My eyes fluttered open slowly before the ceiling came in focus.I couldn't tell what time it was but everywhere was still very dark.I twisted and turned and tried to get back in a comfortable position to sleep and after about ten minutes of turning aimlessly, I huffed and sat up on the bed.I rubbed my eyes while yawning and stretching my body out.All I did was do chores around the house and sleep and even though my current body was too weak to do otherwise, my mind couldn't comprehend it.In the army, I was always busy.Physically, mentally and all round but now, I just felt like a potato.Sighing at my new reality, I tried to tame my wild hair by running my fingers through it and when I didn't succeed, I settled on tying it up and putting it in place with the scrunchie around my wrist.I yawned again and the hunger pangs in my stomach announced themselves, reminding me I hadn't had any dinner last night.Throwing my legs down, I looked around the dimly lit room and noticed one of
I opened and closed my mouth a few times, trying to come up with something in my defense, but words failed me.Maybe it was the way the lighting reflected on Ares' face, but I thought I saw just the tiniest smile on his lips before he turned around and walked away, leaving me speechless in the hallway.“Shit, shit, shit,” I muttered under my breath as I repeatedly hit my palm on the part of my forehead that wasn't swollen. Way to make his ego larger than it already was.I growled at the awkward situation and my stomach grumbled, reminding me of the reason why I came out here in the first place.I headed to the fridge and a smile covered my face, the memory of the embarrassing situation with the Alpha, momentarily flying out the window at the sight of all the food in the fridge.My stomach grumbled again and I grabbed bars of chocolate with a big bowl of choco chip ice cream.With the smile still planted on my face, I headed back to the room, hoping not to bump into a certain someone
I stared at her, waiting for her to continue but she turned back to what she was doing.I sighed. I guess I'll have to ask.“That's the reason for this rush, because?” She turned to me like she thought my reasoning process was too slow.“The Alpha is having his breakfast in the dining hall,” she repeated slowly like she was talking to a five-year old, who had understanding difficulties.“I heard you the first time, Hilda,” I said, resisting the urge to roll my eyes. “Why is it a big deal?”“Because the Alpha NEVER eats in the dining hall,” she said, laying heavy emphasis on ‘never’.I frowned.“The Alpha gets tired of a daily routine and wants to try something new. Big deal,” I said, trying to keep the sarcasm from my voice.“It is….” She started but shook her head. “Just fry the eggs,” she instructed like she thought I was hopeless.The memories of my terrible cooking experiences came back to me and I knew that wasn't going to end well.I had only barely passed the maid's test, whic
Ares’ povI clutched the fork in my hand tightly until it bent while I stared at her.I had my eyes on her almost throughout the meal.Heck, I've had my eyes on her since she came here, but I've never seen this expression on her face before.At the name of my beta, she breathed a deep sigh of relief like all was alright in the world and her eyes sparkled like a kid in a candy store.I didn't like it.I mean I liked that she did look softer and happy but I didn't like that she had that expression because of my beta.She only ever looked at me like she wanted to stab a knife through my chest, which only makes it more infuriating.“Why does her countenance bother you so much? I thought you didn't like our mate,” my wolf, Pellar growled at me.“I don't,” I snapped and cut the mind-link.He had been giving me a lot of attitude since this girl came here.I didn't blame him.He wanted a mate.But we didn't need her.We survived this long without one.If anything, her presence here only spelt
I paced the hallway impatiently while bitting down on my fingernails.“What's taking them so long?” I muttered to myself.I had been waiting for over an hour.I wasn't about to let an opportunity at a conversation with Jason slip through my fingers, so I waited.I hadn't meant to eavesdrop but when I pressed my ear to the door to know if they were still talking business or if they were already rounding up, I heard Jason talking about the funeral.My funeral.I had to find a way to tell him the truth before then.The door creaked open a few minutes later and he stepped out.Time stopped at the same time I stopped moving and a small sigh escaped my lips.His head was cast towards the ground as he walked towards me and I stood right in his way.He stopped a few feet away from me and looked up.His hair was longer than it used to be and light stubbles littered his chin.My heart tugged as I took in his features.He was sad and I hated that I was the reason.“You,” he said flatly.“I was w
