I tugged at the arms squeezing my throat, trying to free myself as I gasped for air. His face was barred so I couldn’t see what he looked like, but I could see what he had on. A dark T-shirt that had the face of a wolf printed at the left shoulders was all I could see as I felt life slipping out of me. My eyes were closing slowly, I was losing the last strength I had in me. My body shook.
The disturbing sound of laughter in the background was even more worrisome than the hands gripping my neck. I tried to pry behind the man to see who the laughter belonged to but his bulky frame made it difficult. The more I tried to see the face, the louder the laughter sounded.I screamed and jerked up with a start, covered in sweat despite the fully air-conditioned room. My eyes danced around the unfamiliar environment before realization set in.I haven’t had a nightmare in a long time and there is nothing scary about this room. I spent most of my childhood days day-dreI groaned as my eyes fluttered open, but I snapped it shut again and pinched myself. Maybe it had been a dream and I was finally back to reality.“You’re awake,” I feel masculine arms helping me to sit up, and I groaned again when I recognized Daryl’s voice. It hadn’t been a dream. I clutched at my rumbling stomach and flung my eyes back open again. “I knew you would wake up soon, so I got you food,” he pointed at the tray on the table to my left.This room was different from the one I’d woken up in the earlier. It was small, and dark, with just a little light by the bedside to give the room illumination. The bed was nothing close to the comfortable one in Slade’s room and it could barely contain two people without their skin grazing against each other. While I’d been comfortable in Slade’s bed, I felt irritated in this one.“Where am I?” I questioned.“You’re in my room Aria. I’m not going to hurt you,” he says softly, pulling back a strand of hair from my face. I had been a fool once
Slade was resting against the large mahogany table, his arms crossed over his broad chest and his legs crossed in front of him. His expression was bland as he stared at me, totally ignoring Marcel’s greetings to scrutinize me.My eyes did a quick sweep of his office. It was large, with too much space than I thought was necessary. Two large monitors rested on the table, with a pile of paperwork stacked by the side, and a few scattered in front of the monitors. The far wall to my right has a large fireplace, with bookshelves lining it on both sides. There’s a long couch to my left beside a ceiling-to-ground window that overlooks the entire surrounding. I didn’t need to go too close to know the view from there would be fantastic.It bothered me that Sapphire had been alone with him in this office. I shouldn’t be, I reminded myself I only had to complete my deal here, but I couldn’t help it.“She saw Sapphire shift,” Marcel supplied.Slade nodded “Sapphire told me,” he says flatly, “Leave
“I don’t like green. Besides, the dress is too revealing,” I pulled the dress over my chest for the nth time, while Sapphire giggled and waved her perfectly manicured nails with a practiced flourish.“Nonsense, wait till Slade sees you in this,” she beamed, her blue eyes popping out.“I’m not trying to impress him,” I lied, and Sapphire’s brows shot up, but she doesn’t say anything more on the topic.I spent most of the day reading through different werewolf history, with Sapphire filling me in on the ‘Do’s’ and ‘Don’ts’ of the pack. She showed me around, although we couldn’t do a proper tour of the entire community. Dark Wolf is a large pack, and I am impressed by Slade’s contribution to its development.The alpha position of the pack has been in his bloodline since its inception almost a century ago. While the pack didn’t thrive in its early days, things only slightly improved during Elvis Slade’s reign (Hayden’s father) and took a drastic turn
Slade did not come to bed that night, and I did not catch any sleep either. They hated me. The look in their eyes said it all, and Slade glared at me like he was going to tear me apart, there was nothing but hatred in his eyes. The night was extremely long, and I reminisced on all that had changed in just a couple of days. I cried till I didn’t have any more tears left in my tear glands and I wish I’d not been too gullible to Sapphire’s tricks.She set me up, and I fell right into her trap. I wasn’t comfortable in that dress, but she made me believe Slade adored the color. He’d looked ready to send me to my early grave with the way his lips tightened when he saw me. It clearly wasn’t the fact that the dress was too exposed, it was the color.At early dawn, my eyes started to drift close, but I flung them open when I felt panic in my guts. Mere seconds later, the door swung violently open as he makes his way in, closing it with the same force he’d used to open it. I
SLADE“What do you mean you haven’t slept with her yet?” Marcel whispered, but loud enough for me to hear as he followed at my heels.“She’s too fragile. I fear she would break if I take her now,” I let myself into my office with my beta following behind me.“Since when do you care about that?” he hissed. I turned to glare at him before settling behind my computer.“It’s best she is strong enough to carry my pups nine months straight, don’t you think?” I raised a brow.“She’s human!” he exclaimed.“Half-blood,” I corrected, my face contorting into a frown.“Right. Half-blood,” he amended “But she doesn’t even know that, does she?” he probes.“Where are you going with this?” I growled, allowing my alpha aura leak to my tone. It wasn’t like Marcel to pick an argument with me. Marcel has been my best friend since I can remember, he was born to be my beta, but he knows his place and never outsteps his boundaries. He never disrespects or questions my decisions, and he is loyal to a fault. H
ARIAI watched as the werewolves of Dark Wolf pack assembled at the training ground and Marcel barked orders at them. As the pack’s beta, it was his duty to oversee the pack training alongside their head warrior. The training sessions are divided into three sections, as it will be impossible for all pack members to train at the same time. I have learned a lot in the few days that I’ve been here and I’m gradually adapting to the environment.I sighted Sapphire at the front rows dressed in a black sports bra and matching joggers. The bra pushed her chest up, revealing a large part of her bosom. She has avoided me like a plague since that incident, but I’d made up my mind not to confront her.I watched them train. They started with regular exercises before paring themselves to groups of fours, and then later to a partner each. They moved with speed, and I wondered if I would ever be allowed to train with them. I wanted desperately to be a part of Dark Wolf ev
“Spread your legs,” his command washed over me, goosebumps spreading rapidly all over my skin as I watched him unfasten his belts.I expected him to send me parking, or to punish me and demand his money back. To tell me he wanted out of the deal, or even spit in my face. To look at me with scorn in his eyes and tell me how much of a mistake I am.“I swear, it’s not what you think,” my voice shook, but his face remained passive, his expression bland, his jaw taut.“I gave you time to adjust, yet you insult me,” his voice was too cool it made me scared. I’d have felt at ease if he yelled, or crashed things like he’d done when he saw me in that dress. A knot formed in my stomach when I saw his lips had formed a thin line, tension gripping every part of my being. I searched for tears, but they deserted me. Right from the minute I set eyes on him, all I’d wanted was to please him, to make him see me more than the pauper that sold her body to pay off her family’
I tapped on the office door once, and without waiting for a response, I barged in. “What happens when the baby comes?” I crossed my arms tightly beneath my boobs and looked squarely into his eyes, ignoring the other two pairs of eyes that snapped up to look at me. “What?” Slade looked at me with bewilderment, his brows drawing together in confusion. “What happens when I get pregnant and the baby eventually comes? I deserve a right to be in my child’s life, don’t you think?” I didn’t think about if he was going to have full custody of the child until his statement last night and even though I’d not bargained having a child this early in life, it will be totally unfair to give up my baby and not be a part of their life. I don’t know the first thing about being a mother, in fact, the thought scares me, and I may suck at it, but I wasn’t going to keep giving him the idea that he could toss me about any way that he pleased. Naturally, I’m not someone that can easily be bent over, but ho