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
“Kane!” Ariel was seething as she banged his door open. If she wasn’t so angry, she would have agreed that the light blue shirt hugged his muscles so well, giving definition to the well-toned chest, and that in her next life, she was going to be a shirt.Focus Ariel, you are supposed to be angry with him.Kane slowly tore his gaze from his work, and he raised his head to look at her, a little smile on his face. "Well, hello, darling. You look rather stunning today; how may I help you?”“What. Did. You. Do?” She inched forward with each word, only one thing in mind.“I don’t understand you, love; I think you need to give me a little context.” He was enjoying this way too much.“Don’t call me love.” Ariel spat out with gritted teeth, her fist tightening beside her.The son of a gun!He was fucking smiling; did he not realize how serious it was?“What did you do to them?”“I don’t understand what you are saying, Ariel. I suggest you give me something to work with, and I can know for myse
“Oh lord! Not again!” Ariel yelled out for the whole world to hear. Her best friend in the other part of the world was watching her lose control, and as tempting as it was to laugh at her predicament, she knew that Ariel wouldn’t find it funny.“What happened?”“I can’t find a dress to wear.” Ariel exhaled loudly, her hands flopping down to her side. She had been rummaging through her wardrobe in search of something presentable to wear to her date.“Calm down, Ari; the date isn’t till tomorrow.”“I know, but I need to get a dress now and try it on to know if it is okay, or I will have to go shopping.” She picked out a Chanel dress she had gotten to mark her graduation from college, but she was shaking her head. “No, too boring.”At this point, Claudia couldn’t resist the urge to roll her eyes. “You are doing too much, Ari. You could show up in sweatpants, and this man will still think you are the most beautiful woman that walked the face of the earth.”“You don’t know that.” She ran h
He was lying.She didn’t just like it; she loved it—the feel of his soft lips on hers moving like the waves had her forgetting about the people in the room with them.The world seemed to melt away, leaving only them.A soft hum escaped her as his hands caressed her neck, sending delicious shivers down her spine. He poured all the love and tenderness into the kiss, and she was floating on the horizon she had painted.But it was ending too soon, and his lips left her so painfully that she whined, longing for more.Kane noticed her demeanor, and he smiled, his fingers coming to trace her lips. “We could continue back at home. If you want.” He added as an afterthought, and Ariel averted her eyes, instead focusing it on her painting.The thoughts she was having were quite unholy, and they do not belong in this kind of setting.“We still have some wine left.” She picked up her wine glass, twirling it as a means to disperse the sexual tension between them.“Yeah,” he gestured to the waiter,
“What have you done?”The man at the door was like nothing she had known; he was seething, his mouth pressed in a thin line, and the worst was that it was all directed towards her.“I don’t understand Toby. What did I do?” Ariel’s brain was still jumbled from waking up from sleep before her wake time, and that was the easiest way to get her pissed.“Your Instagram.”“What happened to my Instagram?" She peeped my head outside, her eyes scanning the hallways for anyone that may be passing. These werewolf folks are very notorious for eavesdropping, and the last thing she wanted them to know was about their talk.“You posted Kane on your wall last night.” He said, and now she became pissed. Ariel slightly tilted her head to the side, her brain still trying to process why that should be the reason he was angry.“And if I did, how does that concern you?” She folded her arms below her breast, quite aware of how transparent her nightwear is, but she refused to acknowledge it.There were might
“Toby has told me everything.” Kane confirmed her fears, but he had craftily forgotten (omitted) to add how he had almost strangled Toby when he found out the real truth.“Okay?” Ariel tightened her arms around her torso, providing a shield for her.“May I come in?” Kane asked, and Ariel pursed her lips, not sure she wanted to spend the next few minutes confined in the same room with him, especially with how her hormones were raging.“I guess so.” She shrugged her shoulders, moving aside and letting him enter inside.Just as she suspected, his aura filled the room, leaving no room for any intruder. His scent filled her nose, her brain, and her entire being, clouding her mind until all she could think was him.Snap out of it, Ariel. She was trying to will herself not to do something crazy, but it was nearly impossible.She was awfully aware that she was ovulating, and each cycle came with its own symptoms, but this time, all she wanted was to hump anything that had a cock.It has been
Ariel groggily opened her eyes, blinking at the haze that had been preventing her from opening them. A deep frown was set on her face, her brain working at full power as she tried to recall how she got into the position.Her eyes lazily focused on the intricate details of the ceiling before they shifted to another part of the room and settled there.She sat up on her bed, a terrible mistake on her part, as she was struck with a terrible headache. Ariel clutched her head in pain, gently lowering herself back to the bed.Her hands were under her pillow, sweeping under it as she looked for her phone. There were lapses in her memory; she couldn’t even recall how she got here, and the phone should help.“Oh shit!” She murmured under her breath as she held the phone in her hands, the coldness startling her. She pressed the power button, but after several attempts and the blank screen being all she could see, she was searching for a power outlet.“Ariel.” Kane’s call came as he opened the do
“Ariel?” A feminine voice was screaming at her while they ran as they tried to evade the falling blocks. Her sight was distorted by the debris and dust that clouded the air. “Ariel?” The screams were getting loud and guttural, and she was torn between rescuing herself or answering the call.“What?” She yelled at the person. She shielded her face, barely opening her eyes as sand particles flew to her face.“Please don’t go; stay with me.” The voice cried out in a sorrowful tone that tugged at her heart strings.“Who are you?” Ariel yelled back at the voice; the manner in which the person spoke had a hint of familiarity. “I am coming.”Ariel began to run towards the voice, throwing her limbs out in a bid to reach the person. But the closer she ran towards the person, the farther they seemed to be, until it was just a figment of her imagination and she was standing in a dark room all alone.“Ariel?” This time it was a male voice, and she froze. There was a familiarity to it that had goos
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