It was no news that the funeral of the great warrior was in three days.This gave me mixed feelings but mostly made me a nervous wreck.I've never been in this situation before and I didn't know what to make of it.I also hadn't seen Jason since that day and no, I wasn't fast enough to meet him.He was long gone before I came out of that encounter with Ares that annoyed me for days.I was currently helping Hilda in preparing dinner as different thoughts raced through my mind but the one at the top of that list was how to get to Jason.Maybe if I could…“Ah!” The small cry left my lips and I dropped the knife noisily.“What is it?” Hilda rushed to my side and her eyes widened as they fell on my finger that was now gushing out blood. “Oh my goodness,” she blurted out and immediately turned on the tap and pushed my finger under the sink.“I'm okay,” I said and held back an eye roll at her overreaction.“You're bleeding!” She all but screeched in my ears.“Wow really?” I asked sarcastical
We moved in a single file, carrying different platters of food in our hands as we walked to the dining room where the Alpha was to be served.I hated this part of my day with passion.The part where I have to stand and watch him eat.The room was always filled with silence and thick tension that could be cut through by a knife.I was always quiet in my spot and the only sounds in the room was usually the clatter of his cutleries while he ate.He obviously didn't want to talk to me but what was unnerving was that he had to put the both of us through the torture of being in each other's presence.Since my last encounter with him, I decided it was best to keep my mouth shut if I still had plans of leaving here with my whole body parts attached to my body.He was too temperamental and dealing with him never ended well.For me at least.I walked into the dining room and placed my own platter on the table and watched the other maids exit the room.After a brief ‘take me with you moment’ in
He stared at me like I had grown a horn on my forehead but I kept my lips pressed in a thin line, waiting for a response.“If you can't speak in English then you have no business speaking to me at all,” he said.I gawked at how rude he could be and he moved to stand up.“Wait, wait,” I rushed out and got to his side in seconds, holding his upper arm to keep him from moving.I ignored the small flutters of butterflies in my stomach at the feeling of his hard arm under my soft hands.His scent was intoxicating and the power that radiated off him was intimidating but somehow, pulled me closer to him and I wished this moment would last a little longer as we both drank in the each other's eyes.His eyes left mine and fell on my hand that held his and he clenched his jaw.Realization struck me like a moving truck and with the speed of someone that had been burned by hot coal, I immediately removed my hand from him.“Sorry about that,” I apologized and scratched the back of my neck, feeling
Six years later“And there you go,” I placed Adele's little plate in front of her.“Mama, give daddy some,” she said when she noticed I was yet to serve Ares.“Yeah, give daddy some,” Ares wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.“You're disgusting,” I laughed and swatted his arm before going back to the kitchen to get our own plates.Breakfast went by quickly with Ares asking the kids about their week in school, and light chatter went round the table.After breakfast, I sat on the couch, surrounded by the loves of my life. Ares snuggled beside me, his head on my shoulder, while the twins, Emily and Jackson, and their baby sister Adele, played on the floor. The room was filled with laughter and the sound of tiny feet pattering around.I couldn't help but think about just how lucky I was to have a complete family with the man I love. In the last six years, the pack has thrived to new heights, but no matter how busy he was, Ares always made time for his family and I couldn't be more gratefu
I slowly opened my eyes, groggily taking in my surroundings. I was in a hospital room, surrounded by beeping machines and sterile walls so white it made my head ache.I felt like I'd been run over a train many times and every part of me ached.Ares jumped up from where he was seating on the couch, grabbing my hand. His eyes were red-rimmed from lack of sleep, tugging at my heart painfully."Hey," he whispered, his voice cracking with emotion. "Welcome back."I tried to speak, but my throat was dry and sore. He helped me sit up, and quickly handed me a glass of water, and I drank greedily, the cold water sliding down my throat and bringing life back to my body.“You're here,” I mumbled after handing the cup back to him.He nodded rapidly and clasped my hand with his, bringing it to his lips. “You're here too. You came back for me,” he kissed my hand.I brought my hand hooked with IV up and ran my fingers through his overgrown hair. His shoulders shook lightly and I knew he was crying.
