Aria’s POVThe bright morning light streamed into my eyes the moment I opened them, causing a moment of temporary color blindness and I shut them back, squinting them tight. A while later, I slowly opened my eyes to be met with the white pristine walls of my environment. A frown slipped into my face as I glanced around to see I was in a strange room. Even the bed I was lying on was far bigger than my small bed, and unlike the nightstand in my room with books sitting on it, the nightstand in this room was empty, holding just a lamp and a bottle of water. I turned a bit to glance out of one of the two windows in the room and instead of the usual familiar bush path that was behind my home, I was met with a clear view of the street below and more buildings.A wave of confusion and fear hit me as I began to wonder what had happened. I closed my eyes and tried to recall how I’d gotten to this strange place but all I could remember was how I’d jumped through the window of my class in an atte
Shane’s POVI paced in my office, pondering over my conversation with Anna and how strangely she’d acted to my presence, while I waited for Chase’s arrival. I sent for him as soon as I left her room. He was supposed to be heading to the school to supervise the ongoing work but I needed to confide in someone.The office door opened and Chase stepped in, his eyes bearing a worried expression.“How’s she?” A deep sigh expelled from my lips as I stopped pacing and stared at him before rounding the desk to take my seat in one of the plush leather office chairs.“She’s awake now, but she’s still in pain,”“And Dr. Mark has confirmed that she’ll be fine, right?”His words made me remember all that the pack doctor told me after examining her the previous day. It appeared the bastard in the dungeon had been abusing her for long and from some of the research I’d done, he was meant to be her father, to protect her and keep her safe but the pervert chose to use her to fulfill his sick fantasies.
Shane’s POV I was in the middle of a business call when a knock sounded on my office door. It made me frown because I’d instructed the guards by the door not to let anyone disturb me, but it seemed they’d failed to obey my instructions. I’d neglected my father’s company for quite some time while sticking to the activities of the pack but I was finally deciding to take over and hire a manager to oversee the operations while my main focus would remain on running the pack. The knock sounded again and I had no choice but to end the call. “Come in,” I called out to whoever it was, still annoyed by the disturbance but my frown ebbed away as soon as I saw Dr. Mark strolling in with a grim expression on his face. I’d forgotten that I was expecting him. After the incident of the previous day and the confession of Anna’s father, I decided to take Chase’s idea as soon as I was calm enough to reason properly. Hence, that evening when the pack doctor had shown up to check on Anna, I’d had a p
Shane’s POVThe loud thuds of our footsteps echoed in the empty hallway as Chase and I approached the cell that the stranger had been kept in. The moment I was informed of the man who was caught trying to perpetrate another crime, all sane thoughts fled me. All I wanted was to lay hands on the enemy and get the answers I’d been searching for out of him. It finally felt like I’d caught onto a missing piece of the puzzle and I was on the right path to finally solving this mystery and ending the case. My heart slammed hard against my chest, beating wildly as my blood streams were fueled with adrenaline and determination. Wordlessly, Chase led the way to the cell where the stranger had been kept hostage, in the dungeons. The farther we got into the dungeon, the faster my heart beat and the more energy surged through me. Finally, we got to the last cell in the building and he came to a stop. I turned towards the wrought iron bars segregating the small cell space from the hallway to see
Aria’s POVA sense of calm filled me as I sat on the bed, facing the window to watch the sunset. I’ve been in that position since I woke up from my nap about half an hour ago. Initially, I panicked, thinking I overslept and my father was waiting around the corner to jump on me and beat me up for not preparing dinner. Led by these thoughts, I attempted scampering out of bed to get on with my duties but the pains that shot through my entire body almost made me have a seizure and that was enough to bring me back to the present and to remind me of my current predicament and living conditions.I was no longer under the roof of my father but I was living in the home of Alpha Shane, the ruler of the BlackMane pack.As good as it sounded, it was also terrifying. I had no experience with men except for my father and after all I’d been through in his hands, I was scared to let myself believe that the alpha was being nice for the sake of it. The thoughts that he had an ulterior motive and would
Shane’s POVI watched the moment the truth sank into her and her face expressed the pain and betrayal she was feeling. Her arms were shaking and her eyes had become glassy with tears as she kept staring at the paper.It tore at my heart to see the expression of heartbreak etched on her face. Gently, I reached for her but the moment my fingers touched her arm, she jerked away. My heart squeezed painfully but the anger that ripped through me was more than the pain. Her eyes immediately sought mine and I could see the remorse in them, coupled with the hurt swirling in the deep pools of green.Her father had succeeded in ruining her but I was going to fix her. I’ve been chosen by the moon goddess to be her savior and I’d do anything to keep her safe and heal her of everything the bastard in the dungeons had put her through. But then, I’d make sure he pays dearly for it.“Anna…” I called, gently taking the paper from her and tossing it to the floor.She kept staring at me with glassy eyes
