Se connecterAria’s POVThe warmth of his body against my back was confusing.He was treating me like I didn’t exist, and now he was holding me as if he’d die if he let go.“What are you doing?” I asked, my voice barely a whisper, “You should be inside resting.”“No, I can’t rest,” he muttered, his breath warm against the shell of my ear.I could hear the strain in his voice, that raw edge that told me he’d been pacing and overthinking just as much as I had.“Not after the things I said to you. The guilt is eating me alive, Aria. I know I was acting like a jerk. I was mad, okay? I was so incredibly angry.”He paused, his grip on my waist tightening slightly, and then he let out a frustrated sound.“But you have to understand... I’m jealous. I hate it. I hate seeing you care for Aiden like that. It feels like you care about him more than me.”I blinked, stunned by his bluntness.“What? What are you even saying?”“Aria, I love you,” he said, and the way he said it sounded like a confession and a ple
Aria’s POVKaelen turned his back on me and walked away without looking back.I stood there, rooted to the spot, watching his retreating figure until he disappeared around the corner.There was no use arguing or trying to explain myself anymore.I let out a long, heavy breath, feeling the weight of the silence settling.For a second, my mind went completely blank. I actually forgot what I was supposed to be doing. It’s funny how a person’s cold shoulder can make you lose your internal compass.I stepped back out to wander around and clear my head.My thoughts kept drifting to Kaelen and Aiden.It was a disaster waiting to happen.I knew they wouldn’t get along. No matter how much I tried to play mediator or keep the peace, they were bound to clash.Feeling defeated, I decided to just go back and try to get some rest.I needed to sleep this off.When I walked into the bedroom, I expected things to be normal—or at least, as normal as they could be.I thought Kaelen would be there, waiti
Aria’s POVI moved instinctively, pushing Aiden away from me a little too quickly.My eyes were still glued to the empty doorway where Kaelen had just been standing.The sudden movement caught Aiden off guard, and he looked up at me with a confused, hurt expression, his brows furrowing in a silent question.“I’m sorry,” I stammered, trying to find my footing.My heart was still racing from the look Kaelen gave me.“I just... I got startled. Don’t mind that. Look at me, Aiden.”I took his hands in mine, trying to ground both of us.His skin was still clammy, and he looked so fragile, which was a sight I never thought I’d see.“Aiden, listen. We are going to get your wolf back. I promise you that. But first, we have to deal with Olivia. We’ll come up with a strategy together, but I need you to focus. Tell me right now—where are our children?”I squeezed his hands, my voice dropping to a desperate whisper.“Aiden, she could take them. You know how manipulative Olivia is. She will do what
Aria’s POV“Aria…”He called my name softly, the sound of it hanging in the air like he was waiting for me to give him something—an answer, a sign, anything.I turned to face him, forcing myself to look at him straight in the eyes.I didn’t want to be mean, but my chest felt like it was being crushed by the weight of everything happening at once.“K-Kaelen, I don’t have time for this right now,” I said, my voice shaking despite my best efforts to keep it steady.“My top priority is finding my twins. You know what’s happening. Aiden has lost his wolf spirit. He’s lying there unconscious, and he is the only person who knows where our children are.”I took a step toward him, feeling the heat of frustration rising in my neck.“If you ask me to choose between the two of you right now, I’m going to lose my mind. I need you to understand that. Please. This... whatever this is between us... it’s just not on my list of priorities today.”I watched the words hit him.The hurt in his eyes was in
Aria’s POVI walked over to his bedside.I didn’t answer his question right away. I just needed to see for myself that he was okay.I reached out and placed my hands on his shoulders, feeling the solid warmth of his skin. Relief washed over me.“You’re really awake,” I said softly, searching his face.“I’m so sorry. I just got back. I’m sure you were looking for me as soon as you opened your eyes.”“Yeah, I was looking for you,” he replied, his voice steadier than I expected.He didn’t pull away from my touch, but his gaze was intense.“And I’m fine, Aria. Really. Nothing hurts, and I don’t feel weak at all. As a matter of fact, I feel... strange. Like there’s this powerful energy surging inside me that I can’t explain. It’s like I’m stronger than I’ve ever been.”He paused, his eyes narrowing as he returned to the one thing he couldn’t let go of.“But you didn’t answer me. Why is Aiden here? Why did you help him?”I stiffened.“Did someone tell you he was here? One of the guards?”“N
Aria’s POVMy hands were shaking so hard I could barely feel my fingers.They were heavy and the numbness was starting to creep up my arms. I looked down at Lennox and Aiden, both of them unconscious and bleeding, and for a second, I thought I was going to lose it. I couldn’t carry them like this. I was too weak in my human form.I closed my eyes and forced myself to breathe. Shift, I told myself.I expected Zaira to surface. But as my bones began to crack and reshape, a surge of power came out instead.It was the Aristea.I managed to hoist both of them onto my back. I couldn’t go back to the Crescent Moon. If I showed up there with their dying Alpha, they’d kill me.To them, I was nothing but a traitor. They would blame me for everything that happened to Aiden. My only choice was the Iron Howl.It wasn’t going to be easy, and they might hate me too, but I had to try.I ran until my lungs burned. The trees blurred past me as I pushed the Aristea’s body to the limit. By the time the I







