Chapter 6: My Whole World

Aria's POV

"Mommy! Luna took my toy again!"

I looked up from my laptop to see my five-year-old son, Liam, standing in the doorway of my office with his arms crossed. He looked so much like his father that sometimes it physically hurt to look at him.

Same black hair. Same golden eyes. Same stubborn expression.

"Luna," I called out, "what did we talk about sharing?"

My daughter appeared behind her brother, holding a stuffed wolf. Her hair was auburn like mine, but those golden eyes were all Kyril.

"But Liam wasn’t playing with it!" Luna protested. "It was just sitting there!"

"Doesn’t matter. It’s still mine."

"Is not!"

"Is too!"

"Okay, okay." I stood up and walked over to them, crouching down to their level. "How about we use our words instead of arguing? Liam, can Luna play with Mr. Wolfie for a little while?"

Liam thought about it, his little face serious. He’d always been the more protective of the two. More cautious.

"Fine," he finally said. "But only until dinner."

"Thank you for sharing, baby." I kissed his forehead.

Luna beamed and hugged her brother. "Thanks, Liam! You’re the best!"

She ran off, and Liam watched her go with a long-suffering expression that made him look way older than five.

"She’s gonna mess it up," he muttered.

"Then we’ll fix it together." I ruffled his hair. "Now, go wash your hands. Dinner’s almost ready."

He nodded and headed to the bathroom.

I watched him go, my heart swelling with love and aching with old pain at the same time.

Five years. It had been five years since I left Grant territory. Five years since I disappeared in the middle of the night.

Five years since I’d seen Kyril.

Sometimes it felt like a lifetime ago. Other times, it felt like yesterday.

I shook off the memories and headed to the kitchen of my modest apartment. It wasn’t fancy—not like the Grant mansion—but it was ours. Safe. Happy.

Maya had helped me build this life. She’d helped me create a new identity: Aria Stone, single mother, businesswoman. No pack affiliation. No past.

The first year had been hard. I was pregnant, scared, and had no idea what I was doing. But Maya was there for every doctor’s appointment, every midnight panic attack, every moment of doubt.

When the twins were born, Maya had been in the delivery room holding my hand.

I named them after people I loved. Liam, after my father whose middle name was William. And Luna, because she was born during a full moon, and because I wanted her to be strong like a Luna should be.

A Luna that I never got to be.

"Mommy?" Luna appeared in the kitchen doorway. "Can we have mac and cheese?"

"We had mac and cheese yesterday, sweetie."

"But it’s so good!"

I laughed. "How about chicken nuggets and vegetables?"

Luna wrinkled her nose at ‘vegetables’ but nodded. "Okay. But can I have extra ketchup?"

"Yes, you can have extra ketchup."

She ran off, and I started preparing dinner.

My phone buzzed on the counter. It was a text from Maya: Meeting still on for tomorrow? Big client wants to meet you personally.

I texted back: Yes. What kind of client?

Some Alpha from out of town. Wants custom protection amulets for his pack. Could be huge for business.

My stomach tightened at the word Alpha, but I pushed the feeling away. I’d met dozens of Alphas over the years. It was part of running Lunar Designs, my company that made magical artifacts for supernatural beings.

Turned out, my hybrid magic was actually useful for something.

After the twins were born, my powers had gotten stronger. Much stronger. The pregnancy had awakened something dormant in my bloodline. Now I could create protection spells, concealment charms, and other magical items that sold for a fortune in the supernatural community.

Maya handled the business side. I handled the magic. Together, we’d built something real.

I’ll be there, I texted back.

"Mommy! Liam won’t let me wear his jacket!" Luna’s voice called from the living room.

"That’s because it’s MY jacket!" Liam yelled back.

I sighed and headed to break up another argument.

That was my life now. Exhausting, chaotic, but mine.

And I wouldn’t have traded it for anything.

***

The next morning, I dropped the twins off at their private school.

It was expensive, but Maya had helped me afford it. "They deserve the best," she’d said. "Especially since their father isn’t contributing."

The father they didn’t know about.

I’d never told the twins about Kyril. As far as they knew, their daddy "went away" before they were born. Liam asked questions sometimes. Luna just seemed to accept it.

One day I’d have to tell them the truth. But not yet. Not while they were so young.

"Bye, Mommy!" Luna hugged me tight.

Liam gave me a more reserved hug. He was growing up too fast. "See you later, Mom."

"Be good," I told them both. "Listen to Miss Sarah."

I watched them run into the school building, and my heart clenched like it did every morning. They were my whole world. Everything I did was for them.

I drove to my office in the Silvermoon business district. Lunar Designs had a small storefront with a workshop in the back. It wasn’t fancy, but it was professional.

Maya was already there when I arrived, setting up the meeting room.

"You’re early," I said.

"So are you." She grinned. "Nervous?"

"Why would I be nervous?"

"Because this Alpha is apparently a big deal. Rich, powerful, the whole package. If we land this contract, we could expand. Maybe even hire actual employees instead of just the two of us."

I hung up my jacket. "What’s his name?"

"Lucian Frost. Ever heard of him?"

I searched my memory. "Frost... Frostpeak Pack?"

"That’s the one. Northern territories. They’re one of the largest packs in the region."

My hands started to shake slightly, and I clenched them into fists to stop it.

I hadn’t dealt with any major packs since I left. I’d deliberately kept my client base to smaller groups, rogues, and individual wolves.

Working with a major pack meant paperwork. Background checks. The possibility of someone recognizing me.

"Aria?" Maya touched my arm. "You okay? If you’re not comfortable with this—"

"No, it’s fine." I forced a smile. "I’m fine. It’s been five years. No one’s looking for me anymore."

"You sure?"

"Yes. When is he supposed to be here?"

"Any minute now."

As if on cue, the bell above the door chimed.

A man walked in, and I had to admit—he was striking.

Tall, lean, with silver-blonde hair and ice-blue eyes. He moved with the grace of a predator, all Alpha confidence. He was wearing an expensive suit that probably cost more than my monthly rent.

But when he smiled, it was warm and genuine.

"Miss Stone?" He offered his hand. "Lucian Frost. Thank you for meeting with me."

I shook his hand, noting the strength in his grip. "Mr. Frost. Please, call me Aria. This is my business partner, Maya Heng."