The soft rays of the morning sun woke me up; the birds chirped quietly in their trees, ignoring us. The crash of the water on the rocks indicated that we were still at the waterfall. Wait... Did we fall asleep here? My mind was still in jumbles and in a sleep-state, so I couldn't remember what exactly happened. I turned to my side, and there was Richard sleeping without care. My legs were all over Richard. Somehow, we had gotten all tangled up in the night. I tapped Richard on his back, urging him to wake up, but he refused. Instead, he snuggled towards me, his mouth on my neck. I could feel his hot breath on my neck, the site that would bear his mark, and it was making me all bothered. "Richard! Wake up, it is morning and we have a lot to do." I tapped him again, much harder than before. "No..oo." He whined like a little child, "I want to stay with you." He snuggled into me so tight I was pretty sure he was trying to fuse with me. "Nice try, handsome. But that isn't going to
We rushed down the flight of stairs in a hurry to see the Beta. I have never met him before, and I wonder how he will be. I just hope he is welcoming. A loud, boisterous laugh was heard as we got closer to the common area. When we arrived, there were several people hugging someone, whom I assumed was the beta. I noticed that there was a lady beside him smiling from ear to ear; it's safe to assume she’s, his mate. "Richard! you, old cargo! Did you miss me?" It was safe to say that I froze, my legs in the air, when I heard that. My facial muscles were twitching, my mouth threatening to burst into laughter. "You are the old cargo, Ian; you are older than me." Richard retorted, rolling his eyes. The people with us carried on like it was a normal thing, like someone hadn't just insulted the Alpha. No one would dare call Richard like that if it weren't someone who knows him well. Not wanting to be the strange one, I carried on, schooling my facial expressions. A heavily built man, who l
Ava led me to the garage, where a fleet of cars had been packed. She selected a red sports car with an open roof, and we got in. She turned the ignition and zoomed off. Laughter filled the car as we sped along the smooth path. I soon found out that Ava wasn't the best driver, and I was on the edge of my seat, clutching the door handle for support. She must have had a track record, because pack members scampered in a hurry when they noticed it was Ava behind the wheels. I pray to the Goddess to let me survive the ride because, the way it is going, I might die young with my virginity still intact. I looked to my sides and saw Ava giggling; she was the only one having a good time on this crazy ride. "Woo!!! I love this shit!" Ava screamed into the air as we sped down the highway. Other drivers were looking at her in disgust, trying to ignore the crazy lady. She was blasting her favorite band on the radio, and she tried to sing along with them with her horrible voice. She had me laugh
Lessons learned: Never go shopping with Ava. She was a maniac when it came to shopping. She kept tossing me clothes after clothes and pushing me to the dressing room to get changed. After that, we went to the lingerie section, and she went absolutely nuts there. One would think she was trying to have another child. After an exhausting hour, we came out of the store, with arms laden with bags. Never again! I vowed. To compensate for the stressful afternoon, Ava took me to the park, which also doubles as a playground. It was the pack's property, so we were able to roam freely. "How is it going to be? We don't have mating ceremonies back at home, so I don't know how it is done." I asked, wringing my hands in nervousness. The day after tomorrow would be my introduction to the pack, and I wouldn't want anything to go wrong. "You don't have to be nervous. It is just like human weddings. But here, you will be bound to your mate and the pack." She said, taking my hands in hers. "It i
"Rachel, this is Isabella. She is the Alpha's mate." Ava replied, gesturing to me. She came over and gave me a crushing hug, smothering me before she released me from her chokehold. "I have been hearing a lot of rumors about you, but they made a terrible mistake by omitting your beauty." "It is a pleasure to meet you, ma'am." I replied as she showered me with compliments. "Don't be silly, child. Call me Rachel, ma'am makes me feel so old." "Alright ma'am, I mean Rachel." They both laughed at my expense. It would be hard to start calling elderly people by their names, because we don't do that back at home. "You two can have your seats while I prepare something. That little rascal had me so busy that I couldn't cook. Please don't mind the state of the house." "Thank you, but I will have to reject your offer. We already had street food, and if we have anymore, I will puke. Besides, it is already getting late." The sun was going down, and I didn't want Richard to get worried. "
