BELLA.I had no idea what got into me, but I panicked the moment I smelled him. Everything came flashing in my head - my dreams and everything I worked hard for. Ellie was willing to readjust her life so she could be with Dawson, but I was not sure if I could do that.Especially after finding out, I was mated with Trent.Everyone was talking about him last night, how he was the player among all of them. Who would want to be mated with a player? I spent my entire life saving myself for my mate, only to be mated with a player who changes females as if they were clothes.What would happen if I decided to pursue my studies? Would he satisfy himself with other females while I wasn’t around?I wouldn’t deny that I was attracted to him. He was the most beautiful man I’ve ever seen, but he scared me. Hauling me like I was a piece of meat ready to be devoured was something I wasn’t prepared for. Was he like that with every female he encountered? He thought he could get everything with just a s
BELLA. He smiled at me again, and my heart felt like it would jump out of my chest. "Yes. We’ll take it slow. At the pace you want." A smile graced my lips as I nodded my head. It was my first real smile since I saw Trent, and now I couldn’t wipe it off my face. I knew even if I was giving him a chance, it wouldn’t change anything in his past, but I was hoping he would redeem himself and stay true to his words — that he would drop his wild ways. I knew my heart would be at stake, but the pain that enveloped me when he drove away was something I don’t think I could live with, so I might as well dive in and see for myself. I was a risk-taker, so why not take a risk with the person the Goddess gave me? I felt Trent’s hand on my back, and sparks immediately shot up everywhere in my body. He guided me to where Dawson and Ellie were. He then extended a hand to Ellie. "Trent." Ellie smiled at him before taking his hand to shake. "Ellie." "You can see the difference, right?" Dawson a
NADIA. I didn’t come down for dinner. I told the Omega that came up to tell Riley that I was sleeping. And I guess Riley believed her because he didn’t come up even after dinner was over. And I was thankful for that. I went directly to our room after I saw the pictures of my uncle’s dead body. Riley followed after me, but I shunned him away and told him I needed time to grasp what was happening. He left after he kissed my forehead and told me to call him once I was ready to talk about it. But the truth is, I was scared. I tried to vomit to take it all out of my senses, but nothing was coming out. I had no idea what I was scared of the most - that my uncle was dead or the thoughts that crossed my mind. I trusted my mate, but a part of me would always wonder what he was up to whenever I wasn’t around him. Was he ruthless? Or does he act with integrity? I knew that this pack loved and respected him and that they saw him as an honorable Alpha, and it terrified me that, because of me, h
RILEY. I woke up and Nadia was not beside me. I glanced at the clock and it was showing past seven in the morning. I overslept. I stayed awake for a couple of more hours after Nadia drifted off to slumber as I gathered my thoughts on everything I discovered yesterday and the plans I had in place. I already had a lead about her father, but I needed more time to confirm everything. Thus, I didn’t tell her about it. I didn’t want to set any expectations. It was enough for now that she knew her father was alive. I tried to heighten my senses to check if Nadia was in the bathroom, but it looked like she was nowhere inside our bedroom. I shoved the blanket off my body as I grabbed a pair of sweatpants and a shirt, pulling them on me as I mind-linked her, but her mind was off, so I tried to reach my Beta instead. 'Have you seen Nadia?' 'Good morning, Alpha. She’s in the kitchen, helping with breakfast. Should I tell the Luna you’re looking for her?' 'No need. I’m on my way down.'
NADIA. Riley spent the rest of the morning in his office before he and Beta Dominic went out to do some pack’s business on the other side of the territory. I spent the rest of the day with Jenny and the females from the pack who were part of a livelihood program. Jenny and I went to the warehouse where most females gather to make handmade items and trinkets that they sell at the center — the same place Riley took me on my second day in the territory. It has been part of my weekly routine to visit them twice a week, but I decided to spend more time with them today since Luna Graciella, Riley’s aunt and Caleb’s mother, canceled her visit with me today. She was supposed to help me with the Luna ceremony program that I would be giving to the organizer so they could start working on it even if Riley and I hadn’t decided when the ceremony would take place. The Luna canceled her visit because Caleb had another row with his father about Anya. Although Luna Graciella had personally visited
NADIA. The last three weeks have just flown by so fast. Beta Dominic and Jenny just returned home from the Black Shadow Pack, as well as Gamma Sebastian from the Gamma Assembly he attended, so Riley and I took the afternoon off. We went to the neutral city together with Alpha Darvin just to kill off time and to observe the human territory. We were at the center, and I was checking things in the outside marketplace when I heard a female call after my mate. My head tilted to look at the brunette with curly hair approaching Riley. A human. "Riley! Hi! Do you remember me?" She asked chirpily, but her eyes drifted to Alpha Darvin and stayed there for a while before shifting her gaze back to my mate. Riley’s eyes darted to me before he returned his attention to the female smiling in front of him, shaking his head at her as he sent me a mindlink. 'I swear to the Goddess, I don’t know this female and I never had a relationship with her or anyone.' I almost choked at the seriousness of his
NADIA. Riley and I walked to his office and found Beta Dominic on his desk at the far end of the room, burying himself in a pile of documents on his table. "Good evening, Beta." I greeted him, taking his attention from his work. "Alpha, Luna," he greeted as he stood up from his chair before Riley motioned for him to sit down. "How was your visit with the Black Shadow pack? I didn’t have time to ask you earlier." I asked him as I took an empty glass and poured some strong whisky for my Alpha. "It was good. The visit was better than the last one. They are more relaxed around me now." He chuckled before he continued. "And Janna gave birth while I was there." "I heard. Should I make you a drink too?" I handed the glass to Riley, but before I could move away, his arm snaked around my waist as he gently pulled me into his lap. "No need to bother, Luna. I can do that myself. I don’t think the Alpha will let you go from his arms anyway." The Beta snickered his response as he stood up fr
RILEY. The day of our travel to the Black Shadow Pack has finally arrived. This was Nadia’s first trip to another pack, as my Luna, and she couldn’t help but be excited. And I was hoping she would still feel happy after this visit. I knew I should have been more open and told her about everything I discovered, but I didn’t because I wasn’t certain either. I was just relying on my hunches. So I would just let nature take its course. We arrived at the airport an hour ago and were picked up by Beta Gavin and some of his men. He was Caspian’s brother-in-law. And we didn’t exactly have a good relationship the first time we met. Alia, his mate, Caspian’s sister, had a childhood crush on me. I had no idea what I actually did wrong on that part, but he somehow hated me for it. But if I based it on the warm welcome we received from him today and the way he was relaxed around me, it seemed like it was all behind him now, which I was thankful for. I was hoping for the same thing with Alia. I