Ariel pov—-Ariel's heart pounded in her chest as Alpha Calvin's piercing gaze bore into her. She was at a loss for words, her mind racing to come up with a plausible explanation."He... he just left for work," Ariel stammered, hoping Alpha Calvin would buy her lie. She tried to keep her face neutral, her eyes betraying none of the fear that was threatening to consume her.Alpha Calvin's gaze didn't waver. He studied her for a moment, his expression unreadable. Ariel held her breath, her eyes darting to the staircase where Xavier was hiding. She prayed that he would remain unseen.Just then, she caught a glimpse of Xavier's silhouette at the top of the stairs. He was watching them, his body tense and ready to spring into action if Alpha Calvin made any sudden moves. Ariel's heart ached for him, knowing the fear and tension he must be feeling."Ariel," Alpha Calvin began, his voice stern. "I don't appreciate being lied to."Ariel's heart skipped a beat. Had he seen through her lie? She
Ariel POV—-As Alpha Calvin's hand lingered near hers, Ariel's heart raced with unease. She desperately needed to diffuse the tension and prevent Xavier from revealing his presence. Just as anxiety threatened to overwhelm her, the sound of the front door opening provided a much-needed distraction."Hey, Ariel, I brought over some of those books you wanted," Chloe's cheerful voice echoed through the house.Ariel's eyes widened with relief as Chloe walked into the kitchen, her gaze immediately falling on Alpha Calvin. She paused for a moment, taking in the tense atmosphere, before a mischievous smile crossed her face."Am I interrupting something?" Chloe asked, raising an eyebrow playfully.Alpha Calvin quickly withdrew his hand, his expression shifting from intensity to one of composed authority. He straightened his posture and cleared his throat."Chloe, it's good to see you," Alpha Calvin said, his tone polite but distant. "I was just having a discussion with Ariel. Perhaps we can co
Xavier couldn't shake off the anger and resentment he felt towards Alpha Cole for his actions towards Ariel. Despite Ariel's reassurances and their agreement to be cautious, Xavier couldn't let it go. He needed to confront Alpha Cole and make it clear that he would not tolerate anyone disrespecting or harming Ariel.With determination in his eyes, Xavier made his way to Alpha Cole's office. As he entered, Alpha Cole looked up from his desk, a smile spreading across his face."Xavier! What a pleasant surprise," Alpha Cole greeted, extending his hand for a handshake. "I've been meaning to talk to you about some business opportunities. I think we could benefit from collaborating."Xavier ignored the offered hand and instead crossed his arms, his expression cold and unyielding. "I'm not here for business, Alpha Cole. I'm here to address your behavior towards Ariel."Alpha Cole's smile faltered, confusion replacing his initial enthusiasm. "I'm not sure what you're referring to, Xavier. I'v
Ariel couldn't believe what she had just felt. It was a surge of emotions and a connection unlike anything she had ever experienced before. But Xavier's sudden movement away from her brought a wave of confusion and disappointment.Xavier moved away from Ariel, his expression filled with fear and hesitation. He didn't want her to find out about the mate bond, not yet. There were too many uncertainties and dangers surrounding their situation, and he didn't want to burden her with the weight of their connection.Ariel, on the other hand, felt a mix of happiness and curiosity. She had always longed for a deep connection and love, and the mate bond seemed to offer just that. She couldn't ignore the pull she felt towards Xavier, the way her inner wolf seemed to want to bond with him."Xavier, what was that?" Ariel asked, her voice filled with wonder and excitement. "I felt something inside me, like my inner wolf was awakening. What does it mean?"Xavier's eyes flickered with a mix of emotio
Ariel Brent. POVIt was high time I left.The signs were everywhere. I had reached that point in my unlucky life.I, Ariel Brent, despite living for twenty-two werewolf years, still wasn't capable of doing a lot of things. A lot. I didn't even own my freedom.Maybe my heart would have ached a little if I wasn't staring at the screen of a withdrawing machine that boldly displayed my life savings.I was proud of myself and even if no one else would feel the same, Esther would. My sister would never fail to celebrate my small wins and the amount of money that was being displayed on the screen of the withdrawal machine wasn't so small.The sum of money was earned through hard work and when I eventually achieved my long-time dream of owning a diner, it became less hard to earn money. That was how I have been able to support my sister through the years since I owed my existence to Esther.Half of my monthly earnings always went to her to show my gratitude and also support her in my little
ALPHA KING Xavier My Grandma’s voice had been in the background but I ignored her calls for me to join her in the living room. She made use of the mind link but I placed a mental block between us. I needed my sleep. “What Alpha King sleeps till-” “A responsible Alpha King that hardly gets to rest, Granny.” I shouldn't have responded when she entered my room. Maybe I would still be sleeping in my room if I had turned a deaf ear to her. “You are wrong, Xavier. It's only an Alpha King without a mate that will remain in bed even though the day has broken hours ago.” My grandmother, Regina Roberts, a woman I loved so much and would do anything to please, muttered to me. Her face appeared before my tired eyes when she crouched before me to give me that signature smile of hers. “It's just a matter of time before my mate shows up, Granny. Wait a bit more-” “I can't wait any longer, Xavier. What if I die tomorrow or the next day or-” “You aren't dying anytime soon. So can I sleep mor
Ariel Brent My eyes found his face as I awaited his response. I understood that I was rushing the process, acting desperate and too forward but I didn't expect a man like Xavier to react the way he did to my request. He blushed. His toned skin couldn't hide the redness of his cheeks when he blushed and he appeared even more attractive to me. The proximity was messing with my mind and I forget about my fear when he blushed and just stared at me… I wondered what he must be thinking. Perhaps he thought I was a wayward female. I felt the need to explain to him and did dese the dominating emotions swiveling around us both. I wasn't used to being this close to a male. “I need the mark to tell my family that I have a mate. They will need evidence.” I uttered shyly yet nervously. The marking process was supposed to be sacred if it was happening between true mates or lovers but in my case, it was more of a necessity. “It might seem to you like I am in a rush but I have explanations and
Ariel BrentEsther had always been a duplicate of our mother. She was my assistant mom even when our parents were alive and after their death, she took the responsibilities upon herself. No amount of money I give to her would pay for all she had done for me.She loved me and I did too… which was why I was lying to her.Sometimes, a white lie was necessary. If I wanted to be selfish and be the younger sister that I was, I would have opened up my wounded soul and cried to my sister but it was high time I grew up and relieved Esther.She deserved to be less worried.I believed my actions would give her that but my sister gaped in disbelief. I would have believed it was a funny reaction if she didn't begin to cry harder and without hiding her tears from me. That was unlike Esther. She would never cry before me.“Ema-”“Don't tell me you chose a random guy so you wouldn't be sent to the Alpha King. please tell me you didn't do that, Zay. I wouldn't be able to live with that.”Esther lament