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
Aria’s POVFor the rest of the day, I was cooped up in my room waiting to act on my plan.Shane couldn’t keep me from seeing the man who had made my life a living hell. I wanted to look in his eyes and demand answers for his wickedness. I wanted him to see and to know how much I hated him and how happy I’d be to see him burn in hell. The memories of the doctor’s report continuously flashed through my head the more I thought about my planned encounter with my father. I could still vividly recall the exact words on the paper, stating that I wasn’t a sigma like he’d made me believe for my entire life.My eyes pricked with tears as anger surged through me when I recalled all of the countless times he’d taken advantage of my weakness and vulnerability. But I blinked the tears away, telling myself that he wouldn’t be the reason for my tears. I wouldn’t let him ruin my day or my life anymore.I kept pacing the room, staring out the window, and waiting for the perfect opportunity to come, and
Aria’s POV“Where are you coming from?” Those were the words that greeted me in a cold voice the moment I stepped into the living room with the guard behind me.I looked up to see Shane a few feet away from me, his intense forest-green orbs boring into mine in a mix of anger and frustration, with his jaw clenched hard.“The dungeons,” I simply responded, not willing to keep the truth from him. I wouldn’t lie and he needed to understand that I wouldn’t be forced into submission. I’d been there before and I wasn’t ready to return to the vulnerability and mental scars that came with it.I expected him to yell at me but his eyes drifted past me to the guard behind me and he nodded curtly. I heard the sounds of receding footsteps before the loud bang of the door, signifying that we were alone. Silence descended upon us and he kept staring at me with his cold brooding eyes, and his lips set into a mean line. I felt a shiver travel down my spine as fear began to slip in but I kept my stance
Shane’s POV“Let me treat you to dinner, please?”Her words continuously rang in my head, making me smile even when she was gone.My girl was so sweet that even in her distress and with all she’d gone through, she still had the heart to be so adorable and amazing. I was truly blessed by the moon goddess.“When are we going to tell her?” Axel growled impatiently. He’s been asking this question since he laid eyes on Anna this morning. While I wanted her to know she was mine and to show her off to the world as my mate, I also understood that it was too soon to spring it on her. She’d just turned eighteen and may not be aware of our bond yet but I was ready to give her all of the time in the world. And after everything she’d passed through in the hands of her father, I knew she may still be scared of men but I was ready to show her that she could be loved and protected.“Not yet,”My response earned me a growl of annoyance but I pushed him out of my head as I decided to focus on the work
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