LOGINAria’s POVAfter lunch and our little shopping spree at the mall, I dropped Hailey off at the Larkin Estate first. She waved enthusiastically as she stepped out of the car, already talking about ideas for her birthday and asking Nina, through the half-open window, what kind of cake she liked best. Nina answered shyly, clutching the small paper bag of school supplies on her lap, and Hailey laughed like a carefree girl her age. For a moment, I wished things were always this simple.I brought Nina and Maria back home next. Nina was already yawning, exhausted from all the excitement, and Maria gently coaxed her upstairs for a nap. I watched them disappear down the hallway before turning back toward the car, a different kind of energy settling over me.Instead of resting, I went
Aria’s POV“Here,” Hailey said softly as she extended her hand toward me.Resting on her palm was a small fabric drawstring bag, pale rose pink with simple stitching along the edges. It looked unassuming, too ordinary for something that might carry the weight of suspicion, fear, and unanswered questions.“That’s the herbal tea Uncle Harlan kept gifting my father,” she continued. “I asked the maids. They said it was the only thing he ever gave him. There are four different tea bags inside, different flavors, but Uncle always said they all had the same benefit.”I took the bag from her carefully, as if it might shatter between my fingers. I loosened the string just enoug
Aria’s POVMason sat across from me, already dressed in dark slacks and a crisp shirt, his jacket draped over the back of his chair. Nina was beside me, her small feet swinging slightly as she focused very seriously on her breakfast, while Maria hovered nearby, ever attentive but careful not to intrude. The smell of freshly brewed tea and warm bread filled the room, making me hungrier than I expected.For a moment, it almost felt like a peaceful family morning.Weston entered quietly, but I quickly noticed. “Alpha,” he said, inclining his head. “Miss Hailey Larkin has arrived.”Mason froze mid-motion, his gaze snapping up. “Hailey?”
Aria’s POVIt had been a very long night.One that felt like it stretched far beyond the ticking of clocks and the clinking of glasses, one that sank deep into my bones and refused to let go.After the dinner, after the public unmasking of lies, after the arrests of Elliot, Harlan, and Frances, my body finally caught up with everything my mind had been holding back. The adrenaline that had kept me upright through the chaos drained all at once, leaving me hollowed out and trembling beneath the surface.So when the crowd began to swarm Mason, when voices overlapped, congratulations mixed with forced smiles, and curiosity sharpened into something dangerous, I quietly slipped away.
Mason’s POVThe silence after the video ended was thick, heavy enough that even the chandeliers seemed to hum under its weight.I let it linger.Shock was useful. Confusion, even more so.“Because of everything that has happened tonight,” I said, my voice calm but carrying unquestionable authority, “I am making an immediate amendment to the structure of this Federation.”That alone caused a stir.Heads turned. Elders leaned forward. Alphas exchanged wary looks.“I am adding a new pack to the Federation,” I continued. “A pack whose sole res
Mason’s POVI clenched my fists at my sides, forcing myself to breathe.This was not how the night was supposed to unfold.I had planned every detail—every announcement, every reveal, every move meant to place Aria safely and undeniably at my side in front of the Federation. Frances Langford’s sudden appearance was a disruption I hadn’t accounted for, and there was only one person who would dare pull something like this without fear of consequence.My uncle.Harlan Larkin.I could feel his satisfaction radiating from where he stood, masked behind outrage and false authority. He thought he’d cornere







