Arielle’s POV: I didn’t know how things were going to go with Richard. And this had less to do with the mate bond and more to do with the fact that he had apparently kept news of Devin being attacked by a Rogue, though nameless away from me. “Ugh,” I pressed my palm against my forehead. I was back in my room, having closed the clinic up early in order to prepare for my date with Richard. “What is wrong with me?” I decided to jump in the shower quickly, and then proceeded to scrub off every inch of my body. meanwhile my mind kept on whirling, and the gears in my head turning. What was Richard’s motivation for not telling me about what had happened with Devin, that a Rogue had been involved? Was he doing this to keep something away from me? Or was there something else involved? I didn’t want to think that Richard would mean harm for me. After all, he was my mate, and now that I finally had the guts to admit that I loved him, I didn’t want to begin to let my fear get the better of m
Richard’s POV:The date was going well for a start.Arielle and I walked to my home, where I had left specific instructions for the maids to take action on.Hopefully they were able to accomplish everything with no issues.“Penny for your thoughts,” Arielle spoke up beside me. I noticed that she had been giving me curious glances for a while since we had met- or rather, since I had come to pick her up at the front door of the clinic.“Are my thoughts only worth a penny to you?” I asked her with my tone conveying a mock hurt. Her curious look morphed into an amused one and she let out a smile.“I’m not sure yet. You’ll have to tell me what you’re thinking in order for me to decide,” she replied back in a teasing tone.You’re being talkative tonight, I told her through the mind link with a smile on my face.Her blue eyes sparkled, and though there was some shock in her expression, she nevertheless replied.And you’re not talking much tonight, she told me.I had to pause any more errant
Arielle’s POV:I had to admit, I was more than a little pleasantly surprised about how the date was going.A picnic. It had been like what I was expecting out of Richard. As I had mentioned to him, it was such a romantic setting. I had definitely not thought that Richard, the strong and stubborn Alpha with such a dominant personality, would do this.Still, I liked it, a lot more than I could ever express.The food had also been delicious, and we had eaten it in comfortable silence. It had simply been scrumptious, and I had found myself swallowing every bite with relish.Now that we were done eating, I watched as my mate gathered up the dishes and placed them back in the picnic baskets where they had come from.Letting out a sigh, I looked around. The place was simply beautiful.“Enjoying yourself?” I heard Richard ask, and I turned my head slightly, glancing out of the corner of my eyes at my mate.He looked incredibly handsome, with his face glowing due to the candles lit around thi
Richard’s POV:It was 9.30pm, and I had to admit, a part of me was incredibly distracted, still thinking about the plan that Devin and I had made. Less than three hours until midnight, until when I would enact that plan and take revenge for Leon or one of his Rogues attacking my pack members.Yet, I had been able to push the thoughts of attacking the Rogues in the dead of night out of my head, because Arielle was with me. I had put my all into all of this, the entire date.And now I was facing an interrogation from my own mate.The silence that reigned in the courtyard was now a tense one, unlike the previous atmosphere of romance that Arielle and I had shared before.I still had not said anything in response to her question about Devin and his attack, so she turned away from me, scoffing. Her hair was a haloed red in the golden lights of the candles behind her.“You haven’t said anything yet, Richard,” she broke through my mired thoughts with her voice. She sounded a little off, as i
Richard’s POV:The mate bond continued to burn even an hour later, as I sat on a couch in my study. Darren would be here soon, as I had promised to send him a message when the date was over and done with. Yet, instead of thinking about the damned mission, all I was thinking of was what a disaster I had made on this date with Arielle.I was brooding, yes I admit that. It was hard not to, especially with how much of a fool I had acted.The image of Arielle looking teary-eyed and begging me not to lie to her about anything, was still carving a hole into my heart.Damn it, Richard.Why had you done that?Why had you made her feel like that?Why had you done that to her?I was berating myself on the inside.A knock came on the door and I frowned to myself, not even bothering to look at the door when it opened.“Richard, how was the-“I cut my best friend off with a glare in my eyes as he entered my study. As soon as he caught the look, I noticed just how tense he suddenly became.“Darren,
Richard’s POV:I set out for the forest at just a few minutes to midnight.The entire pack compound was completely quiet, and I could not hear even a sound. As I walked to the edge of the forest, I kept out of the streetlights shining down and instead kept to the corners of the streets, where I could easily blend in with the shadows.The clothes I was wearing - the ones that Darren had procured for me - were coated with a different scent other than mine. It was specifically for the purpose of this mission, so that no one would be able to identify me as the one to attack tonight.As I kept on walking through the forest, my senses were on high alert. I could hear every sound of the crickets, every rustling of the leaves of the trees, and every other sign of ice in this vast forest.I was also careful to walk as stealthily as possible, so that not even a sound came from me. My breathing was slow and steady, and I didn’t make any untoward sound that would give away my location.Knowing whe
Arielle’s POV:Why had he done this to me?I left Richard’s home and ended our date with tears threatening to spill forth from my eyes. They prickled incessantly, just like the mate bond in my heart.When I got back to my suite, I flung the jacket I had worn on the floor and removed my heels from my feet, darting to my bed and huddling under the covers. Sobs ripped from my lips as I shut my eyes tightly. But that didn’t stop the tears from spilling down to my cheeks, like twin streams tainted with sorrow and pain.I was such a fool.Even as I laid down, my chest didn’t stop hurting, and I pressed my hand to it now, feeling my heart beat so fast through my rib cage as tears kept on flowing down my cheeks.I was such a damn fool to trust Richard. Why was he lying to me? Why was he doing this to me?Why had I let him?I felt anger now, aimed at myself. Why had I trusted him?Even after everything that had happened with Leon and the past that I had shared with the Rogue, I had still been
Richard’s POV:She was maddening, and somehow I wanted her more.I had woken up late today because of the fact that Darren and I had ended up having to discuss the possible fallout from my attack on one of Leon’s Rogues. But that wasn’t on my mind now. In fact, I had gotten up with nothing in my mind but my mate, and I was focused on figuring out how I could make it up to her.I had decided that it was best to tell Arielle everything, and I had also given Darren permission to do the same with Lilian as well. They deserved to know, as our mates, and Arielle of all people deserved to know that she had my trust, as well as my love.Having woken up very late & forewent my morning run and decided to have a shower quickly, before I left for the clinic this morning.As I entered the shower, I tested the mind link again, hoping against all odds that she would have let down the wall that she placed between us, and talk to me.Arielle, I called her name in the mind link but for no answer in res