Kane was fleeing the room before she could ask any questions, his steps heavy as they pounded on the floor. “Fuck!” He wanted to scream his frustration out for anyone who cared to hear it, but he held himself back.
He looked up as he heard the sound of various engines coming closer. It was his pack members—some in the car and some in their werewolf forms—running with their tongues out in excitement.
Kane stood outside, waiting for them until everyone was complete, and he cleared his throat, demanding an audience.
“Today, you all have shown your bravery and determination, and I have never been more proud of you.” His voice rang out between them, and they nodded in agreement. “You were once cast away from your various packs, but now you have proven that you could be more, and I have never been more proud of you.”
The warrior’s chest puffed out as they began to chant their war song, and Kane was smiling from ear to ear.
“Tonight, we shall wine and dine and celebrate our victory!”
“Yey!!!” The pack roared with him, and Kane was all smiles as the adrenaline pumped into his blood. The noise died down, and he was able to escape to the confines of his room.
There was nothing fancy about it; it was just a room that had all his essentials along with dull painted walls. They were a rogue pack, still trying to build their pack, so they had to make do with what they had.
But with the recent loot, there should be more than enough to rebuild the pack.
Kane’s face contorted in pain as he peeled off the shirt from his body. He had sustained a cut during the battle and needed to get it checked.
But first, he needed a shower.
He hopped into the shower and took his precious time, scrubbing the blood that had clung to his skin. He watched as the red liquid went down the sink, wondering if this was how it was going to be all his life.
It wasn’t too long before he had a tingling sensation in his head. A pack member was trying to contact him.
“Yes?” Kane replied as he opened the link.
“Alpha, I think you need to come now. It is about your mate.”
“Shit!” The panic in her voice had him abandoning his shower and hurriedly picking up whatever clothes he could lay his hands on, and he was throwing them on his wet figure.
“Alpha.” Denise panicked as she saw the alpha in front of her, his hair still dripping with water. His shirt had clung tightly to his muscular frame, and even she had to admit that he was hot.
“You called?” Kane asked with a tinge of impatience.
"Yes, I did. There is something wrong with your mate, and I thought to let you know.” Kane pounced on her before she could get all the words out.
“No one, I repeat, no one should know that we are mated. If I hear the news flying around, I will know that it is you, and you know what I did to betrayers..." Kane trailed off, leaving her to guess, and Denise quickly shook her head, afraid that a delay in response might signify her end.
“Good. Now what did you have to say?” Kane asked, aware of the water dripping down his back but not making any effort to clean it. His mate comes first, and anything else can wait.
“I can’t feel her wolf.” Denise said, going straight to the point, and Kane looked at her like she had just ordered his dick to be chopped off and made into sausage.
“I don’t understand you, Denise; if you are going to talk, I suggest you do so in simpler terms. We are werewolves, and she is of the age to get one already, so what do you mean that she doesn’t have a wolf?”
Denise inhaled a whiff of air, already feeling the onset of a headache. It was going to take a lot to convince him of her findings. “I have conducted all the necessary tests, and I couldn’t find a wolf. I am of the belief she doesn’t have one, which will be unusual since your wolf has recognized her or something is blocking her wolf.” It was as she said it that it clicked in Kane’s mind, and he was nodding his head.
“I think I could remember that before her father died, he injected her with something, and she fainted almost immediately.”
Denise nodded her head as she connected the dots. “I see; that must be the reason why. It is a cruel thing to do, but I know of a way to remove it if you will allow me.”
“Hmmm.” Kane stroked his full chin of beard as he gave it some thought. The beard was getting too bushy, and it needed a trim. “There is no need to do that.”
“What?” Denise's eyebrows were raised so high that they almost reached her forehead. “Alpha! You can’t possibly allow her to go on like that without knowing who and what she is.”
“Who said I couldn't? It is only between the two of us, and I am sure I wouldn’t talk, so I would advise you to be careful.” The glare he sent her way carried the threat, and Denise gulped down the ball of saliva that had pooled in her mouth, lowering her head.
“Yes alpha.”
“Good. Just make sure she is fine and awake the next time I come here.”
“Yes Alpha.” Denise replied, and Kane acknowledged her response with a nod before he continued on his way. His hair was already getting dry and frizzy, and he needed to rest his head.
The battle had lasted for most of the day, and the night was drawing near so fast. He needed to lay his head on the bed before the time for the celebration.
