Arielle’s POV:I don’t know how long that I had managed to sleep for, but it was already a few minutes past 7am when I opened my eyes.I didn’t get up immediately, instead i I just laid there, staring at the patterns on the cieling of my room, with my body relaxed and my mind moving in a flurry.I was thinking of the things that had happened in the last couple of hours - no, more like in the last night.I took in a deep breath and released it slowly through my mouth. I did that again, and again, until the knots that I could feel in my belly subsided just a little.There was too much going on, I decided, slowly finding the strength to get out of bed. With Leon’s ultimatum expiring in the next two and a half days, with Ethan who was Leon’s second in command needing to decide where he stood - either with me and the Redding Pack, or with Leon and the rest of the Rogues.There were just too many things happening, too many people involved now. And I was right in the middle, at the epicenter

Arielle’s POV‘Angel.’Hearing Richard’s voice through the mind link that we both shared made me raise my head and stop writing what I was attending to on my patient file.‘I’m here,’ I replied, waiting to hear what else he was going to say. ‘Is everything okay, babe?’There was enough of a pause after I asked that question that I began to wonder what was wrong. Had something happened?But then I heard his voice again in my head.‘I need to see you. Now.’The tone of his words made tingles run down my back as I tried and failed to conceal how my body reacted to my mate, who sounded extremely attractive right then.I looked down at my hands, glare at the patient’s file that was open right in front of me.Could I skivvy off work today?Dare I?Besides, I needed the rest, and the date night last night had beeen interrupted and overtaken by a series of unfortunate events. So why not take the plunge and spend time with my mate now that he clearly wanted to?‘I can meet you in a few minutes

Instead of going to work like I had initially wanted to after I got dressed and ready for the day, i was leaving the clinic, walking down the street towards a place I had only been to once in the Pack Compound.I needed to see Ethan. Richard had told he that he was being difficult, more than once, and to be honest, I felt pretty guilty about it.If Ethan could switch sides and join the Redding Pack I’m going against Leon and the rest of the Rogues, it would be a big benefit to us.Being Leon’s right hand man, Ethan was certainly one of the only other Rogues who would be privy to Leon’s secrets and plans.So, it had to be him.And somehow, I had to find a way to convince him to join us. That was the only way that he would also be spared from punishment by Richard and Darren.Upon reaching the smaller pack house that was at the end of the street, I noticed that there were three warriors patrolling round the house. Were they placed here because of Ethan?I doubted that wasn’t the case.I

Arielle’s POV The third day dawned bright and early. For some reason, I even managed to wake up earlier than my alarm had even rung. Something was churning deep in my stomach. It was an emotion, a sense of uneasiness in fact. I didn’t know why I had that feeling, other than the fact that I knew somehow what today was.It was the third day, and marked the end of Leon’s ultimatum. Like the last time he had given me an ultimatum, I knew that I would never be able to do what it was that he wanted of me.And unlike the last time where I had to tread carefully because I was alone in the Rogue’s hideout, I was definitely not alone now. In fact, all things considered, Leon was the one that had to tread carefully, because he was now in a territory that was not his own. And he was making a desperate gamble, as Ethan had said during the meeting that he and I had attended with Darren and Richard the previous afternoon.Despite the sea of uneasiness in my body, I was calm for the first time in th

Arielle’s POV:“So you have returned to me at last,” Leon said, and I had to fight every urge in my body to not roll my eyes at him.Just when I was beginning to feel that old fear again, like a foe I didn’t wish to face anymore, he goes ahead and says something absolutely ridiculous, to say the least.“I’m here because you threatened my pack, Leon. I could care less about whatever damn delusions you have about me returning to you,” I said to him, and watched his face twitch. There was a tinge of satisfaction in me getting to say that to him.Then again, he didn’t seem all that annoyed. Instead, he looked certain, as if all he had wanted had been given to him on a silver platter.“Still, you are here, aren’t you, darling?” Leon asked me, before he then looked over my shoulder. His grin widened. “Ethan, you have returned. And I’m glad that you managed to get Arielle here today.”He was here.I did my very best to not react as I heard someone - I don’t know which of the Rpgues that it w