Richard’s POV:I held her waist, looking into her surprised blue eyes. Why did holding her feel this wonderful? Why was I thinking of leaning in and linking her lips with mine?Why was Arielle doing his to me?What was she doing to me?Why was she the only one I knew who could ever make me feel this way? I was not inexperienced with women, not had I ever met a woman that would ever make me confused such as Arielle was doing to me right then. I had no idea what to do with her. She was the most infuriating woman I had ever met, because somehow she had the ability to stir up feelings where there used to be none.But I had to push her away, or at least keep her at arms length until I could figure out why she was the only one capable of making me feel this way.I needed to know why this doctor was always invading my thoughts, my mind.I blinked slowly, trying my hardest to focus and let go of her.Finally, I managed to say, “Ypu should be on your way inside, Arielle. It’s going to be a col
Richard’s POV:It being the day before the full moon party, there was a lot of things that was needed joe me to sign off on before the preparations could be in full swing. I started with those tasks first and then moved on to the ones less pertinent afterwards.I spent most of the day in my study, not paying attention to any knocks that came on the door. If it was urgent, I would have felt it, and o was sure that Darren, the ever capable Beta and my best friend, would handle any issue brought to him with the wisdom and charisma that he always hadI trusted him to handle whatever would come his way, and his judgement on whether or not I would need to step in was always superb.However I would refrain from telling him that, because he always had a big head whenever he would get praised. Although, I did appreciate the way he handled his Beta duties, giving me a lot of time to focus on the most important work for the pack.By the time that the sun had set and night time had arrived, I had
Arielle’s POV:I woke up early, unlike most of the pack that day. Everyone was up late last night preparing for today, which was the full moon. I suspected Beta Darren and Alpha Richard had the bulkiest of works to take on today. From what I heard, there would be at least two packs visiting with their delegates for the day.I had already decided to not go to work. I had too much work still leftover from my time at the Rogues to finish, that had piled up in my absence. I don’t think that I would have the luxury of time if I didn’t attempt to finish it today.As I dressed up to go on the morning run that Lilian suggested I use to condition my body, I thought if he last time I saw Alpha Richard. It was the previous day and I had accidentally bumped into him. Actually, scratch that. I nearly bowled him over as I tried to keep myself running and breathing well. I had not run in so long.The truth was, being a medical student in advanced learning program, a lot of things that normal student
Arielle’s POV:I felt my the strain of my weight upon my shaking legs, and soon enough, my knees buckled and I fell to the ground. I was sweaty, panting and tired.Yet to my consternation and despair, Lilian had yet to break a sweat.“Let’s stop here for today,” she finally said, making me feel the sweetest bliss of relief run through my body.“Thank the goddess,” I managed to say, as I watched my friend and warrior of the pack approach me and lower her hand to me so that I could take a hold of it and pull myself up.With a grunt and gasp - man, my body really hurt - I stood up, stumbling a little as I tried to catch my breath. “This training thing is harder than I thought it would be.”She let out a short burst of laughter, shaking her head at me.“Don’t worry,” she consoled me. “The hard part is always the beginning. After a while it gets better and better...”“I don’t feel like it would ever get better,” I whined, walking through the training grounds and casting my eyes around the
Questions and RealizationsArielle’s POV: I was unable to think properly, and I was sure that Lilian had noticed my absentmindedness a long time ago, but she must have dismissed it as fatigue caused by the training. Thankfully, I was able to use that excuse to part ways with her, and she bade me goodbye stab intersection leading to our separate places. Inside my chest, I felt how the pack bond bloomed in my chest, increasing and waning with equal levels of warmth each time. The pack bond seemed to be active somehow, I noted with my science/inclined observation. I still had no idea what might have caused this, but I needed to at least try and figure it out. Without a word to my assistant, I went up the stairs and entered my suite, moving to the bookshelves now filled with the books I had brought with me to the Redding Pack when I had first arrived. I needed to research on what is causing me this pain in my pack bond, and what I suspect had caused me to heal that boy from this mo
Meeting the EldersRichard’s POV:I was so damn tired by the time I reached home, entering into the pack compound. I felt the bond a lot in my chest like I was once more at peace - I was home, finally.It had been two days since I left the pack, on an impromptu mission, as I had informed Darren. Sometimes, I thought wearily, the life of an Alpha weighed down on me, and was too deeply ingrained in me. Instead of resting up after the night of the full moon festival, I had immediately gotten up early the next morning to prepare my things to leave for the next two days. Darren had to see off the delegates from the two packs that attended the festival in my place.I frowned even deeper as I thought about the events of the full moon festival. I still had something weighing down on me apart from my inability to have some rest - my mate bond had been activated.After so long , I had finally found my mate.I felt it that night after I transformed, like someone was calling out to me and pulling
Richard’s POV:After that long meeting I had with the Pack Elders, I was already feeling the most drained that I had ever been in my life. However, I had to straighten myself up and keep on going.Because I knew without a single doubt that Darren would be waiting for me in my study. He would report to me on the goings on of the pack while I was away, and any urgent mayters that he had to attend to in my absence.That was our usual routine after I got back from a mission, and now I was mentally prepared for wherever he had to say. After all, I had not only asked him to do a few specific things for me as well. Therefore I was definitely not surprised when I opened the door of my study and found my friend sitting in the couch to the side.“Hey, man,” he greeted me while standing up. “How did the meeting with the Elders go?”I let out a groan as I moved towards the bar where I had a half-finished bottle of whiskey. Pouring two fingers of whiskey for the two of us in two crystal shot glass
Meeting ContinuedRichard’s POV:Darren huffed, and I saw him cross his arms over his chest, before speaking.“Well, since you’re so insistent on knowing,” he began with a joking tone before his expression turned serious. “I wanted to know what you thought about Arielle and Leon.” I cocked a brow at him, confused at his question. “You now know that they used to be mates. Or at least, according to Arielle, before he then rejected her. What do you think about that?”I then understood what he was asking.“You want to know if that has changed my opinion of her,” I stated rather than asked, and he nodded at me.I frowned down at my hands clasped in the desk, trying to figure out the words to at in response. In fact, how could I even explain how I actually felt? Would Darren understand?“To be honest, I don’t really know,” I slowly began, only for my best friend and Beta to snort out loud.“Come on, Richard. We both know that it’s bullshit. You care much more than you think you do,” Darren