I didn't mean to come off cold, but my irritation is getting to me. I didn’t think it would be so fucking hard. Just when I think Ari’s walls are coming down, she puts them back up. She hasn’t even been here for forty-eight hours, and I’m already losing my cool with her. I can’t even really be that annoyed with her. Her world just got turned upside down. She doesn't know me and doesn't understand our bond yet. Everything is so new to her, and she probably has more questions than she’s ever had before about her family, pack, and her wolf. I immediately regret my reaction. Deciding I need to work out my frustrations and get my head on straight. I hit Liam up for a drink. He owes me answers, and he knows it. I manipulate the shadows as they come around me to teleport me to the human realm. Once there, I head to the town near Liam’s pack. I hop into my black Dodg

On the way to the dining hall, through the maze of the damn mansion, Zane tells me I look beautiful, and my heart melts at his words. I feel like a high school girl whose crush just noticed her for the first time as the butterflies dance in my stomach. No one has ever had this effect on me, never. My mouth drops when we enter the dining hall. Long tables with benches are lined up in perfect rows. The back of the room has a large table where Cade, Blair, and another man, who I assume is Zane’s dad, are sitting. The stained glass windows are beautiful, depicting the grim reaper, crows, skulls, tombs, and shadows. There is a large chandelier overhead with skulls with candles inside them. Zane and I walk to the large table. The older gentleman stands. He’s wearing a fancy black velvet robe. His short white hair and short trimmed white beard

Heading back to my room, I find Ari coming out of the bathroom dressed for training. “Good morning, Master.” She greets with a smile.  “Morning, Pet. Why are you so chipper this morning?” I asked skeptically. My dad, I can get. Mom’s coming home, and that makes us all happy. However, Ari is in a good mood that I don’t know about.  “I slept well last night. Actually, I’ve slept better in the last week than I have in my whole life. Maybe I was just grumpy because I didn’t know what real sleep was.” She says, shrugging her shoulders.  I chuckle at her words. If only sleep were why she was grumpy, then half my issues wouldn’t be so bad. “I’ll work on getting your bed today,” I assure her. I’ve been saying that since she came home with me. I can’t help Blair and Cade are meddling in my relationship. I’v

“You alright, Pet?” Zane asks, breaking my thoughts. He’s standing at the edge of the bed in his training clothes. “Yeah, fine. You know I’m not a morning person.” I grumble, deflecting my feelings. I can’t bring myself to open up to Zane. I’ve tried. I just can’t seem to break down the wall I built around myself. The wall that I never realized I put up around myself. I’m so used to defending myself against everyone that it’s hard to trust. I’m too afraid to trust. I don’t think I’ve ever really trusted anyone before. I didn’t trust my parents because I knew they kept shit from me. I thought I trusted Sage, but I realize I never really did. I always secretly questioned her friendship, but I could never admit that she meant more to me than I did to her. I didn&r

Dinner is full of fun conversations. Zara is clearly the life of the party and the one who keeps all these grumpy men happy. I know Zara keeps Blaine happy. Somehow, I feel like they are still very much sexually active. Zara is blatantly flirting with Blaine. Zane and Cade groan several times throughout dinner for their parents to get a room. I chuckle to myself when they do it. Even Blair seems amused by it. It’s pretty funny watching Zara and Blaine torment their sons with their flirting and sexual comments.  By the time dinner is over, Zane and Cade have entirely given up on their parents. Zane makes some cranky comment about at least someone is getting laid tonight. Man, how long has he gone without it? I honestly assumed he fucked someone the night before he came to my pack. Okay, maybe that’s an exaggeration, but I assume he had sex within the last year, at least a few months. Zane is good look