Aria observed him. She had surpassed the phase of extreme shock, now regarding him as though he were utterly foolish. She blinked, then repeated the motion.
"Excuse me?" Aria queried.Asher snorted, maintaining an unwavering gaze at her. His golden eyes appeared to blaze, momentarily losing their golden hue."You heard me," he stated, disregarding her incredulous expression, seemingly unconcerned by the inappropriateness of his remark.Despite numerous men seeking her attention, Aria was unattached. Yet, it felt entirely amiss for this man she'd just met to dictate her actions."I heard you, but what gives you the right to dictate that?" she asked, displaying slight irritation.He glanced at her, a smile forming at the corner of his lips.Her red hair gleamed in the light, her eyes sparkling, and her slender physique...Yet, despite her striking beauty, her body didn't align with his usual preferences. He struggled to maintain distance and focus solely on her face.She noticed his lingering gaze exploring her figure. This man ranked among the oddest individuals she'd encountered. Was she angry with him while he was eyeing her up?A sudden realization struck her—was that the reason he had summoned her? Was it because he found her appealing and intended to exploit it?How had she not considered that?! As her eyes widened, a smile graced his lips. She tried to speak but found herself transfixed by him.His radiant golden eyes, chiseled face, and hair—qualities fit for a hair product advertisement. What made him so captivating? He had an almost ethereal allure.It dawned on her—she wasn't just staring at anyone; she was facing Asher Hunter, the man she adored whenever she glimpsed him on the news or in magazines.Suddenly, her voice failed her. Then, he uttered something that left her even more astonished."His scent is all over you," he said, devoid of anger this time.Firstly, there is no 'he,' and secondly, you're not detecting any scent. I'm not even near you. Are you calling yourself a dog?" she asked, her eyes widening as she realized her words and promptly closed her mouth.She just called him a dog.His gaze narrowed at her. He would've sworn she was the most astute person he'd ever encountered.How was she not recognizing what he was? Hadn't she heard of werewolves before? Why was she likening him to a dog?Observing his silence after her statement, she flicked her hair to the side innocently, a hint of apology in her expression. "I'm sorry for saying that," she offered.However, Asher's thoughts and focus had moved beyond that moment; he was fixated on her neck. A low growl escaped his lips, his eyes blazing dangerously.Was he that furious? Oh dear. What had she done? "I'm sorry," she whispered again, her voice significantly softer.His intense gaze made her shiver, noticing the veins on his hands and temples as he chewed on nothing.Beads of cold sweat formed on his forehead once more."Mr. Asher?" she called, but his fixed gaze remained. Why was he so enraged?Despite expecting his fury to make her flee, she felt an odd urge to approach and touch him.So, she did just that. Slowly, she reached out and gently laid a hand on his arm, the one resting on the table.Instantly, he looked at her, as though abruptly returning to reality.He briefly closed his eyes, pondering if his gaze had already revealed things he wished to conceal.When he reopened his eyes, they appeared serene, hoping he hadn't scared her away. "I'm sorry," she repeated.It took a moment for him to grasp what she was apologizing for.Oh. He wasn't upset about that, if only she knew. "Why forestry? Do you prefer the wilderness?" he asked, disregarding her apology entirely.She felt a pang of sadness; it seemed he had stopped trying to banter and was now strictly business.She smiled, "I appreciate trees. Ensuring their well-being results in quality resources, like timber. Maintaining healthy sources is key, right? And returning to nurture them..." Her eyes glowed with enthusiasm."But, truthfully, I just love the forest—its insects, birds, swaying trees, and..." She paused, deep in thought.And what?" She smiled knowingly. "Well, the animals. Now that I think about it, was it a dog I saw in the forest? Probably. But I mistook it for a wolf. It certainly resembled one," she glanced up at Asher and immediately realized. "Oh no, I promise I don't believe in werewolves, just regular wolves," she hastily added as she noticed his bewildered expression."But whether it was a wolf or a dog, Archie saved me. Its golden eyes were so benevolent towards me. Who said animals aren't affectionate?" she expressed fondly.Meanwhile, Asher remained fixated on Archie. "Archie?" he asked, utterly perplexed.She nodded. "Yes, I named it that after it acted like a hero. It's so courageous," she mused dreamily.Asher looked at her, then down at himself—had he just been given a name? It seemed he couldn't suppress his wolf anymore."I like the name," Collen chimed in with excitement."Shut up," Asher warned."Isn't she beautiful?" Collen persisted with equal excitement.Immediately, Asher silenced him."Do you think I'm odd?" She pondered, seemingly contemplating it now.He shook his