Adrian A million and one things were circulating inside my mind. Mind games had never been my thing. This was something my father had always warned me about. In his words, I needed to balance my brain with my brawn if I wanted to be a successful alpha someday. I wasn't saying I was dumb; instead, I knew I still had so much to learn. One of those things was discerning people, knowing what was going on inside their minds, or predicting their next steps to help me screen the people who would become my future leaders. So, it was crucial for me to find out what was going on with Ash. What was the deal behind his sudden change in behavior? Why had he acted so weird earlier when he called me? I must have fallen deep into my thoughts because I failed to notice that the Williams Residence was within reach. I had decided to walk from my place to theirs since it was just a couple of blocks away. Their home was one of the biggest houses in the pack, making it easy for me to spot in my location
Adrian This probably was the longest day of my life. It had been less than an hour ago since I went to the Williams Residence and found out that Aria ran away from our pack to live on her own. I was already at my own home trying to comprehend what just happened. Was that enough reason to leave the comforts of Moon Valley and live as a rogue? At the back of my head, I saw my wolf Rickon roll his eyes at me. He gave that “Are you stupid?” look that I kept on getting since I decided to date Cassie. I shook my head in disbelief. Even my wolf was not supporting me with my decision to not be with Aria. Well, it should be obvious. He would always choose our mate over any girl that I would be with. Why did I feel that the world was despising me for not choosing her? Am I that selfish to think about the future of my pack ahead of my happiness? I heaved a sigh. I looked at the cassette tape sitting on top of the bedside table and began to ponder whether l should play it or not. I mean, wha
Aria This was the unluckiest day of my life. I curled into a ball while I camped under that big, old, ragged tree. My body was dripping wet from the sudden rainfall. Winds started to blow stronger than I anticipated. The trees, which were motionless a while earlier, were now swaying side to side because of it. My body was shivering because of the cold. When I ran away from our pack, I didn’t bring any camping supplies. I only brought two sets of clothing and some canned food to munch while looking for a place to stay. Nothing could have prepared me for this condition. I had never felt so alone in my life. All of a sudden, a bright, flashing surge of electricity struck the nearby tree. A loud, booming sound followed afterward. I let out a high-pitched piercing sound as a response. Smoke came out of the tree while a slit formed in its trunk. Then, its body gave up on its weight making it split in two. The scene made me shiver in fear. What if the tree, where I was seeking temporary
Aria All my life, I thought rogues lived in caves with rocks for a pillow and a pile of leaves for a bed. But after meeting Peter, my views about them totally changed. Rogues had a reputation for being the worst criminals in werewolf society. The majority of them were plunderers, thieves, and killers. They were known to have committed the worst crimes you could possibly imagine. To be called one was not only derogatory but a curse to carry as well. In our laws, the worst possible punishment you could receive was not the death penalty. Rather, it was banishment from your own pack. To live alone in a world where staying in solitude would mean danger, it wasn’t surprising that most rogues die young. If not murdered, they mostly passed away due to hunger. They were men of discord and haters of peace. But Peter Scott was different. His life as a rogue was one of a kind. “Welcome to my humble home.” I scanned the place as Peter guided me inside. The log cabin was not as big as ours yet
Aria Today, I found myself standing on top of a rough boulder, my heart throbbing inside my chest like crazy. “What are you waiting for? Jump, Aria! Jump!” “I-I can’t do it,” I whispered, looking down with my mind filled with doubt. “Yes, you can, young lady! Don’t give me that lame excuse that you can’t!” I looked at him, still terrified about what he asked me to do. He was standing at my back and purposely convinced me to kill myself. This man wanted me to jump off this mini cliff and shift in mid-air! “I’m sorry, but I really can’t do it. It’s too early for me to do this. I am not yet ready.” I couldn’t be as honest as I could possibly be, stating those words. It had been two months since Peter asked me to stay with him. As promised, he started supervising my training. I thought he would go easy on me, but I was wrong. Every day, I would go hiking with him. While he ran in his majestic, black wolf form, I was on my bare feet. My soles grew calluses running through the thick
Aria The next day, we descended from Craigwood Mountain as Peter had promised. It didn’t take long before we reached a small town called Darkwood, a few miles from the base of Craigwood Mountain. To a regular human, the distance couldn’t be covered by foot. But for us werewolves, it was nothing. However, since I was wearing a dress, Peter decided to bring the truck. True to his word, he didn’t want to waste my effort of fixing myself for this occasion, and I agreed. It was a rare occasion for me to dress up like a doll, the last time being during Cassie’s grand eighteenth birthday celebration. As expected, we reached the place in no time. I scanned the outside of the bar the moment I stepped out of the truck. The place looked fancy but not in an overbearing way. It was both rustic and chic, a very unusual combination, if you ask me. Needless to say, the bar looked inviting, especially to someone like me who hadn’t been to any place like this before. There were two old trucks parke
Aria Never dreamed of coming your way Never thought of feeling this way You put happiness into my life It is my dream to be your wife. As I looked into your eyes I see stars, flowers, and butterflies Your promises will be kept For me, you are perfect…” Just in time for me to sing the last verse, I turned off the shower knob. I took the towel I hung from the rack and slowly dried myself. When I felt that clean feeling on my skin, I smiled. It might be weird, but I really enjoyed my time in the shower. Ever since Peter came into my life, I started to enjoy the simple things that life has to offer. After I was done fixing myself, I got out of the room. The smell of toasted bread slices welcomed me. I strode to the kitchen immediately, very eager to find out what Peter was making for our afternoon snack. After a few steps more, I reached his location. I saw him working on assembling slices of what appeared to be roasted meat slices, tomatoes, lettuce, and the toasts I smelled fro
Aria The clapping of the crowd continued, but I felt that my world stopped. I remained rooted in my spot, not knowing how to react. By the looks of it, it seemed like my body forgot how to move, as I felt nothing on it. I could only hear the wild beating of my heart and my constant breathing. I want to punch Peter so hard. How could he do this to me? Another minute had passed, and I saw the crowd begin whispering amongst each other. They started scanning the place as they waited for where the mysterious singer would come out. And though Nixon continued clapping, a string of worry could be seen on his face. On the stage, I saw Sex Deity pointing in my direction and addressing the crowd once more. “Ladies and gentlemen, again, let’s give it up for Miss Aria Williams!” Game over. I no longer had the opportunity to run away, as the crowd already knew who I was. There’s no turning back now. Even if I wanted to, I could no longer get out of this situation unscathed. “You can do it!”