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 before the nosy flight attendant was in her face, telling her to turn it off.
Ariel rolled her eyes as the flight attendant told her off. She hated being told what to do, especially if she was about to do so. But she ignored the flight attendant and focused on the plane that was descending.
She held on to her seat as the plane rolled on the tarmac, and an air of nervousness filled her. While she had been communicating with Toby for a while now, she wasn’t sure how the reception at home would be.
Hell, he could be pretending, and he could totally stand her up today. Suddenly, Ariel felt like a lost ship in the middle of the sea with no way to go out, and her chest began to rise rapidly. A thin film of sweat covered her forehead, and her heart rate picked up at the thought of being abandoned in a foreign land.
“Miss.” The attendant gave her a light tap on her shoulder, but she was too far gone to notice her surroundings. “Miss.” She tried again with more force, and Ariel broke free from her reverie, her breath coming out in short pants as he tried to normalize her breathing.
“What?” She turned to the flight attendant, her tone coming off as rude, not as she intended.
“We have arrived, and you can disembark now.”
“Yea,” Ariel gave her a nervous smile while craning her head to look around her, and most of the occupants had gotten off the flight. “Thank you.” She stood up and brought down her carry-on bag before she was alighting out of the flight. She checked her phone for any messages, but she couldn’t see any, and her heart began to pound beneath her rib cage.
He couldn’t have stood her up now, would he?
Ariel tried to remove that thought from her mind and focus on getting her suitcases. She should have listened to Claudia and packed light; she could always get more clothes back home.
She was finally able to secure all seven big boxes, and she was ready to start cursing him out when she spotted a big placard with her name written on it and a silly little stick figure that she was assuming was hers.
Ariel could recognize that face any day, with his jet black hair hidden in a cap and the huge smirk on his face. She didn’t need anyone else to tell her that this was Toby.
She was running to him with strength she didn’t know she possessed, and she jumped on him as she got to him, hugging him with all she had. “Ariel .” Toby said with a humph as she landed on him.
He shifted backwards so her bosom wouldn’t come in contact with his chest; otherwise, Kane could find a good excuse to finish him.
Toby brought an awkward hand up, rubbing her back in a soothing way until he heard sniffles and the faint smell of salt.
“Are you crying?” Toby froze before he parted from the hug to look at her, and true to his words, fat drops of tears were dripping out of her eyes, and he panicked.
“Oh no. Ariel, please don’t cry.” All he could think was that he was digging his early grave if Kane even got a hint that his mate had been crying, and he just stood there.
Toby produced the hanky he always had in his pocket, and he dabbed it on her eyes gently, careful not to touch her skin.
“Sorry about that.” Ariel sniffed after she had regained herself. “I was just overwhelmed with emotions. I thought no one would be here, and I was afraid I would be all along.”
“Oh dear, I understand, but one thing you should know is that Kane would never leave you estranged without any help. No matter what, he would always come and get you.”
Toby's words sated the demon in her that was rearing its ugly head, and she nodded her head. Ariel stood on her tiptoes, scanning the faces of other people who had come to welcome their friends and family home, and there was something missing.
“What of Kane?” She asked, still scanning her neck. He couldn’t have such a drastic change that she wouldn’t be able to notice him. Right?
“Unfortunately, he was tied down with a lot of office work, and he wasn’t able to make it.” Toby said, and he noticed the change in her mood, and he was panicking.“But not to worry; the pack has been dying to see you.”
Now Ariel was confused. “pack?” Her forehead furrowed as confusion overtook her. “I thought you said we stayed in a mansion.”
“Ha ha.” Toby tried to cover it with a nervous laugh as he began to lead her away. “I mean the people are eager to see you. But come on, let us not waste time on meaningless things; I am sure you are hungry.”
“Starving.” Ariel sighed as she thought of a big pot of chicken and a tub of ice cream. “Wait!” She yelled, halting in her steps. “My bags.”
“Geez, you almost burst my eardrums. There are people taking care of it.” Toby said, gesturing to the back, and true to her word, huge men that felt like they belonged in the boxing ring were dragging her suitcase behind them.
“Thank you.” Ariel said with a sheepish smile, and they continued their journey to the car.
They walked in silence until they got to the car, and Toby was helping her get inside. Ariel was beginning to feel the aftermath of the long flight, and she rested her head on the back seat, almost immediately drifting to dreamland.
“Ari.” Toby called in a soft voice. He has been reluctant to wake her up because she looked so peaceful and beautiful in her sleep, but he knew he was risking his head if he carried her in his arms.
Nothing pisses off an alpha wolf more than when their mate bears another scent that isn’t theirs. It was in their nature to remove such a threat, and Toby still likes living on earth very much to end his life.
Yet he could admit that his alpha’s mate was a beaut. He was a man who could tell when something was good, and right now he was staring at the forbidden fruit.
The plump of her lips, the swell of her breast, and the way her long lashes curled up.
“Get a grip, Toby; she is off limit.” His wolf was cautioning him, and he was taking a step away from her.
