OLIVIA’S POV
The lights twinkled like captured stars hanging from the trees, gently swaying in the evening breeze. For a man who used to scoff at sentimentality, Dominic had managed to pull off something… surprisingly thoughtful.
Noah and Aria were a blur of motion—laughing, running, giggling as they jumped from one game station to the next. Ring toss, balloon darts, a face-painting booth that had Aria grinning like a glittery unicorn… he hadn’t missed a thing.
And the best part? Not a single enforcer or pack member in sight.
It was peaceful. It was… safe.
Even I had to admit—he’d gone above and beyond.
I kept my distance, leaning against a nearby tree as the kids ran around, their joy untainted by the tangled web of emotions running rampant through my chest. I didn’t want to be touched by this gesture. I didn’t want to be impressed. But I was.
The moment they finished the
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
AURELIA’S POVThe first thing I felt was weight. Heavy, suffocating, as if my own body had turned to stone. Every limb resisted me when I tried to move. My chest rose and fell too slowly, each breath a sharp reminder that something was wrong.A groan escaped me before I could stop it.Immediately, movement. A chair scraped against the floor, and then a shadow loomed close.“Aurelia!” Darius’s voice cut through the haze, too sharp, too urgent. “You’re awake—are you okay? Do you feel pain anywhere? Can you breathe properly? Do you need water? Should I—”“Relax, man,” Kael’s voice interrupted, steadier, calmer. “Let her open her eyes properly before you drown her in questions.”I forced my lids apart, squinting against the dim glow of the lantern by my bed. My room. I was back in my own room. The ceiling beams overhead felt strange, distant, as though I were loo