Aphrodite:I paced around the bedroom that Lara and I shared, my mind conjuring a million different scenarios where Asher would find out my secret and brutally end my life.The way he had shut me out when I asked about the devil wolf I had overheard him speak about didn't bode well with me. I had to know why he had a personal vendetta against Devil Wolves, and I also wanted to know his next moves so I could avoid them during my stay in his Godforsaken mansion.Lara eyed me warily from her spot on the bed, choosing not to question me, and continued working on her laptop. I sighed, unable to come up with anything, and decided to get a drink in the kitchen since I was parched.I left our bedroom without saying a word, taking the stairs down to the kitchen. As I walked in, I found Hilda leaning against the marble island, munching on an apple. Her piercing green eyes squinted in distaste at the sight of me before she looked away, going back to bite into her apple.Deciding to ignore her, I
AphroditeAsher's footsteps halted by the door as soon as he walked in, and I held my breath in apprehension. Covering my mouth with my hands, I tried to slow my racing heartbeat, afraid that he'd hear and discover I was hiding in his bedroom.Goddess knows what he'd do then, and I couldn't even come up with a suitable excuse because my brain was jumbled up with worries. I heard the door shut after some time, then his footsteps moving around in the room.I shut my eyes tightly, hoping and praying that he wouldn't sense that something was off. I heard the bathroom door open, and I deduced he'd gone in to freshen up. I couldn't come out just yet, though, because I didn't hear the door shut and was paranoid he'd catch me.When I heard the shower turn on, I exhaled in relief. I had a chance to leave, but I had to be very quiet about it. Even though the noise from the shower could mask my footsteps, I still wasn't entirely in the clear.I summoned courage and pulled back the curtain, sighi
AsherAs I stared at the white pattern on the ceiling in the silence of my office, my mind drifted back to the moment I shared with my mate. I didn't question what she was doing in my bedroom in the first place, but instead, I found myself completely captivated by her eyes, which seemed to make me lose all sense of reality.For the life of me, I couldn't understand why she wanted nothing to do with me when it was clear she felt the same attraction. Contrary to the rumours of my supposed ugliness, women were actually dying to be in my arms.A knock on the door made me sigh and roll my swivel chair back to face my desk. The door opened shortly after I mumbled a 'come in' and George walked in. There was something amiss, though, because he was clenching and unclenching his fist, his chest heaving as he tried to contain his wolf.I furrowed my brows in worry, watching him walk in front of my desk before taking a seat. I observed him for a while, waiting for him to calm down from whatever h
AphroditeOur taxi pulled into the mansion's driveway and parked. Biting my lips nervously, I turned to Lara and gently touched her shoulder to wake her from her short slumber, signalling that we had arrived. She yawned, nodded, and sniffled before getting out of the car with me in tow.I quickly paid the cab driver and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder as we walked inside. By the time we reached our bedroom, she had calmed down considerably, which I was thankful for.Never in my wildest imagination did I think this night would end the way it did. I couldn't wrap my head around how Asher had brutally murdered that poor man for no reason. I sighed and went to sit beside my best friend, trying as best as I could to be a support system.It was silent for a while before Lara stood up to freshen up, and I went to sit at the dressing table. I took some wipes and cleaned off my makeup before going into the closet to find something comfortable to wear after I showered.Lara came out af
Asher;For the first time in my life, I felt fear as I watched my mate seize helplessly and foam at the mouth. All I could do was hold her down to prevent her from hurting herself, while confusion, worry, anger, and, most of all, fear mixed into one dangerous concoction."What the hell is happening?" I screamed at no one in particular, barely registering the shuffle of feet behind me."Aphrodite," I called, touching her face with a shaking hand as she continued to seize in my arms. Her eyes rolled to the back of her head, and she stopped seizing abruptly, going limp in my arms."No, no, no, wake up!” I shook her limp body violently, but when I didn't get a physical response, I screamed."Get the doctor!" I yelled at a maid, who jumped in fear and rushed out. I looked down at my mate, terrified that I might lose her. I could hear her heart, but it was faint. I didn't know if it would last, but the thought of losing her made me want to pull my hair out in frustration.The memory of losi
Aphrodite:Prying my eyes open took more effort than it should, but when I finally managed, I realised I was lying on a bed as soft as clouds. The only sound I could hear was the steady beeping of a heart monitor. As my gaze roamed the room, I recognised it as Asher's bedroom.The realisation made me sit up so fast that I felt dizzy for a second, but it quickly cleared. I looked around in confusion, wondering how the hell I had ended up in his room and on his bed. The last thing I remembered was drinking coffee while watching Asher flirt with Sophia on their stupid date. Nothing else.The door opened, and I snapped my attention to it. Asher walked in, his eyes widening when he saw me. He rushed to my side, enveloping me in a hug that left me both speechless and breathless at the same time.He pulled back and held my face with both hands, his eyes searching mine as if to make sure it was really me. He smiled tenderly, and I furrowed my brows in confusion."You're awake. How?" he mumble
