Zane's POV
Her big, surprised eyes locked on mine, and I watched her throat work – hard. I couldn’t help but notice her breathing had picked up a little. I could feel it as her breasts pushed against the flat disks of my chest. Her whole entire body seemed to buzz with heat and electricity, as we were lying there.
And I couldn’t get those lips off my mind…!
Was this it?
Was this the allure of the runt?
It had to be! Because nothing in my life had ever felt this good, felt this right. All I wanted to do was---
“Mind getting off me? You weigh a ton?” she gulped, clearly nervous.
No…
Actually, I didn’t want to get off her!
But I did because it was the fucking gentlemanly thing to do. And because if I didn’t, she’d notice the major hard-on I was sporting.
Again!
Annoyed, frustrated, fucking hurt, and embarrassed, I
Arella’s POVMy Nana had a saying--- well, it wasn’t as much her saying, as it was just a general consensus. But back home, she was the one yelling it at me and my cousins the most, because we would steal her cookies. Not that she could ever prove it and hence the saying…No tempo de Salazar isto não aconteceria!!!OK! So, not really related, but the truth will set you free, right?And wasn’t that the fucking truth?Too bad the saying didn’t warn about the utter agony that the truth causes. Because no matter how much I wanted to deny it, the fact that Zane had only stayed with me because of his wolf, hurt! And it hurt even more because there had been a part of me that truly wanted to believe him. To believe everything he’d said.That he wanted me…But no!Apparently, he only wanted me because I was fucking Advil to h
Zane's POV“I understand,” Zane replied, emotionless as ever. But he didn’t meet my eyes. I don’t know why it felt like I was leaving a lover, but that was what I felt. It was stupid and I shouldn’t feel so conflicted about it. But I hated the idea of leaving. My wolf hated the idea of leaving and just thinking about living in the city, had my whole body shuddering…And then there was the case of Zane’s wolf…Although I hated the man, I knew the wolf was just suffering. He’d been spiraling out of control, slowly losing his sanity. Even his ability to communicate with his human had reverted to that of a feral animal.He had no one!He was innocent in all of this and no matter how I looked at it, Zane was my alpha and king now. Could I just leave, knowing I didn’t do everything in my power to help? That I just abandoned his kids and pack without even trying?
Arella’s POV“Your bedroom!” Zane announced when he opened the doors and led me inside. And while I’d thought the castle itself had been spectacular, this was some next-level shit!“Bedroom?!” I exclaimed, my mouth hanging open in shock. I’d never been to a high-end hotel, but I’d seen pictures.Those pictures didn’t have shit on this place!The castle wasn’t the cold stone walls and dimly lit rooms that I’d imagined when Zane started talking about living in a castle. If anything, it looked like a resort where people had to pay a lung and half a liver just to get a day pass. The walls were creamy white with gold and red archways and carpets. The walls were decorated with extravagant paintings of previous Kings and Queens and shiny weapons, with the names of the owners on bronze plates below.Not very surprising the werewolf theme was in every single detail o
Arella's POVI had been happy being on my own. I loved my job as a ranger and I didn’t have a problem being on my own out in the wilderness--- until Zane crashed into it and now, I was part of a pack.How lovely…How the hell did you act when you were part of a pack? What did I do? Was anything expected of me? Zane had made it all seem so straightforward, but what role did I actually play in the grand scheme of things?The Royal Therapist?And while I had agreed to stay and help with Zane’s wolf, I couldn’t live here forever---Could I?I groaned and decided to take a shower while I waited for some kind of revelation. None came to me while getting clean and not when I got dressed either. I didn’t know how the servants had come and gone while I was in the shower, but other than their lingering scent, I hadn’t seen or heard them.Freakin
Stereotypes are there for gags - please laugh! Or don't, it's really up to you, but the story will be funnier if you do...!Arella's POVOur pups?Wait--- WHAT?!I was mentally gaping at my wolf, wondering what in the ever-loving Jamaican mushrooms she was talking about...Erm…, my wolf froze mid-action, as if she desperately was trying to find a plausible explanation for that. You want them to like us, don’t you?Well, of course, I wanted them to like us! I wasn’t a monster. I liked kids. And although it had been a while, I still remembered what it was like to take care of all my younger nephews and nieces. But before I could question my wolf anymore, she played possum and pretended to be asleep, making a huge show out of yawning and snoring.My wolf was just so weird…“Well, let me guess,” I huffed, a little annoyed wit
