my eyes, "Alright, tell me something I do not know, Leia." I said. "You know that a blood moon causes a werewolf to shift completely into his or her wolf, right?" She asked. "Yes...and?" "And there is no way to resist it, you know that right?" She asked again. I became annoyed, she liked treating me like a child and sometimes I completely hated it. "What are you bloody trying to say, Leia?" I snapped. "I'm saying the only reason you've never shifted into your wolf form during one of those fucking blood moons you've experienced is because you never had your wolf." She said and even before she said the next words, the nickel dropped in my head. "Well, here I am!" "Oh fuck..." I mumbled and the hairbrush slipped from
Ariah's POV The first time I shifted into my wolf felt like I had opened a completely new world.I felt so alive like I had never done before, I felt so fulfilled, and I finally felt like I was a werewolf. For the first time, Leia was unveiled in her natural form and I loved what I saw when I stared at my reflection on a broken glass that lay around. I stared up at the moon again, it was still gleaming down at me and that was when my senses came back to me. I couldn’t believe what had almost happened, I had been inches away from walking right into Layla’s trap. I had been so desperate then not to see that she had only meant harm to me in that proposal of hers. “So fucking stupid.” I berated myself.The moon was slowly covered up by some clouds and from then on, I felt like I had control over my body again. The powerful influence of the moon had dimmed a bit and I felt myself becoming smaller and weaker. In a moment, I crumbled to the ground, gasping and breathing heavily, I was c
Layla's POV It wasn’t the picture I had expected to see, standing outside the shack and just watching both of them from a window. Ariah certainly had some guts and that made my blood boil with so much anger that my claws sprung out again and I almost barged in. The bitch! Ariah had probably taken all my threats lightly, she was going to get it now. I was so furious at that point, I just turned and stormed off, my brain working quickly. I knew something was off right from the moment the moon revealed itself and there was no sign of Ariah. I had waited for over thirty minutes before I was compelled to shift into my wolf, but even after this, Ariah was still nowhere to be found. I wondered where she had taken refuge, her absence had completely ruined the plan I had to expose her in front of Ethan when he came. What then aroused my suspicion was when Ethan didn’t show up either as he had promised he would. Sally had brought a wrap for me instead when I had shifted back into my hum
Ariah's POV I couldn’t remember the last time I slept so well, but there was no better feeling than this.I headed back to my room in the pack house at midday the next day and I realized that the pack was in a state of complete chaos. What the hell was happening? Why hadn’t I noticed this? Oh shit! Of course, I couldn’t when I was busy crashing in the quiet place, it was called that for a reason. Everyone was running around, some were even wailing and there was a clamoring air as everyone seemed to be talking and pacing about with panic. There was only one person that could tell me what was going on so I decided to rush directly to Ethan’s study. I knocked on the door but there was no response for the first twenty seconds or so. I knocked again and there was still no response until I heard the shattering of a glass against a wall. I gasped, wondering how the pack had transformed from being a very calm place to a haven of absolute havoc. “Ethan, it’s me!” I yelled finally.Silence
Ethan's POV I was angry and nervous at the same time. I couldn’t believe that such important documents could have been stolen so easily. “Where are the fucking guards?” I asked as I left the study. “They’ve got to be somewhere around the pack house, maybe you should calm down a bit, Ethan, so you’ll find it easier to think,” Lowell said calmly but his face was clouded with worry and urgency. “Gather all the fucking guards that were on duty the previous night and bring them to the fucking courtyard. I’m going to be sending some asses off to that fucking dungeon!” I ordered and walked away. I was so panicky that I ignored everyone who stopped to bow to me as I made my way to the courtyard. In about twenty minutes, Lowell returned with a dozen guards whose faces had gone ashen at the sight of me. “Who and who were on duty inside the fucking house?” I asked and nine hands went up in the air. “Who and who were stationed to guard the ground floor?” Five hands went up this time and t