Kane was racing to grab the trash can before she would make a mess in his office. That was the last thing he needed right now.He came back, holding it out for her, and had to bear the agonizing seconds that it took him to stay still while his mate emptied her breakfast.He moved the trash can away from his eyes, putting it in the back of his mind to call someone up to throw it away. He was walking up to the tiny compartment that served as his kitchen, and he grabbed a bottle of water from the refrigerator.“Here.” Kane stretched out his hands, and Ariel received the water with thanks and poured some into her mouth, gargling it about before spewing it out.“Is there a bathroom I can use?” Her voice was barely recognizable as she spoke, and if not for his sensitive ears, he wouldn’t have heard it.“There is; just walk straight to the end of the room, and you will see the bathroom.”“Alright,” Ariel stood up to go, but she had underestimated how weary she was. Her legs crumbled under he
Ariel staggered back to her room; her limbs had suddenly lost the ability to perform their functions, and she was holding the walls for support. After all she had just heard, she needed a breather.She managed to get to her room, and she was beelining straight to her bed, slowly lowering herself on it. She lay on her bed, her eyes fixated on the ceiling, but she wasn’t even seeing anything.All she was doing was replaying everything that had happened a few moments ago, trying to determine if he was really telling the truth or if her mind was just playing tricks on her.But she knew Kane; the man hardly jokes, especially on a serious matter like this. It had to be the truth.She needed to tell someone, just in case something bad happened to her, so they could trace her or, if the worst happened, get revenge for her.There was only one person she could think of, and she was picking up her phone to call her. The heavy silence was pierced by the noise of the ringing tone, and she was comi
“I own you.”The words rang in Ariel’s ears as the warning bells went off, and she realized too well that he was right. He owned her in every sense of the word, and a shiver rang through her.Definitely not a good one.“You don’t own me, Kane; I am my own person.” She spoke out, inching closer to him in spite of the fear that had her in her clutches.“If you think so.” Kane sneered, giving her a once-over, and she cowered from his gaze.“What do you want, Kane?” Ariel sighed, unable to stand the fact that they were standing in the same room and breathing the same air.“It is simple, Ariel; just eat the food, and I will be out of your hair.”“That’s it?” Kane shrugged, and she glanced at the food. It looked so delicious; the bacon was cooked to a delicious brown crisp, and the eggs were a little overcooked just the way she liked them, but looks could be deceiving. “How do I know you didn’t poison it?” Ariel asked, eyeing the place even as she stood akimbo in front of him. She still had
“I am ready to see your wolf.”The silence that enveloped the room after Ariel spoke out was enough to tell her that they were not the only ones in the room.She looked around her; about three pairs of eyes were trained on her, and she wanted nothing but to sink to the floor.“Oh shit, sorry about that; I had no idea that... I was just…” Ariel gestures towards the door, words failing to come out in the moment she needed them.“It is alright; I will come for you.” Kane was almost melting at her cuteness, and he was having trouble preventing his smile. He had heard her footsteps even before she came in, and he had been wondering what she had come to do.Hell, Ariel had been isolating herself from the world, and suddenly she was announcing that she wanted to see his wolf.Max was beside him with joy, barely able to hold himself, and it took all of him to peel his eyes off his mate and focus on the reason that brought him here.Toby and Mason shared a knowing look, and they looked at thei
In one moment, a man stood in front of her, blessed by Adonis himself and kissed by the goddess. Ariel’s eyes dipped appreciatively down his body, the ripped stomach from hours of working out painted in a delicious tan that made her want to lick it thoroughly.Her eyes lowered painfully from those well-toned ridges, and they continued dipping down to the v of his waist.That was the sluttiest thing a man could ever possess.Ariel stared unashamedly as the V dipped down to the bottom, revealing tiny tufts of hair, but to her disappointment, his huge hands covered the main prize with his hands.Her eyes flew upwards to meet him, about to protest for disrupting her view, but the gaze in his eye had her swallowing the saliva that had pooled in her mouth.And just like that, the change happened.If she had blinked in that moment, she was sure she would have missed it—the fluid breaking of his bones, the way he fell to his knees, his head bowed as if worshipping Mother Nature, flesh giving
“I still refuse to believe you are a werewolf.” Ariel told Toby as they sat on one of the sofas in the living room. She was well aware of the pair of eyes boring holes into her skin, although now for a different reason, but she could care less.“Why?” Toby asked; his voice drowned out as he took a gulp from the juice carton, and Ariel looked on, her face twitching in disgust.She made a mental note to herself never to drink from any open carton.“I don’t know; you are just so carefree and so friendly, quite unlike the people in this house, and honestly, I can’t even believe you are the war general of something.”Toby shook his head, a tiny lip on his lips, but he was relieved that he wasn’t going to be pretending with her anymore. “It is called being a gamma, but yeah, I understand you. Being a wolf is just part of who I am, just like being a human. It doesn’t change anything about me.”“Hmm.” Ariel nodded her head. If she was being honest, they weren’t so bad. If Toby was a werewolf
