~Aria Without moving a single inch, I watch as Malik pulls a chair out from under the reading table, before he slumps down on it, although, he manages to make it look graceful, regardless. With closer observation, I can see the beginnings of dark circles under his eyes. He's tired? Maybe it's from all the traversing after me in the depths of night he enjoys. "Punishment," I echo his last statement, trying to make the word sound a little more real in my ears. I should have suspected a repercussion for all this sneaking around; especially after Brynn's incident with him earlier today. She got away with a strict warning, while I managed to obtain a new nickname and the title - still unknown to everyone-of the first competitor to meet the Alpha. The soft curves of Malik's mouth tilts up. "This could entail whatever you would like it to." We stare at each other, blue on a slightly les

~AriaBrynn wasn't at breakfast the next morning. Zariah and I were left to sit at a table with a bunch of other girls we weren't familiar with. Apart of the group, were the two girls from the Loyalty Pack, who looked strikingly similar; Braelyn and Maren."That's too weird," a girl I recognised as Livia, from the Wisdom Pack growled at Maren, who was trying her best to ignore the girl while eating a pancake. "You guys can't go on double dates with Malik...That's wrong."Zariah rolled her eyes, chewing on the end of her banana. She knows that the other girl from her Pack likes to start arguments."Leave us alone," Braelyn snapped. I've come to know her as the one who likes to speak out more out of the two. If I had to guess, Maren has come from a very secluded, sheltered part of the loyalty Pack. Braelyn seems to be the devil on her shoulder at the best of times, and sometimes I'm left to question whether the two are actually strangers.Livia leant back on her seat. "I'm just telling

~Aria"I just don't get it, you know?" I say, pulling the edge of the potato chip packet back, so I could find a good one.Malik sat opposite me, flicking through a random book he had picked up. He had shown up in the library tonight like he had promised. I was also granted some decent food, along with his presence, after I had to wait ten minutes for him to get away unnoticed. The past few nights, he hadn't had any problems, but after the conversation of Patience was brought up, and the fact that her going home had him swarmed with more security, I began to understand.Now him and I are discussing the unorthodox moment that we both witnessed today. Me first hand. I had even had to convince security it had actually happened, after some sort of wild excuse she had come up with. Luckily, Malik heard the truth in my words and eliminated her without a second thought."Me neither," he murmured, still looking down at the book. "I'm just hoping no other girls are doing this behind my back. T

~AriaMalik caught my arms as I stumbled backward. The weight of the world cinched tight around me, swallowing every sense of understanding about the situation. Why would he take me here. "What's wrong?" I hear Malik question, although I hardly understand through the assault of thoughts hitting me right now. The urge to turn and run as far away from the house I spent my entire life in, is immense, but Malik's presence behind stops me. "Aria...You can tell me? What's wrong?"My parents were in there. The exact parents who completely betrayed my trust. They used my lack of independence as an excuse; as a way to cut me out of their privileged lives. I may be doing this to save their lives, but I never want to see their faces again. If I did, I might do something I'll regret..."We need to go," I mumble, feeling sober suddenly. Who knows how long it will take until one of them sees us out here. I brush past Malik, wishing my head wasn't spinning so much. My only thought is that I need

~Aria Again, Zariah had to pick Malik's lock. As I watched her do it, I wonder for a brief second if I should warn Malik to invest in a better lock system even a Wisdom Pack member wouldn't be able to crack.The movement of her swinging the door open mirrored the wave of fear that assaulted my heart."You search the left side, I'll search the right," Zariah said fleetingly before she wandered straight into the room without a hitch in her step. Swallowing, I took a few moments to get myself together, before I followed her inside.The first thing that struck me, was how his room heavily smelt like him. I should have expected the rich yet subtle spicy scent of Malik. It sunk another bout of guilt onto my shoulders, making me inwardly curse myself as I close the door behind me. Yet all my worry evaporated suddenly, as I took in the Alpha of Love's room.He hadn't bothered to make his bed - his white sheets rumpled around his mattress. Wouldn't someone make it for him, or does he not let