I woke up as early as 8 a.m. the next day to start preparing for the ceremony. The ceremony will be held on the soccer field in the evening. Preparations were being made, and everyone was going about their respective work. I started off the day with a much-needed shower, until my body was as smooth as a newborn. Ava came over, and together we went to get a special spa treatment. I was washed, scrubbed, and waxed until I looked and felt like a hairless cat. We went back to the fashion house for the fitting and to also check how far they had gone with the dress. They pretty much sewed the clothes in less than 24 hours. What was left were the finishing touches on the dress. The dress only required a little adjustment. They took note of it, promised to work on it, and had it delivered to my doorstep the following day. "What do you intend to do about your braids?" Ava asked as we were getting closer to the packing house. "It is a bit rough." "Honestly, nothing. I was just going to lea
We were seated on the floor, our butts on the cold tiles, our faces buried in several layers of facial treatment. We pretty much look like aliens with the green treatment on our faces. Empty bottles were lying around in waste while Ava was telling us, rather loudly, how her mating ceremony went.For a werewolf, Ava was pretty lightweight, so she was already tipsy. It was a struggle to get her to censor her story, as she proceeded to give us the X-rated version of the story. I wasn’t interested in hearing how she was tied up and how Ian had his wicked ways with her, so I tried as much as possible to tune her out.Apparently, it was also in the law that the people to be mated shouldn’t see each other until during the ceremony. It is pretty ironic that a week ago, I wouldn’t give a damn where he went, but now I can't bear to part with him. The need to be with him was becoming unbearable. I needed to touch him and feel him inside. I can’t wait till we get fully bonded.I blamed it on the
Ava had come with her entourage, consisting of a makeup artist and hairstylist. I went to the bathroom to take a shower since there was no time for a bath. I came back dressed in my robes while they were set to work. I sat in front of the mirror as the makeup artist applied it to me. I opted for something light because I'd still have to shift. My hair was rolled into a low bun, sleeked with a styling gel, and styled with decorative stones and pins, and I was helped into the dress. The dress fitted just perfectly, accentuating my waist. I moved closer to the mirror and twirled, loving the way the clothes fit on my body. "You look so beautiful, Bella. Richard is one hell of a lucky man." I felt warmth flush through my limbs at her words. My smile was so wide, my lips threatened to tear. I opened the box of jewelry the former Luna had gifted me, and with their help, I put them on. Yeah! Ava was right; it really brings out the color in my eyes. I looked out the window; beyond the tre
My hands were drumming on the table as the lady kept talking, and I tried to tune her out. No matter how hard I tried to concentrate on the meeting, my mind kept jumping to the children I left in the room. I had told Jesse to watch them, but I know he will be of no help. I was particularly worried about Jasmine, the oldest of my twins. She is known to be fearless and has a knack for inviting trouble, even though she just barely clocked 5. Her twin brother, Jason, was equally troublesome, but he was easier to control than his sister. When will this damn meeting be over? This was something I never got used to—sitting down for hours and hearing people talk. Richard noticed my attitude and smirked, "Feeling bored?" He asked me through the link. "You can say that again. I am just worried about the twins. You know what Jasmine can be like." It didn't help that I had a nagging feeling that something was wrong. "Relax. Don't worry, they are in safe hands. My brother is watching over them.
"Alright, the bad news. Your mom is suffering from a stroke." Richard's face crumbled as he heard it. I held him, trying to comfort him in the best way I knew how. "But we are werewolves, Gamgam; we don't suffer illness." He tried to argue. "Yes I know, which is why it is rare. But your mother has been without a mate for a while, and it is affecting her. She is slowly deteriorating." "And the good news?" He asked, trying to gain hope. "The good news is that the operation was successful. We were extremely lucky that we got to her on time. She should be waking up soon." We all collectively heaved a sigh of relief. I could feel Richard untensing at her words. "Thank you so much, Gamgam. I am really grateful for everything." "It is alright." "She is also like a daughter to me, and I wouldn't want anything to happen to her." Just then a male doctor and some nurses came outside. "This is Alexander. He was the head surgeon in charge of her operation, and he in fact needs to be praised.
