Ari's POV "Oh my God!"I screamed like a jackass as my laughter echoed.In hindsight, I should have been more sensitive to her feelings but this was Aniston, she was neither fragile or the touchy feely type or so, i thought until she spoke to me."Please, stop the car" she pleaded with me.I turned and looked at her, her face a gentle mixture of embarrassment and annoyance.It made me dial back my amusement.How am I supposed to enjoy this revelation if she was looking like that?I looked at her, my face adapting a sympathetic look like I should have from the very beginning.I thought of reaching out and squeezing her hand…just the littlest gesture to say she had nothing to be embarrassed about but I couldn't.I don't know why I couldn't.I certainly thought of it, even imagined myself doing it so vividly in my head but in real life…nothing. I decided to mask my inability to comfort her with more taunting. I can tell you with certainty that it's not a good idea."Oh, come on Sweeth
Aniston's POV I have always hated the feeling of embarrassment, it's like a warm blanket that descends on me and it makes looking people straight in the eyes downright impossible.I looked at Ari briefly. He was really handsome and breathtaking…and it confused me because a few days ago he was my mortal enemy and he wanted nothing to do with me, a few days ago he was trying to get his father to push me out of Bayblue citing reasons like I wasn't good enough, a few days ago everything made sense but now it doesn't.Now, the world was upside down with no warning at all and… now the wealthiest man I know was sitting beside me on a dirty floor by the side of the road. It was like a dream come true or maybe I was just dreaming. What if all of this was a giant dream and in reality, Ari chose someone else and he was ashamed to be seen with me and the last few hours was my brain's desperate effort to protect me from the pain by displaying a perfect world where we were together.Maybe I fell
Ari's POV I wondered how it would go over with her if I asked her for a kiss…not very well I imagined but It didn't stop my imagination from running wild.I stared at her. The phrase 'pretty like a diamond ring' locked in my head instantly. Girl was beautiful and it had nothing to do with her perfect face or posture…yet I couldn't figure it out."What? Do I have something on my face and teeth?" Her voice made me come out of my head. I realized I had been staring at her for way too long.Aniston came closer and showed me her teeth."Is there something stuck there?" Just like that the romance disappeared."You are a weirdo, Ani and I…don't want to see your teeth""Then stop staring!" She screamed."I can't help it. I want to kiss you!" I blurted out. "Because you are a dork and you dress like an Irish nun but you are also remarkable, Ani. You take the simplest thing and you make it special. It's one of the things that pulls me towards you"Aniston blinked then this little smile appe
Ari's POV I walked her to the door all the while lost in my head and barely paying attention to what she was saying.We made it to our part of the mansion when she grabbed my hand and squeezed."Are you okay? You were kind of quiet on the ride back here" Stellar observation! I wanted to yell but I couldn't take the chance that I would wake Meemaw and so, I opened the door to her bedroom and ushered her inside.I made her sit on the bed while I worked silently in removing her strap heels.I took my time like it was the most delicate thing in the world to do."You don't have to do that" she murmured but as a response I rubbed her foot.She seemed to love that because she threw her head backwards and closed her eyes, moaning at intervals like I was going down on her then as abruptly as I started, I stopped.Aniston sat upright and stared at me."Do you want to tell me why you are mad at me?" She asked.I rubbed my palm together and tried to shrug it off."I am not…""So your nose isn't
Ari's POV"Aniston!" I knocked softly before I pushed the door open.She was sitting on the floor and with her legs pulled to her chin."We are totally freaking out, aren't we?" I asked her and sat beside her."No, I am not. I am supposed to be freaking out but I am not. Why am l not freaking out, Ari? This is a big deal. This is a huge deal and all I want to do is kiss you some more and disappear into thin air. I should be freaking out! Right! Right?"I blinked. "Wait! You are freaking out because you are not…freaking out?" I closed my eyes and shook my head like it would take away some of the absurdity.Aniston turned and looked at me. She looked so afraid that it tugged at the strings of my heart and I wanted to protect her even if it was from myself."Do you want me to go?" I asked her but she simply stared.A few seconds and counting and I didn't hear a peep from her.I stood up eventually. I tried to open the door when Aniston stood up and yelled my name."Ari! You are just goi
Aniston's POV I exhaled through my mouth. I was indeed freaking out and who wouldn't be in my shoes. A man who was supposed to be my mate just told me he was in love with me and now, he was taking it back."Wait! Are you taking it back?" I asked again."If I say yes will you open the door?" Ari asked me from the other side of the door."No" I stood up immediately and opened the door. "You can't say stuff like that if you plan to take it back, Jerkface"Ari rubbed his forehead before he took a step back. He turned around and faced the wall like he physically couldn't look at me. I could see his tense posture and the way he rubbed his neck like he was a bad massage therapist.Oh my God! He was freaking out too."You have to believe me, I didn't mean to say it out loud like that" he said.I smiled and took a step closer to him. I made him turn around and I rubbed his ear lobes for some reason.His bright blue eyes finally mustered the energy and courage to look at me. He was wearing a
Storm's POVI stared at my ceiling and I threw the round ball on it at intervals. I could hear Luna and Alpha arguing. I tried to shut it out but against my wish I started to remember. I start to remember when everything went to hell and my family became a caricature of itself.I remembered the day I started hating Luna Annalise.I remember like it was yesterday. It was the day I followed them into the woods against my brother's advice.I wish I had listened.Why didn't I listen?Anyway, there is something about pain that keeps people on their toes. It's like a punch to the gut, a very painful punch to the gut. I saw my father stagger just a little bit before he stopped. Even the greatest Alpha to walk the earth wasn't immune to that punch.What the fuck?!I hid behind the tree as the shock of hearing what my mother said to my father went through me causing me to change back into my Human form again.I tried to control my pounding heart so as not to give away my hiding place. But this
Storm's POV "You are lying. Why are you lying? There is no way…I would…I…I.." My father's voice trailed off."Yeah, I am sure I was ecstatic to find out I was a mate to the bloodthirsty Alpha who murdered my uncle in cold blood! I was over the freaking moon to be your mate! To leave everything and everyone I love and venture into your pack to be your freaking Luna! You didn't do the right thing then and now, you want to because he is your son?! Hell no! Storm will learn how to live with his fate just like I did" Luna told him and I exhaled shakily."So, you made me force our son to reject his mate as payback? Because your father and pack forced you to live without the love of your life and so, you gave our son the same fate?" Ryan asked her.Wait what?! I was knocked down on my knees by that revelation.Is my own mother the cause of my pain?"Bella was an omega, she wasn't worthy. I did what was best for my son" she insisted."No. You didn't. You recreated history. If your parents di