Arella's POV“Never?” I echoed, wondering if I’d misunderstood something. Hadn’t Zane said that he’d given permission to let humans into their pack before? Didn’t that mean that he’d bitten and transformed someone before?“No,” Cain more or less answered my question and shook his head. “We’re only allowed to turn our mates.” His smile fell then and his eyes returned to the floor. “Not that I’ll ever have one…”I tried not to show my obvious surprise.Mate?Was he already thinking about a wife?I wasn’t sure if that was cute or creepy…“Of course, you will,” I said dismissively--- and then made a mental note to find out more about mates. I had to know if this was some arranged marriage shit or something else. Because if they married their kids off before they knew their ABCs, I was
Zane’s POVI wasn’t sure when I had last gone for a run like this, but considering how sore my wolf’s muscles were afterward, it was safe to assume it had been a while ago. Ever since leaving Arella, I’d been running around the pack grounds, with no particular goal in mind.I just needed to run…It shouldn’t hurt so goddess damned much thinking about not being with her! Despite knowing that I now had a chance at an actual future, it now seemed more like a taunt than a promise. Because there was still the fact that everything I felt for her wasn’t real. She was a runt and everything that had happened was just a result of that. Nothing of it was real…But the pain felt real!It felt like a spear through my heart just thinking about a future without her. And a possessive, selfish part of me wanted to keep her here forever. To keep her as my own, but…There was no
Zane's POVI instantly stopped when I remembered that nobody had taught her how to mind-link. Sure, talking in our wolf worm was a sort of telepathic mind link between two wolves, but when you were further away, it required some practice to do.And Arella didn’t have any. I made a mental note to teach her as soon as I could, and before storming out of the room to look for her the old-fashioned way.By tracing her scent…But that plan went to shit when I realized that her scent wasn’t anywhere to be found. I tried not to panic, but it was fucking hard to when my wolf was growling and howling like a fucking maniac, pushing for me to track her down.“Noah! Have you seen Arella?” I snapped at my brother just as I barged through the door to our shared office.“No, I haven’t seen your human,” he groaned in annoyance and gave me a tired look. “I just came back!
Zane’s POV“She’s a menace!”I slammed the door to my study shut with a force that made the hinges rattle. My blood was boiling, my fists clenched so tight I could feel my nails digging into my palms. Arella had gotten her way, and now, I was supposed to accept it. Because even if I didn’t want to, there was no way in hell I’d let myself be the butt of a joke where she fucking played me like a fiddle!Damned, stupid, Alpha pride!I couldn’t go back on my word! If I did, I’d look weak--- no, worse. I’d lose my respect. My pride was everything to me, but Arella was making me question every fucking thing I thought I knew.FUCK!Growling, I stomped over to my desk, turning it over and making my paperwork fly everywhere. Frustrating, inaugurating female! She had no idea what she was playing with—what this could mean for her, for my pups, for the entire
Zane's POVFury, the likes I’d never felt before, colored my vision red. My wolf let out a howl of pure unadulterated wrath, his dominance like a whip cracking down on anyone close to him.I had to get out of there!I had to stop this!“Zane, Please!” I heard Selena beg, but she suddenly seemed so far away I could barely make out her words. “It’s for the pups! It’s---”“Where?” I asked although the sound that came out sounded like some kind of animal. “Where is Arella?”I wanted to believe that I could protect her, protect them, and keep everything inside these walls safe. But now I was confronted with the reality of it—an open invitation to the very monsters who had torn my life apart.I couldn’t!“The banquette hall,” Selena once again gave it up, unable to resist my alpha aura. I stormed off, ignoring the calls and plea
Zane’s POV“… they’re so excited about it…”“...I wouldn’t want to be in her shoes when King Zane finds out…”“...all the planning goes through, Miss Garcia…”I’d been walking to my office when I picked up bits and pieces of conversation whispered in the corners by the omegas. It wasn’t until they mentioned Arella’s name that I stopped and listened. But the second the omegas saw me, they went pale and scurried away like I’d been the devil himself.Sighing, I couldn’t really blame them…Despite feeling better than I had in a year, my wolf was still unpredictable at best. And it wasn’t getting any better considering that I was trying to distance myself from my little angel. I hated that my body literally felt like shit when I wasn’t around her. What I hated even more, was letting her believe that o
