Ariah's POV I couldn’t remember the last time I slept so well, but there was no better feeling than this.I headed back to my room in the pack house at midday the next day and I realized that the pack was in a state of complete chaos. What the hell was happening? Why hadn’t I noticed this? Oh shit! Of course, I couldn’t when I was busy crashing in the quiet place, it was called that for a reason. Everyone was running around, some were even wailing and there was a clamoring air as everyone seemed to be talking and pacing about with panic. There was only one person that could tell me what was going on so I decided to rush directly to Ethan’s study. I knocked on the door but there was no response for the first twenty seconds or so. I knocked again and there was still no response until I heard the shattering of a glass against a wall. I gasped, wondering how the pack had transformed from being a very calm place to a haven of absolute havoc. “Ethan, it’s me!” I yelled finally.Silence

Ariah's POV I knew that working together with Ethan would only bring us closer and for a very weird reason, there was no issue with that. My encounter with Layla had shaken my nerves greatly when she first asked that question, how the hell did she find out? It was a truly nerve-breaking situation but everything changed when she suddenly flashed an awkward smile at me. “But then, it’s not entirely your fault, is it?” She asked, making me stare at her in confusion. “You’ve kept your part of the deal, the whole abstinence from Ethan and all that, and trust me, you’ve done well, but just not well enough. But then, Ethan is also at fault, he doesn’t get over things. I’ve tried but he still chases after you, of course, I find it very pathetic for a king to be chasing after a complete nobody, but then, what can I do?” She raised her shoulders and dropped them helplessly with a deep sigh. “Do whatever you want Ariah, I guess the whole mate bond shit doesn’t fade, does it?” She smirked

Ariah's POV I was as confused as anyone else in the fucking pack. How? When? What the fuck was those documents doing in my room? And it wasn’t even hidden anywhere, it was just under my pillow as if it was begging to be found. Lowell was like a man possessed with rage and I think I could understand him to an extent, but I was so scared. He thought I had fooled him and Ethan because they had been on my side from the onset. “Lowell, you have to listen to me, I was not a part of this, I swear! Please believe me!” I cried as they led me down a creepy hall. “Lowell, please!” “Part of what? You were the only one involved in this!” He snarled and turned to the guards, “I’ll take it from here.” He said to them, The second they let go of me, he gripped my arm viciously, “It beats me how you managed to deceive Ethan and me for so long, Ariah. He should have condemned you the first time you escaped the guards.” He said spitefully to my face. “Lowell, please hear me out. How could I ha

Ariah's POV The world was closing in on me. That was my first thought when I heard Ethan's words. I saw the look in his eyes, he wasn't denying me at all, he was just helpless at that point. I saw Ethan at his lowest of lows, I never thought I'd get to see him so powerless, never. But there he was, standing above me, hands tied and his decision willed in the favor of his people. When he walked out of the room, I looked up and saw the scornful looks on the faces of the elders. On Layla's face, was a smirk and a triumphant sparkle in those radiant eyes of hers. I imagined the days, weeks, months, and even years ahead, she had won, and Layla had Ethan all to herself now. "Take her out of our sight!" An elder snarled and I felt a guard tug under my arm. The next moment he gripped my hand and hurled me violently to my feet. I gasped a pain shot through my body. "I'll take it from here." Lowell's calm voice said and he grabbed my arm and led me out. "I suppose you do not have any

Layla's POV It was one of the best nights of my life, the feeling of Ethan in me was incomparable to anything else. It was a sexual play out of my dearest dreams. I slept in Ethan's arms that night, just like it was meant to be right from the start. I had known all along that it would be a long process but it would eventually be worth it in the end. It was a norm, whatever I wanted, I got, no matter how long it took and no matter how big the obstacle in front of me was. I wouldn't have achieved all this alone, Sally played her part perfectly and I had to give some credit to her. I smiled like a sixteen-year-old on her first date as I traced my fingers playfully on Ethan's chest, making invisible lines. "Having a swell time?" He asked, his deep voice startling me. "Oh my goodness!" I exclaimed and gasped. "You almost gave me a fucking heart attack there, Ethan, I thought you were asleep." "Sleep…" He said to himself. "That will be a luxury from now on, I guess." He remarke