AsherThe moment Aphrodite fainted in my arms, I roared in fury. My wolf growled angrily as I scanned the crowd, which had stopped to watch the scene unfold with shocked faces.“You!” I snarled at Harold; he was the community council head, and I knew he'd instigated this whole thing. I wanted to wring his neck so badly, but I couldn't leave my unconscious bleeding mate.“M—my King,” he stuttered, falling to his knees and shaking in fear.“Arrest him now,” I growled at George, who quickly sprung into action, ordering a warrior to take him away. Two warriors grabbed Harold by the arms, dragging him away as he continued to stutter out excuses and pleas.“Get the Devil Wolf out of here to a secure room,” I ordered, quickly lifting my mate and heading straight to my parked car.What was Aphrodite thinking when she decided to protect the Devil Wolf? She'd refused my offer to go out, but at the mere mention of Devil Wolf, she changed her mind.I glanced at her unconscious form in the passeng
AsherI almost bumped into Matilda on my way to the front door; she looked surprised by my abrupt departure, and I had to mask the seething rage that was simmering just beneath the surface of my skin. "You're leaving so soon?" She asked, frowning, her brown eyes dropping in disappointment. I gritted my teeth in anger at the fact that dinner could have ended a lot better, but as usual, the old man had to ruin it."I'm so sorry, Matilda. I have an emergency that requires my immediate attention," I lied smoothly. She nodded in understanding. I felt guilty for lying to her, but I couldn't stand being under the same roof as the man I called my father without wanting to break something."Just take care of yourself, my boy," she said with a warm smile, adjusting the collar of my dress shirt. I could feel the warmth radiating off her in waves, and it made me feel oddly safe."And Hilda too; I know she's always been obsessed with following you around, even as a child, but she'll outgrow it,"
AsherI pulled into my mother-in-law's driveway and parked before killing the engine. I took a deep, nervous breath as I stared at the empty front porch. My fingers unconsciously tapped on the steering wheel as I tried to muster the courage I needed.After giving myself a brief pep talk, I reached over to the passenger seat and grabbed the enormous bouquet of red roses I had George prepare, along with a basket of chocolates.Shutting the car door behind me, I made my way up the steps to the front door. I still hadn’t figured out a perfect explanation that would make her forgive me. Maybe the truth would be enough, wouldn’t it?I raised my fist to knock, but the door suddenly swung open, revealing Mrs. Johnson. Her eyes widened in surprise at finding me on her doorstep, but they quickly narrowed when she noticed the flowers and chocolates in my hands."Hello, Mrs. Johnson." I started with a tight smile on my lips, but she rolled her eyes and promptly shut the door in my face. I blinked
AsherI met George halfway to the edge of the pack territory, where, as expected, more than a dozen warriors were patrolling the perimeter."My King," George bowed as he approached, and I gave a curt nod in acknowledgement."What am I looking at?" I asked, scanning the clearing but seeing nothing out of the ordinary."This way," he directed, leading me towards the boundary between my territory and the unclaimed lands. As we neared a large oak tree in the middle of the clearing, the stench of rotting flesh hit me full force, nearly choking me on my breath.I scrunched my nose but remained silent as we approached the tree. There, pinned to the bark with an arrow, was the head of a wolf. The nauseating stench confirmed it had been dead for some time, but what truly caught my attention was that this was no ordinary wolf. It was a Devil Wolf, and this only solidified my suspicions about the experiments being conducted on them.I stepped forward and removed a small note that was attached to
Aphrodite I rushed up the stairs in excitement, eager to break the good news to Asher. I imagined how ecstatic he would be to hear he was soon going to be a father, and that thought alone propelled me forward.I swung our bedroom door open, fully expecting him to be there, but I was met with a cold, empty room. My excitement instantly dampened, and I shut the door slowly behind me, staring at the untouched bed in the centre of the room.I walked towards the nightstand and checked the time. It read 10:47 PM, which meant he would be back soon. With an excited grin on my face, I climbed into the bed, leaning my back against the headboard as I stared at the door, patiently waiting for his return.Minutes turned into an hour, and the excitement slowly turned into a deep yearning. The room felt unbearably empty without him. I needed him beside me to share in this incredible moment and to feel his arms around me, reassuring me that everything was real and wonderful.I blinked back the haze
