99. I thought you loved me"Aria," Realizing the wrong purpose his words may have sounded to give, he went to fetch her hands.Aria moved far away and raised a hand to stop him. Her face exhibited the pain that emerged inside of her from that statement. Cursing himself, Jake rose from the couch."Aria, I am sorry if I sound weird, but it's a mate-bond you're talking about breaking. I have heard from my parents how painful it is. I want you to think wisely bef—""Leave me alone, Jake.""Aria," Feeling weighed down by remorse, Jake hesitantly grazed her shoulders.A jerk was expected, and what followed was a burst of heavy cloud of fury as she pushed him toward the door."Go at once, Jake. I don't want to talk to you.""Aria, you're taking it the wrong way. I meant..." He froze three steps from the door and pulled her in his arms. "I meant for you to take your time. Rejecting Noah may feel like the right thing now, but I don't want to be the cause for it.""The moment you came into my l
100. Bully boyfriend! Aria's POVI stormed to my room and disposed of myself in the small space between the bed and the wall. It brought back all the memories when I used to seek a console in this small-- now tight space for my grown body. Back then I would hide here and cry for hours for being treated like trash by my father.This is where I spent most of my childhood, remembering my mother, and begging the moon goddess to raise me up to heaven in her embrace.The tight feeling in my chest was pretty much the same. The reason, regardless, is different. I was happy that it was not caused by my father. But the awareness that it was caused by one whom I handed over myself to made my bones burn from the force of rushing agony in my body.'Control yourself, Aria.' Melody's words cracked as she said that.She was also heartbroken and taken by surprise. Jake has carved out his place in our hearts. He didn't do anything to impress us, yet every move made, every word he spoke, every smile he
101. Listen to me, Aria. Jake's POVWhen I saw Aria walking out of the door in that apron and flour dust on her forehead, my first thought was to pull her in my arms and eat her lips hungrily. She really made me crazy last night with her outburst. I hadn't realized she would get so pissed for she looked like your timid, baby dear, that would jump at the sight of humans.As I observed her now, a desire to possess her crossed my head. Her lips were set tight in a thin line, eyes glaring at me narrowly while her hands folded before her chest. I felt like I saw a hint of need in her eyes too. But she was quick enough to shake it away before I noticed it.I walked toward her, "Why didn't you tell me when you left home?" She moved away as I sought to take hold of her waist.My teeth clenched together, watching her act differently again. I was not used to this Aria. She annoyed me. The one I was obsessed with was equally invested in me as I was in her. She made me feel like her world revolv
102. A stubborn boyfriendIt took everything in Aria to not slam the door angrily as she came walking back into the bakery."What happened? You look very stressed and... Infuriated." Harry blocked her path and gave her a look that indicated he was on her side if she needed help."I'm okay. Thanks for asking." Aria forced out with a grin and darted toward the door behind the counter to resume her baking classes.She was mad and having someone to listen to her rants would have made her feel good. Harry was not the person though. He was cute and adorable. But not her confidante. He could never be even if he gave her positive vibes.Aria entered the baking room again. She was about to take her position behind the slab she was working on when her ears rang with Jake's voice. Indignation rolled through her. She was being nice because she cared about his public image and the rules and regulations of this bakery.However, she could not suppress her rising turmoil when Jake was being ridiculous
103. Father's interruption Aria was awestruck seeing her father in the house, "Surprise!" He exclaimed and opened his arms for her. She dropped the food bags by the door and threw herself in his arms. Warmth cocooned her-- Just what she needed at the moment. She wrapped her hands tightly around his waist and pressed her face in his chest. "I missed you so much, dad." She said. Zavier smiled and caressed her hair, "I missed you too, baby. I couldn't focus at all. I kept thinking about you." Aria smiled from ear to ear as she looked up at her father. Traitor tears formed in her eyes and she pouted. She had never missed him this badly before. Well... Maybe because they didn't share the close daughter and father's bond they shared now. "Aww, did you really miss me so much that you'd cry over my arrival now, Aria?" She didn't answer and hid her face in his chest. She had two reasons behind her crying. One was that she didn't want to talk about. Forget about talking about it! She didn
104. I need helpJake checked his watch and blocked the destructive thought of barging inside the house again. It would only make that asshole of a Hunter get more mad and find a reason to separate him from Aria. But Jake wanted anything but.He sighed angrily and slapped a hand on the hood of his car, "Bloody son of a bitch!"He closed his eyes and performed deep breathing. At this moment, he felt completely helpless. Even after being the son to the strongest wolf in the pack— In fact, the whole state, he couldn't do anything more than growling and waiting.The girl he has the hots for belonged to an overbearing Hunter— a man who didn't respect his alpha father, let alone him. And now that he had recognized her as his beloved daughter, Jake had to think with his head. One wrong move and he could lose Aria forever.'Aria, I know you are not busy at all. Come out now.' He connected with her on the mind link.This was his seventh time. Or maybe eighth. Maybe ninth. Who knows! Ever since
