Chapter 3
"Gretel, that man smells so nice."Oh yes he smells so heavenly. I wouldn't mind spreading my legs for him right here" Gretel responded, her voice quivering with excitement.Sighing, I calmed myself down and then stalked towards, lithely avoiding the bodies in the already overcrowded bar. I could feel his eyes following me throughout and it made me quicken my pace.Soon I was standing before the man. His eyes roamed my body in a slow and deliberate manner that clearly expressed that he liked what he saw. His lips curved into a smirk."Hi there." I said while panting. I wasn't sure if it was from being tired or having such a handsome man devour me with his eyes."Hi." His voice was a deep baritone that instantly made me wet between my legs. I clamped them close and slid into the seat beside him.He sniffed at the air before licking his lips and I know my attempt at covering my arousal had failed badly. He leaned forward till his mouth was beside my ear and I immediately tensed up, heart pumping in my chest."You look beautiful, and you smell so delicious."I turned red instantly."Mara, he smells so good too." Gretel chimed also panting and I could all but feel her drooling."I know.""T..... thank you."He sniffed at my neck before giving it a nibble and then licking it to soothe the ache. I moaned and that made him groan."Ugh. You sound divine, I want to hear more of those sounds come out of you and surprisingly, so does my wolf."My mind was beginning to cloud over but I was thankfully able to maintain a bit of reason. "L..... Let's find someplace more private."At first he didn't answer me as his hands slid beneath my blouse making my breath hitch and I thought he would take me there and then. Thankfully, my worries were unfounded as he retracted his hand in the next minute with a long sigh before grabbing me and pulling me out of the bar.We lodged in a hotel and we barely entered the room before he started to kiss me so fiercely. I could barely breathe. He threw me down on the bed and the air left my lungs in a rush. But I didn’t get much time to recover because suddenly he was on top of me and his lips were back. His hand slipped under my shirt, fingertips gracing my stomach, then the sensitive skin over my ribs. He cupped my breast through my bra and I arched against him. He pulled away, and I barely managed to suppress a sound of protest. He seemed to know it though. He smiled in that arrogant way as he pushed my shirt up over my head and unhooked my bra. My nipples hardened and his smile widened even more.He ripped at my clothes and I was stark naked on the bed.My legs spread as he stood before me, watching my snatch with a gaze that made me shiver.He wanted me as much as I did and it was written plainly on his face.He knelt between my legs. "What are you doing?"His mouth curved into a devious smirk. "Of course, I'm preparing to worship you like a queen and take your sweet nectar as my reward." I stopped breathing when I felt his warm breath on my wet folds.I pressed my lips together and then finally he trailed his tongue along my slit in one long stroke. I moaned, not caring if that counted as speaking or not. He alternated between quick and light strokes, and firm but slow licks until I was panting and on the verge of climax. My hands shot out and buried in his hair, wanting to press him tighter against me. He resisted. His thumbs trailed up my folds and parted them. With the tip of his tongue he lightly circled my clit until I started shaking, seconds away from tumbling over the edge. He sat back without warning. It took all my self-control to stay silent.“Turn around and get on your knees.”My eyes grew wide with surprise, but I rolled over and knelt on the bed.“Lower yourself to your elbows.”I did. Now my butt was raised into the air. The position felt strange, and even more exposing than the one beforeHe bent over me and wrapped an arm around my waist before he pulled me up against his chest. I was still kneeling but now my upper body was upright and he held me in his arms. He snuck one hand between my legs and started teasing me again while the other found my breasts and kneaded them lightly. I hung my head back against his shoulder, my breathing slowing.I could feel the tension building as his fingers worked their magic between my legs. He increased the pressure on my opening, the tip of his cock sliding in, and at the same time I came hard, my muscles squeezing his cock tightly. He leaned forward a bit more, pressing me down and my arms shot out to support my body on the bed while I was still recovering from my climax.He sheathed himself completely in me, then paused a couple of heartbeats before he started to thrust into me slowly. His movements became gradually faster until I had no choice but to lower myself to my elbows or my arms would have given in. As my muscles seized up under my release, he tumbled over the edge too with a loud groan.He stilled behind me as his cock twitched in me a few more times, and I buried my face in the sheets. My forearms ached from propping myself up. He pulled out of me and I thought it was over until he proceeded to take me multiple times till I was exhausted and unable to come again.I knew I would be sore the next morning but under his burning touch and hands, I didn't care.The next morning, I woke up feeling an ache all over my body.Fuck! I knew I would be sore.In my daze, I could vaguely hear Mr stranger walking around. Soon I drifted back into sleep but I didn't enjoy it as the nightmares plagued me. I felt very cold and alone. Suddenly a stream of