Aella woke suddenly and opened her eyes. For a moment she looked around, realising after a few seconds that she was on a regular bed. She'd been so used to sleeping on the hard ground that she still wasn't used to sleeping on beds, especially one this soft.She turned to the other side and snuggled into the pillows, smiling and drawing the covers tightly around her, but the alarms had other plans. Before she could go back to sleep a loud horn startled her and she opened her eyes in shock, cursing the horn and whoever was blowing it. She grudgingly tossed and turned on the bed as the alarm continued to reverberate around the pack house."Oh, fuck it!" She cursed again and sat up, rubbing her eyes and grumbling. She squinted at the clock beside her bed and saw that it read five am. She was used to waking up and sleeping whenever she pleased, and having a set time for waking was so not her thing. She would never get used to this.She threw aside the covers and slipped her feet into the s
The kitchen was silent save for the steady hum of the fridge. Aella sat on one of the kitchen stools with her head leaning against the wall and her eyes closed. She was tired to the bone; she had been working tirelessly since the start of the day with little to no rest and food.It had been one week since she was found unconscious at the pack's border, one week since she had been dragged from the numbing snow. It felt like ages, she thought. She'd been running from enemies, thinking she would be running towards a new and better life, only to end up as a scullery maid to a pompous alpha who was supposed to be her mate.Well. look on the bright side. Her wolf spoke up. At least we'll get to see more of our mates.Aella scowled in disgust and opened her eyes. "He might be my mate, but he has shown me that he's just as cruel as any other man I've ever met. You wouldn't expect his mate to be working in the kitchens, would you?"She shook her head in disbelief as she stared down at her maid
Aella was jarred from her fitful sleep by the sound of her alarm. She opened her eyes suddenly and stopped the alarm, then jumped up from the bed, feeling more energetic than she had ever been in a long time. Finally, she would be free from this place. Today was the day she would run and never look back.She walked to her adjoining bathroom while humming a tune under her breath. She stripped and brushed her teeth, then proceeded to take the most refreshing bath she had ever taken. She lathered her naked body with lavender soap, thinking all the while that her life was about to turn around for the better. Everything felt so much brighter and more fortuitous.After bathing, she dried her body with a towel and slipped on one of the billowy white gowns, then as an afterthought, packed her hair into a loose ponytail. Today she was willing to try new things.She quickly laid the bed and arranged the covers so it would look like she woke with every other maid for the daily chores. She then p
Aella's heart hammered in her chest as she saw the alpha. He was standing behind her with his hands in his pockets. Obviously, he must have seen her naked too. She quickly drew the blanket securely around herself and stood rooted to the spot. He walked closer to her, his eyes roaming her body, and his mouth lifted in a smirk.She imagined living her hand and giving him a slap across the face, seeing the smirk melt into shock and pain. She was so full of rage that she imagined hitting him so hard that he felt the pain that she was feeling too. Oh, how she wished."Did you really think you could run away from me?" Logan asked. She backed away as he walked towards her, giving him all the hatred, she could muster from one stare.Aella could not believe that all her efforts at running away had been wasted. She could not imagine that she would be dragged back to that prison of a pack by this man. She could feel all the hope in her heart shrivel up and die as she watched the smirk on Logan's
Logan quickly caught the white wolf before she fell to the ground. He lowered her gently and sat down on the ground, cradling her in his arms. He hadn't really wanted to hit her but she had tested his patience. His wolfish anger had overridden any affection for her at that moment. Sometimes, she had to be shut up like that.She was a really beautiful woman, he noticed. She looked much more peaceful like this without all the stubborn features etched into her face. Her tightly curled black hair surrounded her face like a perfect frame, making her look much gentler and childlike. The Goddess' had blessed him with a stunning mate.His eyes roamed her face, taking in her almost angelic expression. Her eyes, usually big and glaring, were closed peacefully, tiny web-like veins showing in the eyelids. Her nose usually turned up in a haughty expression looked small and pert.His eyes moved from her nose to her mouth and he found himself reacting to the sight of those lush, full lips. They were
The sound of birds chirping awoke Aella. She kept her eyes shut, smiling as she listened to the sounds of the birds. The sunlight that slanted over her eyelids made her think of the sunshine in the forest. She imagined she was on the forest bed, far away from Logan and his pack. I'm finally free from him, she thought.But when she turned over on the bed, what greeted her wasn't the rough hard ground of the woods but a strange softness. She opened her eyes abruptly and winced at the glare of the sunlight. Looking around, she realized that she wasn't in the forest but on a bed. All her imaginations about being in the woods were fake. Suddenly all the events that had happened to her came rushing back. She remembered how the alpha had caught up with her and tried to take her back, how she had deceived the alpha and tried to escape and how he had grabbed her hands. She remembered their fist fight too. Her hands still ached from the fight.Aella whimpered with tears as she realized that she
Logan's POVThe alpha stepped into the meeting room, where his beta and gamma, alongside all the head wolves, were sitting around a long table and waiting."Good morning, gentlemen. Apologies for my lateness."The men all stood up in greeting the Alpha. He walked over to the table and sat down, and all the wolves followed suit."We're happy to have you here, alpha." Aidan his gamma spoke up. "We were just discussing about the recent happenings in and around the pack's borders.""That is the main reason I called this meeting. We need to put a final stop to these killings of our subjects.""So, what do you suggest, Alpha?" Casper his beta asked."I suggest..." Logan paused and looked around the table. He knew that what he was about to suggest would cause a bit of uproar among the men."I suggest that we prepare for battle and go out to fight those wolves instead of waiting here and doing nothing as they slowly kill us.""But alpha, our numbers are largely depleted and we don't have the
"Aella, leave my hand please." Logan demanded. That single point of contact made him want to grab her and kiss her, hard. "Please, or I'll do something we'll both regret."Aella was mildly surprised at the alpha's begging as she had never seen him plead for anything since she met him. She released his hand and the alpha walked to the bathroom and shut the door, leaving her alone in the room.Immediately Logan shut the door of the bathroom, he walked to the bathroom sink and splashed water over his face in order to calm his nerves. Damn, he was so hard for her. Bringing her to his room was a terrible idea. But then, that was the only way he would be able to keep a watchful eye on her.She was so desirable, he thought. She looked like she was specifically sculpted for him. Her large brown eyes looked like they were made only to look at him in admiration. Her lips that were now going back to their red colour after being out of the cold, was full and plump, made for him to kiss alone. And