Aria’s POVFrom the distance, she could hear the loud outroar of the warriors and the clanking of swords, followed by the screams of anguish and the high-pitched cries of the women. The soulful cries of the children weren’t exempted as the war raged on. She could smell death hovering around, waiting for the next victim to grasp with its dreadful claws, to sip their existence. The atmosphere was tense with despair and anguish and it didn’t help that it was in the dead of the night.Her mother had always told her to stay away from the darkness, that it could suck one into an unending abyss of anguish and she had never really understood the true meaning of those words until that moment she was running to save her life from the ferocious warriors of the enemy pack.The cackling of the wildfire consuming the entire forest sailed into her ears, making more adrenalin pump into her as her feet hit the hard forest floor in loud thuds, her eyes and mind focused on her destination_to get across
Aria’s POVHer lustrous wavy copper-red hair spilled out of the hood of her cloak and flowed down to her shoulders, contrasting the dark heavy cloak she had on. Her bright emerald green eyes gleamed with an unreadable expression as they stared into mine, with the hint of a smile tilting her blood-red lips.I stared at the reflection in shock, baffled by her sudden appearance. The urge to glance behind me just to be sure she wasn’t at my back was strong but I couldn’t feel her presence and I was very sure that I was all alone in the room. I blinked my eyes to be sure I wasn’t hallucinating but she was still there.A gulp worked its way down my throat as my curiosity peaked, with my heart slamming hard against my chest as a cold dreadful shiver traveled down my spine.“Who are you?” I asked in a mere whisper, unsure of my words and my sanity but in response, her smirk widened into a bright smile, mirroring the expression in her eyes.I half expected her to not respond, but she did and i
Shane’s POV A wave of jealousy washed over me, crowding my sense of reasoning, with my palms tightly balled into fists as I watched Chase’s car roll out through the gates. There was a sour taste in my mouth, just from watching Aria interact so well and freely with him. Memories of all that happened the previous night flooded my thoughts, the moment I laid eyes on her. I could recall how soft her lips were when they had touched mine. How pliant her body was against mine and how soft she’d felt. How lovingly her touch had been and how her lovely scent had sated me. I’d found peace and all of my worries were forgotten in those few minutes she’d spent in my arms but it all came crashing down when she’d admitted she wasn’t good enough for me and had run out of my bedroom even before her words could make sense to me. Her words and her sudden change in character came as a shock to me, that I was lost on what to do. It seemed that shitty bastard had done more damage to her than I ever gave
Aria’s POV…there was a large crowd gathered, with murmurs flying around, but that wasn’t what drew my attention to their midsts. It was the soulful wails and cries of a woman I couldn’t see yet, and the screams of agony coming from a masculine voice.My heart slammed harder against my chest, my brows furrowing in confusion, as I made my way past the angry crowd, chanting what seemed like a war song, with a blazing fire crackling in their midst. A whiff of burning skin assailed my nostrils and I scrunched it up, as my heart raced faster, the closer I got to the scene, but when I finally found my way to the forefront, the scene before me had bile rising in my throat with my guts twisting as tears welled up in my eyes.Amid the burning fire was a man tied to a stake so he couldn't escape. I watched him helplessly struggling against the chains holding him to the stake as the blazing fire licked up his skin, causing screams of agony to tear out of his lips. But worse than this, was the pr
Aria’s POVOne minute I was looking into his intense forest-green orbs and the next I was sealing my lips to his for a kiss. The moment my lips touched his, I felt him tense and his hold on my hips tightened. For a minute, he remained still, not making any move to deepen the kiss. Disappointment and mortification crashed into me and I quickly pulled away, trying to put some distance between us but then he grabbed my hips tightly and pulled hard, jerking me forward until my chest was pressed tightly to his and a gasp of shock flew out of my lips. But before I could get a chance to gather my scattered thoughts, his lips were on mine, kissing me passionately and possessively as though he couldn’t get enough. One of his hands gripped my waist tightly while the other traveled up my back, to the nape of my neck to hold it in place as he continued kissing me, allowing his tongue to taste me and mate with mine. It was so heated that I couldn’t hold back the whimper that escaped my lips but he