warmth pierced through the coldness and it helped wake me up. What ? Did Me, stranger just kissed me on the forehead ?. He must have noticed me having a nightmare.Before I could open my eyes and comment, he was out the door.I touched it and then I felt a tear run down my cheek.I wiped at it and then another came soon after. Before I knew it, I was sobbing without making a sound. "I don't feel sad. I actually feel very happy, so why am I crying?" I asked out loud to no one in particular."It's because you feel touched." Gretel answered for me and that made me enlightened.No one had ever kissed me so softly after sex. It made me feel loved and wanted in a weird way.Gosh, I feel pathetic. Only a loser would feel that way. I felt somehow sad that I wouldn't see the man again, what was I thinking ? He was just a fling and nothing more .After composing myself, I got off the bed, freshened up and then checked out of the hotel. Now wasn't the time to feel pathetic because of a kiss, I had to tell mother about my plans," it I 'll miss my deadline for paying my tuition!"I took the subway as usual to the orphanage . Even with my hangover , I held onto the standing rail as my head banged incessantly.I knocked on the door I was on and waited. I was then given permission to come in.The owner of the orphanage, Belinda who I and all the children of the orphanage had been made to call Mother sat flipping through documents with her brows furrowed. .This was her office.She looked up briefly at me before going back to what she was doing. The indifference hurt but I wasn't going to show it as I had more pressing matters."Mother good morning. I have something important to tell you." I started and she just grunted in acknowledgement, not once looking away from her papers."My Uni tuition deadline is in three weeks. I currently don't have enough to cover it but once I collect my next paychecks it should be able to cover it. I just wanted to inform you as I will be leaving immediately I get everything sorted out.""No!" She refuted in an authoritative voice as she stated at me with a frown."What? Mother, I don't understand what you are..." She cut me off almost immediately."You can't go anywhere Mara. You know how hard it is to keep the orphanage running at this time. I need all the help I can get yet you wanna run away at the first sign of danger? No way! You can just commute from here to school. It's no big deal."I started to refute as I didn't really want to waste the money , I was cut short by mother's phone ringing at the moment.She raised her hand and signaled me to hold as she picked up the call.Something the other person said had her face changing as she stood up, mouthed for me to wait and then walked out to converse with the person.I sighed tiredly as I sat on the chair and ran a hand through my already messy hair. Time went by and she came back but this time, she had a smile on her face.She walked up to me and then held my hand gently."Mara dear" she started in a gentle voice and it almost immediately freaked me out. I know I always craved her validation but this mood swing is so sudden and weird."Yes mother?" I asked tentatively as I warily watched her smiling face."I wanted to inform you that you are getting married in two days."Wait, what?CHAPTER 4MARA’S POV“What did you just say?” I inquired, totally confused and dumbstruck.“You heard me right, Mara. Stop acting like you didn’t. This your reaction here is why I don’t like dealing with you. You always try to play down the situation till it suits your liking. I said you are getting married to our new sponsor. There! I said it again. Hope you heard this time around?” Her snide remarks or the fact that she said she doesn’t like dealing with me didn’t even get to me this time as I was too busy processing thewords I just heard.I was getting married? And that to with a total stranger who decided to wake up one day and sponsor the orphanage?“No!” I replied immediately.I didn’t even turn to gauge her expression as I turned and tried to leave. I would have been successful in my attempt if I didn’t realize that she had locked the door. She seemed to have anticipated my move so she locked it on her way back in.“Open the door!” I demanded as I turned back to face her. I wa
Chapter 5Mara povShe continued. “This is the least you could do for how I saved you back when you had nowhere to go. Plus, you know what would happen should the sponsor come tomorrow and be dissatisfied. I heard he has enough power to shut us down. Think of all the young ones who will be tossed out on the street.”“But..”“No buts! Just think it through. The future of the orphanage now depends on you and your decision. Also, should you agree, you are not to ever tell the sponsor that Talia is dead. We don’t want him to start digging only to find out about our involvement. Do I make myself clear?”I wanted to refute but I couldn’t. I clenched my fists till I was sure they had bled before I replied.” Crystal.”With that, I stormed out of the office and went straight to my room.I paced around agitatedly as both I and my wolf grew restless. In my chaotic state, I accidentally slipped on the rug causing me to stumble and fall headfirst into the carton box I had laid by my bed.The conte