105. Aria's PunishmentAria was sitting on the sofa put before the wall under the window that overlooked the front porch. She had the hem of the curtain in her clutch, and slightly lifted, so she could look outside under the dark night at Jake.Sending the food down her dry throat was a herculean task. She didn't feel like eating, knowing that Jake was waiting outside to see her. She wanted to go out, too, had it not been for her adamantly egoistic father.Her fight with Jake gave him an impending right to keep them apart. He didn't want her to meet Jake at any cost. Zavier also crossed the line of privacy Aria had presumed he would respect and called his father."Your son is scaring my daughter with his stalking skills, Ragnar. If you do not want to mourn the death of your only son in my hands, you better come here and take him away. He's done testing my patience." She had heard him snap on a phone call.That had brought tears to her eyes. Aria had promised herself that no matter wha
106. Being watched? Aria's mouth formed an o and her face became hot. She couldn't believe she heard that from him.Was that her punishment? Leaving her in need for more... Rough sex?He purposefully disappeared after making slow love to her?Why would he do that? And possibly what kind of satisfaction did it give to him?Aria clenched her jaw and pinched his thigh, "What the! Why'd you do that?""Why'd you vanish and worry me, Jake Ragnar?"Another smirk dominated his lips. Aria wished to wipe that off any way she could."I told you that was your punishment for ignoring me and for keeping me away from your body."She opened her mouth to rant but then looked away. The next station was approaching. Getting up, Aria walked to the front and got down. She could feel Jake behind her."This is not your destination. Why'd you get down here?" He asked and Aria continued to walk away.She felt tingles splaying along her arms. She was glad that he was back but at the same time something feral
119Aria's POVAfter leaving my house and Kai and Daisy in it, I rushed into a dark alley to cry my heart out. I was in pain I couldn't narrate. My heart was hurting from Jake's ignorance while my body vibrated from the after-effects of my mate's force used on me. My life went from bright to dark overnight. I was made to pay for a mistake I didn't even commit. My wolf was howling for respite. We both needed some rest. All these hours we tolerated since the morning has taken a toll on her. However, we refused to relax. Not now. Not when our eyes were blazing with the fire of revenge. Melody and I have vowed to not sit quiet until we settled scores with Noah Rhodes. That bastard caught us off guard. He attacked me when I was not prepared. But now my veins were fueled with aggression, my limbs aching to fight back. My mind was compelling me to use all the tricks I have learned from my father through intense training. I moved in the darkness as I made my way to Noah's house in search
117"How dare you play such a trick on me?" Noah's voice bounced off the walls. He picked up Aria from over the broken bed and clutched her hair tightly, making her wail. He pulled them in a merciless joke as his canines surfaced. His muscles convulsed in fury as he brought his face closer to Aria, "It was Jake's idea, wasn't it? He asked you to do this to trouble me.""Aah!" Aria's body was a huge ball of pain. She tapped on his wrist so he would let go. Alas, enraged like an uncontrollable bull, Noah tossed her across the room again. Aria fell on her weak study table, crushing it under her. She hissed with thick tears streaming out of her eyes as a pointed piece of wood pierce her inner thigh. Noah didn't show any pity as he raised her by her hair again. Her scalp ached as a thousands brightly blinking stars burst across her vision. "I detest Moon goddess for mating me with a gold digging whóre like you. You are despicable and..." His words faded out as Aria's senses spun into
116Aria walked on the quiet road on light feet. She was feeling cold and had to wrap her arms around herself. The winds were piercing into her skin and the dust it carried swirled around her. She shuffled her feet ahead with teary eyes as she wondered where to go.She just returned from the club she heard the girls mention in the library. It turned out that Jake left an hour before she reached there. Then she went to his home, the alpha mansion. Unfortunately, there were a dozen expensive cars lining outside the mansion. The alpha probably had visitors, and thus she couldn't gather up the courage to walk into that house while powerful people occupied it.There could be one, if not all, disliking her father. She was too frightened to appear in front of any such person who could take a dig at her to humiliate the most feared hunter in the pack. That being said, she left without meeting Jake.Now as she started her walk to nowhere, she reminiscenced the times she spent with Jake. He had
