Arella's POV
I 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 POVLost in my thoughts and transfixed by the scene in front of me, I suddenly felt my wolf want to push forward. He wanted to see them too and, for once, I wasn’t afraid to let him near them. They looked so happy finally and he deserved to be a part of that too. Before I would never have kept him away from anything regarding our pups and I suddenly felt guilty for keeping him away from them.But now we watched them together…Eva, who never smiled, was eagerly standing next to Arella, chewing on something that looked like a fried bun. Cain was on her other side, already ready to gulp down on whatever she was doing next. Unfortunately, it was too hot, and he burned his fingers, making him have to juggle it back and forth like a circus clown. Arella snapped something in Portuguese, before snatching it out of the air and kissing his fingertip. He blushed and was clearly embarrassed at being “mommy”-ed like that
Zane's POV“Yeah,” I said, hoping that my voice didn’t sound as gruff as I thought it did. “I like them a lot.”That had a smile spreading on his face, but he instantly hid it, focusing on peeling the dough off his fingers. Eva didn’t say anything. She just sat there, quietly eating her bun with her sauce. She wasn’t smiling anymore and only threw nervous glances at Cain as if waiting for his cue on what to do next.The awkwardness was almost unbearable…“Would you like these for dinner?” I blurted, holding up a co-sin-thing. I’d never felt awkward at being a parent before, but suddenly my own pups didn’t feel like my own. There was a huge gap between us – one that I had created – and I didn’t know how to close it. My wolf was pissed – again! No surprise there – and I had to lock him away.Insane piece of shit!
Arella’s POVI really needed to go back for my clothes!Mostly because the scent that was coming off the ones that had been put out for me smelled like Zane. And for some reason, his scent worked like a fucking flick to my clit. I had to stifle a groan when I breathed it in and my pussy began to throb as if it had a life of its own.It was worse than when we’d been at the hospital.I’d noticed that he’d smelled divine back then, but with all the hospital smells, I hadn’t really noticed it having this effect on me. Now it was sinking into my blood like some fucking aphrodisiac. And my wolf wasn’t helping the matter much with her sensual purring and practically rubbing his scent all over her.And was it weird that I liked it?Shaking off the sensation, I forced my head on straight and put them on. But I had to think about bugs and fauna to finally get my throbbing lady part
Arella’s POVYou know what the biggest flex someone who is royalty has?They’re ROYALTY!You know what my sorry excuse of a peasant isn’t?Royalty!Lucky for me, that fact didn’t even begin to sink in until just before the servants announced – Yes! They announced our arrival! My heart started beating furiously in my chest and my hands started feeling clammy. I hated this feeling! Feeling like I was prey and about to walk into a lion's den… Well, like every other time my instincts were telling me to cower and hide, I stuck out my chin and forced my hands to calm…It helped.But little did I know that I was walking next to the metaphorical crazy-as-shit lion! Because the second we entered, the voices were hushed and everyone turned to us. The atmosphere was thick with unspoken tension, the air buzzing with the kind of energy that suggested a storm was brewing.I took a
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