(Aria's POV)My entire body trembled, pressed against the cold wall long after Lucas left. The suffocating weight from his presence lingered in the air like an unseen chain around my throat.My chest rose and fell in ragged breaths as I tried to center myself, but his words echoed relentlessly in my mind.“Don’t play games, little omega,” he’d hissed before stepping out the door.His glowing green eyes had burned into mine, his malice chilling me to the bone. “If you do, an ‘unfortunate accident’ might just happen to that little friend of yours… what’s her name? Sarah.”My blood had frozen at that moment. Sarah. He’d said her name with such venom, a veiled promise of danger.She was at the hospital tonight, doing the night shift. Completely unaware. Completely vulnerable.As the door slammed shut behind him, I staggered forward, gripping the edge of the small table. My fingers curled tightly, my nails digging into the wood.The thought of Sarah suffering because of me twisted m
(Aria's POV)The pale light of morning crept into my apartment, but no warmth came with it. My hands lingered over the wolfsbane vial, its edges cold against my trembling fingers.I barely noticed the knock at the door. My wolf stirred uneasily as I stood and opened it, wary of what fresh horror awaited me.Charlie, Lucas’ Beta, stood there with a smug grin, towering over me with his broad, imposing frame.“You’re coming with me today,” he announced, his voice laced with authority.I frowned, already hating the command in his tone. “For what?”His grin widened, as if my protest amused him. “You’ll see soon enough,” he said, tilting his head toward the vehicle parked outside.“I’m not going anywhere with you,” I replied, my voice firmer than I’d expected.That flicker of resistance only made Charlie’s smirk grow darker. “Oh, don’t be like that. You wouldn’t want me to let slip where Sarah might be working tonight, would you?”My heart dropped into my stomach. He saw the hesitat
(Aria’s POV)The room's silence pressed down on me, suffocating and heavy, as Lucas’s hand lingered on the small of my back. His possessive grip burned through the fine fabric of my robe.Every fiber of my being screamed to step away. But I froze instead, caught in the unbearable weight of Derek’s ice-cold gaze.Derek was at the far end of the room, seated like a king among lesser rulers, even in a gathering of powerful Alphas.His silver hair shimmered under the muted light, and his piercing blue eyes drilled into me, making my heart slam painfully against my ribcage.There was no warmth. No recognition. Just the sharp glare of someone utterly indifferent.Lucas pushed me forward slightly. “Alpha Silverstone,” he began in a voice dripping with mock politeness.His smirk widened as though this moment was some grand game he was orchestrating. “I thought now would be a perfect moment to introduce you to my… omega.”I stiffened, every muscle in my body taut with tension. My wolf w
(Aria's POV)Lucas nudged me forward with a sneering grin, his smothering presence making my stomach churn. That glass of wine sat on the table between us like a weapon waiting to be wielded.The golden liquid swirled with faint reflections of the dim light. My fingers twitched at my sides, and my wolf gave a faint whimper deep in the recesses of my mind.“Drink it,” Lucas commanded casually, leaning back in his chair. His eyes glimmered with a dangerous mix of mockery and dominance. “Don’t embarrass me in front of everyone, sweetheart.”I froze in place. My feet felt glued to the ground as my chest tightened.The glass wasn’t just a drink—it was a demand. A test. A symbol of power.Every fiber of my being screamed at me to refuse. Alcohol had always been something I avoided, not only because of my condition, but because Derek despised its scent. He had always been adamant about keeping our mate bond clear—clean.But now?I cast a quick glance at Derek. He sat at the edge of th
(Aria’s POV)The room’s suffocating tension grew thicker as Whitney shuffled the shimmering silver-edged Moon Cards with a practiced smirk. Her voice rang out, syrupy sweet but laced with unspoken malice."Let me explain the rules for those who might be… unprepared," she began, her hazel eyes scanning the room, lingering on me with a mocking glint.The deck gleamed under the subdued light as she continued. "Two people per team. To choose your partner, you’ll draw matching moon phase cards from the deck."She held up a small card, its surface etched with the crescent moon. "Once chosen, you and your partner must maintain physical contact while playing. Simple, yes? But there’s one catch."Whitney’s lips curved wickedly as her gaze cut to William."The losers," she drawled, "must obey any reasonable command the winners issue. Pack laws of respect and tradition apply, of course."My hands tightened at my sides. The word *reasonable* hung in the air like an unspoken joke, its meanin
(Aria's POV)The room became eerily quiet. Every eye was on me. My fingers clenched tightly against the silk fabric of my robe, a trembling shield against the humiliation that stalked me like a predator.Whitney's unforgiving smirk grew wider, and Lucas's hand tightened on my arm as he guided me forward slightly.“Come now, Omega,” Whitney’s mocking tone echoed through the space, sharp and venomous. “Be quick about it. Let’s not waste everyone’s precious time. Take off that robe or admit you have no place among us.”My heart thundered in my chest, drowning out everything for a moment. My wolf whimpered softly in my mind, curling tighter into herself as the weight of their commands bore down on us.I looked past Whitney’s contemptuous sneer to Derek, my only faint hope that he might intervene.But he remained as he had been the entire night—cold, aloof, detached. His ice-blue eyes stayed on me, unyielding.No help was coming from him.I wanted to scream.Instead, I turned my te
