Chapter three- The Night I Left

Dinner that night felt… different, or maybe it was just me.

I sat across from my father in the same dining hall, at the same long table, with the same quiet clink of cutlery filling the space between us, but everything felt heavier. Like the air itself knew something was about to change.

I kept my gaze on my plate, pushing food around more than actually eating.

“You should eat,” my father said without looking at me.

“I am,” I replied, though it wasn’t true.

Silence stretched again, the he cleared his throat.

“The wedding will take place in two days.”

My hand froze. I looked up slowly, my heart giving a sharp, painful thud against my chest.

“Two… days?” I repeated.

“Yes,” he said calmly, as if he were discussing something trivial. “Preparations have already begun. It is best not to delay matters like this.”

Two days? Two days to give up my life? Two days to become something I never chose?

I swallowed hard, forcing my expression to remain normal.

“I see,” I said quietly.

His gaze lifted then, studying me carefully as if expecting resistance, anger, and another argument.

But I gave him none.

“Good,” he said after a moment. “I trust you will prepare yourself accordingly. This is not just a union, it is a responsibility. One your mother would have been proud to see you fulfill.”

There it was again.

My mother.

She was always used as the final word and the final chain.

I lowered my gaze again, hiding the flicker of emotion in my eyes.

“I understand,” I said.

And for the first time, I didn’t argue but inside, I was already planning to see Damon as he was coming to Ironcrest today.

He always did.

And if my father suspected even for a moment that I intended to defy him, he would make sure I never had the chance to leave the packhouse.

So I stayed quiet and played along.

I finished dinner, excused myself, and walked out of that room like the obedient daughter he believed I had finally become.

But the moment I was alone, my heart began to race.

Two days? No.

I didn’t even have that long.

By the time night fell, I was ready.

The packhouse had settled into its usual rhythm of guards at their posts, servants retreating to their quarters, and the halls dimly lit and quiet.

Perfect.

I moved carefully through the corridors, every step measured, and every breath controlled.

I had done this before. I had always met Damon in secret, and slipped out unnoticed.

But tonight felt different. Tonight, I wasn’t just sneaking out, I was learning to detach from everything.

I paused briefly at the side entrance, listening.

There was nothing.

There was no footsteps,and no voices.

Good.

I reached for the door, then suddenly a familiar voice stopped me.

“Going somewhere?”

My heart nearly stopped, and I turned sharply to see Kael.

Of course it would be no one other than him.

He stood a few feet away, partially hidden in shadow, his presence as solid and unyielding as ever. His arms were crossed, his gaze fixed on me with an intensity that made my chest tighten.

“How long have you been standing there?” I asked, forcing my voice to remain steady.

“Long enough,” he replied.

Silence fell between us. His eyes flicked briefly to the door behind me, then back to my face.

“Where are you going?” he asked.

Something in his tone, low, controlled, and almost… suspicious irritated me instantly.

I let out a short, humorless scoff.

“That’s none of your business.”

His jaw tightened slightly.

“It is if you’re sneaking out in the middle of the night.”

I stepped closer, lifting my chin.

“You don’t get to question me.”

“I’m not questioning you,” he said. “I’m asking.”

“Same thing,” I shot back.

For a moment, neither of us moved. Then his gaze softened just slightly.

“This isn’t like you, Aria.”

Something about that made my irritation flare into anger.

“You don’t know what I’m like,” I said sharply.

“I know enough.”

“No, you don’t,” I snapped. “And you don’t have the right to stand here and act like you do.”

His eyes darkened.

“Then give me a reason not to.”

I laughed under my breath, shaking my head.

“Here’s a better idea,” I said coldly. “Don’t ever question me like that again.”

The words hung between us, sharp and final.

And before he could respond, I turned, pulled the door open, and stepped out into the night.

I didn’t look back.

Not at him, not at the packhouse, not even at the life I was supposed to stay in.

The cool air hit my face as I moved quickly through the familiar paths, my heart pounding harder with every step.

Damon was waiting for me. He always waited.

The bar sat at the edge of the territory, dimly lit and buzzing with low conversation and quiet laughter. It wasn’t a place someone like me was supposed to be.

Which was exactly why I liked it. It felt… free.

I spotted him almost immediately.

Damon leaned casually against the counter, a drink in his hand, his expression relaxed until his eyes found mine.

Then everything changed.

“Aria,” he said, pushing off the counter and crossing the room toward me.

“You made it.”

“Of course I did,” I replied, though my voice felt tighter than usual.

He noticed immediately.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, his brows pulling together slightly.

I hesitated for just a second, then I said it.

“My father decided that Kael and I should get wedded. Said it’s for the good of the pack.”

His expression darkened instantly.

“How soon?”

“Two days.” I replied.

The word had barely left my mouth before his entire demeanor shifted.

“What?” he snapped. “Two days?”

“I didn’t know he would do it this fast,” I said. “He’s not giving me time to….”

“To what?” Damon cut in sharply. “To find a way out?”

I fell silent. His frustration was clear now, simmering just beneath the surface.

“No,” he said, shaking his head. “No, Aria. You’re not going through with this.”

“I don’t have a choice,” I said quietly.

“Yes, you do,” he insisted. “You always have a choice.”

I looked at him, my chest tightening.

“Not this time.”

For a moment, neither of us spoke. Then, he sighed loudly.

“Then come with me.”

I blinked. “What?”

“Run away with me,” Damon said, his voice steady now, determined. “Tonight.”

The world seemed to pause.

“Tonight?” I repeated.

“Yes,” he said. “Leave all of this behind. Your father, the pack, the marriage, everything.”

My heart started racing.

“This is crazy,” I whispered.

“No,” he said, stepping closer. “What’s crazy is staying here and letting them control your life.”

“I could get caught,” I said. “If my father finds out, you could be executed.”

“I’m not afraid of him,” Damon cut in.

I shook my head. “You should be. He’ll kill you.”

Damon didn’t even hesitate.

“Then I’ll die,” he said. “But at least I’ll die knowing I fought for you.”

My breath caught.

“You mean that?” I asked softly.

“Of course I do,” he said. “I’d rather die than live without you.”

Something in my chest finally cracked open.

It was like a mixture of fear, excitement, and love all tangled together.

“You’re insane,” I said, a small laugh escaping me despite everything.

“Maybe,” he admitted. “But you love me anyway.”

I smiled. “I do.”

Silence fell between us again but this time, it felt different, charged, and alive.

“Okay,” I said suddenly.

His eyes widened slightly.

“Okay?” he repeated.

“I’ll do it,” I said, my heart pounding. “I’ll come with you.”

Relief flooded his expression, followed quickly by a grin.

“Then let’s not waste any time.”

My excitement was rising now, overpowering everything else.

“We should go back for my things,” I said quickly. “I’ll need clothes, money…”

“No.”

I blinked. “What?”

“Leave it,” Damon said. “We don’t need any of it.”

I hesitated. “It’s everything I own.”

“And it’s everything tying you down,” he replied. “If you go back, you risk getting caught. Is that what you want?”

“No,” I admitted.

“Then trust me,” he said, reaching for my hand. “We’ll build something new. Together.”

I looked at him. At the certainty in his eyes, and at the future he was offering me.

Then I nodded. “Okay.”

We left not long after.

The night was deep and quiet, the world around us still as we moved quickly beyond the edges of Ironcrest territory.

I didn’t look back.

Not at the pack, not at my home, not even at the life I was leaving behind.

Because in that moment, I believed I was choosing something better, something real, and something mine.

This is the night I ran away for love.

The night I chose him over my father… over my pack… over my destiny.

And this is the night I set everything in motion.

Including my downfall.