head. "Not really, love. Just that it might have its own name."Love? She raised an eyebrow. "Well, I don't care. That's the name I've given it, and I'll keep calling it that," she asserted firmly.A smile curved at his lips. "Keep? Do you plan on meeting it again? It's not safe out there, especially at night," he cautioned.She didn't seem to notice. "Yes! I'll go and find it. I agree it's unsafe, but Archie would protect me."Asher sighed...Seemingly, he would need to be there to ensure her safety. Instantly, he stood up and shed his suit. At that exact moment, Aria's train of thought vanished as her gaze fixated on his chest and the way his muscles shifted while removing his jacket. She swallowed hard, her mouth watering involuntarily.Why was he undressing? And why was his physique so well-defined? Asher didn't appear overly muscular, yet he possessed an ideal physique. She observed the rise and fall of his chest with each breath.Aria mentally shook her head, questioning when she started fixating on men in such a manner. Well, it began today because, apparently, she'd never encountered anyone like him. He seemed divine. He resembled a god.And he was aware of it. He smiled, then strolled gently toward her with a piece of paper. Aria found it hard to breathe as he moved and stood directly behind her.It felt as if she was glued to the chair because Aria remained completely still, her gaze fixed on the spot where he had stood. However, she felt every motion he made, especially when he leaned in toward her shoulder, his breath warming her exposed skin.It was warm, deliberate, and... alluring. What was happening?Why was she panting instead? Her heart felt like it might burst at any moment. He was too close—she might lose control."Breathe," his soft voice whispered right into her ear."You're... you're too close," she stammered.He smiled knowingly. He was aware of his proximity, yet he couldn't resist her scent.He desired her intensely, an urge to claim her right then and there against the table. His wolf urged for more.Aware of her humanity, he knew he needed to be gentle and take things slowly. He glanced at her earlobe, longing to press his lips against it. As he moved closer to do just that, a knock interrupted them.Aria, who had been sitting as if under a spell, abruptly jolted from her chair, breathing heavily. He glanced at her and felt a surge of irritation toward whoever was at the door."Sir, your girlfriend is here," his secretary's voice came from the other side.Instantly, irritation surged within him. He wanted to lash out at her and planned to fire her for the interruption.Aria swallowed hard, suddenly feeling foolish. Was she truly about to let someone she'd just met yesterday touch her inappropriately? She wanted to scold herself—was she under some sort of spell?Why was she immobilized? Why was she anticipating his touch rather than just his breath? And why did she have an urge to slap him upon discovering he had a girlfriend? She felt like she was losing her mind. Absolutely losing it."Here," he said, handing her the paper he had held, his earlier gentleness vanished.She reached out and realized it wasn't just a sheet but several pages.Glancing at it, she saw it pertained to the agreement, detailing the donation for the project and more."You and your teammates should review this. Let me know when you've made a decision," he instructed, emphasizing the "you."She nodded faintly. "Thank you, Mr. Hunter," she murmured as she headed for the door. He noticed a certain expression in her eyes but said nothing, allowing her to depart.As she reached the door and managed to open it, she hurried outside. Immediately, she spotted the most stunning blonde she'd ever seen entering the office, exuding a poised demeanor. Their eyes met, and she received a disdainful glance.Simultaneously, she couldn't believe her eyes—she definitely caught the secretary smirking.Helene squealed and jumped up and down, her feet noisily thumping on the ground below.“Shh, you're making a lot of noise,” Aria stated as she tried to stop Helene’s movements.“I don’t care. I’m so happy. Do you know what it means? I bet we’d be the best graduating students,” she said, squirming as she grabbed Aria’s arms. She was so excited.Aria didn’t know why she wasn’t as excited as her; she was supposed to be. She had put in so much effort that she had planned to celebrate if they succeeded. Now she was just looking at Helene and Scott with a tight expression. She just hoped that she wouldn’t have to see Asher all the time. It was just sponsorship; it didn’t really require him to keep showing off his face every time.“Calm down; it’s not over yet. He hasn’t signed anything yet; he could change his mind at any time, you know that,” she said, sounding like a pessimist.Helene’s smile faded, and she immediately slapped Aria’s arm. Scott gave her a look as his eyes narrowed.“Is e
