Semua Bab Alpha, Let's End This Bond!: Bab 101 - Bab 110

ARIAThe mansion was a tomb of cold marble and heavy silence when I finally pulled back into the driveway.It was past midnight. My head was spinning with Wynne’s crisis—with the way Luca’s petty jealousy had been twisted into a political noose for Hogan.I walked into the foyer, my heels clicking like a countdown on the tiles. The light in the study was out, but the air still felt heavy with the scent of him: that sharp, agitated pine and the metallic tang of unspent power.I didn't head for the master suite. I didn’t want to smell his skin or hear his labored, pained breathing. I turned toward the west wing, pushing open the heavy oak door of the guest room."Aria."The voice came from the shadows of the hallway.Luca. He was leaning against the wall, his frame looking smaller, more fragile than it had this afternoon. He hadn't changed out of his clothes, but his shirt was unbuttoned at the collar, his tie hanging loose."I'm sleeping here," I said, my hand tight on the doorknob. I

LUCARowan didn't leave. He stood by the window of my office, watching the city traffic crawl like a line of ants below.The silence between us was heavy with the kind of history only two wolves who have bled together can share."Don't do it, Alpha," he said, his voice dropping into a low voice that was more brother than Second-in-Command. "Don't sign those papers. Don't even let the word divorce breathe in the same room as you."I leaned back, my chair creaking. "You think I want this? She’s the one holding the pen, Rowan.""Then break it," he snapped, turning to face me. "If you and Aria go down, the whole pack feels the tremor. And selfishly? I need you two to fix your shit. Ivy is watching you two like a blueprint. If the great Luca Stormbourne can’t keep his Luna, she’s going to think there’s no hope for us either. She’s already halfway out the door, staying at your father’s place just to get away from my 'Alpha energy.' Set the standard, man. Stabilize the situation so I can bri

LUCAThe tires of the SUV hummed against the dark asphalt, the sound vibrating through the floorboards as we sped away from the old estate.I kept my foot heavy on the gas, the engine’s growl the only thing filling the cabin.The silence between us wasn't peaceful; it was a live wire, buzzing with the fallout of everything that had just been unsaid in my old family house.Ivy didn’t move. She sat stiffly in the passenger seat, her eyes fixed on the road ahead as the city lights began to flicker in the distance.We were still miles from my mansion, but the tension made the car feel like it was shrinking."She was there, you know," Ivy said suddenly. Her voice was thin, like a wire about to snap.I paused with my hand on the door handle. "What?""Aria. She just came to the old house," Ivy turned to look at me, with a strange, mocking glint in her eyes. "She saw me sitting by the fire, waiting for you. She asked if you were there and I told her that you went upstairs to the library. She

ARIAThe sun was too bright for a morning that felt this gray.I sat at the breakfast table in the mansion, staring into a cup of coffee that had gone cold twenty minutes ago. My eyes were puffy, and my skin felt tight from a night spent crying in the guest room.Joe, the private driver, approached with a hesitant look. He was holding something—a sleek, designer handbag. It was a limited-edition piece, the kind of leather that screamed "old money.""Luna," Joe said softly, placing it on the table near my elbow. "Alpha Luca left this in the SUV last night. I assumed it belonged to you."My heart did a slow, painful somersault. For a split second, I thought maybe he’d bought me a "peace offering." Maybe he’d been out late trying to find a way to fix us.I reached out and unlatched the gold clasp.The scent hit me first.Not my perfume. Not the vanilla and sandalwood I liked. This was heavy, floral, and cloying. Ivy.Inside, there was a lace compact and a silk scarf I’d seen her wearing

ARIAI leaned back in my office chair, rubbing my temples. Working at Vanguard Realty usually felt like a safe harbor, but today, the air felt thin.My phone buzzed, vibrating against the mahogany desk. I didn't even have to look to know who it was."Hey, Brandon," I said, my voice forced and flat."That’s the 'I’m-exhausted-and-don't-want-to-talk' tone," Brandon said casually, his voice crackling through the line. "Rough day at the office, or is the Alpha being a pain in the ass again?"I sighed, spinning my chair toward the window. From here, I could see the edge of the Storm Ridge Pack territory from a distance, the trees swaying like dark waves. "Luca is... Luca. He’s digging his heels in.""Still?" Brandon’s tone shifted. The playfulness died. "Aria, it’s been weeks. What’s the vibe? Are you still leaning toward the exit?""Leaning?" I let out a dry, jagged laugh. "Brandon, I’m halfway out the door. I want a divorce. I need it. But he won’t sign the papers. He acts like if he ign