"I, Aria, the chosen mate, reject you, Alpha Raymond, as my mate." Raymond is thrown into panic. For three years, Aria has poured her soul into being Raymond's Agent Luna—her sweat, her heart, her loyalty to his pack. But to him? She’s just a bed partner and an assistant. When Aria discovers that their contract ends in three months—and that Raymond plans to bond with his ex, who's just returned—she knows it’s time to walk away. And she’s leaving with his pup—one he doesn’t even know about. But why can’t Raymond let her go? Why does he suddenly act like he feels something more for her?
Lihat lebih banyakARIA’s POV….
“Raymond! Slower please…” I tried to get his name out to be as audible as possible as we hit climax, my vision as foggy as possible as he took his head out of my neck, our gasps filling the room as we both crashed by each other, our hearts— or maybe just mine— beating extremely fast.
I gulped as I gently put my hand to my neck, caressing his mark. The mark signified our bond. As I closed my eyes, relishing in the warmth from our moment just now, unable to believe I’d just been marked by my Alpha, his icy voice shot through.
“Our nominal mate contract ends in three months.” When he spoke, so coldly, without an ounce of emotion, it felt like my breath had been caught in my throat.
I fiddled with the sheets, waiting for him to say something, anything other than what he’d already said, but no other words left his lips.
“Ra—“ I tried to get the words out, but they failed me, leaving me with no other option but to cling on to denial.
He looked so calm that you wouldn’t have guessed we’d been in each others’ arms earlier, moaning in pleasure as we gave each other orgasms before he marked me.
Three years ago, Raymond and I had reached an agreement. I became his agent Luna so that he could solidify his position in the Alpha council and also become his assistant, pushing through professional boundaries with him. In return, he’d agreed to pay off my family’s debts and three years ago, that had been all I ever really wanted.
“This is just a transaction, Aria. A mutually beneficial agreement. I hope you always remember that.” As I recalled his words, I felt a knot form in my stomach as I clenched my fists, doing my best to fight the tears that were now threatening to stream down my cheeks.
It was always supposed to remain a mere transaction— until I’d fallen in love with him, so deep that I wasn’t sure I could ever be pulled out of it.
“I love you, Aria. This— what we have is more than just an agreement. You are my mate. I want you to be mine, to be more than just my Agent Luna. I want you to be MY Luna. You are mine.” Many times, I’d even fantasized about the day he would fall in love with me or at least start to, but as it stood, I would probably not get to see that day.
My wolf kicked within me.
“Raymond, I was wondering...” the words finally left my lips as I struggled to breathe. I took a deep inhale as I tried to sound as coaxing as possible. “It’s your birthday tomorrow. Can we spend it together? I’ll prepare you—“ my words trailed off the moment I felt his hand on my bare skin, pulling me closer to himself, so close I could feel his hot breath that betrayed his cold expression on my skin, causing the hairs on my skin to stand as my wolf jumped within me.
“Do not try to change whatever this is, Aria.” He paused, probably to check if he was passing his message across properly. His tone, as mocking as possible, he continued. “Nominal mates, a contractual couple, and bed partners— that’s all.” He made sure to emphasize on the last part and it was so hard on me it felt like a bulldozer had just been dropped on me.
“Did you love at all— even once— all these years?” I asked again, my throat so dry every word that came out of my mouth hurt.
Not uttering a single response, he pushed me aside as he got off the bed, grabbing his clothes as he threw them on, ignoring eye contact with me like he would contract a disease if he did.
“If you don’t,” my voice started to trail off as the tears started to push even more. “If you don’t, why does it seem like I’m the only woman you care about every time we make love? Every time I feel your touch, it feels far from just a contractual relationship. Every moment you’re buried inside of me, your hands moving around my body— it feels real, Alpha Raymond. It still does.”
Finally, he turned to me, but his expression showed off how much disgust he felt from my words.
“It was just and will always be just a contract, Aria.” He looked at me, like he was deliberating saying the next words, but then, he went ahead and just said it. “She’s back.”
Casually slipping out some money from his pocket as he dropped it on the table, he passed me one more unreadable expression before leaving.
She’s back. Two words. Two words that shattered me to the very core.
She was his ex-girlfriend. I was her replacement. She was the first person he loved and many times, in his dreams, I’d heard him call out to her with so much emotional depth you’d never believe the stoic expression he carried around.
I pushed myself to the table where he’d dropped the contraceptive pill as with a growing knot in my stomach and throat, I swallowed it, tears streaming down my cheeks as I held on tighter to the sheets that had been witness to the love we’d made and his mark on me.
I suddenly felt my senses heighten, my heart beating even faster as I felt a strange movement inside of me. My insides started to turn as next thing I knew, it came all the way up to my throat.
I got out of bed, my steps quickening with each foot I put forward as I turned on the tap in the sink, letting it all out as I coughed, feeling weaker by the passing seconds.
“Increased breast size, feeling dizzy almost every time, weakness, weird cravings, delayed menstrual cycle—“ my heart ceased to beat as the realization dawned on me.
“No, no. It’s not possible.” I clung on to denial as I rambled through my things in the bathroom, looking for the pregnancy test kit I knew I had. I took in a sharp breath as I did the needful, waiting for it to show my results, my fate halting.
After a few minutes, I took the test and staring at it, I felt my heart sink into my stomach as the double lines glared at me.
I gulped as I held on even more to the sink.
