Aria’s POV
My Bags and boxes were scattered right outside my door.
For a second, I thought I’d co to the wrong room. But no, everything outside belonged to .
Every muscle in went tense, a low vibration starting in my chest.
Soone had thrown us out.
The anger I’d tried to swallow earlier ca roaring back, hot and wild. My wolf bristled under my skin, my claws itching to tear through flesh and wood alike. But I forced her down.
Lana was inside. She couldn’t see her mother lose control.
I shoved the door open.
The first thing I saw made my vision blur red.
The new girl was standing in the middle of the room holding my daughter. Holding Lana like she was an inconvenience. Her eyes darted around, as if deciding where to drop her.
"What are you doing?!" My voice ca out as a snarl before I even realized it. My heartbeat thundered in my ears as I lunged forward, yanking Lana out of her grasp. My wolf’s protective growl rumbled just beneath my breath.
The girl blinked, then had the nerve to smile. "Didn’t you quit already? I’m just packing your stuff for you. This is my room now."
For a second, I could only stare.
That sa girl who was shy and trembled like a frightened rabbit when she first arrived, now stood there with a bright, smug smile, her scent reeking of deceit and cheap perfu.
I almost laughed. The sound that left my throat was low and humorless. "Of course. Kevin asked you to throw my things out, didn’t he?"
Her smile faltered for just a second, enough to confirm what I already knew.
My gaze sharpened. The air around us changed. My wolf rose, my eyes flashed yellow with my wolf’s anger. "Touch my things again," I said softly, "and you’ll regret it."
The girl’s eyes widened, her confidence evaporating as that instinctual fear hit her.
While she stood rooted in place, I tucked Lana safely against my hip and began shoving our belongings into the suitcase. My movents were swift and sharp, controlled fury channeled into every motion.
I hadn’t brought much here anyway; most of it was Lana’s clothes, her formula, her tiny blankets.
I stepped outside with Lana and saw a few of the older won from the dorm. They were gathered nearby. They’d all heard the noise.
kara was in front, her expression a mix of fury and pity. The others glared daggers past , at the girl still peeking nervously through the door.
The mont their eyes t hers, she shrank back and slamd the door shut.
"Aria!" kara hurried to , waving over before grabbing my arm. Her voice softened, though her pulse was still racing. "Everyone heard what happened, about you getting fired."
Before I could say a word, she shoved a large plastic bag into my hands. "We couldn’t do much else, but we all chipped in and bought so things for the baby."
I looked down at the bag. It contained diapers, formula, a small pack of wipes. Sothing within shattered.
The anger, the fear, the exhaustion... it all blurred into one heavy ache.
My nose burned, and for a mont, I couldn’t breathe. The plastic bag in kara’s hands blurred through my tears. I tried to push it back toward her, but she glared at , that fiery energy of hers flashing through her eyes.
"This stuff’s non-returnable," she said, clipping the bag right onto my suitcase. "And it’s for Lana, so don’t you dare refuse."
I swallowed hard, my throat aching.
"Everyone... thank you for taking care of us," I whispered, bowing deeply, my voice trembling despite how hard I tried to steady it.
From a Luna and respected Lawyer... to this, a cleaning lady with a baby in her arms. If not for these won, this pack of gentle souls who looked out for , I might have lost the last pieces of myself long ago.
"Don’t ntion it! It’s what anyone would do!" kara bood, her grin wide and warm, masking the hurt in her eyes. "If you miss us, co back and visit, alright? Kids grow so fast. I really wanna see how pretty that little pup’s face turns out."
That word—pup—slipped from her lips so naturally that for a mont, my wolf stirred inside , aching for ho.
We laughed then, even if it sounded brittle at the edges. It was easier that way, to pretend this wasn’t another goodbye. I turned and left, I had only walked a small distance when I turned back to see them all shedding tears.
"Alright, alright," kara said roughly, wiping at her eyes. "Everyone back to work before Kevin finds another reason to bark."
I smiled faintly and turned away, balancing Lana in one arm and dragging my worn suitcase with the other. My wolf prowled uneasily under my skin, sensing my fatigue. The city’s air was thick with exhaust, but all I could sll was uncertainty.
I opened my phone, scanning through rental listings until I spotted a small, low-cost apartnt on the edge of town. It wasn’t much, but it would do. When I tried to pay the deposit, though, the app froze. Again.
"Great," I muttered. Maybe the signal was bad.
I decided to find a bank and just withdraw cash instead. When I approached the ATM, I slid in my card, but the screen blinked red—Error.
I frowned and tried again. Nothing.
My pulse quickened. Frances had promised this morning that my salary was already transferred. My wolf growled low in my chest, restless, sensing deceit before my mind even caught up. I called her imdiately.
"I sent it this morning," Frances’ mocking voice rang in my ear. "If you can’t withdraw it, that’s your card’s problem. I’ve got the records right here, so don’t try to scam . You’re not greedy enough to want double pay, are you?"
Her words hit like claws raking across my heart. My breath caught, anger and panic mixing beneath my skin.
"Understood," I forced out and ended the call.
The city noise buzzed around , but all I heard was the rush of blood in my ears. Sothing wasn’t right. My instincts scread danger.
I rushed inside to find a bank clerk. After a few tense minutes, he looked up from his computer and said flatly, "Your account has been frozen."
Frozen.
The word echoed in my skull, colder than any wind. My fingers tightened around Lana’s blanket. Soone was cutting off, they wanted trapped.
And deep down, I already knew who.
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