115. Truth out in front of Daisy "I hate her for hurting Lana, Kai. I will never forgive her."She banded her hands around his waist stiffly and wailed. "She not only cheated on Jake and my sister but on me too. I trusted and loved her just like Lana. Why did she have to do that? She was very well versed with the fact that Noah was dating my sister. But she still kissed him." Kai chewed the inside of his cheek agitatedly. He wished to tell her about Noah and Aria being each other's mate but he bit it down. It wasn't his place to tell her. But he definitely needed to make her see some sense and not entirely blame Aria for the kiss. "Do you realize this wouldn't have happened if Aria didn't go to the old age home with you?" "What are you insinuating, Kai Sinclair? Do you want to say that I influenced Aria to do that." Daisy's voice hardened ruthlessly. "All I'm saying is that Aria isn't the only one who you should condemn. Noah is equally—" "What's wrong with you, Kai?" Daisy pus
114. No more friends from now on! Aria tried to rein in her breaths after coming to the sports ground. She held onto the railing around the sitting area and pressed her lips together. Her body wasn't helping her. She sat down in the stand and buried her face in her hands. 'Aria, you are making it more difficult for us. Do you know that?' Melody whispered in a heavy voice. As a wolf, things were already messed up for her. Her mate didn't want her. He was dating and making out with another she-wolf in the name of punishing Aria and her. There was Jake to care for them and help them get back at the fucker. But right now he was also mourning for betrayal Aria never meant to commit. It wasn't entirely a betrayal. She was forced to kiss. There were no sparks and most importantly it disgusted them both. "I can't put their words in the back of my mind, Melody. My heart is squeezing. I don't know what to feel." Aria breathed ruggedly. The sky was a deep, foreboding gray, with clouds that
113. He's hurt Aria appraised them closely. Their dresses caught the light in the library, specifying they've never been off the racks of their wardrobes before this. Their hair done flawlessly in parlours and their nails painted and shaped in different ways.One of the three girls, dressed in a yellow dress, scoffed and rolled her eyes, "Aria's finally getting exposed for the trash she is. That photo of her kissing Noah had left me motionless for long minutes. How could she do that?""You're right. I was in the middle of getting my eyebrows done when that photo came. Ugh, that girl's a disgusting, manipulative liar. She thinks she's so perfect with her fake smile and her 'oh, I'm so in love with Jake' act." The second girl on the table who had the longest and pointed nails spoke with contempt. Aria moved back into the shadows behind the shelves after hearing that. She felt a jab of pain in her heart for being called a manipulative liar too. 'Don't, Aria. You just promised me that
112. Craving for Jake Aria was clueless. Her mind was a maze covered with fog and her heart running wildly like an out of control stallion in her chest. She blinked her lashes to clean the mist of tears, except the burn remained. It made the back of her eyes throb while her throat became thick.She was unable to breath, her skin growing hotter and hotter, the rush of adrenaline becoming intense. She tried not to hyperventilate but the event that just transpired, the pushes she tolerated, the malice she detected in her one and only best friend's eyes along with the condemnation she saw in Kai's expressions, it was difficult not to.Aria walked on light feet, too afraid to make a noise. Her heart throbbed everywhere in her body. Her fingers twitched and her toes curled in her shoes. She took small and unnoticeable steps towards the library while she attempted to walk by the wall to avoid curious eyes. She was majorly on the receiving end of hostility at the moment. But her luck gave h
111. Go away, Aria! "K-kai," Aria blinked her teary eyes as relief washed over her.Kai was Jake's best friend. As much as he was faithful to Jake, he respected her. Aria had this feeling that Kai would hold her trembling frame— like the nice guy and good friend that he was— and wipe her tears.Unfortunately, the moment she rushed towards him on her shivery legs, he bared his canines for her to see as his warning."K-kai?" Aria experienced a brief moment of cardiac arrest, watching Kai give her that look.He sized her up with eyes clouded with anger and drawled grimly, "I am ashamed of myself for liking you, Aria. How could you do this?"Aria fought to breathe. Dragging in a series of sharp, gasping breaths as she struggled to maintain eye contact. The world around her has turned to a blank space. She saw nothing. She noticed nothing. She could hear nothing except for Kai's angry heartbeats and his breaths coming out heavily as he struggled to keep his fury in control. "Jake loved y
110. Go back to dirt Aria came back home. She realized that she was all sweaty and jittery the minute she sat down on the couch in the living room. Her face was scorching from Noah's touch, her lips bleeding from too much biting.To say he was her mate, but nothing about the kiss made her stomach drop. It only distressed her. It felt like hot, hot boiling water was poured on her.Getting up, she quickly darted inside the restroom and removed her clothes. She stood under the cold water and put her hands on the wall of tiles as she slumped her head, breathing ruggedly.She felt disgusted. Her lips felt violated. Tremors billowed up her spine as Aria vigorously rubbed her lips to wash the touch of Noah's lips.It felt like she cheated on Jake, and the feeling pressed down on her.Aria came out and put on Jake's tee that he happily gave to her. Like those girlfriends who relished wearing their boyfriend's t-shirts as night dress in novels, Aria wanted to recreate it. Thus she requested