LOGINAiden’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 POVI stood there, facing Haven. My chest rose and fell slowly, deliberately, as if I were forcing my body to remain steady. But inside, everything burned.“What did you say to him?” My voice came out low.Haven blinked. For the first time in a long time, I saw something unfamiliar in her eyes. Fear. The kind that came when someone realized they had crossed a line they couldn’t walk back from.“I—I don’t know what you mean…” Her voice wavered.“You don’t?”I stepped closer. The air between us tightened instantly.“You called him.”I took another step.“And right after that...he collapsed.”My gaze locked onto hers.“So I’ll ask you again.” I said through gritted teeth. “What did you say to my father?”She swallowed. Her fingers twitched at her side, betraying her composure.“I was just… informing him…” Her voice trailed off. “I didn’t mean anything by it.”“You didn’t mean anything?”My lips curved slightly in disbelief.“You expect me to believe that?”I could feel it now, the
Rue’s PerspectiveWhen I woke up, the first thing I saw was Aiden.For a moment, my mind refused to accept the image. It felt like hallucination, the kind born from exhaustion and fever. But then I focused, and the shock hit me full force.He looked terrible.Not tired in the dignified, restrained
Aiden’s POVThen the screen lit up and everyone was silent.At first, no one spoke. The footage was unmistakably real, unedited, captured from a low angle that shook slightly with every movement. I recognized Rue’s voice before I even saw her face.“Before you even spout whatever it is you want to
Rue’s POVThe very next week, I took Iris to the beach so that she could have some fun. As expected, Iris was having more than fun. After days of regular schooling and training, her brain was exhausted. She giggled as she splashed tiny feet in the shallow tide, her curls bouncing.We were only ther
Rue’s POVMy reflection looked calm. Inside, I was not.This banquet was not just a celebration, it was a declaration of succession, of everything that had been denied to me when I was nameless. I had walked through death and come back wearing scars no gown could hide. And yet tonight, the world w







