Arella's POV
“That sounds like a lovely idea.”
I snapped my head around, and there, stepping gracefully into the kitchen was Selena. She looked like those photo-shopped models that just stepped out of a magazine or something—gorgeous, poised, and effortlessly elegant. She didn’t belong in the kitchen, covered in flour and sugar. Yet there she was, eyes gleaming with curiosity.
“You think so?” I asked, raising an eyebrow and wiping my hands on my apron. “I was just telling the kids about a little party we’re going to throw for them. Cain’s birthday is overdue, and Eva’s is right around the corner.”
Selena’s lips quirked into a smile, though her eyes betrayed a hint of caution.
“Yes, a party sounds wonderful,” she agre
Arella's POVResting my head against his chest, I closed my eyes and let the steady thrum of his heartbeat calm me. He barked some orders that went over my head, but a moment later, I felt the cold touch of fresh water brush against my lips."Drink," he urged, crouching in front of me, his eyes searching mine with worry. I took the cup and sipped, the cool water soothing my dry throat. Zane had sat us both down in front of the fireplace, cuddling me close. From the corner of my eyes, I saw a male figure shifting back into his wolf form, and I realized that it must have been Rick.“How are you?” Zane asked, his gaze full of concern, as his dark eyes found mine. I reached up and caressed his cheek, wanting to reassure him."I may need therapy," I joked weakly. "Considering I just killed someone, and I don’t feel bad about it.""It was your life or theirs. You made the right choice," he replied glumly, with his usual
Arella’s POVI let Zane hold me, for what felt like an eternity. And still, it didn’t feel like it was long enough. Holding him again felt like a miracle I didn’t know I deserved. Relief washed over me, a wave so strong it nearly knocked me off my feet. Suddenly all the terrifying scenarios of losing him ran rampant in my mind and I held him tighter. Hell, images I hadn’t let myself linger on until now flashed in my mind, raw and unbidden. I could barely breathe thinking about him hurt, let alone--- No! I couldn't go there!The thought of never seeing him again was so painful it frightened me. I’d never felt this strongly about anyone before – most certainly not about any of my previous boyfriends and not in this short time.Fuck, this shit was intense!"Are you sure you’re alright?" He asked, his voice low and tender, as we finally broke away from each other. Hi
Arella's POVI let out a vicious growl, frustrated with how slow the process was going. The primal part of me felt good to voice all the pent-up anger that bubbled beneath my skin and my wolf snarled, displeased to be kept out of the fight. I swung my ax, finding my target easily, but I didn’t dig it deep enough. The wolf got back up, shaking his head as if confused about what had happened.And then charged again.Mother fuc---!Suddenly, Rick’s wolf let out a howl, and my head snapped in his direction. Two rogues had ganged up on him, and while he had been holding them off for now, one of them had gotten lucky.He was bleeding…Badly!“Rick!” I shouted, just as two rogues tackled him. He snarled and threw one off, but the other latched onto his side, tearing into him. I swung my ax again, knocking the wolf off him and sending him flying into a nearby tree. But my relie
Arella’s POVI hated this part!First, the deafening silence had settled over the cabin when Zane left. It wrapped around the cabin like a suffocating blanket, every creak of the wood or rustle of the trees outside setting my nerves on edge. My grip on the ax tightened, the cold metal grounding me as I paced the room. It was worse than any horror movie suspense and I hated it.But then came the howls!The night was filled with haunting growls and the distant sound of fighting sent shivers down my spine. My pulse quickened and my wolf stirred restlessly beneath my skin. My body ached as if I was about to shift. But as much as I would love to be in my wolf form right now, Zane was right about one thing:I didn’t know how to fight in my other form!Damn, that stubborn, sexy beast…A noise outside the cabin pulled me from my spiraling thoughts. My heart leaped into my throat a
Zane’s POVROGUES!I was fast asleep, when suddenly my wolf let out a howl, waking me up. The beast snarls, tearing through my mind like a warning bell. A second later, I realized that he was right. The sharp scent of rogues in the wind jolted me awake. I sat up immediately, my heart pounding. The cozy warmth of the cabin vanished under the icy wave of adrenaline.Why the hell didn’t our guards alert us?Using my wolf’s senses, I scanned the area, realizing that the rogues were quite a far way out! But to my confusion, my guards were still in position, circling the cabin with precision, as if they were patrolling.What the hell---?!The tension between trust and doubt gnawed at me. I had handpicked these wolves, these men, to protect m
Arella's POV“Wha---what are we doing here?” I gaped, blinking up at Zane, who easily shifted back to his human form. He smirked mysteriously, pulling on a pair of black jeans and a T-shirt.“You’ll see soon enough,” he smiled, handing me a tank top and jeans. I shifted to my human form, almost laughing when I saw the King snarl into the trees. What? He thought the woodpeckers would like my tits or something?Zane took my hand, and like a true gentleman, he opened the front door for me. The memories of our first encounter flooded back. All the chaos, the witty jokes, and--- holy shit! I just realized how many hints I’d missed, indicating that Zane was a werewolf.Illuminate!No wonder he’d laughed...As we stepped inside, the scent of burning wood mingled with something sweet and savory. I gasped as the space had been completely transformed. A small table w