Alexanderโs POVI walked quietly into Xerosโs room, the door clicking shut behind me. He was sitting up now, the covers pulled to his waist, a glass of water in his hand. The pale sunlight spilling from the window made him look even more fragile than I remembered. His body was still weak, but his eyes were sharpโtoo sharp for someone who just survived poison.Aria was sitting beside him, holding his hand and whispering something I couldnโt hear. When she noticed me standing at the door, she turned to look at me with a faint smile.โIโll give you both some space,โ she said softly and stood up.โNo,โ I said quickly. โI actually need to speak with my brother. Alone.โHer eyes narrowed slightly. She hesitated, like she didnโt want to leave, but she gave Xeros a gentle pat on the shoulder and left the room without saying another word. I waited until the door clicked shut behind her. I even walked over to make sure she wasnโt standing behind it like last time.Xeros raised an eyebrow. โYouโ
Aria's POV I knew Alexander was up to something, but I didnโt quite know what he wanted to do. I was trying to figure it out, so I pretended to have gone back to my room. I knew he was watching me, and the only way he could be sure was if I was settled down in my room. Now, I needed to follow him to find out. I know they asked me to sit down and stop being nosy, but I just canโt stop myself. If heโs going to put himself in danger because of me, I donโt think Iโll be able to sleep at all.And just like I thought, he was going out of the pack without anyone. More like he was sneaking out because he didnโt want the guards to see him or follow him, because he might attract attention, which is something heโs probably trying to hide from me. Letโs say this is something he and Xeros planned.I carefully followed him out, and I saw he was going in the direction of my pack. I was so scared and didnโt know what to do because I was too worried to go into that place alone. And most importantly,
Ariaโs POVI followed Alexander quietly, staying close enough to not lose him, and also so he wouldn't lose me. My heart was beating so fast in my chest. I didnโt know what exactly I would find, but something inside me kept warning me that I was going to see something painful.The night air was cold. I felt a lot of Goosebumps trying to walk around. My feet made soft sounds as I stepped on dry leaves, but I didnโt stop moving. I just needed to know what was going on. I needed to see it with my own eyes.We passed through some bushes and took a sharp turn. That was when I saw it. This wasn't where we're supposed to stopped but what am I looking at?My legs froze on the spot. My breath stopped.There, in the middle of the quiet garden behind the old houseโฆ was my grandmother. She was lying down on a wooden bench with a thin cloth over her. She wasnโt moving. Her skin looked pale and dry. Her lips were cracked.And standing beside herโฆ was Sage.My heart burned with so much anger that I
Ariaโs POVI stared straight at Sage.She was sitting on the floor, tied up and weak, but when I said those words, her eyes widened like sheโd seen a ghost.โWhy did you try to kill Xeros?โ I asked again, slowly this time.For a moment, she didnโt say anything. Just kept blinking like she couldnโt believe Iโd asked her that. Then her mouth opened.โWhat?โ Her voice was high and sharp. โYou think I tried to kill him? Are you out of your mind?!โI didnโt answer. I just kept looking at her. Her face looked pale, but her eyes had that usual fire. The fire she always used to cover up her lies.She started shaking her head fast. โNo! No! That wasnโt me! I didnโtโ I would neverโโBut I wasnโt sure I believed her. Maybe she was telling the truth. Maybe she was just scared, and it really wasnโt her.But my heartโฆ it wasnโt ready to trust her. Not after everything.I took a deep breath and looked down. My hands were shaking a little, but I clenched them. โYou knew he was getting close to the tr
Ariaโs POVI turned around an indeed my guess was right. It was Xeros who came to rescue us. He looked powerful, standing tall in his dark clothes, his eyes glowing like fire. But I noticed somethingโhis arm was bleeding. He was holding his side tightly. He was hurt. Badly hurt. But he didnโt show it on his face.My heart jumped in my chest the moment I saw him. โXerosโฆโHe looked at me and gave a small smile, even though I could see the pain behind it. How did he even manage to find us and how did he get hurt again? Lucas stepped back in shock. โYouโฆ youโre supposed to be dead.โXeros smirked. โYouโll have to try harder next time.โI saw the way Lucas looked at him. His face twisted in confusion and fear. He didnโt expect Xeros to survive. He looked like he had just seen a ghost.Xeros slowly walked forward, the wolves surrounding us like a protective wall. โYou tried to kill me,โ he said, his voice low and dangerous. โBut now Iโm aliveโฆ and I promise, Lucas, you will pay for it.