Aria’s POVA loud gasp expelled from my lips, my eyes widening as my gaze trailed Shane’s naked body, still dripping with water. My heart thudded in my chest as my curious gaze traveled down his body, down to his groin and I felt my stomach tightening and curling with a strange sensation when my eyes landed on his hardening manhood.Another gasp flew out of my lips as my eyes widened even more. It was my first time seeing a dick and as shocked as I was, I couldn’t stop nor explain the thrill that ran through me as I kept staring at it. Gradually, I noticed it began to grow hard. I was so lost in the sight before me that I’d forgotten it was Shane that I was shamelessly ogling until the sound of his voice pulled me out of my trance.“Aria…” he groaned in a deep guttural voice that quickly snapped me out of my reverie and as soon as my eyes landed on his, I did the first thing that registered in my head_to run away.One minute I was staring into his darkening forest green orbs and the n
Aria’s POV“You can’t keep running away,” Hailey voiced out but I ignored her.Yes, I’d found an excuse to quickly escape from Shane’s presence when things started getting intense. I hated that I was always flighty around him, but I couldn’t help it. I could feel my body slowly giving in to the deep feelings that arose within me. Whenever I set eyes on him, my heart leaped and when he smiled at me, I could feel butterflies setting off in my stomach and I couldn’t even explain the warmth that always spread through me and the deep feelings of comfort that surrounded me whenever I was in his presence. But even at that, I was still struggling against all of these feelings.“Not every man is like George,” Hailey spoke again, and I released a deep sigh as my shoulders slumped in defeat. For the first time, I acknowledged her words but my fear of falling into the wrong hands and landing into the same situation I’d barely gotten out of was far too great to let me believe those words. Instead,
Shane’s POV“An eye for an eye,” the prisoner’s words rang in my head as I approached the pack house. After my session with the man, Chase had pushed me out of the dungeons, telling me he’d handle it and although I’d been reluctant to leave, I knew it was for the best. One more minute in the presence of the man and I’d be forced to snap his neck. But even that wouldn’t grant the satisfaction and solution I was after. He’s shown that he wasn’t afraid of death and was ready to lay his life down to see the end of the BlackMane pack.“Oh, trust me, I’d be glad to set my life on the line to avenge my ancestors,” These words plowed my thoughts as I struggled to make sense of them. My thoughts traveled way back to the history of the BlackMane pack but even as far as I could remember the pack was always known for its peaceful coexistence with other packs. There hasn’t been any war in ages, except for the war between the witches and the werewolves that took place almost two decades ago, and f
Shane’s POV“That’s it,” Chase pointed at the dilapidated building opposite the street as we parked at the curb. The house was in the quiet residential part of town. I could understand why the family could have gone missing for an entire week without the neighbors finding out. The neighborhood was more like an estate where everyone minded their business.Together, with the sentinels that had followed us, we alighted the cars and approached the building with visible soot stains and with half of the roof gone from when it had been burning. The front door was blown open and even the glasses on the windows were gone, with the shards scattered about. It seemed more like an explosion, rather than just a natural fire disaster.“You think this was set up?” I asked Chase, just to confirm my thoughts. He glanced at me and his eyes returned to the building again, just as the Sentinels approached the open entrance. I raised a hand for them to stop and they did.I didn’t want to risk any of my men
Aria’s POV“Come on, angel, take a seat,” Shane nodded at the chair he’d pulled out for me as he placed a plate of food on the table.With a smile spread across my lips, I sat down and he leaned down to kiss my temple before taking the seat across from me. We were in the kitchen, seated at the breakfast bar.As soon as he realized I was hungry and had skipped lunch, he quickly ordered one of the maids to fix me a quick lunch. Thereafter he sent them out of the kitchen so we could have our private moment.“How about you, where’s your food?” I inquired, with a mouthful of food but he shook his head, chuckling at me from how I sounded. I cocked a brow in question and he simply shrugged.“I’m not hungry, love,”I frowned.“Are you sure?”“I’m not hungry, princess. Quit worrying about me,”His nickname made my cheeks heat up as I looked down and continued with my meal.“So tell me about your day,”Suddenly, my eyes lit up, a bright smile stretching my lips as I remembered my encounter with
Aria’s POVI absentmindedly tapped my fingers on my desk, with my eyes riveted on the fancy wall clock hanging on the wall, at the front of the class, way above the teacher’s head. It was almost five minutes until the close of school for the day and I could barely wait to get out of the class. I’d had a very eventful day, from having to open up about my real identity to the shocked principal, to becoming the discussion amongst every group of students, all thanks to Shane.At first, I wanted the ground to open up and swallow me when I kept meeting with their stares. While some screamed of curiosity, especially from the male students, the females looked like they wanted to shoot lasers at me. It was no secret that they all had their eyes on the alpha but now that he was close to me, they were beginning to see me as a competition.It still felt strange to be pulled from the shadows I’d always hidden in and to become the center of attention but I didn’t care as long as they weren’t going