LOGINRue’s POVI looked at him.This was the second time he was asking me about marriage. And this time, Percy wasn’t smiling, wasn’t even trying to charm me the way he sometimes did when he wanted to ease tension.He was completely serious.My fingers tightened slightly in his hand.“I…”The word caught in my throat.For a moment, I didn’t know what to say. Not because I didn’t feel anything, I knew I loved Percy. The memory of another marriage flashed through my mind. A promise once made to me and broken. And the aftermath of that mistake still lived somewhere deep inside me.I lowered my gaze.“If I say yes…” I continued. “It won’t be impulsive, or rushed.”“I know.”“And you know I want you.” I said.He nodded.“Let’s wait then.” I added.His brows furrowed. “For how long?”I shook my head. “Not like that.” A small breath escaped me. “When you come back from the border mission...I’ll marry you then.”For a moment, he didn’t react. It was as if he hadn’t heard me properly. Then his e
Aiden’s POVWeeks passed, days filled with stress and fatigue. At times, I didn’t know what to do, so I tended to close myself in my office. It was one afternoon when I decided what remedy I needed.I had been standing there for a long time that the guards at the gate began watching me with quiet suspicion.She was inside, behind those gates. And I had been waiting for hours on end, but I couldn’t leave. I was dead-set on seeing her.My fingers curled slowly at my sides unconsciously, as if trying to hold onto something.I didn’t know how long it had been when the gates finally opened. But the moment they did, everything in me stilled.Rue walked out calm and composed.She wasn’t alone. She was accompanied by a few guards and some members of her pack. And of course, Beta Nate, Percy’s second aide.He saw me first and his expression darkened immediately.“Aiden.” His voice carried plainly “Your presence is not welcome here.”I ignored him and turned to Rue.“Rue.”She stopped and look
Rue’s POVHaven struggled, her body pinned against the ground by Percy’s power, her fingers clawing uselessly at the earth beneath her.“Let me go!” Her voice cracked. Nothing like the controlled, calculating tone she used to wield like a weapon.Percy didn’t answer, he simply lifted his hand slightly and her body rose.A gasp tore from her throat as her feet left the ground. Her body dragged toward the river’s edge.“No...no, wait!”Her voice shattered and her composure completely gone.“I’ll talk! I’ll tell you everything!”B
Rue’s POV“I didn’t!” She shook her head violently. “You can’t believe him! He’s lying to save himself!”“Aiden.” She turned to Aiden but I didn’t take my eyes off her.“Ask him.”Aiden stood frozen, his face pale. His expression was broken.“Tell me the truth,” he said hoarsely looking at the man.“I swear!” the man cried. “She planned it! She said it would hurt you...that it would make Rue suffer...”“Enough!” Haven screamed but the sound didn’t hold power anymore.“She&hell
Haven’s POVBlue was finally better.Her small hand rested in mine as the doctor administered final scripts.I glanced at Aiden.He looked tired and distracted. But at least for once, he wasn't thinking about Rue. He was thinking of Blue. And as long as she was here, he wouldn’t leave.He couldn’t.“We should go,” I said softly.He nodded absent-mindedly.We stepped out of the hospital and out of the blue, hands grabbed me.“What...?!”I struggled immediately but it was useless.
Aiden’s POVI watched the car disappear into the distance and for a long moment, I didn’t move or speak. I couldn’t even breathe properly.My heart ached. And that went without saying.“She’s gone.”The realization came slowly, as something that had been building for a long time. Something I had refused to fully accept.Haven’s hand slipped into mine. It didn’t feel right,not anymore, but I couldn’t care less.“You should rest,” she said softly. “You’ve been through a lot.”Her voice was gentle but it didn’t reach me.“I wasn’t there.” I said absent-mindedly, almost to myself.“When Iris went missing…”My grip tightened unconsciously.“I should have been. She is my daughter yet...”I felt guilt settle deep within me. Because no matter how I justified it or explained it, the truth didn’t change. I wasn’t there.Haven squeezed my hand slightly.“You didn’t know.”But that wasn’t enough. It only meant that someone else was there for Iris. Someone else protected them. And it wasn’t me.“A
Rue’s POVThe hall held its breath. Every gaze was pinned on the elder clutching Marcus’s decision, the parchment trembling in his hands.“After due consideration…” his voice rang out, weighted and deliberate, “…Alpha Marcus has chosen to award the partnership to Percy’s company.”For a moment, a h
Aiden’s POVThe room went silent when the sleeve slipped.Her arm. Her scars. The pale, blurred lines tore through my chest.For a moment, my lungs forgot how to breathe. My throat closed, my vision tunneled, and all I could see was Rue—standing there, clutching Iris to her chest, her face hard but
Rue’s POVI joined the short line of students outside the exam hall. Some of them looked nervous, some confident, some were outright zoned out.With my pass tucked securely in my hand, I waited for the proctor to check it. I had studied hard for this moment, I knew I could do this.Just when it was
Rue’s POV I stood beside Percy, shoulders squared, my eyes scanning the impromptu boardroom meeting. The elders of his pack had gathered, their eyes likewise scanning me with doubt.It baffled me how they still mistrusted me considering that I had helped them win an award with my invention. And ho