CHAPTER 6RHYS’S POV“Have we met before?” I inquired as uncertainty filled me when I saw her eager expression. She didn’t feel familiar to me at all.Was this some sort of tactic to make me like her or was this some sort of outdated pick up line?I wanted her face to fall when I uttered those words and for a moment, a very brief and almost unnoticeable one, I had the thought to lift her spirit. I immediately shook such thoughts to the back of my mind.“I... we... The” I raised a brow as I watched her stumble upon her words as her cheeks colored a bit. I didn’t know why but I found this sight oddly cute. Her face and clumsy expression was weirdly pleasing to my eye.I chased those thoughts out of my head. No matter how nice she looked, I still preferred Talia’s beautiful and serene face to hers. She was what I longed for in a woman. A hardworking educated woman who sparked a man’s desire to protect her. Talia was all that and more.“My name is Rhys Ingrid.” I announced that the woman
CHAPTER 7MARA’S POV Huh? Why does this place look so familiar?"Hey Mara, hurry up and go get the juice from the basement." Wasn't that Sam's voice? I thought he wasn't talking to me again.Suddenly, someone that was an exact copy except with shorter hair sprinted through me. Seeing the dress she was wearing, I realized that this was a recollection.I stood like a bystander and watched as my other self sprinted to the basement happily. I remember thinking at that time that the orphanage kids surely make it obvious that they wanted to surprise for my birthday.I waited in the basement for a little while to give them time before coming out with the juice. I had been all smiles as I walked into the hall we used for celebrations in the orphanage.What I had seen had shattered me.The banner that had been hung didn't say happy birthday. Instead it said, congratulations Talia on your successful Thesis.Talia stood amidst them with all smiles as they sang for her and celebrated while I wat
Chapter 8Mara POV His words fell on my ears like a bombshell, and I knew right then that this whole thing was a very bad idea. Hell. Could I probably get myself out of this? I found myself scanning the halI for an escape route.The door and the window were a capital no way because I would be caught before I could even take three steps away from the altar.I could feel tears flooding my eyes. My hands gripped the bouquet tighter then a thorn pricked my finger. "Don't cry, don't cry," I repeated to myself over and over again, but my mind kept thinking of how I was getting married to a cruel man who seemed bent on punishing me for what I didn't do.My heart pounded in my chest as I stood at the center of the grand hall, surrounded by the extravagance of the whole wedding affair. I felt like I couldn't breathe as the realization that I was now bound to this marriage, to this pack, whether I liked it or not, dawned on me. I glanced around, my eyes sweeping the faces of the people from
Chapter 9Mara's POVI just stared at the ground, looking at the pieces of the white flimsy material of my veil on the ground. Tears were threatening to fall again. It's like a never-ending cycle of me being weak and pathetic."You don't even deserve to wear that dress on your wretched body. I could strip you of that dress if I wished to. Because in case you don't know or you don't know yet, I have the power to do whatever I want with you," he said quietly in my ears. He turned to leave, leaving me ashamed and embarrassed of myself. That was when I snapped."Well, I didn't ask for all of this. I didn't ask for you to get married to me, so if you think for one minute that you own me just because you forcefully made me marry you, then you are wrong!"I stepped closer to him, my tears brimming close, but I refused to let them fall. "You want to strip me?" I stretched out my hands. "Come on, what are you waiting for?” I didn't really know what I was saying, but when he looked at me wit
Chapter 10Rhys POV When she talked back to me, I smiled inside. She was quite intriguing. She always had that meek, pathetic look on her face, but seeing her with such fire in her eyes stirred something within me. My pulse quickened in excitement. I felt tempted to carry out my threat and take her right there, to see if she would display such fire underneath me."Seems like the little kitty has a bit of claw,” I smiled, “I am going to have a great time removing the fire in you.""I look forward to it, Alpha Rhys." She replied, not scared of me.My wolf grunted about bun approval. She had courage and he liked that. There was something undeniably captivating about her. This girl was going to be an interesting one to break.Then I finally remembered who she was. She was the girl who slept murmuring due to nightmares. That morning, I kissed her forehead before I could realize it. So I showed her my soft side?My scowl was back on my face.I turned to Alfred, disapproval was written
Chapter 11Mara pov It was too late to reach for the towel or anything so I could cover my body. I felt naked under Rhys's steady gaze, but I probably felt that because I was naked. What was I thinking when I didn't lock the door? I groaned inside my head. What was he thinking when he busted into my room? Yes, this whole situation wasn't my fault. Why was he here in the first place?Don't tell me he was here too..? I laughed nervously.‘Nah! That wasn't it. This man practically hated me, he couldn't come here and demanded I sleep with him because it was our wedding night. Can he?’‘He should be, I would gladly say yes.’ Gretel said. ‘Oh shut up! You would do anything for him. Why didn't you say anything when he was disgracing us earlier?’‘He probably had a good reason to do that, maybe he was protecting us from a dangerous spy that is living with us.’‘Just hear yourself, Gretel, you sound delusional.’‘You asked for my opinion.’ She huffed.I was so busy arguing with my wolf i