Aria almost ran to the restroom. Immediately she got there, she slammed the door and thankfully, she was the only one there.“Fuck,” she screamed.Why. Why, why!Why was he here? What did he want from her? And it wasn’t coincidence. It almost seemed like he just wanted to be everywhere she was. She thought she had dodged him but inviting them right to his club? She wouldn’t want to flatter herself, of course, but damn, it almost seemed like he was making desperate efforts to be close to her.What did he want from her?There was only one answer. And it was the fact that she thought he was a pervert. Maybe she wasn’t the first person he had agreed to sponsor with the motive of getting under their pants.“Shittttt.”Why didn’t she think of that earlier? Was that what he wanted with her?“I thought I was smart,” she muttered to herself.She really needed to tell him to fuck off even if it meant that he would take back his offer. She shook her head, realizing that she might have been excit
Was she dead? Of course she wasn’t; she had moved a couple of times in her sleep, and he checked. She was still breathing. But why didn’t she wake up despite all the noise he made while getting ready to go to work? Some were even deliberate.Hunter couldn’t look away as he watched Aria all cuddled up under the blanket. Her shiny red hair was spread dreamily on the pillow, with some strands laying across her face. She looked like a baby; she was cuddled up in a ball that he wondered if she was still cold.He had covered her with another layer of blanket earlier, thinking she was cold, but she pushed it off her and went back to sleep, after muttering unintelligible words. He stared at her from the chair across the room in his bedroom, wondering to himself why he couldn’t bring himself to leave when he was fully aware that he was late for work. But he was the boss, wasn’t he?Moreover, he wasn’t going straight to work. He had that bastard who tried to lay his finger on his woman to
If she was his girlfriend, she definitely wouldn’t smile as bright as she was smiling now. Aria took a breather, she wasn’t about to be massacred. His sister. Wow. There’s something about Asher that made it feel like having a family would make him look weird. He doesn’t fit to be a family man. “Uhm, it’s not what you think. I’m leaving right now” she said as her eyes began to roam around for her clothes. Now she wondered where they were. Lana, Asher’s sister seemed more intrigued by her as she laughed even deeper, whilst looking at Aria adoringly.They are different, she is free-spirited while Asher? Was he an abandoned kid? Did he want to be loved by his parents so much but they only cared about their daughter? Aria shook her head. That sounded absurd. Maybe he is just a sadist who is worried about the number of kills he’d have for the day and the number of womehe would kidnap.Lana looked from her brother to his mate, now she didn’t know if what she walked into was romance a
It’s been over 24 hours since they left—Aria and his sister, Lana. They had left him alone to "cool off," as Lana had mentioned while driving Aria away. Oh, he did cool off, because now he felt the sudden urge to leave her alone. Fuck, he wished she had a wolf. He wouldn’t be the one being possessive and demanding; she would.He would let her be, he knew he would never know how to chase a lady. Even in his next life.So he decided to tame himself. He would.One must not live with their mate must they? He felt resolved and decided.Asher left the house that morning in a normal polo shirt and denim pants, his hair brushed messily to the sides of his face, his golden eyes flat. Because he was going to leave her alone didn’t mean he would let the person who harmed her live.His most trusted man, Ronny, a loyal beta, greeted him with a bow as he held the door open. "Everything is set, Alpha."Without a word, he got in. Daniel, another beta, seemed loyal until he proved otherwise. Unlike
The two alphas faced off in the middle of the road, their eyes locked in a fierce stare. Alexander, his fur fluffed up in agitation, snarled and bared his teeth. Asher, his eyes gleaming with a calm intensity, didn't flinch.Without warning, Alexander charged, his massive body hurtling towards Asher with a deafening roar. But Asher didn't move. He simply raised a hand, and Alexander was suddenly halted in mid-air, as if an invisible force field had stopped him.Alexander struggled and snarled, but Asher's grip on him was unyielding. With a flick of his wrist, Asher sent Alexander flying across the clearing, the other alpha crashing into a tree with a loud thud.Alexander scrambled to his feet, his eyes blazing with fury, but Asher was already walking away, his back turned dismissively. "You're not worth my effort," Asher said, his voice low and even.Alexander's face contorted with rage, but he knew he was outmatched. Again.With a snarl, he turned and fled into the forest, his tail
Early in the morning, the sun had not even risen yet when Aria's phone vibrated. She gave a grumbling sound as she rolled over and tried to go back to sleep. But that's not like Aria at all; the tiniest of sounds woke her entirely awake, especially at the early hours of the morning. After a few seconds of lying still, she sighed and picked up her phone. It was too bright, she squinted her eyes as she tapped on the new message on her screen. It was from her school; she had been offered something, but they didn't state what. She was to go to the senate office for more details. That was strange but not exactly out of place; she had been offered scholarships and also had the opportunity to work at particular industries when she was ready. This might be one of them, and whether she wanted it or not, she'd have to attend. She sighed; it was supposed to be her free day. She didn't do history. Rubbing her eyes, she got up lazily from the bed and went straight to the bathroom. Her sl