Ariaโs POV The sunlight peeked through the long curtains and fell softly on my face. I opened my eyes slowly and blinked a few times. For a second, I forgot where I was. Then I rememberedโฆ I was in Xerosโs room. His scent was still strong in the room, that familiar mix of clean soap and something dark that always made me feel strange inside.I turned quickly to the side. His bed was empty. I sat up straight. The sheets were cold, meaning he had left for a while. I ran my fingers through my hair and got out of bed. I was still in the same clothes from yesterday. Everything that happened kept playing in my headโSage, my grandmother, Alexander, Lucasโฆ and Xeros saving us.Where did he go so early?I left the room, thinking Iโd check outside, maybe the training field. On my way back down the hallway, I bumped into someone. I stumbled a little and looked up.โCarlo?โHe gave a small smirk and crossed his arms. โWell, you look surprised to see me.โโI didnโt expect you here.โHe tilted his
Carloโs POVKissing her felt like the best thing I had done in a long time.I didnโt even care that it was a short kiss. It still meant something to me. Aria didnโt push me away, and that was all I needed. Her lips were soft, and the way she blushed right after made my heart twist in the best way. I couldnโt stop smiling the whole time I walked her back to her room.She looked happy too, and I held her hand until we got to the door. She didnโt say much, just gave me a shy smile before going inside. That smile stayed in my head even after I left. I kept thinking about how warm her hand felt in mine.Iโve been trying to get her to see me differently, not just as one of the three brothers sheโs tied to. I wanted her to look at me and see someone she could trust, someone she could laugh with, kiss, love. I didnโt want to push too hard, but I also didnโt want to stay back and watch her get taken away by my brothers either.I made my way down the hallway to check on Xeros. He wasnโt in his
Chapter 80Ariaโs POVThe past few days at the hospital have been better than I ever expected.I donโt know how to describe the feeling, but itโs peaceful. For the first time in a long while, Iโm walking through these halls without hearing rude comments or seeing annoyed faces. The nurses now greet me. The doctors nod when I pass. Some even smile. It feels strangeโฆ but in a good way.Maybe itโs because of what happened last week when I stood up for myself. Or maybe they finally realized Iโm not someone they can just mistreat. Either way, Iโm glad. It makes my work easier.Today I was helping a young girl with a deep wound on her shoulder. She kept thanking me, even though I told her to rest. โYouโre kind,โ she said softly. โNot like the others.โ That sentence stayed with me.Itโs nice to feel appreciated. To be treated like I belong here.And when I go home, I talk with the brothers like everything is normal. Even though I can tell theyโre all busy and stressed out, they still try to a
Aria's POV I couldn't sleep the entire night because I couldn't stop thinking of what happened to me yesterday. I kept turning around the bed. It was a bit embarrassing to see how I kept acting like a child and crying my eyes out because I got hurt. But maybe it worked?Xeros casually told me he loved me which was something I didn't expect. Maybe I'm just too stupid to see the signs around me. They started to care more about me than they usually would. Carlo even changed from his usual ways because of me and we've been having nothing but a slow burned romance. Now that Diane is here, things wouldn't be so easy for me. I think it's time for me to take matters into my own hands. I dressed up, ready to go to the hospital early. But looking at myself in the mirror, I realized why Diane might also be looking down on me. Maybe because I also didn't take myself seriously. I went to the door to open it, only to find Xeros waiting for me at the door. Memories of how we acted yesterday floo
Ariaโs POVI stayed in the room without moving for hours. The silence felt heavy. My body was tired, but my mind was louder than ever. Everything that happened kept playing over and over again. Diane falling, her fake tears, her fake pain, her fake voice when she said I pushed her. And Xerosโฆ the look in his eyes when he asked if it was true. That question hurt more than anything else.Why did he ask? Why did he need to ask? Didnโt he know me? Didnโt he trust me?I pulled the blanket around me tighter. My chest felt sore from crying, and my eyes were heavy. But sleep wouldnโt come. Not when my heart still ached this much.At least Carlo believed me. At least someone did.When I finally got the words out, when I told him everything, he didnโt question me. โShe said I pushed her,โ I mumbled into his chest. โBut she was the one who pushed me. She just missed. And nowโฆ now it looks like I did it.โCarlo didnโt move. โDid Xeros believe her?โI didnโt answer.That silence was enough for hi
Ariaโs POVI never expected her to actually try it.One moment I was walking back to my room, still groggy from sleep and hoping to get a glass of water, and the next moment Diane was standing right in front of me at the top of the stairsโeyes wild, voice sharp, body full of bitter anger like she had been waiting just for me.What is she even doing home? I thought she was supposed to be at the hospital.I blinked at her, too tired to process anything right away. I didnโt even say anything at first. I just moved aside slightly, hoping to avoid any drama. I was still half-asleep, and my head was pounding from everything that happened the day before. But of course, Diane didnโt care about that.I was trying so hard to avoid her but she's not one to give up easily. No matter how I tried to push her away, she always continued to bother me. Telling me to pack my bags like she owned the place. Instead of staying at the hospital to help at a time like this, she chose to come home to exhibit