Aphrodite I sighed the moment Asher walked out the door, leaving me alone. I emerged from the closet just as Lara entered the bedroom, softly closing the door behind her. She beamed when our eyes met, but I could only muster a faint smile in return.I slumped down on the edge of the bed with a deep groan. The bed dipped as Lara joined me, her smile fading when she saw the forlorn look in my eyes.She rubbed my shoulder soothingly without saying a word, silently encouraging me to open up to her.“He just left, Lara, and I understand he had to go, but why does it still hurt so much?” I murmured, tears blurring my vision. The pain of his absence cut deeper than I wanted to admit because he should be with me instead of going to work, but maybe I was being too dramatic crying about it.“Oh, honey,” Lara cooed, her voice soft and full of empathy. “You have every right to feel this way. He's your mate, and he should be here with you right now.”I sighed, wiping away the tear that had slippe
Asher I took the stairs two at a time, heading straight for our bedroom with Aphrodite in my arms. My thoughts briefly lingered on the male who was supposedly Aphrodite's old classmate. His appearance seemed ordinary enough, but there was something strange about his scent.Every wolf had a unique scent about them, but his, I just couldn't place my finger on. I shook my head to clear my thoughts, kicking the door open with my right foot before walking in. I gently placed her on her feet in the middle of the room, taking a step back to shut and lock the door.She stood with her back turned to me, the thin straps of her shimmery blue dress trailing down to her bare back, which seemed to beckon me. I took long strides towards her, stopping short when she was merely a breath away.I wrapped my right arm around her waist, palming her stomach as I drew her closer so her back was sandwiched against my front. She gasped when she felt my hardness, throwing her head back as she grinded sensual
Aphrodite Our wedding reception was going in full swing, with the ballroom lit with crystal chandeliers hanging overhead and music blasting from the speakers with a never-ending flow of food and drinks.The reception itself was an open invitation for anyone who wished to attend and celebrate with us, making it a lively and joyous occasion.Asher held me close to his chest as we swayed to the rhythm of the song playing softly in the background. His hand tightened around my waist as the song reached its climax. The moment the song ended, we bowed, and the guests went berserk with cheers. I was smiling so broadly that my cheeks began to ache, and I could barely feel them. I turned my attention back to my husband when he placed a hand over the small of my back and began leading us back to our table after our customary couple's dance. "Should we leave?" Asher murmured in a raspy tone, leaning down to my ear. I tried to stifle a laugh at his impatience as I met his gaze."We just got her
Aphrodite It was the morning of my wedding, and I sat staring into space, my heart racing as my mind conjured up various scenarios where the wedding wouldn't be a success. I exhaled a slow, shaky breath, trying to calm the fast palpitations of my heart that made me feel sick to my stomach.The urge to vomit surged within me, but I pushed it down, determined not to let anything ruin this special day.The team of stylists behind me moved in a muted frenzy, trying to get last-minute things in order, making me feel like I was in a movie. The stylist gasped the moment she finished her work and stepped back, cupping her hand over her chest.“My queen, you look breathtaking.” I blinked back the haze from my eyes at the sound of my stylist's voice, whose name was Alice, and focused on my reflection in the mirror.A beautiful woman stared back at me, and I blinked in surprise at how different I looked, almost not recognising myself. My makeup was flawlessly done, with smoky eyes and lips lined
Aphrodite“You're late,” I spoke in a bored tone. He chuckled, pushing back the dark strands of hair that fell over his forehead with his fingers.“I’m so sorry for keeping everyone waiting. I got stuck in traffic,” he replied, walking over to the table and pulling out a seat for himself. I snickered, looking away from him and down at the documents spread out in front of me on the table.I paused when that weird scent wafted into my nostrils. There it was again, and this time I was sure it was from Elijah, but the problem was why it smelled familiar and why I couldn't remember it. I blinked, clearing my head to focus on the task at hand.“Now that we're all here, let's get right into it,” I said, quickly handing out the questionnaires Brielle had insisted I distribute to the candidates.The rest of the meeting went by at a snail's pace until Brielle finally narrowed her choices down to Beta Conor and, unsurprisingly, Elijah. For some reason, she was completely besotted with him. I cou
Aphrodite Ronan strode confidently into the party like he owned the fucking place, a condescending smile stretching tightly across his lips. He approached our table without a word, pulled out a chair, and sat down, arching a brow as his gaze swept across the table to mine before locking onto Asher's gaze.“Isn't it funny that I had to hear the news of my son's mating ritual from a different source?” He chuckled dryly, picking up an empty wine glass and uncorking the wine bottle in front of him to pour himself a drink.“Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't feel the need to inform you of every single thing I decide to do, Father,” Asher responded, his tone dripping with sarcasm. Ronan scoffed, taking a leisurely sip of his wine before turning to me, his hardened gaze locking with mine.“I don't know what it is about her that you find appealing enough to want to taint our bloodline,” he seethed. Asher almost stood, but I placed a hand over his thigh under the table, calming him down—if only a little