MasukAria's POV
The mirror reflected someone I almost didn't recognize. The soft blue dress I wore fell perfectly to my knees, hugging my figure without being revealing in any way. My hair, usually tied up in a messy bun, now framed my face in loose, pretty curls. Maya let out a low whistle from the door way. "Damn, girl. If Alpha Frost fails to fall head over heels tonight, I'll personally revoke that Alpha title of his." "Stop it, Maya," I said, laughing softly and shaking my head. Just then, a small knock came on the door. Liam peeked in with his eyes wide. "Momma. You look like those pretty princesses in TV!" "Oh really," I replied, kneeling down and planting a kiss on his forehead. "Thank you, my brave knight." Luna came up behind him, a wide smile on her face and my bracelet on her hand. "You forgot this," she proudly said, slipping it into my wrist. My chest tightened with eAria's POVDamon gave no answer, and we could hear only the low hisses of potions as they ate through the tile. "Oh no," Maya gasped as she ran ahead of me, scanning behind worktables and other storage shelves. "Damon!" she yelled, panic high in her throat.I tried to focus, moving deeper into the center of the room. My eyes frantically searched every shadow, and I heard the sound of broken glass as it cut fresh paths over my boots. "Where could he be?" I whispered, my heartbeat thundering in my ears. "Maya, do you see him?" She shook her head fast, frantic. "No–not yet, Aria. He's not–" A sound cut her off. A low, restrained groan. "There!" Maya yelled as she snapped toward the center of the disaster. "Oh no, he's there!" I took a few steps forward, freezing so abruptly that Maya crashed into my back. "Oh goodness..." she whispered, as we tried to lift the fallen rack of supplies. Soon, we could identify his shallow breaths, each one scraping like sandpaper. I instantly dropp
Kyril's POVMother chuckled softly, the sound tinged with dry amusement. "Always one step ahead of himself, aren't you, Kyril?"Before I could respond to this, she turned eyes to my beta."Marcus," she said, "please leave us. I wish to speak with my son privately." "No," I opposed, the word escaping me instantly.Both of them turned to me in surprise."You will say whatever you have to say," I continued, looking directly at her, "in the presence of my beta and me." My mother paused, and I could see irritation as it flickered across her eyes. But she was quick to mask it behind a slow exhale and a courteous nod. Then, she stole a brief glance at Marcus."My lord," Marcus said, stepping forward. "I must leave you both to–" "Stay," I cut in, my eyes not leaving my mother. She shifted her weight, discomfort tightening the lines around her lips. This pricked me, and just as I was about to turn to Marcus and dismiss him away, she finally spoke."Fine, then."With that, she took a small,
Kyril's POVSilence expanded through the entire chamber the moment my words sliced through. As if in cue, Marcus cleared his throat loudly, stepping forward with the quiet confidence I always knew him with. "We must rise to honor our Alpha," he declared, his eyes darting through and settling on Hartley. "That is tradition." No one spoke a word, not even a whisper.But, little by little, chairs began to shift. Wrinkled hands pressed into carved armrests, as one by one, the elders began to rise. None had enough courage to remain sitting, as they all rose majestically, their aura filling the spaces before them. The warriors were next. I understood they had lost some degree of respect for my position, but the power of my presence as the Alpha was strong enough to affect the blood flowing through their veins. One rose, then another, and soon, they were all on their feet. Luna Margot rose as well, straight-backed and regal, her eyebrows raised in that cold approval she never voiced. B
Kyril's POV "We'll be in touch," I said, ending the phone call. Then, I turned around and walked back into my chambers. Sienna was still there, now sitting on the bed and staring at the empty space before her. She wore a half-wounded and half-calculating facial expression, and as soon as I walked in, she turned her gaze to me, more like she was expecting an apology. She got none of course. I said nothing, not even a word. I simply went to the corner where my shirt lay, picked it up, and slid it over my shoulders. Then, I turned around and left her there in silence. The hallway strangely felt colder than it had minutes ago. Every echo of my steps drummed into my skull, quite heavy like ancient battle drums. I walked into the main sitting room and sank into one of the big sofas, running a hand over my face. Then slowly, I shut my eyes. Just for a moment, I convinced myself. Just a breath. But the moment I blinked, I wasn't in the sitting room anymore. No, I was back in my old ch
Aria's POVFrost inhaled slowly. "Aria..." he paused, the weight in his tone unmistakable. "I'll pay for Damon's treatment. You don't have to worry about that." My eyes which have been away from him instantly snapped to him. He didn't flinch, didn't look away.I shook my head. "No... Frost, no. He's a worker here. The company would sort the bills–""Shhh." His voice was a firm whisper. Quite tender. He lifted my chin gently with his fingers, just enough to steady my gaze on him. I resisted this, tilting my head backward. " You've done enough already, Frost. The machines you brought...they gave Magic Stone the hope it needed. They gave us something to stand on, to fight with. No, we can't keep taking from you."My words felt right in my heart, but terribly wrong in my head. He smiled, a small and knowing one. "You're right, Aria. But I can't stop helping as much as I can. Besides, Damon is mine too." He paused, then added in a whisper, "He was my captive, remember?" My lips curved
Aria's POVThe noise from the production unit surged around us, but even in all that, Frost's voice carried straight to me as it always did. "Aria?" Maya turned to the direction of the voice, forcing a brightness into her eyes that I knew just wasn't real. I did the exact same, lifting the smile that I'd worn back with the kids. "Frost," I greeted, raising a hand quite cheerfully despite the tightness in my chest. "You came." "Yeah, always at the oddest hours," Maya joked loudly, nudging him with her elbow. He chuckled, then glanced around. "I feel like I just stepped into a metal hurricane." "Well, that's Stone Magic for you," Maya replied. "You're welcome, Frost." He nodded, and just as he mouthed a thank you, I reached for a warm and steady hand. "Come, let's go somewhere quieter. The kids would love to see you." I tugged him along with me, and he didn't resist. He never did with me. We made our way through the corridors, the powerful noise dimming bit by bit until I final