Dianeโs POVI was still fuming from earlier. The way Alexander spoke to meโฆ like I was just some extra they could send on errands while their precious Aria got to rest at home like a queen. It was ridiculous.I'm their cousin! I'm supposed to be the family they've known for a long time and they're defending that bitch over me?They defended her like their lives depended on it, like she hadnโt done anything wrong. She came into the picture unwanted! And now, I was the one being sent to the hospital.Why me?Even if I studied abroad to be a doctor, I still didn't think my precious skills should be used on a bunch of peasants.The moment I walked through the front door of the pack hospital, I wanted to turn around and go home. The place reeked of sickness and sweat. Nurses were running up and down, patients were groaning, coughing, wheezing. Some even looked half-dead. It was disgusting.I covered my nose with a silk handkerchief and walked fast through the hallway, keeping my eyes stra
Alexanderโs POVThe moment we saw her, I could feel my heart settle for the first time all night.But it didnโt last.She looked too calm. Like nothing happened. Like she hadnโt just disappeared without telling anyone where she went. Like we hadnโt spent the whole night tearing through Edgarโs pack, worried she had been hurt or taken.โWhat were you thinking?โ I snapped before I could stop myself.Xeros stepped forward too, his arms crossed tightly over his chest. โDo you have any idea how worried we were?โCarlo didnโt even say anything at first. He just looked at her, like he couldnโt decide whether to yell or hug her.Aria stood there, blinking fast, as if she was trying to process all three of us coming at her at once. โIโฆ I was going to come back,โ she said quietly.Xeros laughed, but it wasnโt funny. โYeah? do you know I almost completely lost my mind after we couldn't find you anywhere?โโI didnโt mean to fall asleep,โ she said quickly, stepping back a little. โI finished chec
Ariaโs POVThe drive to Edgarโs pack was quiet.I sat in the front seat, staring out the window, arms crossed, and mind filled with thoughts. The road was mostly empty, and the silence between us grew heavier with every passing mile.I shouldnโt have come.That thought kept repeating in my head. Not because I didnโt want to help the sickโbut because being around Edgar again made everything feel strange. Wrong. Complicated.But when we finally entered his pack land, I forgot all about my awkward feelings.Because what I saw shocked me.There were people everywhereโsick, coughing, lying on stretchers, some even placed in tents outside what looked like a crowded clinic. The air smelled like strong herbs and sweat. People moved around in a rush, doctors calling out instructions, nurses trying to calm crying children.It was like walking into a battlefield.โThis is worse than I imagined,โ I whispered under my breath.Edgar parked and got out quickly. I followed him, keeping my coat tight
Ariaโs POVI didnโt know what to feel in that moment. Should I be scared or should I be relieved since he didn't hurt me the last time we were together?I'm supposed to trust someone like him who goes in and out of this pack like it belongs to him. I don't even know what he's planning in his mind or what is going on in his head. Let's not forget the fact that he almost tried to hurt Xeros. I mean, he would have done something if Lucas didn't. โYou shouldnโt be here,โ I said finally, standing up slowly. โI told you never to come back. We told you. All of us.โHis eyes didnโt shift. He looked the sameโmaybe a little more tired, but still him. That quiet, unreadable calm.โI know,โ he said softly. โBut I had to see you.โMy brows pulled together. โDo you have any idea what could happen if Alexander sees you? He might actually kill you this time. And honestly, I wonโt stop him.โEdgar looked down for a second, then stepped closer.โIโm not here to fight anyone,โ he said. โIโm here becau
Ariaโs POVI shouldnโt have spoken to them like that.As soon as I walked into the surgery room and closed the door behind me, my chest felt heavy with regret. I leaned against the wall, letting out a long, tired sigh.Xeros and Carlo had come to see me earlier. I could still see the look on Xerosโs face when I told him to leave me alone. I could still hear Carlo calling after me with that worried tone in his voice.They didnโt deserve that. I was just angry, hurt and frustrated. But not at them.It was Diane. She only came not too long ago and she already made sure that she almost made my life a living hell. And I was so mad that I let her words push me to act like she was the one meant to be with them.But she wasnโt.They were mine. The Moon Goddess chose them for me. Not her. And yet I let her get under my skin again.I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I would apologize when I got home. I would explain everything. No more misunderstandings. No more pushing them away.I would
Xerosโs POVThe sun was high above our heads as Carlo and I walked around the pack. The heat stuck to my skin, and the dust from the ground clung to my boots.We had been hearing a lot of news lately. Strange news. About a sickness spreading through the pack these past few days.It wasnโt normal.Werewolves didnโt get sick like this. Even if we caught something, our bodies healed fast. Faster than humans could even imagine.But now?Now even the strongest wolves were lying in bed, sweating and coughing, looking weak like theyโd been poisoned.Carlo pulled his shirt over his nose as we passed by another house where someone was sick.โThis is getting worse,โ he said quietly to me.I nodded, feeling a knot in my chest. โYeah. Itโs spreading faster than anything Iโve seen before.โWe checked every house. Listened to every family.Most of them were scared. Some of them were hiding it, pretending they were fine, but we could see the fear in their eyes.โWeโll find a solution,โ I said to one