On Monday morning, Aria stood in front of the alpha’s turnout. People walked in and out of the building. It was more beautiful that it looked in the magazines They were dressed in formal clothing and elegant outfits. She looked down at herself, then at the big sign that was over the building. She looked like the people who passed by. She didn’t look like she belonged there. Because did she?Her files were held tightly to her chest with one hand while the other straightened the dress that she knew didn’t need to be straightened. What she needed to do, in fact, was walk to the entrance and help herself in. Sadly, she’d have to see the boss before she started her day at the place. It was her director’s specific order. Aria didn’t see that as weird because, of course, she had to.One last breath, she walked to the building and went to where the receptionist was at the corner of the entrance. “Hello,” Aria said with the smile she could muster. The woman looked like she was in her la
The car pulled over in front of a luxurious château. Aria’s mouth hung open as she stood in front of the building.She could swear she was in Wonderland.Behind her, Asher got out too and stood beside her. She looked smitten by the building more than she had ever looked at any living thing. Her round mouth and siren eyes looked doe-like.Unintentionally, he smiled.He couldn’t hide the fact that he thought she was cute. When she wasn’t being a lioness.He held out his arm to her, and Aria was forced to lock hers in his.They didn’t say a word to each other; she just followed his lead.Two bouncers who were in front of the building opened the door. Aria didn’t miss the way both of them looked at her from head to toe.Asher’s body stiffened as he turned to them with a warning glare.They both bent their heads in instant apology. Aria swallowed a little at the encounter.As they went inside, Asher whispered into her ear, “Don’t leave my side.”She didn’t answer him, because where would s
She had a million questions she wanted to ask. But as the car pulled over at Asher’s mansion, she got almost all the answers. She thought he was taking her to dinner dressed in jeans and a t-shirt. Someone helped her open her side of the car immediately the car came to a stop. She walked behind him like a submissive little lamb until they got to the living room. She knew how his sitting room looked, so it was extremely shocking to see the sight that she was seeing. Ladies were there, not just ladies. A full dress stand was in there, with makeup artists and their makeup boxes. She saw a line of shoes in different colors and sizes. Aria literally gasped. Immediately they saw Asher enter, they all stood together and bowed their heads silently in greeting. “What I asked for, is it here yet?” he asked, totally ignoring their greetings. The woman he had his gaze on nodded furiously. “Yes.” She started to walk to the dress stand. “Here it is,” she said as she pulled out the most st
Heads turned as their gazes found out who ‘her’ was.If the ground could open and swallow her up, she would appreciate that.She didn’t turn, hoping they’d shift their gazes to someone else.But then Mr. Hilton went, “Aria?” Hilton asked with total confusion.Helen, who had run and was beside her, laughed loudly. She found it interesting how her friend seemed like she wanted to curl into her own body.She was red, but she didn’t know if it was out of embarrassment or because of Asher’s presence…She felt his gaze land on her body; she could literally feel it.“Aria? You call your students with so much familiarity?” Aria’s breath hitched as she heard Asher say those words.Did he just scold their lecturer?She turned now to look at the sound of that. His face was passively aggressive, but he didn’t give himself away.He sounded so calm yet correcting.Mr. Hilton laughed awkwardly, “No, no.” His face was red with embarrassment.Of course, it was obvious that Asher was implying he should
"Everything is going well so far," Helen mentioned as she sat beside Aria in school that day before the lecturer came into the class.Aria nodded at her with satisfaction. "You all are doing a great job," she said to them with a grateful expression.Scott smiled at her. "We all are. Although we rarely see you. These days, you just push your work to the group chat. Busy much?" he asked with a grin.Aria looked at both of them, their eyes full of suspicion and expectations for her to spill the beans.They had been indirectly asking her about the sudden internship, which apparently everyone now knew about.It was the hot topic in school."Yeah. I’m quite busy these days," she said as she pretended to be busy, picking her books out of her bag.It was the last class, and Aria wished she had sat where she would be less visible.Or better still, missed the class completely."With what? The internship? Tell us about it already!" Helen said with so much enthusiasm.Scott, on the other hand,