I gulped. The malice and anger in his voice were so palpable I didn't doubt him.He sneered, seeing his words had the desired effect on me before pulling away.My eyes followed him as he walked to the far end of the room and picked a sword from the wall.He let the sword hang loosely on his hand and the tip grated on the concrete floor, making a shrill sound.He stopped a few feet in front of me, and I clenched my teeth, looking as bold as I possibly could.“Jason, do we have to kill her?” Galia asked, biting her lips.He turned to her and his eyes narrowed in slits.“Don't tell me you're chickening out now,” he spat.She shifted her weight from one feet to the other, looking uncomfortable. “It's the Alpha we want. We don't have to kill her,” she repeated.“It seems like you've forgotten what this bitch did to you. To me!” He yelled. “Let me remind you.”I could see Galia's resolve breaking, but he was trying to get in her head.“She made you irrelevant. You lived in her shadows for y
My eyes opened and the first thing I noticed was the banging pain in my head. The room was utterly dark and somewhere in the far corner, I could hear the steady leaking of water, and the putrid smell of the place hit me square in the face.I groaned in pain, as I tried to move the searing pain in around my chest and arms told me I was bound. The silver burned deeply into my skin, causing me to roll my eyes in pain, and stay still on the chair.I felt something cold trickling down the side of my face and one sniff in the air, I knew it was blood.I tried to remember how I'd ended up in this position and after a few seconds of trying, my memory came back to me in bits and pieces till I made sense of the whole picture.I gritted my teeth and tried to break out of my restraints, but the more I did, the more it burned my skin.I closed my eyes to stop the tears that were threatening to fall. Just when everything was beginning to fall in place, this happens.My mind went to Ares, and I tri
The meeting was dragging on longer than expected, and I shifted uncomfortably many times in my seat.I sat at my place at the head of the table, staring blankly at the papers in front of me while the presenter’s voice grated at my consciousness.I was supposed to be attentive and giving my inputs on crucial business deal with the foreign investors, but my mind kept wandering and my wolf kept pacing, making me even more restless.Pulling out my phone, I dialed her number for the third time and clenched my fist around the device when I was sent straight to her voicemail.I couldn't shake off the feeling of unease that had been plaguing me all day.After a few minutes, I tried to focus on the numbers and figures, but my thoughts kept drifting back to Tabitha, and I couldn't help but feel a sense of dread.I tried to mind-link her through the matebond, but all I got was silence.“Fuck!” I slammed my fist on the table.Some people jumped in fear and others looked up at me warily, concerned
I woke up the next morning with a smile on my face, feeling like I was walking on air. I was back with Ares, and this time, they were mated. My fingertips traces his mark on my neck and I smiled at the tingly sensation. So this was what being bound to someone felt like.Nyx was as happy as she could be and I'd never felt at peace like I was doing now, in his arms, knowing we had overcome the hurdle that separated us, and I was his like he was mine.It had been two weeks since we got back together, but we still couldn't get enough of each other.We had spent the everyday in these two weeks snuggled up together, only leaving the bed to receive our food that Ares had ordered for, and when totally necessary, and these two weeks have been the happiest of my life.I felt closer to him more than ever now and understood him on a different level since I could now feel what he was feeling through the mate bond, and most times, those feelings were unholy ones that had us tangled underneath the
Ares' pov I opened my eyes to the rays of sunlight peeking in through the curtains and the memories of the night before came playing in my eyes like a record.A smile covered my face and I turned to snuggle up with her but the bed was cold and empty.My eyes opened, wide awake now and my heart slammed in my chest at the thought that it was all a dream, but before I could go into a panic attack, the bathroom door opened.I released a deep breath as my eyes landed on her innocent brown eyes, her hair tied I a messy bun at the top of her head.“Everything okay?” She asked with a small smile, but I didn't miss how nervous she was.Six months apart, and yet she looked even more radiant than I remembered. Her now short brunette hair framing her face beautifully, and her skin glowed with a warm, golden light.I took a deep breath and reached her in three long strides, wrapping myself around her in a warm embrace.She squealed before relaxing into me. It was a wonder that the connection bet
My breath came out in short, quick pants as I rode out my high. Ares had said he wasn't going to last, but I didn't expect the heavy orgasm to crash down on me the way he did.In less than a minute, my body was heating up again and shame filled me.We still had a lot to talk about and having sex this way didn't solve anything. Heck he was still with Noelle and she was pregnant!I immediately felt terrible but the ache in between my legs made those thoughts fade.I clenched my legs shut, momentarily embarrassed so he wouldn't see me like a sex deprived maniac, but it was well beyond my control.“Don't hide from me,” his husky voice said from behind me.He turned my body so I was facing him and kept his knee in between my legs, keeping me from seeking friction from my legs.“Wee shouldn't be doing this. It's so wrong,” I shook my head.“Why?” He asked, his filled with different emotions that made my insides curled. “We're mates.”“Not anymore,” I said but I sounded like a moan at the en
Ares' pov I saw red as I stormed in and saw Rodolfo on her. On my mate!My feet moved before my mind, and the next thing I knew, I was pinning him to the wall.His eyes widened with fear but before he could say anything, I let my emotions take control and began slamming my fist into his face.He was helpless in my hands and my wolf was out to play, but nothing seemed to soothe me. Not the repeated scrunch of his bones breaking under my fist, or his painful growls, or the blood splattered all over his face and my fucking fist.Nothing seemed to calm me.My wolf wanted blood and I wasn't sure I would stop even if he dropped dead to the ground.My relentless pounding on his face continued till a needy whine rolled out of her lips and everything around me stopped.I let him fall like a sack of potatoes on the floor and mind-linked my guards I'd come with to come in.I immediately rushed to her quivering side before they entered and yanked off my coat, wrapping it around her and scooping