Pieces of the Truth

Kelly’s Grill sat on the corner of Main and Brook, its aged brick exterior and wooden sign unchanged by time. The scent of charbroiled meat and rosemary filled the air. Aria stepped inside, drawn to the familiarity and comfort it offered.

Samantha waved from a back booth. She looked the same—wavy chestnut hair, warm brown eyes—but more grounded. When they hugged, Aria nearly broke down.

“You look amazing,” Samantha said as they sat.

“You too,” Aria replied softly. “Like you belong here.”

Samantha smiled. “I stayed. You left. You’ve always been brave.”

“Not brave. Desperate,” Aria murmured.

Samantha hesitated, then asked the question that hung between them. “Why didn’t you say goodbye?”

“I thought I was protecting you.”

“From what?”

“My ex. He told me we were in danger. That the Elders had ordered my dad to kill him. That you’d be used as bait.”

Samantha looked horrified. “And you believed him?”

“I was sixteen and in love. He had staged conversations, fake messages. It all looked real.”

“You were manipulated,” Samantha said firmly.

“I cut everyone off. We ran. When I figured it out, it was too late.”

Their drinks arrived, giving them a moment to breathe.

“I’m sorry,” Samantha said.

“Don’t be. I believed him over all of you.”

“You’re here now,” Samantha said. “That matters.”

“It still doesn’t feel real.”

“You matter to me,” Samantha said fiercely. “And to your family.”

Their food came—steak sandwich and rosemary potatoes for Aria, grilled chicken for Sam.

“I missed you,” Aria said. “You were the only person I wanted to take with me.”

“Where is he now?” Samantha asked.

“Gone. I left in the middle of the night. Brought everything I had to my father.”

“You made it out. That’s what matters.”

Aria nodded, but her voice was low. “He’s still out there.”

“If he ever comes back, he’ll wish he hadn’t.”

For the first time in years, Aria didn’t feel alone.

On the other side of town, Wyatt sat in the packhouse office, reviewing patrol shifts and financial reports. But something had been off since Friday—a shift in the air. His wolf felt it.

The door opened. Roy entered, placing a thick manila folder on Wyatt’s desk.

“You need to see this,” Roy said.

Wyatt opened the folder. Inside were text logs, photos, recordings, and documents. The story they told was darker than he imagined.

“It’s about James,” Roy said. “He told Aria we were going to kill them. That I had orders to execute him. That even the Kowalski family was involved.”

Wyatt scowled. “She believed it?”

“She was sixteen, in love, and he made it all look real. He isolated her. Later, he tried to use her to help him overthrow you. Wanted to lead rogues into our borders.”

Wyatt’s wolf snarled. “She helped him?”

“No. Not once she has seen the truth. He got violent, controlling. She stayed just long enough to collect proof. A year’s worth.”

Wyatt flipped through the folder again, admiring the courage behind every photo and timestamp.

“She brought all of this to me,” Roy said. “Then disappeared for a while. Now she’s back.”

Wyatt’s eyes narrowed. “Does James know?”

“No. She covered her tracks.”

“We’ll secure this and double rogue patrols. If he gets near our borders, I want to know.”

Roy didn’t move. “There’s more.”

Wyatt waited.

“You’ve felt it, haven’t you? The shift.”

Wyatt’s jaw tightened. “Yeah.”

Roy held his gaze. “It’s her. Aria’s been home since Thursday. Only Lisa and I knew.”

Wyatt’s wolf stilled. Then it growled—not in warning, but in recognition.