Kane had just come back from a scouting meeting with his beta, and he was dead beat. The pack had been increasing rapidly to the point that the packhouse could no longer contain them, and he had to come up with a solution. Fast.They were a rogue pack; hence, their pack was in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by thick forest, and isolated from the main pack.But Kane wanted a change.The isolation had been affecting a lot of his packmates, especially in the area of finding their mates, and he wanted to do better. He was their alpha, and it came with a lot of responsibilities.He had heard of a better land just east of the former moonlight pack, and he had gone there to inquire. He had already written to the alpha king about his decision, and with or without his approval, he was going to take the land.Kane collapsed on his sofa, resting his head on the armrest, his eyes slowly closing as he tried to take a quick nap, but all he could think of was Ariel.It was a little cliche, but he
Ariel whined from the pain that had engulfed her entire body. She tried to focus on anything but the pain, but it was easier said than done. It was too hurtful to speak, and she could only manage incoherent words.She heard the bed squeak from pressure, and a face was in her line of vision. She could recognize that sharp jawline, and she couldn’t help the relief she felt as she saw him.“Kane.”“Ariel.” Kane croaked out as he looked at his mate. His words were choked up by the different feelings bubbling in me, but one stood out of them all.Relieve.“Kane, w-water.” Ariel managed to get out, weakly pointing to her throat. It was drier than the Sahara and as coarse as sandpaper.She watched as Kane directed the straw to her mouth, and she opened it, taking little sips of the cold liquid. It was amazing how water could be so powerful because her tongue loosened and she could think well.“Where am I?”“You are at the clinic, love. You were beaten up in such bad shape that you were losin
As Ariel stood in the makeshift raised platform that had been constructed in the balcony, staring into the eyes of her mate, she could see nothing but love.All of the moments that brought them here had been a conscious effort on their part, and going for therapy had been a major factor.The first few weeks had been awkward as neither of them was ready to pour out their hearts open, and they had been going around in circles, but they finally broke when the therapist had asked Kane a question.“Is there anything you would like to say to Ariel but you are afraid it will hurt her?”Kane had hesitated at first, his eyes darting to his mate, and he shook his head for a No, there was something about the way Ariel was looking at him, and he didn’t know when he began to talk.“You always act before you think. Most times, you do things that put yourself at risk, not considering people around you, and when it starts getting back, you pull away, leaving us to clean up the mess.”“It is a lie.” Ar
Ariel started devising a plan immediately after she got to her room. Kane had been trying to prove stubborn, but he had no idea she was a greater force to contend with.Ariel was determined to let bygones be bygones and focused on the future, but Kane seemed to think she was still holding onto the pass, and she was determined to prove him wrong.She began by packing a few essentials she was going to need for the night, and she stuffed them in a tote bag. She peeped inside, making sure everything she needed for a sleepover was there, and she nodded her head in satisfaction.Then she picked up the bag, hanging it on her shoulder, and she made for the door. Now outside the door, she let her nose guide her, and she began to look for Kane’s scent.The man had continued to prove stubborn, so drastic times call for drastic action.Ariel was able to trace the scent to the room at the end of the hall, and she held the doorknob, pushing it gently, and a sigh of relief left her as it gave way—gr
Ariel slumped on the bed as she got to her room, the rejection too much for her to bear. She wanted to bury herself in the mattress if it meant never to face him.The rejection had stung so much that she couldn’t believe it.But she had brought it upon herself.This was the least she deserved after the way she had treated him, but that didn’t soothe the ache in her chest.She began to replay all that she had said to him, her pity excuse to get him back, and she was cringing hard, but thinking of it now, therapy seems to be a good idea.Their relationship was founded in lies and deceit; although she couldn’t deny their sexual chemistry, their bond was shaky, and there are so many things that were wrong, and if given the chance, she would want to start afresh.With that determination surging in her veins, Ariel picked up her phone, clicking on the message app, and composing a short text to Maddie. The girl knew whatever was happening in the werewolf world, so there was no doubt she woul
