(Alexander's POV)The world felt distorted, like the rain wasn't the only thing weighing me down. My thoughts swirled uncontrollably as I supported Aria into the backseat of my car, ignoring everything else around me.Her violet eyes briefly glanced at mine before darting away, and it stung worse than any wound ever could. I wanted to say something, anything, but the lump in my throat made forming words almost impossible.Her body slouched in exhaustion, and I retrieved a freshly cleaned healing cloth from the glove compartment. As I sat beside her, the delicate tremble of her silver hair caught my attention under the dim interior light. I gently pressed the cloth to her drenched strands, trying to dry them without causing her further discomfort.“It’s alright,” I murmured, my voice low enough that I wasn’t sure she heard me. My grip on the cloth tightened as my gaze unconsciously drifted to her neck.Derek’s marks stared back at me like silent reminders of everything I had failed
(Aria's POV)I stood rooted in place, my pulse hammering hard in my chest as I faced Derek. I had rehearsed this moment in my mind countless times, yet standing there, with his ice-blue eyes boring into me, I felt my resolve falter. But I couldn’t back away now. If I hesitated, I’d never find the courage to say the words that needed to be said.“Derek…” My voice came out soft, barely above a whisper. His gaze stayed locked on me, cold and steady, his expression unreadable. I swallowed the lump in my throat and tried again, raising my voice this time. “I need to thank you… for protecting me. For everything, truly.”A flicker of something passed over Derek’s sharp features. His hands, clenched at his sides, trembled slightly. Though his face remained stoic, I knew him well enough to catch the small tells of restraint he so carefully guarded.I forced myself to continue, even as my lips quivered. “You’ve done so much for me during my most vulnerable moments, and I’ll always be gratefu
(Aria's POV)Derek’s arms were like iron bands, holding me against the unforgiving edge of his chest. His cedar scent, usually sharp but bearable, now seemed suffocating.It felt as though the air around me thickened, heavy with his controlled yet freezing fury. His silence was deafening, a storm waiting to break, and my pulse hammered erratically.I glanced at Alexander, still kneeling in the rain-slicked courtyard beyond the estate’s grand doors, his golden eyes blazing through the downpour. He was drenched, weakened, yet the raw desperation in his gaze pierced through me.How long had he been standing out there before Samuel finally opened the gates? How much more had he endured—and for me?“Derek,” I murmured, my voice trembling as I forced myself to address the simmering rage I felt pouring from him. “Let me go.”But Derek didn’t release me. If anything, his arm tightened, pulling me closer to his unyielding form. His ice-blue eyes locked onto Alexander like a predator stalk
(Alexander's POV)The rain clung to me like despair, soaking through to my core. I stood there in front of her, completely exposed, my golden eyes locking onto her violet ones. She looked fragile. Her silver hair stuck to her face from the downpour outside, and the fresh marks on her neck screamed claims that didn’t belong to me.My vision blurred for a second, silver poisoning burning in my veins, but I didn’t care. All I could see was her—the Aria I had loved, the Aria I still loved—and the weight of everything I had lost.She stood still, hesitant, as if the space between us was no longer easy to cross. I took a shaky breath. Every word I was about to say was drowning in guilt and pain, but I needed her to hear it.“Aria,” I started, my voice cracking as I spoke her name. The name I hadn’t allowed myself to call for years.She stiffened, but didn’t look away.“I need you to know…” My throat felt dry despite the rain. “I wasn’t myself back then. What I did to you…” My words fal
(Alexander's POV)The rain kept pounding, relentless and cold. Each drop felt like it was cutting into my skin, but I didn’t care. My eyes stayed locked on her—Aria. She was standing right there, just a few steps away, but it felt like a chasm had opened between us. That gap had been growing for five years, and now it felt uncrossable.Her silver hair clung to her face, wet and messy in the rain, but she looked... ethereal. Except her violet eyes weren’t filled with warmth, or hope, or the quiet trust I used to see. There was hesitation there. Fear.And then I saw them.The marks.Derek’s mate marks glaring at me on the pale skin of her neck. Fresh.My wolf howled inside, baring its teeth, claws ready to tear, but it couldn’t reach her. The mate marks were a declaration of possession, of dominance, and they were like a punch straight to my gut. I froze, unable to move."Aria..." The word broke from me, shaky and raw.She flinched at the sound of my voice. My chest tightened pai
(Aria's POV)The lock clicked behind me as Derek closed the heavy door to his private quarters. The sound reverberated through the room, echoing ominously. My body tensed immediately, my wolf mentally backing away as if it could shield itself from the storm brewing within him."Derek," I began, trying to steady my voice as I took a step back. The rich cedar scent of his presence had grown thicker, suffocating almost. "Let me leave," I pleaded, though the words sounded hollow even to my own ears.His ice-blue eyes, colder than I'd ever seen them, pinned me in place like prey caught in a predator’s sights. He didn’t respond. He simply advanced, step by deliberate step. His movements were slow, calculated, and brimming with restrained domination."Don’t act like this," I whispered, my voice trembling as my back pressed into the edge of the bed. There was no escape this time; he wasn’t giving me space to maneuver. Desperation clawed at me. "I’m nothing to you, remember? Just an omega—"