OLIVIA’S POV
After Mom went back to her room, I sat alone on the couch with the morning light slowly pouring in through the windows. The house was still quiet, but my thoughts were anything but.
Her words played over and over in my mind: “If your guilt is clouding everything else, maybe it’s time to let go of what’s causing it.”
There was only one thing—one person—I needed to face now. And it was time I stopped delaying it. It’s unfair to him and after everything he has done for me, I cannot string him along like this.
When I knew what’s my first is going to be I picked up my phone from the coffee table with trembling fingers. The screen was still smudged with last night’s notifications, but my eyes went straight to the name at the top of my call log.
Derek.
I stared at it for a long moment, unsure if I was ready. But I couldn’t let myself spiral again. I had already betrayed
AURELIA’S POVIt was supposed to be a quiet afternoon. Kael had insisted I sit in the sun for a while, “to get some color back,” he said, and now we were by the courtyard fountain, the water trickling lazily as I tried to distract myself with a book.But I wasn’t reading.Across the way, through the open arch, I caught sight of them—Darius and Seraphina. She was leaning far too close, her hand brushing his sleeve as though she had every right to touch him. And he—he just stood there, his expression calm, his lips curved in one of those careful smiles that I knew by now was a lie.It shouldn’t have mattered. It was all part of his plan. Our plan.So why did it feel like someone was twisting a knife inside me?Before I could stop myself, the words slipped out in a sharp whisper. “She should keep her hands to herself.”Kael’s head snapped toward me, eyebrows shooting up. “
AURELIA’S POV“Wait.” My voice came out sharper than I intended, breaking the silence between us. “What did Seraphina lie about?”Darius’s gaze flickered toward me, unreadable at first, and for a heartbeat, I thought he wouldn’t answer. But then he sighed, low and controlled, like a man carrying a weight he hadn’t planned to share.“When you were getting first aid after the attack,” he said slowly, “I received a call. From Alpha Draven.”My breath caught in my throat.“Apparently, Seraphina had already reported me,” he continued, his tone steady but laced with something darker. “She told him I was distracted during my duty, that your attack happened because I wasn’t paying enough attention. Draven… gave me a warning call.”I stared at him, the words sinking like shards of glass into my chest. My sister. My own blood. Why is she like t
AURELIA’S POVDarius released me instantly, stepping back, his face shifting into its usual mask of calm detachment. But I already knew who it was before I turned.Seraphina stood at the edge of the courtyard, her arms folded, her perfect brows arched in suspicion. She looked as though she had been watching long enough to take in more than I wanted her to.“I thought I heard… noises,” she said, her tone deceptively light. “But I didn’t expect to find my dear sister playing warrior with her guard.” Her eyes swept over me, then landed on Darius, lingering in a way that made my stomach twist.My throat went dry. “It’s nothing,” I said quickly, brushing my damp hair back from my face, desperate to cover the trembling in my hands. “Just—just stretching.”“Stretching?” Seraphina repeated, her lips curving into a smile that wasn’t really a smile. “Funny. From where I stood, it looked very much like fighting.” She tilted her head, her gaze sharp and probing. “Father wouldn’t approve, you know
AURELIA’S POVMy body healed quicker than I thought it would. Within days, the soreness dulled, the bruises faded, and though I wasn’t fully strong, I no longer felt like a fragile piece of glass that might shatter at the slightest touch.It was on one such morning, as I sat on the edge of my bed brushing out my hair, that Darius appeared in the doorway. His expression was stern, purposeful, the kind of look that always made my stomach flutter nervously.“From now on,” he said without preamble, “I’m going to train you.”The brush slipped from my fingers and clattered against the floor. I turned to him, startled. “Train me?”His jaw tightened. “You should at least know how to defend yourself. You can’t rely on others all the time—not even on me or Kael. You need to be able to fight back.”My heart skipped a beat. The idea terrified me. My father’s voice rang i
DEREK'S POV“What do you mean?” I asked, my frown deepening.Kael shifted, his eyes narrowing as though the weight of his thoughts was clawing at him. “Think about it,” he pressed, his voice low but sharp. “Didn’t you hear what she said? Asking for her price?” His jaw tightened, his lips curling back slightly as a growl rumbled in his chest. “As if she’s some—”He cut himself off abruptly, snapping his mouth shut, but the word he didn’t say hung heavy in the air. I didn’t need him to finish. I knew exactly what he meant, and the very thought made fury course hot through my veins.My fists clenched at my sides, nails digging into my palms. I wouldn’t tolerate it. Not whispered rumors, not veiled insults—nothing. I wouldn’t even allow someone to speak that word about her in my presence. Aurelia was many things—fragile, reckless, stubborn at times—but
DEREK’S POVI watched Aurelia’s face carefully, the way her shoulders tensed when Kael also agreed that her sister might have orchestrated the distraction. Her wide eyes, her silence—it was too much for her to carry right now. And truthfully, I couldn’t say for sure. Maybe it had been a coincidence. Maybe not.How would Seraphina have even known where we were going or when we were leaving? It had been a sudden plan, one we hadn’t shared with anyone except her father—because we needed his permission first.Either way, I wouldn’t add to the burden already pressing down on her.“Don’t think too much,” I said gently, my voice steady, firm enough to cut off the spiral of thoughts I saw threatening in her eyes. “You’ve been through enough tonight. Just rest for a while.”Her lips parted like she wanted to argue, like she had questions boiling inside her, but exhaustion weighed