ARIA “So, the Alpha asked me to escort you to the pack facilities, if you are ready to go, of course.” Christianna chimed in, taking me out of my reverie. “Can we go tomorrow? I’m not ready to meet so many new people…” “We can go whenever you want. It’s fine with me. Tomorrow, the Alpha won’t go to the city. So, you can go with him instead.” She trailed. “No, no… I’m sure he stays back for a pack issue, and I don’t want to disturb him while he is doing his job. Can we go tomorrow? Together?” I asked her. “Of course.” She flashed me a smile. “Thanks…” ~~~ The evening had come, and I was walking with David through the little town – his pack, as he called it. I asked him to walk around the pack instead of the forest. It was high time I met new people and finally snatch out of my shell. And I wasn’t wrong. Everyone was friendly and welcoming. Children rushed to hug me like I was their heroine or something. I don’t even understand why I was afraid to get out. They weren’t monsters

DAVID I was at the packhouse today. I squeezed every meeting I had at the city the previous days and stayed to the pack for some issues regarding our alliances. I wanted to stay more just to get the chance to be with Aria sometimes. That’s why I tried to finish as many responsibilities as possible. I had sent Richard to the warriors’ house to see the paperwork there. My Gamma hasn’t returned yet. He was in training. Occasionally, a pack gathered all Gammas for additional training. The Gammas were responsible for educating our warriors. Theoretically, physically, and strategically, every aspect of their training included. That’s why they attended classes twice or thrice a year, either at a pack or at Alpha’s University, for new techniques or strategies. I was still worried about Aria. Yesterday’s talk about the rogues went totally out of control. I wasn’t expecting her to see me as a murderer. I don’t kill for a hobby. I do it to protect my people. And I was devastated that she wante

THEO It’s been three weeks. Three terrible weeks since that bastard took my woman away. The moment the supermarket clerk called and told me that my Ariadne had fainted, all rationality I had, abandoned me. I ran to Mrs. Maria, the neighbor, to mind the kids, and I just started running. Never in my life had I run so fast. I wasn’t into sports, so when I reached the supermarket, I was out of breath. All the employees were heading out of it since it was closing time. “Where is she?” I asked the clerk. “The sir must have taken her to the hospital.” “Who?” I asked, frustrated. Why didn’t I have a good feeling? “The one she was talking with when she fainted. When I went out to check on her, they weren’t here, so I suppose he took her to the hospital.” “Thanks.” I blurted out and started running back home. Took the car and went straight to the hospital. I asked at the reception, describing her characteristics, but no admissions had taken place in the last two hours. What should I d

DAVID Two weeks. It’s been two weeks since we came back from the clinic, and Aria seemed totally fine. We just returned from Ian’s party, and she went to tuck him in. Everyone was overwhelmed by what she had achieved. I saw the way she worked back on that island when I met her, and I knew that she had it in her. That’s why I offered her to organize that party. And perhaps give her the motivation to help my mother with Luna’s duties. Mom was discreet, but I knew she wanted to start traveling in order to search for our werewolf-human bond. We had no new clues. Only werewolf-witch bonds existed, and that was long ago, in the past. We didn’t want to dive into uncharted waters should she accept me. Especially with marking. What would happen if I marked her? Will she be okay? Will she turn or not? And my biggest concern: Will she live after that? By marking someone, you kind of inject your essence into them. Thus, their smell changes and is more like a combination of both mates’ odor

DAVID I smelled Aria’s sweet arousal while we were running. “I wonder what your dirty mind is thinking about right now.” I asked her, but at the same time my mouth uttered the last words, the putrid, disgusting smell of rogues reached my nostrils. It wasn’t just one, but two different scents. I helped her climb the tree, begging her to stay up there, checking if she had the little knife I gave her. Relieved to see it tucked in under her sock, I mind-linked the patrols and Richard for backup, giving them our exact location. Two rogues were nothing I couldn’t handle, but I wouldn’t risk Aria’s safety. The moment that the first rogue appeared from the trees outside the perimeter, I knew he must be their leader – their Alpha. He had the size of a typical werewolf, smaller than me, but bigger than the common ones. Another wolf stepped right next to him – a she-wolf and then, to my biggest surprise, three more wolves. I hadn’t smelled them before, apparently, because they weren’t rogues