When the door to the boarding room opened, both Aria and Asher stood up to welcome their contracted partners.She watched the door that had been opened to them by the receptionist as they came in one by one.She counted until the last person entered. They were four of them.And looked at Asher then herself. They were only two.“Not the big man Hunter” a man dressed in an expensive looking suit and hair brushed back sleekly said.He was looking like he was averagely in his 20’s. But he looked a little bit older than Asher.She gathered that he was the boss since his clothes was more neat and expensive looking.Just like Asher’s.Also, it looked like they were acquaintances, judging from the way he entered with a broad smile.To her surprise, Asher returned the smile, as wide as the man had.“No wonder. So it’s you Nate!” Asher said with excitement. Aria didn’t sure if she was seeing things. She swallowed as she looked between them.The remaining people that followed the boss, who was
A call came to Aria's desk at 4:00 p.m. The loud ring made her jump. She wasn't yet used to the telephone and wondered who had set the volume so high. Also, she wondered why firms still used telephones; she understood the reason but didn't like the idea. It was too old-fashioned.She hissed as she picked up the phone and pressed it to her ear. "Hello, Aria Booker speaking. How can I help you?" she said after clearing her throat. She hadn't spoken since Asher left her room, and she hadn't moved an inch."The reception table. Is Mr. Asher free? He has important guests who would love to hold a meeting with him," the person on the other end said.Huh? An impromptu meeting? And at this time of the day?She almost groaned, she was tired. She had come to the ‘internship’ immediately after school.She hated having people at her house without calling first; now this? She instinctively searched through the schedule. Did she miss the meeting? Who were they?"Name?" she inquired, grabbing h
As she ran into her office, she leaned against the door. Her heart was beating way too loudly; it was thudding in her head more than she could bear.What was that she saw? She remembered that lady. She remembered her clearly from the first day she had been in Asher's office. The lady had walked in with a domineering attitude, making Aria literally run from the office. But she hadn't seen her again and didn't even know her name, so she totally forgot about her.So they were together? So Asher Hunter really had a girlfriend; he wasn't single. Yet, he kept hovering over her, trying to control her life. He was a cheat! And she almost fell for his scheme.Aria shut her eyes again as the image of the lady kneeling in front of Asher, his cock in her mouth, appeared in her head. She shook her head several times. "No, no. Please stop," she told herself, walking to her desk and sitting hard into her chair.That was hard because the image kept playing in her head. Shock gave way to pure
It was as if her feet were held in place. She couldn’t move, she couldn’t say anything. Her lips were still parted in shock. And she heard Asher say, “Red.” She finally came out of her trance. She blinked.At the same time, the girl who had been sloppily swallowing him whole looked up at him; it seemed she realized he wasn’t looking at her, his attention seemingly glued to the door.His depth slipped out of her mouth with her saliva slowly slipping down his dick. She turned to the door. She almost screamed when she saw Aria looking at Asher with deep eyes and Asher doing the same.“Who the fuck are you?” she yelled as she stood up. Her eyes were red from gagging, her lips swollen and shiny. The saliva was everywhere on her face… she was really doing her job well, wasn’t she?“What the fuck are you looking at? Get out of here!” the lady screamed at the top of her voice. Aria was brought back to reality at the sound of the girl’s sharp voice boring into her ear. She trembled and a
“The alpha’s turn out?” Alex asked with a flinch.Aria frowned. “What’s wrong? Is there something wrong with the place? It’s okay if you can’t go; we’ll just get a cab.”She didn’t miss the way his eyes shifted from worry to contemplation. She really didn’t want him to think he couldn’t say no.“No, it’s not that. I’m just surprised. You work there?” he asked her with amusement.She didn’t even try to hide it. “Why? Is the place bad? Do they kill people and hide their bodies?” she asked jokingly.It was an obvious joke, but the fact that he didn’t smile and seemed deep in thought wiped away the smile on her face. Worry crept in. “Hey, should we be worried?” she said with a serious expression.Alex burst into laughter, and Aria slapped his arm when she realized he was teasing her.“You watch too many movies, don’t you?” he asked, laughing even harder.“It’s not my fault that I read your expression. You had me worried.”“Well, for what it’s worth, Asher is not a killer. I know him; w