Ariel didn’t wait to see if Kane was going to listen to her; she had decided to take law into her hands, and she grabbed him by his hands and began to pull him away.But she was met with little resistance as he dug his heel on the floor, refusing to follow her, and she turned to look at him, a challenge in her eyes. Goddess, help her; she could claim him right now if he continued like this.There was a twinkle in Kane’s eyes as he understood what she was trying to convey, and he allowed himself to be led by hand until they got to the comfort of his office and she dropped his hands.Ariel tucked her arms in each other, and she fastened her eyes on him, with a look that could burn, but Kane was immune to all this, and he looked at her, although the sides of his mouth tugged up in a small smile.“What were you doing with her?” Ariel demanded, hoping her jealousy didn’t shine through. But who was she kidding? When it comes to Kane, she seems to lose all her senses. “What did you say that
Ariel woke up the next morning with a scowl on my face, annoyed by the sleepless night. She was practically turning and tossing on the bed until it was dawn.She made sure to avoid all of the mirrors or anything that could show her reflection, as she didn’t need to know how horrible she looked.No doubt, there were huge eye bags in her eyes and horrible dark circles, but she refused to care; instead, she splashed water in her eyes and made for downstairs.Her heart lifted as she perceived the scent of pine cones and oranges, and she quickened her pace, hoping she would just get a glimpse of him.But it was just his scent that lingered as he was long gone, and her face fell even more. However, Ariel managed to slap a smile on her face as the pack began to greet her.There was no need to let them know that their leaders were not on speaking terms; instead, she settled on her seat and waited for the food to come while she was scanning for familiar faces.Her eyes met with Liza, and she r
Ariel stared outside the window, the world now at peace as the snow had ceased falling, but she failed to notice the vibrant hues of the sky or the gentle quietness of the morning. Her mind was still consumed with the thoughts of her mate.The pain in his voice was something she couldn’t stand, and she only had herself to blame. What they had shared last night had been mutual, and she had enjoyed every moment of it, but she had allowed her fears to push him away.Ariel cringed as she recalled the word he had called himself. How could she even face him now?And the things he said about her father? It had to be a lie; her father would never do that. At least from the glimpse she had seen of him, he seemed like a good man.She ran her head through her finger several times in frustration.Yet she couldn’t shake the feeling of guilt that settled at the pit of her stomach. He had done everything she had accused him of, and he was also a murderer. If there was anyone that was going to be ang
When Ariel woke up, it was to streaming sunlight from the window slit, the chirping of birds as they sang sweetly in their trees, and her lips curled in a lazy smile, but the smile was quick to fade when she shifted on the bed, and she was met with restriction.A heavy arm encircled her waist, and her ass was painfully close to someone’s crotch, and the hard appendage was poking her ass cheeks. She was feeling a suspicious amount of breeze and freedom in her body.Ariel raised the sheet that had been covering her and looked inside, and she was right. She was stark naked on the bed, and the arm that was swung around her was none other than Kane.She wasn’t one to jump to conclusions, but from the tingles she was still feeling and the delicious soreness in her body, she had no doubt that something had gone down between them, but that didn’t put her to ease one bit.This wasn’t what she wanted.She had thought she could bear the consequences when the morning came, but she was only filled
The tears weren’t stopping anytime soon, no matter how she tried, and it was only pouring down from her eyes. She had cried so much that she had even forgotten the reason she was crying.But she had never felt so pathetic.After everything and all the promises never to go back here, she was back in Kane’s pack and even taking on the role of a Luna; her parents must be rolling in their graves seeing her frolicking with the enemy, and the thoughts pained her.Nothing could improve her mood, and she remained gloomy throughout the day and had laid down on the bed, just feeling pathetic for herself.And somehow, time had run until the door slowly opened and Kane entered inside.“Ariel.” He growled as he stepped inside, marching towards where she lay. “I thought we had gone over this before; I don’t care what happened between us, but you are not going to starve yourself.”Ariel rose up her head to look at him, and Kane caught sight of her red eyes, and he was rushing to her side.“Ariel, wh
The next morning, Kane was gone before she could open her eyes, although she had heard his footsteps as he got dressed, and she opened her eyes in the dark, watching his movement.And when he left, Ariel closed her eyes again, trying to sleep, and this time when she woke up, she was greeted by bright sunlight streaming from the window. Ariel sat up, moving towards the window as if enchanted, and she just stared outside, marveling at the beautiful sight in front of her.She closed her eyes, taking in a deep breath, and inhaled in the clean air, a sharp contrast to when she was in Blue Ridge. Then she slowly exhaled, all of her troubles floating away like the air.It was almost breakfast, and she knew the pack would be gathering downstairs to eat, and Ariel knew she could no longer avoid them.She hurried to the bathroom, splashing water on her face, and she quickly brushed her teeth. When she was through, Ariel got dressed in a light blue dress that stopped above her knees, and she ran