Aria's POVI pushed myself deeper into the thicket as I heard footsteps heading my way. "Did you find her?" the leader of the guards asked as they all converged back at the streamside. I looked up from the bush to get a better view of the guards and watched as one walked back to where my footprints was. "I checked everywhere but could not find anything," the guard standing by the stream said as he began studying the footprints again. "I couldn't even find a single print that could aid our search. It's like she just... disappeared into thin air." The third guard, visibly frustrated, kicked at the mud, spraying it into the air. "There's no way she could have disappeared into thin air," he said as he turned to face his colleagues. "This area was given to us for us to cover. If we go back and tell the Lycan King that we found Aria's footprints but gave up on our search, our heads will be separated from our body."The leader nodded in agreement. "Jacob is right," he said with a small sig
RYDER'S POV I wrapped the robe around my body tighter as I sat down on my dining chair. A sigh escaped my lips, my stomach rumbling as I picked up the form and knife beside me plate. I had not eaten since elastic night and the beef and egg in front of me caused the rumbling of my empty stomach to louden. I pressed my fork against my meat, my mouth watering as juicy grease seeped out of the it's contours. "Let's dig in," I said with a smile as I looked up at Desiree who sat opposite me, across the table. She smiled and nodded and we both began to eat. Stabbing the large gravy covered beef with my fork, I picked up my knife and immediately began cutting the meat into smaller pieces. After I was stone, I shoved my fork into one of piece an plopped it into my mouth. I closed my eyes, a soft sigh escaping my lips as the meat melted in my mouth, all the flavours of the gravy on it jumping in my mouth. I dropped my fork on my plate and tapped the table two times as I looked up at Desiree
Aria's POVMy eyelids twitched as they slowly fluttered open. The sun shone down upon my face but I had no strength to lift my hands up and block out the rays. I tried to breathe but it seemed like something was blocking out my airway. I opened my eyes with a start and turned to my side, coughing violently as water spurted out of my mouth. My body shook violently, aching badly with each cough that I made. My head throbbed badly with a pain so intense that it made my vision blurry, and my insides felt like they were on fire. As my coughing began to subside, I made to sit up but the world spun around me, forcing me to lay back down. I grunted as my back hit the cold, damp ground beneath me. The sensation of wet grass and mud soaking through my clothes sent a shiver down my spine. I felt a sharp pain behind my eyes as the rays blaring down upon me from the sun hit me hard. I slowly lifted my aching hands and covered my eyes but then put it back down as I realized I did not have the st
Ryder's POV"Drop it, Desiree," I muttered as I walked out of the dining room and turned towards the stairs. Desiree, despite my request, followed me as I walked, ranting on about the one thing I asked her to drop. "I can't drop it, Ryder," the she-wolf said as she too walked up the stairs as I did so, following me closely behind. "As much as I love what you did and I appreciate it, I would still love to know why you suddenly changed. I want to know the reason for the sudden change of emotion towards Aria." I paused in my steps, my hands clenching tightly the wooden railing beside me that I felt my claws dig deep into the body. Desiree mentioning that name had sent a wave of anger through me. "I told you not to speak of that name ever again," I said in a low voice as I turned my head in Desiree's direction. "And drop it, Desiree." I continued up the stairs, my steps resounding through the mansion. "You said it yourself, 'you love what I did and you appreciate it'. Why the fuck do y
Aria's POV"Why... why did you leave the mansion?" I asked Ma Levine, the frown on my face deepening. "And what are you doing here?" Ma Levine sighed heavily, her shoulders dropping slightly as she looked at me. "It's... it's actually complicated, Aria," she began, her voice soft and barely audible. "Ryder's attitude began changing after his former mate died. He... he gradually started becoming a shell of his former self. I couldn't handle it any longer and consulted Orion on what to do." "Orion?" I muttered, interrupting Ma Levine. I laughed, shaking my head as I tried processing the old she-wolf's words. "You're talking about Orion, Alpha of the spirit world, descendant of the moon goddess.""Yes," Ma Levine said with a small smile. The smile faded as her gaze on me suddenly deepened. Shaking her head, she asked me, "you don't remember anything, do you?"I stared at her, confusion knotting my brows as my laughter immediately died down. This was the third time I was being asked tha
LONDON'S POV I paced the room impatiently, the thoughts in my head drowning out whatever Elsa was saying to me. We had arrived not less than an hour ago, and right from the door, Elsa began yapping about how stupid the guards back at Ryder's mansion were and how annoyed she was that our journey was fruitless. Angered, I asked her quietly to stop talking, but my words fell on deaf ears. Not wanting to waste my energy on her, I decided to let her be and leave her to her talking.I was beginning to regret that decision now.The roar of the fireplace beside me brought me back to the present, and I stopped in my tracks. I slowly turned to the fireplace and stared at it for some seconds, the sound of cracking wood and the dancing flame holding my gaze for a few moments. After some seconds, I turned and continued with my pacing.With each step I took, my eyes went to the door, my teeth gritting against each other as I longed to see anyone walk in. It seemed like my wait was going to take a
Aria's POVI continued onwards, hoping deeply that I would get to my unknown destination soon. I had no idea where I was heading. All that I was trying to hold Ma Levine to her words. But with each step I took, I began doubting her words. There was nothing on this path but trees and bushes. The path that I had wanted to follow had the stream from the waterfall flowing by it and I could sight from where I stood with Ma Levine the amount of fruit trees that dominated the path. The one that she had sent me on though was the complete opposite. Left for the trees and bushery around, the path seemed dry and lifeless. I had built so much trust in the old she-wolf though to turn back. Maybe I really had something awaiting me at the end. Holding on to that thought, I moved on. After walking for more than thirty minutes, my thoughts began to travel, recounting the amount of times I would have either been captured by Ryder's guard and taken to London or killed. I was a little bit shocked tha
ARIA'S POVI stood from the ground and stared at the limp bodies of the rogues laying around me. If not for the blood pulsating about of their stab wounds, one would think they were all asleep. The one I had clawed at looked the worse though, the loose skin on his face and shredded clothes making me gag a a little. I bent down to the last rogue I had killed and with a small grunt, pulled out my blade that was still imbedded in his neck. Blood spurted out of the wound with some spraying on my face and entering my mouth. I gagged, crawling on all fours as I tried moving away from the spurting blood. "Fuck," I cursed loudly as I turned to the grass and began heaving loudly. Gushes of water poured out of my mouth as it was the only thing that filled my belly. Luckily, the water washed out the taste of iron in my mouth, leaving me feeling a little bit better. It did mean that I was now more empty than before but I didn't mind. As long as I had gotten the taste of the rogue off my mouth.