ARIAHolding my hair up with my left hand, I gripped the toilet seat with my right while I puked for the second time today. I groaned and splashed water on my face once I was done, then go ahead to wash my mouth. I’d experienced extreme cravings for the most of today, and having exhausted all the junk Gwyn had brought in earlier, I clutched my stomach in disappointment as it starts to rumble. The rate at which I’m stuffing myself up, I’ll definitely put on a lot of weight, and then Slade wouldn’t find me attractive anymore.I frowned and smacked myself in the head. Why do I need to worry about him finding me attractive anyway? None of this would matter in a few months.I miss my family, Audrey especially. My dad was a jerk, but I realize I miss him too. I miss my mum’s embrace and her constant fretting. I smiled at the thought. This man didn’t just cut me away from the world, he totally shut my family out, and now he has deprived me of any human interaction. I should hate him, but I s
I dropped my fork, my plate wiped clean whereas Slade’s meal had barely gone halfway. Apart from the fact that I’d grown a larger appetite than normal which is a result of me being pregnant, the food was too good.Slade didn’t mind though, he even offered me some of the food on his plate and was a little disappointed when I turned it down. I was too full already, if I forced anything down my throat, I’d end up vomiting again. I looked down at my tummy which was flat just moments ago. It was now a little bulgy and I was grateful the shirt I wore wasn’t so body-hugging.“You will look even better than you do now when you start to show,” he mouthed with obvious possessiveness, pushing his half-empty plate away. Instead of a reply, I turned away to hide the redness his words brought to my cheeks and I was even more grateful when the waiter came with the bill. There weren’t any other customers in the restaurant, which made me wonder if he’d asked that the place be cleared out before our a
The ride to the house was quiet, but I caught Slade watching me through the rearview mirror even though I pretended not to notice. I tried to decipher the meaning of Allegra’s words, but it didn’t make any sense. I thought of telling Slade everything she said, but I decided not to since he didn’t ask. I figured if she wanted him to know, then she’d not have asked him to excuse us in the first place. When we got to the house, I noticed Slade being weird. He literally followed my every move and was even nice enough to offer me a massage, which I turned down. When he wasn’t watching me, he was texting on his phone, his brows drawn together with suppressed anger. What if he was texting Sapphire?A part of me wanted to ask what was wrong, but knowing Slade, I doubt if I’d get an answer. I watched him angrily toss the phone away while I made my way to the bathroom. Allegra said he’d hurt me, but she’d not exactly told me how. Could he hurt me anymore than he already has? She’d asked me t
Working with Slade was horrific, but at least it gave me an insight on how he spends his days. There’s so much to do that I convinced myself I’d never be able to keep up. I was lost the whole of the first week. For a pack as large as Dark Wolf, the work was endless, and every single paper passed through the Alpha’s desk. They needed his authorization on everything, coupled with the long boring meetings he had to sit through. I couldn’t attend all with him like he initially suggested.I understood why he was the Alpha. It wasn’t just the fact that the title was handed over to him, or that he was the strongest in the pack. Alpha Slade was born to be an Alpha. He is smart, and making decisions came naturally to him. I’d read that he’d never made a decision that didn’t turn out to favor the pack, and I got to witness it firsthand. He didn’t falter or stutter while dishing out commands, and while others scurried around to do his bidding, he handled the work on his desk with so much ease,
DARYL“You know we are going to have to do something soon, I can’t keep hiding here forever,” I groaned. Sapphire glared at me, so much so that I had the urge to cringe. Why did she hate me so much? The way I see it, she is stuck here with me till she comes up with a better plan, but I’m not sure how long I can remain within proximity of her and not touch her. My wolf still wanted her, despite all she’d done to us. She’d rejected us, treated us like dirt, and at some point, I was convinced I hated her, but after spending the last week locked in here with her, my wolf was getting addicted to her scent again, he still craved her, especially now that it looks like we might still have a chance with her. “You think I don’t know that?” She scoffed “It is so unfortunate that I’m stuck with you! Believe me I want nothing more than to be out of this space with you Daryl! My life would have been so much better if I’d just let you rot in that cell,” she spat with venom, her eyes flaming up. M
ARIA “Do you really have to come with me? It’s not like I’m going to run away with Lennox body guarding me,” I frowned, while Slade buttoned his shirt. He doesn’t answer immediately but I know he heard me. It took a lot of work to get him to agree to let me out of Dark Wolf. When he finally agreed to it, he was having all his best warriors escort me, and just at the last minute, he postponed all his work to tag along. I was dressed nicely. Earlier in the day, he had Gwyn take me to the salon to do my hair and nails. Nothing too loud, but then, it’s been ages since I had my nails done. I don’t like make-up, and I was glad he didn’t insist I sit through a complete makeover, just a little touch. The dress I was wearing was picked out from one of the flamboyant dresses Luna Evelyn made me buy when we’d gone shopping. I’d complained about how expensive it was that day, but how could I forget the amused expression on her face? “I can’t let you out there on your own,” he murmured, his eyes
I pulled out of my mom’s tight hug to be enveloped in my father’s large arms, and then Audrey’s embrace lasted the longest. Everything feels different. That glow was back in mother’s eyes, she looked better, as did Audrey and father. I was glad when Slade and the others excused themselves to give us some time alone. Mom had tears in her eyes as usual, and I don’t think I ever saw father this happy, or well kept. I didn’t realize I was crying myself until father wiped a tear from my eyes with his thumb. I’d missed them so much. Never would I have thought it possible to stay away from my family for this long without any means of communication. I looked around the house, admiring its beauty and furnishings. It felt like just yesterday when we’d been living from hand to mouth and struggling to pay off father’s debts. “Ari, you are starting to show,” mom squealed like a schoolgirl, her eyes fixed on my stomach. My cheeks reddened and I rested my left hand on my stomach. “Really?” I loo
I hugged my family goodbye, annoyed at how short the visit lasted, but more embarrassed that he’d heard the last part of my conversation with my mom and sister. I could make do of some super powers right now, turn back the hands of time and take back everything I said. Just how much had he heard exactly? From the look on his face, I knew he’d heard a lot.I stared out the vehicle window and waved at Audrey one last time as the ride began, keeping a safe distance away from him with my nose pressed to the glass. My cheeks were still flushed in embarrassment, my thoughts all jumbled up. The ride was unusually quiet for the most part, which made it even worse. I was overthinking things now, trying to figure out what was going through his mind. But I have never been exactly good at reading anyone’s mind, especially not his. ‘You are thinking too much. He’s our mate. It’s not wrong to admit you are attracted to him,’ I froze, recognizing my wolf’s voice almost immediately. ‘Tell me