And wait, they did.The first thing they had done was round up the people that had remained. They had lost four women to the fight, and it took everything in Ariel not to puke as she saw their battered bodies.They had wrapped them in Saran Wrap, and Ariel monitored them closely as they went out and conducted a proper burial for them.They had buried them in the spacious garden in the back yard, and as they lowered them to the ground, Ariel couldn’t help the overflowing tears.She had failed her pack and, most especially, Kane.How was she going to face him when he came?“Hmmm.” Ariel shivered as she felt a weight on her shoulders, and she turned her head to the side to see Liza squeezing her shoulders. Her eyes were still moist and reddened from all the crying.“It will be fine.” Liza whispered to her, Luna, trying to give her comfort, but even she didn’t believe her words.“Luna? Psst, Luna, you have to make a speech.” Someone tapped Ariel on her back, and her mouth opened in a sile
“Ariel?”A voice echoed from the figment of her imagination, and Ariel shook her head, adjusting herself to sleep well.She had been thinking of Kane so much that she was imagining his voice.She had made a promise to herself that she was never going to let him go when she next saw him, if she saw him.“Ariel?” The voice was a lot closer than before, and Ariel turned her head in time to see her mate running towards her.She didn’t give it any thought as she flung the cup of coffee she had been cradling, and she was running towards him.“Kane.” Ariel cried out as she collided into him, wrapping her legs around him. The force of her jump made him stagger a little, but Kane was quick to regain his momentum, and he held her tight.“Ariel.”“Kane.” Her voice croaked as she called his name, and she wrapped her hands around his neck tight enough to dispel every doubt she had. He was real and in the flesh.“You are back.” She sighed into his neck, and she angled her face to his neck, taking a
“I don’t understand. Why should we leave? You all just came back from a hunt, and you have barely settled down. Surely you are not thinking of leaving so soon? When would you come back? What if they attack again?” The words gushed out of her mouth like a faulty faucet, and it was only when Kane’s hands reached to squeeze her that she was calming down.“You misunderstand me, love. I mean we all need to leave this place.”“I don’t understand.” Ariel shifted in her seat, not used to being called love in the midst of so many people. “Why should we leave? This is our home.”A little smile came to Kane’s lips at her admission that she had taken the pack as her home, but he shook his head.“No, I mean, we will all leave. Our location has been compromised, and even if we rebuild it, there is no doubt they are going to come back for us. One of the reasons we have been untouchable is also because we are invincible.”Ariel nodded her head as the picture became clearer, but she couldn’t imagine le
Ariel slowly opened her eyes, her sight still foggy and hazy from waking up. She stretched her limbs and hands, loving the softness of her bed and the cozy warmth of her blanket.Her skin tingled from her pairs of brown eyes that had been watching her closely, and she looked up to meet his gaze. The culprit’s lips pulled up in a soft smile, and he looked at her with such love that her heart almost exploded.“Have you been watching me all this time? Isn’t that the quality of a pervert?” Ariel teased him, but she was rushing to his warmth as he motioned to her, snuggling into his warmth.“Good morning, beautiful.” Kane whispered, planting a kiss at the top of her head. “How was your night?”“It was perfect,” Ariel sighed as the memories of last night came rushing back. She was sore down there, but deliciously sore, and she wouldn’t have wanted it any other way. “I have missed you so much.” Ariel's voice was barely above a whisper as she spoke, brushing her hair back to see his face bett
Ariel looked at the space he had once occupied, and she let out a loud groan. She should have followed him out, but she was reluctant to do so; hell, he had been the one in the wrong, and she wasn’t going to apologize for something that wasn’t her fault.She decided spending the time in her room was enough to pass the time, plus Claudia helped that it wasn’t so boring.Ariel had felt a pang of guilt as she called her best friend. Was she even worthy to bear the title? So much had been going on in her life that she had barely had time to call or even pick up her calls.But Claudia was literally the sweetest ray of sunshine, and she didn’t make trouble with the fact; instead, she had proceeded to give her a breakdown of how chaotic her life had been and, of course, a new boy.Was it a Claudia story if there wasn’t boy trouble?The rest of the day went by, and she was confined to her room as she had nothing to do.In between waiting for Kane, she had dozed off on the bed and was only wak
Ariel had been quick to settle into her new house and her new role, and this time, she had been seeing Kane more often than usual.Not that she was complaining.It was the full moon, and the pack was already gearing up in preparation. Ariel had read that the full moon always had a drug-like effect on werewolves, and she would be experiencing it for the first time.There have been several full moons since she came, but Ariel has never noticed anything out of the ordinary. Either they were too good at pretending or she had slept too early to notice, but today was going to be the day.Her skin tingled in excitement as she helped them prepare lunch, and one could hear the whispers of gossip floating around. Most of them had opted for rare steak, but others wanted theirs a little cooked with some sides, and Ariel decided to help with the process.They had been preparing a lot of food because after the hunt, they would get so hungry, and sometimes if they weren’t lucky enough to catch a gam
The full moon had come and gone, the effect it had bought had subsided, and the pack had gone back to their normal routine.All except for Ariel.Since they stepped into the new house, she had been haunted by a horrible dream, and falling asleep had begun to look like a chore for her.The sleeping pills Kane had brought for her had been doing their job, but oftentimes she would wake up at night, her night dress soaked with sweat, and she would lay awake until the crack of dawn.Sometimes, Kane would join in on her watch, but other times, he was too tired after working throughout the day and went back to sleep shortly.And today was no exception.Kane had promised to take her to see a seer if it persists till the weekend; apparently, those things exist in this world.Ariel folded herself into a ball, the comforting warmth of Kane beside her reassuring her. She tried to stay awake, but she could barely keep her eyes open, and it didn’t take her so long to fall asleep.Only it was short-
Denise was the right choice.The woman was one of the backbones of the pack, and if there was anything to know, she could be the one to know.She just had to be it."Well, hello, Ariel; I wasn’t expecting you here.” The woman said with a smile. Even in her old age, she still looks good, and Ariel was shocked to learn that she was approaching sixty.“I know, but I need your help, Denise, and I think you are the only one that can help me.”“Hmm. Alright. You can wait inside my office; let me tidy up some things, and I will be with you shortly.”“Sure.” Ariel excused her as Denise continued attending to her patients, and she went into her office. It was nothing special, just a small room with chairs and tables arranged like one would during a consultation.She sat on the visitor’s chair, glancing around the room. There was a bold chart of human and werewolf anatomy on the wall and some other basic health information.Just a typical office.Ariel took out her phone, looking for a solution
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