(Aria's POV)Derek’s words echoed relentlessly in my mind.“She is already tainted and impure,” he had said.The rejection in those icy words cut deeper than I thought possible. My chest burned, and the humiliation of those words settled like a weight in the center of my heart. The looks around the room weren’t helping—curious, malicious, some simply entertained.Then William Stone’s smooth voice cut through, shattering the tense silence like a blade through glass. His calm smile betrayed the sharp interest behind his words.“My, my. Derek, this doesn't seem like you. Going a bit overboard for an unclaimed Omega, aren’t we?”His words were half-toned in amusement, half probing for some unknown reaction. Whoever could provoke Derek Silverstone, the heir to the mighty Silverstone pack, and make him act out of character was worth taking notice of.Derek’s frosty blue eyes narrowed, his lips pressing tightly together. For a second, it felt like the room held its collective breath. E
(Aria's POV)The sound of Derek’s boots echoing against the polished floor was the only noise that lingered in the suffocating silence of the room.His sudden departure struck like a lightning bolt, shattering the false atmosphere of casual dominance that Lucas had so carefully crafted.My breath hitched as the door slammed behind him, my knees still glued to the cold ground.I stared at the fading figure of the man who had just crushed me once again.My chest ached as his words echoed, replaying in the recesses of my mind.*Defiled*.That single word carved deeper into me than any attack Lucas or Whitney could ever conjure.But the sensation of Lucas’s sharp fingers brushing against my chin jolted me harshly back into the reality I couldn’t escape.“Well,” Lucas muttered bitterly, his sneer growing sharper as he watched Derek’s exit with narrowed eyes.“Wasn’t that just wonderfully rude?” His tone dripped with mock courtesy, but the undercurrent of resentment was unmistakabl
(Aria's POV)The breakfast spread Emma had prepared sat mostly untouched on the table between us. I tried to focus on the food—to eat something for the sake of appearances—but every bite felt like swallowing lead.My body was too fatigued, my swollen legs burning under the weight of my condition. I pushed the fork of eggs around my plate again, hoping Alexander wouldn’t notice the trembling in my hands.But of course, he noticed.“Is the food not to your liking?” His tone was even, but there was an edge of concern in it. His golden eyes were sharp, keenly observing every twitch of my fingers and the way I avoided his gaze.“No, it’s fine,” I muttered, glancing down at the plate. Lying under his scrutiny was impossible, but I tried anyway. “I’m just… not very hungry this morning.”He tapped his fingers against the edge of the table, his wolf clearly unsettled. The sound only added to the tension thickening in the room.“You’re not eating enough,” he said flatly. His authority cre
(Alexander's POV)Aria sat right at the edge of the bed, keeping herself as far from comfort as possible. Her knees stayed tight together, her hands gripping the blanket so fiercely her knuckles turned white. She was trying to protect herself, her small form stiff like a bowstring ready to snap.Her silver hair shimmered against the morning light streaming in through the windows, but her face was pale—far too pale. Her violet eyes flitted toward me in short, sharp glances. Those glances weren’t out of curiosity. They mirrored something raw—something defensive.Her wolf wasn’t at ease. She wasn’t at ease.I stayed by the door, unmoving. Approaching her felt like walking into a trap that her subconscious had laid. Any wrong move would ruin this already fragile exchange.I forced myself to keep my tone even, soft enough to cut through the tension in the room but not enough to hold command. “I don’t need your submission.”Her head snapped toward me, her stare narrowing instantly. The
(Aria's POV)I sat stiffly on the bed, my back pressed against the headboard as if it could somehow shield me from the weight of Alexander’s gaze. His sharp golden eyes bore into me like they could unravel every defense I’d so carefully built. My hands clutched the blanket tightly over my lap, grounding myself against the suffocating air between us.“Thank you,” I finally said, my voice measured and polite. I kept my expression neutral, though my heart raced beneath the surface. This wasn’t the time for vulnerability. “For… helping me.”He didn’t look away, his piercing gaze unwavering. “You don’t need to thank me,” he said, his voice low and steady.There was something in his tone that made my wolf tense. It wasn’t kindness, not exactly. It was something heavier, something unspoken.The sound of my own heartbeat felt too loud in my ears, interrupting the silence that stretched between us. “Still,” I pressed, forcing the words past the lump in my throat, “I appreciate it. But… you
