CHAPTER 6: THE ALPHA'S OBSESSION

Landon's expression darkened. "Then they'll have to go through me first."

Morgana smiled slightly. "That's why the Moon Goddess brought Aria to you. You're not just her second-chance mate, Alpha Landon. You're her protector, her equal, and eventually, her partner in reshaping the werewolf world." She turned back to Aria. "But first, you must learn to control your power. These visions you're experiencing—they will grow stronger as the pregnancy progresses. You need training, guidance."

"Will you help me?" Aria asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

"That's why I'm here," Morgana confirmed. "Starting tomorrow, we begin your lessons. The twins will be born during the next three-moon convergence, three months from now. By then, you must be ready."

The silver glow around Aria began to fade as her panic subsided, but she could still feel the power thrumming beneath her skin like a second heartbeat.

"What if I can't do this?" she asked. "What if I'm not strong enough?"

Morgana placed a hand over Aria's, and warmth flowed from the touch. "Strength isn't the absence of fear, child. It's acting despite it. You've already survived betrayal, assassination, and the loss of everything you held dear. You're stronger than you know. Now you just need to believe it."

As Morgana left to prepare for the training ahead, Landon sat on the edge of Aria's bed. The moonlight still cast silver shadows across the room, and for the first time, Aria saw something in his eyes that went beyond attraction or duty.

It was belief. He believed in her.

"I know this is overwhelming," Landon said softly. "But you don't have to face it alone. Whatever comes, we face it together."

Aria looked at him, this Alpha who had saved her life, who asked nothing in return, who offered her protection and partnership instead of dominance and control. The mate bond between them pulsed gently, a warm, golden thread connecting their souls.

"Why are you doing this?" she asked. "You barely know me."

"I know enough," Landon replied. "I know you're brave. I know you're loyal. I know you put your children's safety above everything else. And I know that the Moon Goddess doesn't make mistakes. You're my mate, Aria. That means something to me. It means everything."

For the first time since her world fell apart, Aria felt something other than pain or fear. She felt hope.

Kieran stood in what used to be Aria's room, surrounded by her scent, faint now, fading, but still there. Lavender and honey. It had always calmed him before, but now it only fueled his rage.

She was gone. Really, truly gone. And she'd taken his children with her.

"This is pathetic," Selene's voice cut through his thoughts. She leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, her expression a mixture of amusement and disdain. "You're brooding over a woman who couldn't even give you an heir."

"She was pregnant," Kieran snarled, spinning to face her. "With twins. My heirs. And you—" He advanced on her, and for the first time, Selene looked uncertain. "You knew, didn't you? You knew she was pregnant before I did."

Selene's mask slipped for just a moment before she composed herself. "I suspected. But what does it matter now? She's with Landon, playing house, probably telling him those children are his."

The implication hit Kieran like a physical blow. The thought of another Alpha raising his children, of Aria in another man's bed, was more than he could bear.

"I need to get her back," he said, his voice low and dangerous.

"And how do you plan to do that?" Selene challenged. "Storm Landon's territory? Start a war? The Elders would never allow it. You'd be stripped of your title."

"I don't care."

"Yes, you do." Selene moved closer, her voice dropping to a purr. "But there are other ways, subtler ways. Ways that don't involve direct confrontation."

Kieran's eyes narrowed. "What are you planning?"

"Nothing yet. But Landon can't watch her every second of every day. And when he slips, when he makes a mistake..." Selene smiled coldly. "Opportunities will present themselves. We just need to be patient."

But patience was the one thing Kieran didn't have. Every day that passed was another day his children grew inside another Alpha's territory, another day Aria learned to live without him.

He grabbed Selene by the arm, his grip bruising. "Listen to me carefully. I want Aria back. I don't care what it takes, what it costs. Those children are mine. She is mine. And I will burn down anyone who stands in my way. Including you, if you become a liability."

Selene's eyes flashed with barely concealed fury, but she nodded. "Of course, Alpha. Whatever you wish."

As Kieran released her and stormed out, Selene rubbed her arm where bruises were already forming. A cold smile spread across her face.

Kieran thought he was in control, thought he was using her. He had no idea that every move he made, every decision, was exactly what she wanted. She'd pushed him to divorce Aria, manipulated him into public rejection, and when the time was right, she'd ensured Aria couldn't escape alive.

The fact that Landon had interfered was an inconvenience, nothing more.

Selene pulled out a small, encrypted phone—one Kieran didn't know about—and typed a quick message:

"The Alpha is becoming unstable. Accelerate the plan. Aria and the children must not survive the month."

The response came seconds later:

"Understood. Dmitri is already moving his forces into position."

Selene deleted the messages and tucked the phone away. Soon, very soon, she would have everything she wanted: Kieran's pack, his title, his power. And Aria would be nothing but a cautionary tale, a weak Luna who couldn't protect herself or her children.

Back in Landon's territory, Aria stood in a moonlit clearing with Morgana, learning to channel the power that surged within her. Silver light danced around her fingertips as she focused on a fallen log, trying to move it with nothing but her will.

"Don't force it," Morgana instructed. "The power responds to intention, not aggression. Feel the connection between yourself and the object. Ask it to move, don't command it."

Aria took a deep breath, closing her eyes. She could feel the twins stirring inside her, their energy mingling with hers. When she opened her eyes, they glowed with soft silver light.

The log trembled, then rose three feet off the ground.

"I did it," Aria breathed, a smile breaking across her face for the first time in weeks.

"You did," Morgana confirmed with pride. "But this is only the beginning. Your power will grow exponentially as the pregnancy progresses. By the time the twins are born, you'll be more powerful than any Alpha alive."

From the edge of the clearing, Landon watched with a mixture of awe and possessive pride. This woman, his mate, was becoming something extraordinary. And he would make damn sure she survived long enough to claim her destiny.

But even as Aria practiced, even as hope began to bloom in her heart, dark forces were gathering. Dmitri's rogues were already crossing into the neutral territories, and Selene's web of lies was spreading faster than anyone realized.

The storm was coming, and when it broke, no one would be left untouched.