Darius:I hadn’t intended to run into her here. In fact, the supermarket was the last place I expected to find someone like her.Hell, I didn't even know what I was actually doing here, aside from the fact that I initially wanted an energy drink.But there she was.Alaria.Hair pulled back into a loose braid, no trace of makeup on her face, a quiet focus to her as she pushed the cart forward. She was studying labels like they held secrets, like she needed to know every detail before making a decision.She didn’t notice me at first. She reached for something on the top shelf, arms stretched up, fingers brushing the edge of the box, but not quite reaching it. She stepped onto the tips of her toes, still too short. I smirked, the woman catching my attention in a way that she shouldn't have, at least in my opinion.I was beside her before I had time to think about what I was doing.“Let me,” I said smoothly.“Oh, you don't have to, I can just ask an employee. Thank you.”“Well, you could
Alaria:The path crunched softly beneath my feet as we walked side by side, not quite close enough to touch, but close enough to feel the warmth of his presence. I hated how aware I was of it. Of him. Of everything that we were going through, and of this whole situation.Yes, fair to say, I didn’t like any of it.The moonlight filtered through the trees above, casting shadows that danced along the garden walls. It was quiet here. Peaceful in a way I hadn’t felt in days, maybe weeks. I should have said no. I should have walked away the moment he asked me to join him. But something in his voice… it wasn’t the Alpha. It wasn’t the man who had made me bleed, the man who had shattered everything once.It was Liam.And that, somehow, was worse.We didn’t speak at first. Just walked. The garden was laced with wildflowers that I hadn’t noticed before, and the air smelled faintly of lavender and pine. I folded my arms across my chest, hugging myself against the still night air.“You haven’t be
Liam:The moon had already risen high over the compound, casting a pale glow across the courtyard. Most of the pack had turned in for the night, and the lingering quiet was a welcome contrast to the noise of the day. I had barely been alone for more than a few minutes since morning, but I didn’t complain.Between the tension with Claire, the security sweeps, and everything going on with Alaria… I barely had room to breathe. Hell, at times I didn't know how I would be able to think straight.I stepped out onto the lower balcony near the infirmary wing, arms crossed, breathing in the cool night air. It was a cold night, one that showed and reflected a little more peace than it held, though peace was not an option. And my world at this point.That was when I saw her.Sienna.The stranger that I didn't know or understand, The stranger that just popped up here and was accepted, a guest. At least I believed her to be so.She was walking down the path slowly, still barefoot, still a little t
Alaria:I watched them quietly.Particularly because I don't even know what to say. I didn't know how I was going to be able to speak without my voice breaking or without saying something that I knew that I might end up regretting.It was strange, seeing my daughter standing there, clutching her little hands together as she glared up at him with all the bravery she could muster.And even stranger, watching him crouch to her level and actually listen.When his larger hand wrapped around her pinky, I caught the faintest flicker of something in his face. Something softer.But I refused to let myself linger on it. I refused to allow myself to hold on to it, but when he asked me the question, when he addressed it to me that we would not be running away, I found myself holding a breath that I knew I shouldn't be.Anastasia pulled her hand back after their little promise and glanced up at me, uncertainty in her big eyes.“Go play for a while, sweetheart,” I murmured softly, brushing her chee
Liam:I came to the infirmary just as dawn was breaking.“And you found nothing that would lead to who did this to her?” I asked Kai, who shook his head.“The men are still looking, but there is nothing that they could find. They're trying to find a trace, as if she ended up here, someone might have snuck inside as well. So far, nothing in. Either they chose to be smart and run away. Or she managed to somehow escape them and ended up here. Either way, we had nothing on them.” He said, explaining the situation.A part of me hated how familiar that kind of story felt.And a part of me wanted to doubt that this could just be an easy coincidence. But right now I had no proof of anything and if the woman had come to seek out solace somewhere and if she ended up here, I was not the type to just throw out the woman in distress.“Keep an eye on the territory. If she ran away from someone or if she is on the run from someone, they might still be looking for her. And I want to know who it is an
Alaria:I found myself wandering aimlessly, my shawl clutched around my shoulders as my steps carried me through the east wing and back out into the courtyard.Although I had no intention of actually rocking around, I found myself needing to roam. I found myself needing to clear my mind.After everything that had happened these past few days, Liam, Claire, Anastasia’s tears, I couldn’t sit still. The air in my room felt heavy, suffocating. And I knew that I needed fresh air, otherwise I knew that I would be collapsing in a way that shouldn't be right, and neither for me nor for anyone that surrounded me.So I walked.And I just kept walking aimlessly as I got lost in my thoughts, as I got lost in the pain that I was feeling, as I realized and reminded myself of the truth that I was in. I was simply here for Anastasia and that was how things were going to be. She was his rightful daughter and keeping her away was not going to do me any good. But the idea of having to deal with her pain