Aria’s POV
Upon seeing the car approach, the guy and his crew fled.
I had not expected Nathan to appear so abruptly.
The bar beside us emptied instantly—people spilling out, whispering, straightening, fleeing.
That was when I realized he was not here for , he hadn’t even seen yet.
He was here because this was where his world moved.
Bodyguards surrounded him as he stepped out, tall and rigid, his presence cutting an imposing figure.
Won gasped.
"He’s so hot..." one whispered.
"Forget it," her friend scoffed. "That’s Asterfell’s richest Alpha. You think he’d look twice at soone like you?"
They swooned over him like he was so untouchable god.
And I... I pulled Lana closer to my chest and lowered my head, slipping into the moving crowd, letting their noise swallow whole. The last thing I wanted was for him to notice .
Nathan’s POV
The mont I was about to step into the bar entrance, sothing made pause.
A prickle ran down my spine, the subtle tug of instinct that no amount of logic could override. My wolf stirred within .
I turned.
Through the shifting blur of people moving away, my gaze locked onto the retreating figure of a woman holding a small child.
A mother... at a bar?
I rubbed my temple, dismissing the odd unease crawling beneath my skin. It was not my business.
I turned away and went into the bar.
Inside, the main hall was already cleared out, cleaners scrambling to erase the chaos from a few monts ago. Chaos caused by those who scurried the mont they saw .
"Alpha Nathan, your usual private room?"
The bar’s manager, slick, over-polite, and with a habit of bowing too much, appeared out of nowhere.
"Second floor," I said.
I had a eting to attend.
The second floor was quieter. It was a place where the city’s elite traded deals like weapons.
And as always, the mont I entered, every eye turned toward .
My wolf didn’t like the attention, it never did, but I ignored it and took my seat.
A man nearby jolted upright, stiff with fear.
"Alpha Nathan."
He bowed quickly, sweat glistening at his temples. A mix of irritation and impatience stirred within .
"Alpha Carson sent to et you," he stamred. "He was in a car accident on the way here. He w-wanted to apologize and reschedule—"
I didn’t speak, but the sharp flick of my gaze made him flinch. My wolf bristled at the effort it took to hold back my annoyance.
Collins stepped in. "A car accident isn’t sothing to shrug off. But if he thinks ‘reschedule’ ans waiting three months, we’re done."
The man paled.
"No—no! He said three days! Even if he’s in a wheelchair—he’ll be here. He’ll apologize in person. Please... don’t end the partnership."
He practically folded in half from the weight of his desperation.
I gave Collins a glance.
"Three days," Collins repeated, raising three fingers. "After that, it’s void."
"Yes, absolutely!" the man breathed, relief flooding his face.
I stood, and the room shifted around as everyone retreated instinctively.
My team followed behind as we moved toward the exit.
When we got outside, my eyes caught an item on the pavent and I stopped, my wolf urging to pick it up.
It was a small dicine bottle. Children’s diarrhea dication.
I crouched, my long fingers curling around the bottle.
My mind flashed back to the woman who had been weaving through the crowd, carrying a child. A strange familiar ache stirred in my chest.
My pulse kicked harder, my jaw tightened.
"Collins," I said, my voice low, edged with the kind of tension that made him straighten imdiately. "Find the owner."
He blinked at the bottle. "Sir...?"
"It likely belongs to a young woman with a child." My voice ca out rougher than I intended.
Collins’s mind must have connected the dots. His eyes sharpened.
He rushed into action, dispatching the team, calling surveillance, pulling footage.
Minutes later, his tablet pinged.
"Alpha Nathan."
He handed it to with both hands.
I took it—and froze.
There she was.
Aria, my luna.
She looked fragile and tense, clutching a child to her chest. Her steps frantic, her shoulders rigid with desperation.
My wolf let out a low, internal growl, one of raw, confused ache.
Why is she out here alone? Why is she avoiding ? My gaze drifted to the bundle in her arms.
The child...Its tiny brow scrunched in pain.
My hand involuntarily tightened around the tablet.
The footage cut off abruptly, leaving only her retreating figure. Her child must be sick.
"Find out which hotel she’s staying at," I said.
I could hear my own irritation...no, frustration, creeping into my voice.
I’d frozen her cards. She’d left Peter’s house.
She couldn’t be staying anywhere decent. Probably whatever cheap hotel she could afford with leftover cash.
I rubbed my temples. A heavy throb pulsed behind my eyes.
A sick child... and she’s dragging it around in the cold? Why? Why is she doing everything the hard way?
Why won’t she let ...
No.
I cut off the thought before it ford.
Collins seed shaken too. He turned to leave—
But just then a familiar figure stumbled into the glow of the streetlamp, coming in our direction searching the floor frantically as though they were looking for sothing.
It was her.
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