Nathan’s POV
Aria’s words sent panic through . My heart pounded violently as I reached for her, desperate, thoughtless.
“Aria—”
She slapped my hand away.
The sound cracked through the room, loud and final.
My gaze dropped slowly to my hand, the one she had just slapped away.
Monts ago, it had still held warmth, but now there was nothing, only cold.
A hollow ache opened in my chest, as if sothing vital had been ripped out, leaving behind an emptiness so deep it echoed. My wolf curled inward, wounded, whimpering softly, as if it too had felt the severing.
I lifted my eyes.
The darkness that had consud earlier was gone. In its place was raw and exposed desolation. I looked at Aria and found her staring back at with naked disdain, as though I were a stranger... no, worse—an enemy.
The look sliced through .
It felt like another cut, deeper than the last.
My body betrayed then, trembling despite my will. For the first ti in awhile, I felt unsteady on my feet. I forced myself to straighten, to stand tall as an Alpha should, but the strength felt brittle, like a cracked bone holding weight it no longer could.
She watched closely, guarded and afraid.
That hurt most of all.
“Take care,” I managed to say, my voice hoarse, scraped raw from everything I hadn’t said. I didn’t look back at her. I didn’t trust myself to.
I turned and walked toward the door, then stopped inches away from it.
“The Darvin family is in Asterfell,” I said quietly, my voice low and steady despite the ache tearing through my chest. “I wasn’t lying to you.”
I didn’t wait for a response.
I stepped out and closed the door behind .
Aria’s POV
The room finally fell silent. Nathan was gone, or at least, his presence had receded enough that the tension in the air eased slightly. I collapsed onto the bed, the sheets soft beneath , and buried my face in the pillow. My chest heaved as I tried to calm the storm inside , my wolf pacing silently within , restless and watchful.
I wasn’t thinking of the Darvin family, or even of the absurdity of what had just happened with Nathan. My mind felt hollow, like a small boat drifting on a boundless, dark sea. For a long while, I let myself drift, letting the soft mattress soothe my frayed nerves.
Eventually, I beca aware of the silence around . There were no footsteps outside, no voices. Had Nathan left Hemsworth Villa already?
My wolf twitched, uneasy, sensing that sothing was off, and my thoughts turned naturally to the Darvin family. Sophia’s hospitalization would warrant their attention, but I knew them too well: their visits were never about concern, they were always about control, about reminding who they believed I still was.
And then there was the banquet. The photo Sophia had shown of my design draft still haunted . How had she obtained it? My studio had been secure and discreet. My wolf growled low at the thought. Questions swirled, too many, forming a tight knot in my temples. I rubbed them, trying to push away the frustration.
I wrapped myself in Nathan’s thin blanket and walked slowly back through the silent villa. The living room, the study...they were empty. No sign of him. My wolf eased slightly, though a shadow of caution lingered. He might have gone to the company.
When I finally opened my bedroom door, Lana was there. She had woken quietly, her little face lighting up as soon as she saw . Relief and warmth spread through , soothing the tension in my chest. I quickly changed into fresh clothes, scooped her into my arms, and felt her babble happily, clapping her tiny hands.
My wolf curled protectively around us, sensing her innocence, guarding her from anything that threatened.
But peace never lasts long. The sound of knocking on the door, accompanied by scolding voices, sent a spike of tension through . My wolf bristled. I knew exactly who it would be.
I opened the door.
My mother, Margaret and her sister shoved it open before I could react. “What took you so long? As Luna Aria, have you beco so pretentious that even opening a door takes forever?” their voices reeked of superiority and entitlent.
I stepped back instinctively, shielding Lana, my eyes narrowing. My wolf growled softly in my chest, sensing the scent of their arrogance and malice.
Margaret’s stern face, her sister’s dissatisfied scowl....they looked like they always did: unyielding, sharp-edged, the kind of people who thrived on intimidation. But I had changed. My ti with Nathan, my struggles...everything had hardened in ways they couldn’t touch. I had also made it clear during my grand mother’s morial that I would have no further ties with the Darvin family.
“Get out,” I said, my voice cold and firm, my wolf roaring silently at the threat they posed.
Her sister’s eyes widened in shock. “Aria, is that how you talk to ?”
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