Aria’s POV
When I arrived at the staff dormitory to pick up Lana, the tension in my body eased. The mont I stepped inside, warmth washed over .
Kara had done wonderfully with my pub. Lana sat happily among the won on break, sporting a pink hairpin perched on her soft wispy hair. My sweet little pup looked impossibly adorable, and the won were gathered around her, cooing and teasing, their smiles bright.
My heart softened instantly. My wolf stirred gently, pleased with the sight.
"Aria, you’re back?" Kara spotted first.
She scooped Lana from another woman’s arms and handed her over. Lana lit up the mont she saw , her chubby arms reaching, her scent comforting in ways nothing else ever could.
"My sweetheart," I whispered, hugging her close. She nuzzled the side of my neck, and my wolf practically purred.
"Lana’s such a sweetheart. Everyone’s smitten with her," Kara said, chuckling as she patted Lana’s tiny hand.
"Thank you all so much," I said, bowing deeper than I probably needed to—but gratitude swelled so big inside my chest I felt like I might burst.
The won waved their hands frantically."Oh, co on now, Aria! Don’t be so formal. We’re not strangers!"
Not strangers. For soone who’d been pushed out of her own blood family, that ant more than they knew.
Kara grew quiet, her gaze lingering on , sharp enough that I felt seen in a way I wasn’t sure I liked, yet maybe needed.
The dormitory was only a short walk from the road where cabs could stop. After saying our goodbyes, I readjusted Lana on my hip and prepared to head out. Kara fell into step beside us.
The three of us walked down the quiet, clean street. Leaves rustled softly in the breeze, and I inhaled deeply.
"You might think I’m overstepping," Kara began.
I stiffened slightly, pausing mid-step, my senses sharpening just in case."What is it?"
She glanced at , her eyes warm but probing."I don’t know what happened on your trip, Aria, but..."
She reached out and patted my shoulder gently, grounding ."You’re Lana’s mom now. In tough tis, you can always think of this precious little one."
Kara’s perceptiveness caught completely off guard.
I lowered my eyes and nodded firmly."Don’t worry. I’m not a kid anymore."
My voice sounded steady, but inside, my wolf tucked her tail uneasily. Being strong was a choice... one I kept having to remake.
Kara didn’t press. She simply walked us the rest of the way and stood by the car, watching as we pulled off. I turned to the window, watching her figure grow smaller, a quiet warmth settling in my chest. I hadn’t expected kindness today. Definitely not understanding.
This trip was supposed to be about honoring Grandma. Instead, it had twisted into a tug-of-war over the inheritance and even dragged Nathan back into my orbit.
Just thinking about him made my jaw tighten.
His voice from earlier echoed through my mind, low and laced with a dominance that rubbed my wolf and the wrong way.
"Aria, I’ll make you behave."
Just rembering it made sothing cold slither down my spine. My wolf bared her teeth at the mory, but fear still crept beneath my skin. I hugged Lana tighter, inhaling her soft, milky scent. She was my anchor.
My marriage to Nathan was nothing but a thin, fraying thread. One tug, and it would snap. But until it did... I wasn’t free, not truly.
"Please drive faster," I murmured to the driver, clenching my fists in my lap. My wolf paced restlessly in the back of my mind.
When we finally arrived Peter’s ho, I knocked at the door. Peter opened it, and his face lit up like sunlight cracking through clouds.
"Aria, you guys are back?"
I blinked, taking in the sight of him. Gone was the polished, put-together Peter I’d seen before I left. Instead, he stood in casual loungewear, hair in a ssy golden tumble, like a flustered retriever caught in the middle of a nap.
His eyes flicked down as he caught my stare, and his face flushed.
He ruffled his hair and tugged at the hem of his shirt, flustered."Uh... I didn’t expect you back so soon."
And judging by the way embarrassnt rolled off his scent, he was probably ntally kicking himself.
My anxious mood cracked, then lted a little. I couldn’t help it, I laughed softly.
"You look lively, Very real," I teased gently.
And just like that, his ears reddened. If his hair hadn’t fallen forward before, it would’ve been even more obvious. Cute, really.
He cleared his throat."Let grab your suitcase." That was a quick escape.
I didn’t protest. He clearly needed sothing to do before he combusted from embarrassnt.
I handed him the handle."Thank you."
He flashed a lopsided grin."No trouble at all."
I settled onto the sofa with Lana. My wolf relaxed the mont Lana curled against . But my eyes drifted to the table where the divorce papers should’ve been.
It was empty.
Did I rember the wrong spot?
I frowned, scanning the room. There was nothing.
When Peter ca back from stowing the luggage, I asked,"Peter, have you seen the divorce papers I left on the table?"
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