“I’m—I’m pregnant.”
ARIA’s POV…“It’s fine. You’ll be fine. Our baby will be fine.” Were the only words I could process in my head from Raymond.How we’d gotten to the hospital from the garden, how I was suddenly getting wheeled into the delivery room— these I didn’t know.What I knew however, was that Raymond was here. He was by my side.“Alpha Raymond, you’re going to have to remain outside.” The doctor said when he realized Raymond wasn’t letting go of my hand.“I can’t. I have to be with her. I won’t bother you with your work. I just want to see her and be sure she’s fine. Please.”I’d never seen Raymond plead with anyone else. His voice was vulnerable, his concern, fear, and care, evident to even the blind.“Fine.” The doctor gave in when he realized Raymond wouldn’t let go of my hand.I was in pain, a lot of pain, but with Raymond’s hand gently caressing mine, I felt a little better.HOURS LATER..“Push!” The doctor urged, Raymond’s hand squeezing even tighter on mine.“You can do this, love. I know
ARIA’s POV…My world stopped.Everything I thought was finally coming into place had crumbled and I had lost it all. I felt as empty as I did the very day my parents let me know I meant nothing to them.“No one would ever accept someone like you as a child, or a mate. To be related to you is shameful enough. I’d suggest you hop on the first person to make a move on you.”Only they didn’t give me that chance. They’d sold me off.Alpha Raymond had been my life. I’d gotten hope to live after he came into my life and I’d thought everything would be fine. Only it wasn’t. He’d rejected me.Like everyone else.The only difference? Unlike everyone else who’d thrown me out of their lives, he’d come back. And he was genuine. He loved me, and I loved him too. I wanted to live. With him. With our child.I couldn’t die. I couldn’t lose our first fight together.“Aria, no!” I heard his voice from afar.Life was fading. I could feel it, but I couldn’t just die. There had to be something I could do.“
RAYMOND’s POV….“What? How?” I yelled, almost losing control and snapping at the doctor. “What the hell is going on, goddamnit?”“Alpha Raymond, please calm down.” Eric tried to calm me, but I couldn’t be calmed.I was losing it, going crazy. With every second that passed, it felt like I was losing her, and losing her meant I was losing myself. I couldn’t deal with it.“She was stabbed, I got here almost immediately, so what fucking poison could be spreading through her right now?” I still had my hands on the doctor and he tried to get away in a respectful manner.“The knife had poison on it. It was a planned murder attempt. She’s still alive right now because you’d brought her here in time.”I let go of him when I heard she was still alive. I knew she was still alive because I could still feel life in my wolf. He would never survive if he’d lost his mate.“And the poison? How are you going to get it out of her?” My voice had lowered now and I felt like a person with imposter syndrom
RAYMOND’s POV…One minute, I’d been celebrating my wisdom and victory. I’d been so proud of the fact that I’d outsmarted Beta Luke who’d tried to flee the pack.The next, Ashley had made her comment.Somewhere within that minute, someone had stabbed Aria, and within that same minute, I’d run over to her, on my knees, holding her unconscious bleeding body in my arms.“Get the damn doctor! An ambulance! Get help!” I screamed like a crazed lunatic, everything in me paralyzed.The guards had seized the attacker, but I could care less at this moment. Right now, I could only think about one thing, one person— Aria. My mate, the love of my life, the woman whose life was now in danger because of me.“Alpha Raymond!”No one mattered at that moment. All that mattered was Aria and saving her life.“Aria, it’s fine. You’re fine. Please.” I muttered, unsure of who I was.I carried her in my arms, rushing out of the mansion immediately. I didn’t know how the black car got here, but I got into it i
RAYMOND’s POV…I could hear the murmurs that followed my announcement and I wasn’t surprised. They’d witnessed everything. They’d been here when I got ‘married’ to Aria. They’d also been here when I took Ashley in and treated Aria like she meant nothing. Now, I’d brought that same woman back. I couldn’t judge them for their murmurs. If I was in their shoes, I’d do the same.“Ashley, Alpha James, Beta Luke.” I called their names with disgust. “You’ve all been screaming to be let go, but never once have you asked what you did wrong. I assume you already know.”The guards brought Luke forward, throwing him at Ashley and her father’s feet and I smirked in satisfaction at the look of utter shock on his face.“You thought your tracks were clean, didn’t you? You thought you could kill everyone off so nothing would be traced back to you and it would be fine, didn’t you?” I clicked my tongue. “Pathetic.”I honestly felt insulted at how easy it’d been to catch all three of them.“I have—I have
ARIA’s POV…“You still won’t tell me why you asked me to come with you?” This was another attempt at getting him to speak, but he didn’t.“You said it was because you didn’t like the idea of leaving me alone at the house, but we know that’s not true. So, tell me the truth. Why am I actually coming?”He took his hand off the steering wheel, gently placing it on mine and smiling reassuringly.“You know I wouldn’t do anything to hurt you though, right? You know that whatever I do, I do with your best interests at heart.”I nodded. I’d been running from it for so long, but it was the truth. Lately, I’d come to see that he’d actually changed and everything he did, he actually did for me.“It’s fine if you don’t want to talk about it.”It wasn’t, but I couldn’t say anymore.It had been so sudden, him asking me to return to his pack with him because he was worried something would happen. In the days that passed, he’d managed to calm me about the whole harasser situation and since there’d been
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