CHAPTER FOUR: THE STRANGER IN THE WOODS

Aria's POV 

“Go and get yourself ready. Alpha Damien will arrive at the pack house any moment now,” my father said, his tone leaving no room for protest.

His words sank like lead in my chest. My lips parted, but nothing came out. Get yourself ready? To be handed over like a piece of land? To play the loyal daughter, giving up everything for their loyal alliance?

My hands curled into fists, my nails digging into my palms. If I didn’t get out of this house, I’d suffocate.

I stormed out of the study, the weight of everything crushed down on me. The air felt too heavy, my breaths shallow as I tried to steady myself. 

My bare feet slapped the floor angrily as I moved towards the front door. How could my father do this to me? How could he give me up with— 

I froze. A low grunt drifted from down the hall. I stilled, listening. When silence followed, I shook my head and kept walking, until the sound came again, sharper this time. My body stiffened, and I turned, following it.

Lyra’s moans drifted through the hallway, loud and unashamed, followed by the unmistakable sound of skin slapping against skin. My steps faltered, my stomach twisting so violently I thought I'd be sick. They weren’t even hiding it anymore. Shameless betrayals. 

I forced myself to keep walking, not minding the effect their moans had on me.

By the time I reached the front door, my body was trembling—not just from anger, but from betrayal so sharp it left me raw. My father’s coldness, Jax’s lies, Lyra’s smug triumph. Everything was too much.

I couldn’t even hear my own thoughts over the pounding of my heart. I stumbled outside, the cold air biting into my skin, as if the world itself wanted to remind me that I was unwanted, unchosen, unworthy.

I hugged myself tighter, my arms a flimsy shield against the storm brewing inside me. My wolfless state, the mark of shame I carried from birth, had finally cornered me. No matter how I tried to ignore it, today it stripped me bare.

“Favors for the pack,” I muttered bitterly, my breath clouding in the chilly air. “And what about me?”

I kept walking, my head bowed, not even noticing when the path curved towards the woods. The silence of the trees was broken only by the rush of blood in my ears. I wasn’t looking, not really, too consumed with anger to pay attention—until suddenly, I slammed hard into something solid.

My body jolted backward from the impact, and I nearly lost my balance.

“Careful,” a deep voice rumbled. It was smooth, low, but carried authority that made my spine stiffen instantly.

For a second, I thought I’d run into one of the guards. But when I lifted my head, and my breath caught in my throat.

A man stood before me, tall and broad-shouldered, his hand still on my arm to steady me. His presence was commanding, so much so that for a moment I forgot how to breathe. His eyes—sharp, molten gold—watched me with an intensity that made my skin prickle.

The stranger looked out of place here. His tailored black coat hugged his frame like it was made for him, his dark hair perfectly tousled, his jaw sharp enough to cut. He wasn’t from our pack. He didn’t need to say it; I could feel it radiating from him.

“I…” My voice cracked. “I didn’t see you.”

His gaze swept over me slowly, his hold on my arm firm but not painful. His brow furrowed slightly, as if something about me didn’t quite fit. 

“You look pale,” he observed, his voice softer this time but no less commanding. “Are you running from something?”

I shook my head quickly, tugging at his hold. “I wasn’t watching where I was going. Just…. let me go.”

He didn’t release me. His eyes narrowed as if he knew I was lying. Then, slowly, he let go. “Be more careful. Not all strangers you bump into will catch you.”

Something about the way he said it made my skin prickle. There was no threat in his tone, but there was power—leashed, dangerous, controlled. Who is he?

I turned to leave, desperate to put distance between myself and yet another man who seemed to hold too much control over my fragile state. But before I could take two steps, he spoke again.

“Could you show me the way to the pack house? I’m here to see the Alpha.”

Here to see the alpha? My stomach twisted, realization hitting me like lightning. Alpha Damien. Was this him? The one my father had promised one of his daughters to? It has to be.

I blinked, my mouth suddenly dry. “You…” My voice faltered. “You’re early.”

His smirk deepened. “I prefer to arrive before people expect me. It shows me who they really are when they think they’re unobserved.”

A shiver ran down my spine. He wasn’t just powerful—he was dangerous. Every instinct screamed at me to keep my guard up.

He stepped closer, and I instinctively stepped back until my back brushed against a tree trunk. He wasn’t touching me, but the nearness of him was suffocating.

“You’re trembling,” he observed, his tone unreadable. “Is it fear… or something else?”

I forced myself to lift my chin, meeting his piercing gaze even though my pulse betrayed me. “Neither. I don’t scare easily.”

For a moment, he simply stared at me, his expression unreadable. Unexpectedly, he chuckled—low and dark, the sound vibrating through my chest. “Interesting. Very interesting.”

He leaned in slightly, his voice dropping. “Tell me your name.”

I hesitated, every instinct telling me not to give him anything. But there was no hiding from those eyes, from the sheer dominance radiating off him.

“Aria,” I whispered.

The name rolled off my tongue like a confession, and from the way his eyes sharpened, I knew he’d committed it to memory.

“Aria,” he repeated, as though he was testing it, savoring it. He straightened, the moment broken, though the tension lingered thick in the air. “Your father didn’t mention you.”

Of course he didn’t. I was the daughter without a wolf. The useless one. The one who could be hidden away.

Bitterness swelled in my throat. “He rarely does.” My voice cracked before I could stop it. “You… know me?”

His golden eyes darkened, unreadable. “As a matter of fact, I do know you.”

My breath hitched. What does that mean?

He turned, his cloak brushing past me, as if the woods themselves parted for him. “Now, lead me to the pack house.”

Every part of me screamed to run, to flee this stranger and the fate waiting for me. But my legs betrayed me, moving after him, drawn to the pull of his command.