Kane closed his door, making sure to bolt it shut so no one would disturb him. He pulled his shirt over his head with little difficulty, and he slowly lowered himself onto the bed.
It didn’t take long for him to fall asleep, as he was weary—both his mind and his body—and it was a short, sweet sleep until he heard a pounding on his door.
Kane was a notorious light sleeper; it could be from the fact that he had lived in the wild for a long time and you have to learn to be alert.
He was sitting up on his bed as he heard the knock, and he glanced at the wall.
The party must have kicked off already.
“Isn’t it too early for booze?” Kane cocked an eyebrow at his Beta as he entered his room, nursing a bottle of vodka.
“No time is too early for booze, but we are just getting started, and I thought to inform you.”
“Yeah, thanks; I will be on my way. Meanwhile…” Kane snatched the bottle of alcohol from his hands, and he took a long gulp before he handed it to him and sent him on his way.
He had already taken his bath, and he opted for his signature black shirt and black pants. He ran his hands through his hair, not bothering with a mirror. They were all male except for the nurse, and they had no one to impress.
He walked towards the entrance of the pack, where a fire had been burning brightly and men gathered around it, drinking and laughing.
A hush fell on them as they sensed his presence, and they began to shout in victory.
Praises have a way of getting to your brain, and Kane was nodding his head to their cries as he made his way to the middle, the fire burning fiercely as if in response to the chants.
Someone handed him a bottle, and he didn’t look at it before he was chugging the bottle. He raised his hands in the air and opened his mouth. “To victory!”
“To victory,” the pack thundered after him and broke into a loud shout.
Kane nodded his head as he looked at the men seated. They all had their struggles, but somehow they had overcome them and gotten to this point in their lives, and he had never been more proud.
The celebration dragged on until the night, but there was only so much they could do as there were no females around, so they pretty much retired to bed on time, drunk out of their minds.
Except Kane.
He had slept during the day and needed to use the time to work. He padded back to the little room that served as his office and sat down to work, taking note of the inventory of their latest conquest.
Kane was neck deep into work, scribbling into pages and racking his brain, and suddenly his ear perked up as he sensed a presence.
“Dad?”
“Dad?” Ariel called with a soft voice that had Kane’s hardened heart melting. He looked at the young girl, who seemed smaller for her age, and he was shaking his head in pity.He had asked his men to snoop around the pack house before they burned it, and they had discovered she was just 15 years old. He was 20, which means there was a five-year gap between them.It wasn’t all that much, yet as he looked at her innocent face, he couldn’t feel anything but pity for her.“Come.” Kane said, motioning to her. Ariel's eyes hardened as she looked at him, yet her legs seemed to have a kind of their own, and they made their way to him. But right now she was in a strange world and had no recollection of herself, and it was only this strange man that was radiating a comfortable warmth she could trust.Kane watched as she made her way to him, and he couldn’t help the smile on his face. The moment was, however, disrupted when his ear pricked and he heard panicked footsteps coming from afar.“Oh, my
Seven years later,Ariel was whistling the tune of the lost city as she took her shower. The shower head sprayed hot jets of water on her body, just as she liked it, and she sighed in bliss.She couldn’t believe that it had been seven years since she left for Australia, and soon she was going to write her final papers. She wondered how homecoming would be when she returned.Ariel couldn’t remember much from when she was little; apparently, she had an accident that affected her memory, but she lost her parents and was taken in by Kane, who was her guidance.But that was where it stopped; they had no bond with each other. During the period she had been here, she could count the number of times he had called her, and it wasn’t going to be up to all her fingers.She wasn’t exactly bothered by it, though; she didn’t need to have a good relationship with him as long as her account never lacked money, but all that she lacked in paternal care, Toby made up for it.Toby was the brightest ray o
Ariel sat with her legs stretched on her flight, enjoying all of the benefits first class has to offer. She popped a grapefruit in her mouth, chewing thoughtfully and nodding her head as the pleasure burst into her mouth, while her watchful eyes were training on the aisle, scanning for any celebrities she could notice.Claudia was going to kill her if she knew that she had entered the plane with celebrities and had refused to update her, and she couldn’t risk the wrath of her friend. There was no one on sight, so she contented herself by closing her personal door for the rest of the flight. As she sank into the chair-turned-bed, she couldn’t be more happy that she could afford a first-class ticket.The pilot’s voice was waking her from sleep as he made his announcement that they were getting ready for descent, and Ariel was shuffling in her seat, trying to arrange herself before the flight would start descending.She quickly typed a message for Toby, reminding him to come pick her up
