“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
“You have to fight for her; you have to go back there and do whatever you can to make sure she comes with you.”“I don’t know; she didn’t look like she wanted me here.” Ariel mumbled, the self-doubt eating deep into her.The woman looked at her incredulously, wondering how dumb someone could be. “Are you just going to let it be? Are you going to give up because she doesn’t want you? I may not know you well, but I was very familiar with your father, and he was no quitter. It will be a shame that his own daughter turns out to be the opposite of him.” She spat out in distaste.That struck a chord in Ariel’s heart, and she sat up. Even though her parents were no longer on earth, she had to make them proud. “I will do it.” Her voice was like that of a whisper, and if it weren’t for the sensitive hearing, the nurse wouldn’t have picked it up.“Did you say anything?”“I will do it.” Ariel replied, although her answer seemed more like a question. She still had doubt in her heart.“Did you hea
“Alright.” The wolf reluctantly agreed after she had considered all of the options.Ariel was right in a lot of things, and if she would admit it, she was tired of staying alone.Wolf thrived better with their human companion, and she had made a promise to her parents and their humans that she would take care of Ariel.It was time for her to start fulfilling that promise.“Yes!” Ariel screamed excitedly, pumping her fist in the air. “Thank you so much. I promise you will not regret this.”The wolf chuckled at her, her smile reminding her of the young girl she used to know."So, how do we do this?” Ariel asked, breaking the silence. “Do you jump inside me? Do I enter inside you or what?”Ariel took another look at the wolf, and she dismissed the first thought. There was no way she was going to jump into her without causing harm.“Just close your eyes.”“Hun?” Ariel's pupil widened for a split second as she heard it. “What are you trying to do?”“Just close your eyes!”“Alright.” Ariel
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