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Chapter 3

Auteur: Gilded Riches
On a stormy night, three days later, Aiden stumbled through the front door.

He was soaked head to toe, water dripping from his clothes, and his lips were pale from the cold. His whole body was shivering slightly.

He looked at me straight on, eyes filled with raw anticipation.

"I just fought off an intruder in the pouring rain. Not a scratch on me."

I looked at him quietly and said in a soft voice, "Then, go take a hot shower."

Something about the way he looked reminded me of the day I first fell in love with him.

Back then, I had gotten lost alone in the woods near the border.

My foot was bleeding and swollen from being caught in a trap. The night was pitch black with no moon, just the distant growls of wild animals and the wind cutting through the trees.

As I was curled up on the ground, pain and fear crashed over me like a wave.

Then, Aiden showed up.

He had tracked me by scent, fought off two rogues with nothing but his bare hands, and carried me all the way back to the pack without stopping.

His forehead was scratched up, and his arm was bleeding, but he never let go of me, not even for a second.

It was as though he was afraid that if he loosened his grip, I’d disappear.

That night, his eyes shone just like they did now.

Snapping out of the memory, I caught a flicker of hurt in his gaze.

"I just fought for five hours in that storm, and you didn’t ask me once how I was doing? You used to track me through the mate link every time I was out. You’d be waiting at the door before I even got home. But today, nothing. Not even a single check-in. Chloe, you’ve changed."

'Have I? Or were you the one who changed first?'

His words cut deep, but I forced myself to stay calm.

"You’re the strongest Alpha in the whole pack now," I said. "I trust that you can take care of yourself. And honestly, I didn’t want the rest of the pack thinking that your mate doesn’t trust you."

Aiden froze.

I could see it—he remembered what he had once said to me.

"Why are you always like this? I’m not a kid anymore. I can take care of myself. You calling me all the time? People are starting to laugh at me."

That day, I had spent hours trying to track him down, just to make sure he was safe.

Instead of being grateful, he had lashed out at me like I was a burden.

I didn’t want to go down that road again. With the upcoming assignment to treat the northern pack members, I needed my mind and heart to stay clear.

I turned to leave, but he grabbed my arm. His hand was still cold, but his grip was surprisingly strong.

"Chloe, I think we need to talk. You and I—"

Just then, his phone started ringing.

I caught a glimpse of the name lighting up the screen: Lana.

Bitterness rose in my throat.

Aiden looked at the caller ID, then declined the call without a word.

However, the phone almost immediately rang again, relentlessly.

I saw the hesitation in his eyes, the internal struggle.

Then, he sighed, offering me an apologetic look. "She must really need something. Just give me one minute, okay?"

I gently pulled my arm from his grasp without saying a word.

He stayed there, frozen with his eyes fixed on me as I walked away, watching until I disappeared into the other room.
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