Kane watched as the events unfolded before him in slow motion. He had just come back from a fierce battle that had left him more scarred than he would like, and he was livid.The only thing that has been keeping him sane is the fact that his mate is coming back home after so many years. He didn’t want to admit it, but he was nervous.He wondered about the changes that had occurred to her all the while she was outside the country, and he couldn’t help but want to see her.His wolf had been giddy all day long, dying to see his mate, and Kane, despite his outward disposition, shared the same fate.He had confirmed from Toby that she was sleeping peacefully in her room, and that was the only reason he had entered in his wolf form. Changing to human will slow down his healing.Kane had been trying to remove the splinter from his fur when he heard her footsteps even before she entered his room, and he had been praying to the moon goddess that she wouldn’t enter his room. But the moon goddes
The event that happened in Kane’s room has taken place for a day now, yet Ariel couldn’t get it out of her mind. Talk about one of the most unexpected ways to meet the man who had been her sole financier.Yet what she was feeling for the man wasn’t something you are supposed to feel for a guardian, and she was ashamed, to say the least.The next day, she tried to avoid Kane with all she had, staying up in her room, but she shouldn’t have bothered because Kane had made it his life mission not to come close to her.Ariel had taken to staying in her room and spending her time with Claudia, who always had a gist for her, while she was being waited on by the men in the house.“Oh my gosh!” Claudia exclaimed one day as one of the warriors dropped a tray of food in her room. “Who is that sexy piece of hot ass that just entered your room?”“Claudia!” Ariel shrieked, beyond mortified by her friend's outburst, and she was sure 'the sexy piece of ass' heard what she had said.“What?” Claudia rol
I don’t know why I thought opening my mouth and telling the whole world that I needed Toby was a good idea. Ariel thought as all pairs of brown, blue, and gray eyes were trained on her.Can the ground just open and swallow me?"Ariel?” Toby asked with a look of confusion, looking at her like she had lost her mind, and she agreed with him. Indeed, she has. “Alright everyone, training is over; you can go rest your lazy ass.” Toby said, and there was a collective sigh of relief from the lips of everyone.Ariel moved to the side, making way for them as they began to file out of the room, but not before giving her a once-over.Yep, she was sure they were judging her in their minds. Suddenly, the shorts she had worn were too short, the shirt too old, her posture too slouched, and she was sure there was a horrible pimple sticking out of her face, just ready to burst.“Ariel?” Toby's voice was breaking her thoughts, and she was grateful for that. “Come in.” He gestured inside, and she didn’t
"You have been avoiding me." Ariel grumbled as she looked at Kane. The latter looked at her like a deer caught in a trap, and Ariel had no plans of letting this deer go.“I don’t think so.” Kane argued, doing everything in his power to avoid looking into her eyes. He knew it only took one look before he was sucked into the hole that was Ariel, and he didn’t think he was ready for that now."Yes, you are.” Ariel repeated, tucking her arms into themselves to appear menacing while she inches closer to him.“No, I am not; if you would excuse me, I have some things to attend to.” Kane said, and he moved to the other side, trying to pass around her.“At least, you should have the decency to look me in the eyes if you want to lie to me. Don’t you think?” Ariel huffed, not at all impressed with his performance.Kane’s patience was already hanging on a thin thread, but he took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. He needed to keep reminding himself that Ariel wasn’t a werewolf and that she h
Kane had been working around the clock for so long that he decided to take a break today before he collapsed. There was a war brewing between some Latina gangs, and it meant good business for him, so he had been trying to supply them with the weapons.But right now, he is stretched thin.The suppliers were acting up and refusing to keep the end of their deal, and he had to go there physically to solve the issue.He thought that was all it took for him to receive a call from Mason that the American government was becoming strict with their rules and he could no longer operate business as usual.Last week was a whole lot, but he had managed to keep his end of the bargain, everyone was happy, and he had decided to give himself the day off, and maybe he could go and see his mate.Kane had been so busy that he hadn’t allowed himself to think of her; otherwise, he was going to be taking the next available flight to run back to her.But now that he was around, he would try to get to know her