LOGINAria’s POVSix months had passed since the day the pack council fell to their knees. The chaos of the transition had settled, and for the first time in years, everyone lived in peace. Kyril had ascended back to his position as Alpha, but he was a different leader now. He ruled with a quiet strength, but his focus never shifted from where it truly belonged. Despite his return to power, he still stayed with me in our small house. We were living like parents, sharing the responsibilities of Liam and Luna.It was a strange, delicate balance. We shared meals, we shared laughs, and we shared the heavy lifting of raising two energetic children. But at night, we went to our separate rooms. No matter how hard I wanted to give in sometimes, no matter how much I missed the warmth of his touch, I held back. I needed to be sure. I needed to know that this life we were building was made of stone, not sand.One evening, after the house had gone quiet, I finally put the kids to sleep. I tucked the
Aria’s POVThe moment the news fully reached me—the gravity of what Kyril had done at the pack square—I felt like the floor had been pulled from beneath my feet. I almost died from shock as the realization set in. I had spent the previous night in a dark hole of despair, convinced that his secret return to the pack meant he was reclaiming his old life and discarding ours. I had been so wrong. He hadn't secretly gone back to leave me or the kids. He had gone back to leave everything else for us.He stepped forward and held me tight, his arms wrapping around me like a shield. I could feel the steady thrum of his heart against my own. He had no doubt. He had no second thought. He had chosen us with his everything, casting aside power, wealth, and the respect of his peers as if they were nothing compared to the warmth of our small house."I’m here, Aria," he whispered into my hair. "I’m not going anywhere. I am yours. Only yours."I sobbed into his chest, clutching at his shirt. I had s
Aria’s POVKyril had planned a special outing for us, a day away from the house and the lingering shadows of the past. I spent the early hours getting the kids ready, pulling small sweaters over their heads and making sure their shoes were tied tight. As I was brushing Liam’s hair, he looked up at me with wide, honest eyes. "Mommy, I really love Daddy," he said. There was no hesitation in his voice, just a simple statement of fact. "He makes the best pancakes and he tells the best stories about the big mountains."I felt a small tug at my heart. It was the kind of love I had always wanted them to have, yet hearing it out loud still felt like a major shift in our world. I smiled at him, leaning down to boop his nose. "And what about me? Do you still have room for your Mommy?""We love you most!" Luna screamed from across the room, running over to tackle my waist. Liam joined in, both of them shouting their love until the small bedroom was filled with their laughter.I held them both t
Kyril’s POVWeeks passed, and on the surface, things were getting better. The house had a rhythm now. I knew where the spare blankets were kept, which cereal Liam liked on Tuesday mornings, and how Luna preferred her sandwiches cut into triangles. We were living like a family, but the more I settled into this life, the more I found myself hating the man I used to be. Every time I completed a simple task, like scrubbing a pot or folding a basket of laundry, a heavy weight of guilt settled in my chest.I sat at the kitchen table late one evening, watching Aria lean against the counter. She looked exhausted. Even though she was healing, the years of carrying everything alone had left a mark on her that a few weeks of rest couldn't fix. I started thinking about the sheer scale of what she had done. I imagined how much she must have suffered every single day. She had spent years waking up at dawn, cooking every meal, getting the kids ready for school, and then going to work to provide
Aria’s POVThe morning light was soft as it passed through the bedroom window. I woke up without the pounding pressure of the migraine, though my head still felt a bit heavy. I sat up and saw that the cool washcloth from the night before had fallen onto the pillow. Kyril wasn't in the room, but the scent of him remained.I walked down to the kitchen, moving carefully. Kyril was already there, leaning against the counter with a cup of coffee. He looked up the moment I entered, his eyes scanning my face with intense focus."How are you feeling this morning?" he asked.His voice was low and filled with a concern that was so genuine it made my chest tighten. I could see the sincerity in the way his brow furrowed and the way he stayed still, waiting for my answer. Instead of feeling comforted, I felt a sudden, sharp surge of anger. It was easier to be angry than to deal with the fact that he was actually taking care of me."I'm fine," I said, my voice harsher than I intended. I walked pa
Aria’s POVI spent the rest of the morning thinking about the words Kyril had spoken on the porch. He talked about castles and futures as if they were things he could just whistle into existence. He was always good with sugar-coating his intentions when he wanted something. I had seen him do it with the pack council, and I had seen him do it with me years ago. It was a talent he possessed—making the impossible sound like a simple task.I found him in the kitchen later, cleaning up after our talk. I walked straight up to him, crossing my arms over my chest."You need to stop, Kyril," I said. My voice was steady, but I wanted him to feel the weight of my frustration. "You can’t go around saying things you can’t do. You’re talking about taking us back to a pack that hated me. You’re talking about a castle that was never truly my home. It’s un-alpha-like to make promises that have no foundation in reality."Kyril turned off the faucet and dried his hands on a towel, looking at me with a