“Toby?” Ariel murmured in a sleep-laden voice. Her eyes were fluttering from the ray of light that was entering them. “Are we home?”
"Yes, we are; I was about to wake you up." Toby replied, and he stretched out a hand to her, “Come on, you could continue the sleep in your bed.”
Ariel allowed him to lead her into the house while she kept her eyes half-closed, afraid that if she opened them wide, the sleep would leave her.
She had barely gotten a good rest for the past two weeks, and coupled with the jet lag, she needed a solid 10 hours of sleep.
No sooner than Toby showed her her bedroom, she was climbing onto the bed and closing her eyes.
***
Ariel worked up to an empty room, and she sat down on the bed, trying to recollect herself. She had no idea how long she had been out, but one thing was clear: she needed to put food in her system before she passed out.
She was jumping out of bed with only one thought in mind. “Food.” Her drunken walk reminded her of the gollum and his precious, and right now, she was the gollum.
“Where do I even start from?” Ariel thought as she came out of her room and saw similar-looking doors all around her.
She was walking down the hallways until she stood in front of one, her hands itching to open the knob. They say curiosity kills the cat, but satisfaction brings it back, and that was her motto.
Ariel pushed the door open, and surprisingly, it gave way—an obvious red flag if she had been observant. Her pupils dilated in the poorly lit room, and it took some seconds before she could recognize her surroundings.
She brought out her phone and turned on the flashlight, pointing it in the direction, and the first thing she saw was the bright red liquid. The first wave of dizziness passed through her, and the second had her stumbling a little, her heart rate spiking as she followed the trail of blood, but Ariel prided herself on being level-headed even in difficult situations, and she continued pressing on.
“Maybe someone got hurt and needs my help.” She tried to reassure herself, despite the beads of sweat that were clinging to her forehead like a second skin. She knew the basics of first aid, and she was sure she would be of help if she wasn’t going to need it.
Ariel was placing one foot after another, venturing deeper into the room. She tried to ignore the blood on the floor that had changed from a drop to a puddle, and she continued pressing on until she saw a dark mass on the wall.
She flashed her touch light on the image, and she froze momentarily, her organs recognizing the threat in front of her and shutting down completely. Her stomach twisted as she made contact with those golden orbs, and the initial shock gave birth to flight. Ariel opened her lungs and did the only thing she could do.
“Aaaahhhh!”
And her head was hitting the ground with a thud.
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
Ariel looked at the door as Kane left, and she was almost foaming from her mouth. Her fist tightened in anger, and she wanted to do something.Like punch the wall or scream her lungs out."Gosh, I hate him.” Does he think he owns her just because he is her caretaker? Newsflash, she didn’t ask to be adopted.She may seem like she is ungrateful, but that is the truth.“Shhh, don’t say that.” Toby tried to caution her, but Ariel was not hearing anything of it.“Oh, what is he going to do?” She asked, rolling her eyes. She was tempted to open the door and give him a reply, but she held herself back and turned to Toby. “I am sorry for what happened.” She apologized to him, but he was shaking his head.“It is fine; I should be the one apologizing. I knew it was going to cause trouble, yet I still allowed it. I will be taking my leave now.” Toby didn’t even give her a chance to reply before he was walking out of the room and leaving her alone, speechless.Ariel stared at the empty space; her
Okay, Kane didn’t actually fuck her, but his lips inched closer to her, sounding like a warning that she failed to heed. “D-don't come near me, Kane; don’t you dare?” Ariel was stuttering, yet she couldn’t deny the hint of excitement she felt as he got closer to her.Is this what they call sexual tension, because she was definitely experiencing it now?However, she took a step backward, trying to move away from him, but Kane wasn’t letting that happen. With each step she took from him, he took one towards her, and like that until her back met the wall.“Kane. Don’t.” Ariel whined, although she had no idea why she was telling him not to. His gaze dipped to her lips, and she looked into his eyes, wondering just how long his lashes were.He caught her off guard for a moment when he stared into her eyes, and she was whipping her head to the side in a bid to avoid him, but his hands held her jaw firmly, and he turned her to face him.“Never hide away from me, love. I want to see those beau
Something wasn’t just adding up from his explanation, but Ariel ignored the questions that had been plaguing her and decided to put them away. She didn’t totally forget it, but right now, her mind couldn’t think of anything but rest.Kane had managed to push her body to the limit, and while it was fun then, she needed to rest her weary limbs before she collapsed.She dragged herself to the bed and managed to take a short nap, but even that one proved difficult because she was just turning and tossing on the bed, reliving the minute they kissed.It had been long since she had been kissed like that, after her first relationship, which had pretty much failed, but even that couldn’t hold a candle to what she felt.Kane was a grown man, and he kissed her like one, holding her close and pressing into her and- “Arrggghhh.” Ariel grabbed the pillow in front of her, screaming into it as she could barely contain her happiness.It had happened in a way she didn’t expect, but she couldn’t have ha