Semua Bab The Alpha's Seventh Bride: Bab 21 - Bab 30

Aria's POVSession Five was of Lilith.By the time I entered Lilith’s chamber, my whole body was aching seriously.She was sitting at her desk, writing something. Without looking up, she said. “You think you can change this place?” She asked and I stayed silent.She looked up when I did not respond, her eyes were sharp and intimidating. “You remind me of myself when I was younger, angry, idealistic and foolish.“I am not foolish.” I said quietly.Her lips curved slightly. “No. “But you are too soft, you think Damian will protect you? He will protect his throne, not you.”“I don’t need his protection.” I replied.“Good.” She set down her pen. “Because you won’t always have it.”When all five sessions were finally over, I could barely move. My hands hurt from the staff training, my arms from posture correction, and my mind from the endless criticism.As I walked back toward my room, I could hear whispers in the hallway, maids gossiping, guards murmuring. The air was thick with tensio

Aria's POVAs I stepped into the room, their conversation stopped. Five pairs of eyes turned to me, each one assessing, measuring, judging. Isolde said softly, motioning for me to come closer. “Aria.” “You are late.”“I called only a few minutes ago.” I replied quietly.Lilith’s brows lifted. “Are you suggesting that we are lying?”I froze. “No.”Vivian giggled behind her hand. “Oh, don’t scold her, Lilith, she still thinks that honesty works here.”They laughed, and my cheeks burned.“I heard.” Isolde continued, her voice was silky and sharp.“That you have been doing well in your lessons. Etiquette, dance, table manners, even royal address.”I nodded carefully. “Yes, my lady.”She tilted her head. “And do you truly think that will make you one of us?”I swallowed. “I am only trying to do my best.”Mariana snorted. “Your best won’t be enough, you are not one of us. You are a charity case, brought here because the King felt… sentimental.”Her words stung, but I forced myself to brea

Aria's POV I woke up to the low hum of the city outside the curtains were half-drawn, letting soft daylight pour across the room. For a few seconds, I did not remember where I was. Then the smell of hotel linen and faint traces of Damian’s cologne in the air reminded me. The hotel room was too neat, too quiet. It was like everything in Damian’s palace. Even the furniture looked wealthy; they were arranged in a perfect order. I sat up slowly, clutching the sheets and a dull ache spread through my chest and it always came like this when I had quiet moments, the memories I wished I could forget. My aunt’s voice echoed in my head. “You are lucky we even took you in.” Then my uncle’s rough whisper the night they sold me off. His eyes were cold but he didn’t stop. The sound of the door closing that day never left me. I had promised myself I would never beg again and never cry for help. My thoughts were distracted when I heard a knock that came at the door. I wiped my face quickly and

Damian’s POVAria’s voice broke the tension, quiet but firm. “I told you, Damian, I don't want to be with you. Matebond or not, I won’t live my life in fear or as a replacement for what you can’t feel.”Her words echoed inside me, cutting deeper than any wound I had ever had.My claws retracted slowly, and the faint glow in my eyes faded. I stared outside the window, unable to speak. The rain began to pour harder outside, matching the storm in my chest.Ethan started the engine again, his tone tense. “We should head back. It is getting dark.”No one spoke for the rest of the drive. Aria turned her face toward the window, her reflection blurred against the glass. She looked fragile, but I knew better. She was strong, stronger than most people I knew. And that strength both angered and drew me to her.When we reached the palace, I did not wait for the guards to open the door. I stepped out first, inhaling deeply to steady myself. My body was still tense, my wolf pacing inside me.Etha

Aria's POVI woke up before sunrise. The palace was quiet, the kind of silence that almost felt heavy. I got up quietly, slipping into one of the plain training clothes I had borrowed from the servants’ wardrobe. My muscles ached from the constant lessons and stress, but I pushed the pain aside.I couldn’t afford to be weak because the festival was in two days. Everyone would shift, run, hunt and I would be exposed if I didn’t. Half wolf, half human. The truth I had hidden all my life would become a reason for them to destroy me.So I trained. I went to the old courtyard behind the east wing; it was a place where most of the guards rarely patrolled. The floor was cold and cracked, the smell of wet stone filling the air. I stood there, breathing deeply, trying to feel my wolf.“Come on.” I whispered to myself. “You can do this just once.”I focused and tried to draw her out. I tried to remember the feeling of heat, the pulse of power under my skin. But there was nothing, only silence,