Ariel’s eyes fluttered open, and they landed on the white, intricate details of the ceiling above her. She tried to shake off the haze of confusion that had settled on her, trying to pierce the little patches of information floating in her head.She couldn’t remember how many times she had blacked out and woken up in an unfamiliar environment.It was becoming the norm, and if she had a dollar anytime she blacked out, it would be more than five dollars. It wasn’t a lot, but it was impressive that it was up to that amount.Ariel shifted on the bed, her body sinking deeper into the soft cushion, helping and bringing relief to her back pain. For a moment, her thoughts drifted away, leaving only peace.The memories would come back, and she was sure it wouldn’t be pleasant; she just had to enjoy the little ignorant bliss she was having.But the bubble was quick to pop as the door opened, the sharp creak startling her, but she was able to compose herself, shutting her eyes close before the n
“How can you do that?” The alpha demanded, and Ariel was sure she could see stars coming out of his eyes.Yup, she had gotten his attention, and she had to maintain it now.A surge of confidence coursed through her veins, and her shoulders straightened up. “I used to live in his pack, but I ran away when I found out he killed my parents and…”“No surprise there. Kane's reputation always precedes him.” The alpha interrupted her, and Ariel’s eyes narrowed slightly, trying not to show her annoyance at his action.“I know you hate him, and honestly, I hate him more than you can think, but there is not much I can do seeing who I am. However, I have enough information that would be very useful to help you achieve your goal.”“Hmmm.” The alpha stroked his beard, going over the thought, but from the way his eyes had lit up at the idea, she knew he was already sold.It was times like this that she had to thank the goddess for having a mate that was wanted by most of the packs. Who knew it woul
“Welcome to the Den.” The alpha managed a smile as he looked at her, and he stretched out his hands to her.The Den?It took everything in her not to burst out laughing. That was a horrible name for a pack, but who was she to complain?“Thank you.” Ariel mirrored his smile as she took his hand and shook it warmly, repeating it for his beta and gamma.“Welcome.” They echoed the greeting, but after what the gamma had done, Ariel was still skeptical about them.“It should be time for dinner now, and we can go down to eat. I assume you are hungry.” Her stomach grumbled as if in response to his words, and she gave him an apologetic smile.“Oh no, I could eat my own here if it is possible.” The last thing Ariel wanted to do was meet his pack.If their leaders were like this, who knows how the pack members were going to be? And she had no strength to fight anyone.“No harm will come to you as long as you are here.” The alpha said and Ariel’s head snapped up, looking at him with wide eyes.“C
Ariel laid the books on the bed, and she sat in front of them, staring at them, yet she couldn’t help the feeling of nervousness that clung to her.She wasn’t sure she was ready to learn the whole truth.A little part of her—the part that was still clinging to the fact that she loved Kane—had refused to believe he had a hand in her parents deaths.She was afraid to confirm it now if it was really true.“You can do this.” She gave herself a little pep talk as she picked up the first book. She had recognized it as the book she had seen in Kane’s pack that had been torn.But this pack had the complete version.She flipped the page to the needed page; the page number was already stuck in her head. And this time, the content was there, staring right back at her.Ariel took a deep breath in a bid to calm her nerves, and she began to read, her pupils moving from left to right as she scanned through the page.She absorbed each piece of information like a sponge, clinging to it and holding on
“What do you know about werewolves?”Claudia's gaze drifted upward, her eyes searching the ceiling as if the answer were written there, and she tilted her head before shaking her head. “I don’t know, not much except for those awful series.”“Hmmm.” Ariel nodded her head, not sure her friend would be able to take what she was going to tell her. “Promise you will not freak out.”“I don’t know. Should I?”Ariel only had a comforting smile to give, and she began to d******d everything she knew—everything that had happened to her—without leaving any stone unturned.The relief was almost instantaneous—the fact that she had someone to share it with—and the reveling at the anger Claudia felt made her happy that there would always be someone beside her. And she had taken the news well, a little blinded by Kane’s betrayal to care about her friend not being a human.“How dare he?” Claudia screamed out her anger, hitting the space beside her. “He will be gone when I get hold of him.”“You know he
Ariel told him all she could manage to tell him before the guilt began to tug at her heart.It wasn’t like she had a choice; she had been staying here for two days now, and this was some sort of compensation for housing and feeding her.But she suddenly erupted into a violent fit of coughing, her body convulsing as she hacked up phlegm from the depths of her throat, and the alpha's eyes widened in alarm, his germaphobia triggered, and he shifted uncomfortably.“Excuse me.” Ariel croaked out, and she ran in the direction of the bathroom, making a show of puking her guts out.“Are you alright?” The alpha called from outside the bathroom, his voice dipping with concern, but she knew he was only angry at the half-information he had received.“I think I need to rest.” Ariel called out in a dry, airy tone that had the alpha leaving her room reluctantly.Ariel heaved a sigh of relief as she heard the door shut, and she waited for some seconds longer before she came outside.She had been spil
Ariel listened to the woman’s footsteps as she busied herself around while she waited for her. In her wait, her eyes wandered around, taking up the entire room.Outside, she may be calm, but inside, she is a panicking mess.If this actually works, she would be leaving here a werewolf, and she didn’t know how to feel.Was she going to change, or would a wolf come and be bound to her? How did the change even work?All these thoughts plagued her mind, and they weren’t leaving anytime soon.“It will be fine.”“Uhh?” Ariel shifted her head to see her better, where she was still bent over the table, doing what she had no idea of.“I can literally see your head swimming with different ideas, but you don’t have to worry. Being a werewolf is the same thing as being a human. You don’t have to learn it; it just comes naturally.”“How did you know I was thinking about it?”The woman gave her a little smile and made a show by zipping her lips, but Ariel could only shake her head. She was convinced
“Ariel?” The woman's voice was muffled and distant, as if it were being filtered through a thick layer of water. “Ariel, what happened?” The voice grew slightly louder, but it still sounded like it was coming from beneath the surface of a stagnant pool.The voice dripped of concern, of a love that she had always yearned for, and more tears dropped from her eyes.“What is wrong? Did you see your wolf?” The woman held her hands, squeezing them occasionally, but Ariel shook her head. The words were stuck in her throat like a morsel of food that refused to come down.“Excuse me?” She croaked out a sob, her voice cracking with emotion, as she ran out of the room. Tears streamed down her face, blurring her vision, but she didn't need to see to know where she was going. Her instincts guided her until she reached the safety of her door.“Miss Ariel, you are back.” She heard the bodyguard say, but she pushed him away, jerked the door open, and closed it, making sure to secure it well before sh