I woke up with a splitting headache—now that I think of it, I am always waking up with a splitting headache. Anyways, I rub my hands over my sleepy eyes, trying to clear the sleep. Looking around, the sheets have been thrown on the floor during our steamy session. The bed was unmade and rough, and Richard was sleeping on it like that, eagle-spread and snoring. I frowned as the noise got to my ears. Reaching over, I pinched his nose tight, and it was able to control it.I looked around, trying to get my clothes. The red and white furniture is a stark contrast to our black furniture, which reminded me that this was not our room. But that begs me to ask the question, "Where were we?"But before I troubled myself with that piece of information, Richard would know best how to answer it. I need to look for my phone; if I could remember, someone was trying to reach me yesterday. But Richard collected my phone and switched it off.I shuffled to the edge of the bed and placed my legs gingerly
It has been a hassle trying to get Richard to leave the venue. He had gotten power drunk and was crazy about winning. Soon the locals found out that they were never going to beat him, so they got tired, and no one was in the mood to compete again.He looked around, searching for new competitors, but no one was willing to wrestle with the new person. "I see y'all are getting tired of being beaten at your game. But I get it, and I will go. Let me just get my money." Someone directed him to where all his earnings from the game have been stacked.We went over there, and bundles of 10-pound notes were stacked high on the table. "What are you going to do with all that money?" I asked him through the link."Hmm, I don't know. Probably convert it to the pack's fund?" I dug my elbows into his ribs, and he looked at me quizzically, "You know you can't do that. You will be ripping them off of their hard-earned money, and goddess knows they need it. Besides, I have seen the pack's account, and I
The sun had begun to set on the horizon, and darkness was slowly creeping into the place. But that was when the main show was getting started. According to Richard, I was going to experience the Southampton nightlife. The first place we visited was the Duke of Wellington, commonly known as "the Duke of Boots" by locals. The name was given after its namesake’s famous victory at the Battle of Waterloo. It was a formidable timber-framed building with colorful hanging baskets that greeted our arrival. We were led upstairs to the rooftop. It had a section for the bar and for the restaurant. We got seated in one of the chairs, and I got comfortable. I looked beyond the horizon, watching as the night was taken up by the stars and beautiful street lights. I looked up to see the moonlight shining down on us. I closed my eyes and enjoyed the night breeze. "Enjoying the view?" Richard whispered into my ears, and I nodded. "Yeah, it is beautiful. Thank you for today." He gazed at me, his dark
The date hasn't even begun, but overall, I was loving it. My skin was glowing after hours of pampering and care. My nails were on fleek, and even my hair was flawless. Apparently Richard told them to get a hair stylist for me because he wants me to look my best. Like can I love this man even more? He was just too sweet.I was heading towards the inner room to go get my clothes when the head of the spa handed me a bag and said it was from Richard, and she was gone like a flash. I looked at the corner where she had disappeared, wondering why she had given me a bag.I peered into the bag, and I could see black wrap. I was skeptical about it, but since it was from Richard, I trusted that it would be something good. Today has been full of surprises, and I wonder what he had planned. I went to the changing room and brought out the items from the bag, and my hunch was correct. It was new clothes.I tore the wrapper off the clothes in a hurry, my heart pounding within my ribcage, wondering
A date is exactly what I need now. I can't remember the last time we went on a date. As I tried to think of the last time, I was reminded of the first one we went to. It was unarguably my best date ever; not like I have ever had any before that. But he was a total gentleman there, and it was one of the reasons I started falling for him. I wonder where we will be going this time around. Just the thought of it was making me feel giddy. With our busy schedules, we barely had time for ourselves, so I am willing to take this opportunity and enjoy it to the fullest. We took a quick bath together; Richard wanted us to be out of here before he starts getting calls. Otherwise, we may be unable to go after all. "Where are we going to?" I asked him as we were getting dressed. He had been tight-lipped since, probably not wanting to spill. "I don't know, just get dressed; you will know when we get there." "That is the thing; I don't know what to wear. I need to know exactly where we are going
Richard opened the door, and the stench of alcohol hit me hard. I froze, my sensitive nose wrinkling at the smell of the fermented drink. I glared at him, my mouth pressing into a line. I was pissed at the fact that he left without telling me, making me worried, only to come back drunk. "Take care of him." Someone slurred, and I turned to look at who had brought him; it was his Beta and he also reeked of alcohol. "Ian, wait," but he was already off, staggering to his room while holding the wall for support. I was left alone with Richard, so I moved closer to hold and steady him. He was so drunk that he couldn't stand well. My ear pricked when I heard a loud crash on the floor. "Fucking floor, can you just be straight for a minute?!" He cursed at the ground. I was going to help him up when he called out, "I'm okie dokie; don't worry, Luna." I looked at the corridor, and it seems like he got it under control. He had picked himself up and was staggering back to his room. I shook my h
"What was the meaning of that, eh?" I questioned him as soon as we got back home. "The meaning of what?" He asked, like he didn't know what he just did. The urge to roll my eyes at him was so strong that I had to resist it. "The meaning of what happened back there with Harry." "Oh, that? That was nothing." He replied nonchalantly. "Why did you grip my waist tighter when he was around?" "Do I have any reason not to do so?" He replied offhandedly while unbuttoning his shirt. "You are my mate, and I can do whatever I want with you." "I know, Richard, but that is beside the point. You were trying to rile him and make him feel jealous." I argued further. "And so what if I did? Why does it bother you?" "It doesn't bother me, but you have to take into account that he doesn't have a mate, and you are rubbing that fact in his face." He sighed, pausing what he was doing, "drop it, Isabella; it is beginning to sound like you care about him." "What is that supposed to mean, he is my frie