Chapter 12: This Formal Union

AARON SHROVA.

It was hard not to lose myself in the taste of Deva's lips. This is what I was afraid of. I did not love her; my heart was with someone else who was no more. It was my fault that she died.

I told myself that I kissed her to preserve her dignity and to make up for not showing up last night. All I remember was Sophie asking for me, and I passed out from exhaustion. I had gotten a little fever before the wedding that only Sophie knew of. I hid it well, but it caught up with me. The doctors said it was from induced stress. I meant to be at her Chambers to fulfill my duties after seeing Sophie, who told me she had something important to tell me.

Her actions had failed to make sense to me after Deva arrived. It was like her demeanor changed. She became cold and distant. I didn't fully trust anyone, and I still could not tell who was telling the truth. Was it the woman I had my lips on or the one I trusted to be close to me as my new friend?

My Beta told me weeks before that he caught wind of some rumors that Sophie used to visit the woman I loved to torture her. I could not help but be slightly cautious. Yet, I didn't want to take rumors to heart. People would do anything for sweet gossip.

Deva fed into our lie, tiptoed in her heels to match my height, and ran her hands through my hair, making strands fall out of place as my fingers traced the back of her neck.

We broke the kiss to breathe. Our foreheads rested against each other, and she looked at me, shocked. She hadn't expected it, nor did I.

"Good morning." A sharp voice cutting through the air like ice made us detach, switching our heads to the side.

Sophie.

"Sophie. Good morning," I told her, and she welcomed me with a smile.

"I got up early so I could come see Deva. I was going to show her around. She was so busy preparing to get married, and I know she hadn't gotten a full tour yet."

Deva tensed beside me as she said her name. "I was already going to find a way to get that done. You need not worry about that. You must have better things to do. Do you not?"

"Very well then, since you do not need my help, I'll let you be."

It didn't take a lot to know that they did not like one another at all. Maybe Sophie wanted to try to bond, but Deva did not want to entertain the idea.

"If you'll excuse me," Deva walked past us both with her maids.

"I see you had a wonderful morning. I thought you didn't love her, Aaron," Sophie teased as we both strolled together.

"I do not. I owed her that. I needed to preserve her reputation," I said.

"By kissing her," Sophie raised her brows.

"You know. You have a part in this. Why did you call me again yesterday?" I asked her, and she kept quiet.

"Aaron, you won't believe that I cannot remember why," she said, expecting me to accept her words at first sight.

"Yes, I do not believe it," I stopped walking. "You said that it was important. Did you lie to me?"

She jeered. "Why would I lie about that? It was something about the pack's finances. I just cannot remember what exactly."

"You made me abandon the first-night ritual for something that could have been sorted this morning? For something that you could not remember."

She rolled her eyes, scoffing. "Oh, please. Do not blame your mistakes on me. You were ill, Aaron, and still tired. You may have looked normal, but I know that your body needed rest. You would have passed out in her room even before sleeping with her."

"I wasn't going to sleep with her, Sophie. You know my heart is somewhere else," I jibed at her.

She clenched her jaw, shaking her head. "Let me guess, she took your heart to the grave with her? Stop obsessing over that dead woman. You need to heal. And from that kiss you shared with Deva, it sure looked like you could not wait to be beside her."

"What is wrong with you?" I did my best to restrain myself from yelling over the top.

"I'm trying to save you in the best way I can, yet, you want to damn yourself in the worst ways possible. You sound like a mess, Aaron. I'm telling you this as a good friend. Neither of them is good for you. The dead and the one who lives. Are you interested in her because they share similar features?"

"I think you need to rest I want to walk alone. Enjoy your day, Sophie."

"Aaron, wait," she rushed after me. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't -"

"No, Sophie. You must excuse me. I know you care for me, and I know you must not have meant any of it-"

She interrupted me. "Yes, I didn't. I just didn't want you to get confused and lead Deva on. What if you fall for her and only see Lana in her? What if you get confused? If she finds out, think about how hurt she'd be. I am a woman too, believe me or not, I know how it would feel to long for someone and know that they will never truly be yours." She teared up.

I sighed. "I'm sorry I misunderstood you, and I've told you again and again that you do not have to continue giving in to the whims of your family. We can find your first love too. You can move on even if I have chosen not to. I cannot bind you to me forever."

"You really think he'll wait for me. I couldn't tell you, but he got married. He's in love and with children. It makes no difference whether I find him now; he belongs to another." She smiles bitterly. "It is fine. You're not binding me to you against my will. I want to be here to support you." She embraced me. "It is okay for me to do this, right?"

I patted her back lightly. "Yes, it is."

"You know, it's strange that you want to support Deva after she hit you and cut your arm. You're too selfless," I mentioned.

"It was a misunderstanding between two sisters. I know she did not mean to wound me," she wrapped her hand around my waist while looking up and grinning at me. "You'll see, both of us will become best friends. It doesn't matter who you choose to have children with between us in the end. We will become like sisters who will love and support each other. I have a good plan to win her heart."

In that moment, I saw the vibrant woman who became my friend, and every doubt washed away.

Sophie can be irrational at times, but everything she does is to make things right.

I hoped that Deva and I could make the best of this formal union and become friends just like I have with Sophie. The last thing I wanted was to lead her on into believing that I had feelings for her.