Arella's POVI was glad I wasn’t sipping on my wine right then because that didn’t sound like the Zane I knew. Sure, I’d seen some of the core things that she mentioned. He was kind, and being a good King was very important to him. He wanted what was best for the kingdom and he wanted to protect his kids – although he’d been going about that the wrong way entirely. He was now ruled by anger and because he constantly had to fight his wolf, he was unpredictable at best...Hearing Selena talk about this side of him—this past version of him—was something strangely heartwarming. Something I wasn’t sure I’d ever get to see. Which strangely didn’t bother me. I’d gotten used to this version of Zane and to be honest, I think the old version of him would have bored me. While infuriating, a small sad
Arella's POV“That sounds like a lovely idea.”I snapped my head around, and there, stepping gracefully into the kitchen was Selena. She looked like those photo-shopped models that just stepped out of a magazine or something—gorgeous, poised, and effortlessly elegant. She didn’t belong in the kitchen, covered in flour and sugar. Yet there she was, eyes gleaming with curiosity.“You think so?” I asked, raising an eyebrow and wiping my hands on my apron. “I was just telling the kids about a little party we’re going to throw for them. Cain’s birthday is overdue, and Eva’s is right around the corner.”Selena’s lips quirked into a smile, though her eyes betrayed a hint of caution.“Yes, a party sounds wonderful,” she agre
Arella’s POVThe kitchen was filled with the warm smell of sugar and cinnamon as I stood at the kitchen counter, flour dusting the surface in a messy pile. Cain and Eva were laughing, both covered in a thin layer of flour, their small hands grabbing at cookie cutters and dough with wild abandon. I grinned, finally feeling like there was some kind of normalcy back in my life. After all the chaos I’d been through – being shot, almost killed, and being turned into a werewolf – I wanted to hold onto this as tightly as I could.I love to cook!My mom had been the real chef in the family, but she’d always let me cook with her. Be it a huge feast for carnival or baking cookies for Christmas, she was always moving around in the kitchen. Hell, even now, I swear I could hear her laughter as Cain helped his sister with the butterfly cutter.This felt like home…“Are we making chocolate ones too?” Cain asked eagerly, his face covered in flour
Arella's POVOK, he got points for... you know, being the actual KING! But while every instinct in my body told me to submit to his authority, my stupidly stubborn self refused. I’d been subjected to the authority of domineering, selfish bastards my whole fucking life and I’d made myself a promise to never fall victim to that ever again. I had a fucking will of my own, I had autonomy and I was nobody’s bitch!“Let me get this straight,” I snapped back, raising an eyebrow and gaping at the fucking audacity of this man. “You want me to do everything you say, no questions asked?”“YES!” His voice was a low, forceful command. Hell, it was almost cute the way he looked all angry and flustered. I stared at him, utterly floored by the ballsiness of his words.“Have you had a doctor look at that problem of yours?” I asked, my brows furring in concern for his health. “It can&r
Arella’s POVThe road home felt like hours.Each minute dragged on, the silence between us thick and suffocating. I barely even noticed as the forest moved by, as I sulkily kept my eyes trained straight ahead, trying to make sense of what had just happened. Why the hell was he so pissed that I’d left? Was it some kind of werewolf law? Surely, he couldn’t punish me for being ignorant!Right?My wolf kept working on her will…Ignoring my newly formed companion, I glanced up at Zane, wondering what was going through his head. The anger was like a storm that I couldn’t weather. The fury in his eyes when he found me outside his territory—like I’d committed bloody murder!—had left my head spinning. Hell, I’d only gone to my cabin to grab some clothes, for Pete’s sake! To feel something normal for a change. I didn’t think I was doing anything wrong! Unless it was illegal f
Arella’s POVHe won’t notice, ha? My wolf sarcastically snorted, as the huge brown beast glared down at us. I gulped, my legs feeling weak as he stood before us. His aura felt like tar, pressing and overwhelming. His eyes were pitch black, looking nothing like Zane at all. Hell, there was even foam frothing at his mouth as he stood there, panting...In my mind, my wolf was suddenly scribbling something down on… paper?! And how the hell was she holding a pen with no potable thumbs? It was a weird image, but sure enough, it was happening. She even had on a pair of Dumbledore half-moon glasses and she looked cute!What are you doing? I mentally asked, wondering what kind of freakish acid trip I was on.Writing my will, she replied, not missing a beat. With this lifestyle of yours, I’ll need one soon enough!Jeez, thanks for the vote of confidence!Wi