(Alexander's POV)I tightened my grip on the steering wheel, my jaw clenched in frustration. James had offered to drive Aria home, but my wolf bristled at the suggestion. I didn’t understand it, this irrational need to keep her close.“No,” I’d snapped at him. “I’ll do it myself.”James didn’t argue further, though his expression said plenty. Still, I couldn’t bring myself to care—not when something about Aria’s stillness in the back seat pulled at me, a gnawing unease deep in my chest.“James, what’s her address?” I asked through the mindlink, glancing at her pale face through the rearview mirror.He hesitated. “I forwarded her address to your phone earlier, Alpha.”I unlocked my phone at a red light, quickly scanning the message he’d sent. But something stopped me, something I couldn’t name. I glanced back at her again, her silver hair splayed out across her shoulder, her face peaceful but far too pale.The thought of leaving her in an empty apartment, alone in this condition,
(Samuel's POV)The air in Derek's office was heavy, carrying an unusual weight that pressed against me as I stood near the corner of the room. Derek’s ice-blue eyes were trained on the window, piercing through the glass as though he could still see Alexander’s car in the distance. His hands clasped behind his back were steady, but his knuckles—the faintest shade lighter than the rest of his fingers—betrayed how hard he was gripping tightly.I shifted my weight uneasily, my nerves tingling from the strange tension radiating from him. The energy in the room wasn’t normal. This wasn’t the typical, controlled aura Derek always carried. There was something unstable underneath.“Alpha,” I started, careful to keep my tone neutral, “it appears Alexander has grown bolder.”His eyes didn’t move. His stance didn’t shift either, arms taut and braced as though he were physically keeping himself from reacting. Silence dragged between us, long enough to make the simple act of breathing feel intru
(Alexander's POV)I strode back into the conference room, my focus still tied to the newly signed agreement in my hand. The negotiations had been grueling, but victory was mine—Black Wood had secured the disputed hunting grounds. Any other time, I’d take pride in such a win. But today, unease gnawed at me.“Aria,” I called softly as I stepped further inside.She was still curled up on the sofa, her silver hair cascading around her like moonlight. Her body hadn’t shifted at all since I left her here hours ago. She looked so small. So still. Unnaturally still.I approached, my footsteps echoing faintly in the otherwise empty space. My wolf stirred within me, restless. No reaction. Not even the flicker of her fingers.“Aria,” I tried again, kneeling next to her. I reached out, my hesitance fading the moment my fingertips brushed her cold shoulder. I shook her lightly. “Aria, wake up.”No response.My chest tightened as my wolf let out a low growl, rising uneasily as though warning
(Natalie's POV)The frustration boiling beneath my skin was impossible to ignore. My silver hair, usually pristine and immaculate, no longer framed my face perfectly. The disheveled strands hung in my periphery, fueling my irritation. How dare the guard block me? Me, Natalie Windsor—a pure-blood alpha and the rightful Luna-to-be of the Silverstone Pack!The beta stood firm, his bulky stance as unmovable as the wall behind him. “Alpha Silverstone has ordered complete privacy, Miss Windsor,” he repeated for what must have been the third time. “No one is allowed to enter without explicit consent.”I narrowed my eyes at the beta, my wolf bristling at his defiance. My alpha presence flared instinctively, pressing against his weaker aura. “Do you understand who you're talking to?” I hissed, my lips curling into the beginnings of a snarl. “I am *Derek's* future Luna. I have every right to—”“Miss Windsor, I cannot disobey Alpha Derek’s orders,” Marcus interrupted, cutting off my words. Hi
(Samuel's POV)I watched Derek from the corner of my eye, his towering frame motionless behind the oak desk. His ice-blue eyes were fixed on the pack investigation scrolls in his hands, but his aura radiated cold fury. The room was thick with tension, the weight of his mood pressing down on my wolf, making it whimper inwardly.I wanted to say something, anything, but words seemed pointless in the face of his silent wrath. My Alpha didn’t take betrayal lightly. And though Aria wasn’t his enemy, I knew how deeply she had shaken him.The way he sat now, his back impossibly straight, his demeanor controlled to a terrifying degree — it was his signature calm before the storm.“Beta.” His voice sliced through the oppressive silence. I straightened instantly, my gray eyes locking on his, ready for the command.“Yes, Alpha.”He set the scrolls down with deliberate precision, his claws faintly extended as they tapped against the polished wood of his desk.“Destroy them.”It took a secon
(Samuel's POV)I held the report in my hands, gaze hard on the small amount of information that had just turned Derek's carefully constructed control into thin ice.The longer I stared at it, the heavier it felt. Aria’s past wasn’t just tangled—there was a deep wound buried in these words, one that could break anyone who touched it.I adjusted my collar, unable to shake off the discomfort that came with knowing that what I’d uncovered would only fuel Derek’s fury.The blood-red circle around specific dates on the document testified to it: Five years ago, the same night of her auction and Alexander’s near-fatal illness. The pieces fit too perfectly to be coincidence.His gaze darkened. “Continue.”I placed the folder in front of him but didn’t dare step back just yet.I swallowed hard but nodded, forcing myself to maintain an air of professionalism. "Aria and Alexander shared a connection at Windsor Pack Orphanage. For three years, they were… inseparable."I hesitated, gauging h