Nathan’s POV
I urged Collins to drive faster back to Hemsworth Villa.
Aria might have agreed to rest, but I knew her better than she knew herself. She wouldn’t sleep. Not until Lana was back in her arms. That woman could wait three nights straight without blinking if it ant protecting soone she loved.
She was stubborn, exhausting and admirable.
Goddess, she was all of it at once.
"How much longer?" I snapped, my voice low, my wolf pacing restlessly beneath my skin.
Collins didn’t flinch. "Five minutes, Alpha."
Five minutes.
I curled my grip around Lana a little tighter. She was safe. Aria would see her soon. So why was my chest still tight? Why was my wolf still snarling, unsettled?
I didn’t understand it.
But Collins obeyed, pushing the engine until it roared.
Five minutes later, I was at Aria’s door, Lana nestled securely in my arms. I knocked once.
The sound jolted through the room.
The door flew open.
Aria stood there, her eyes red and raw, and the second she saw Lana in my arms, she broke.
"Lana!" Her voice cracked as she grabbed her daughter from , clutching her so tightly I could feel her wolf finally exhale.
Her scent hit . Her heartbeat slowed as she inhaled the baby’s scent, the baby’s warmth. All the walls she carried like armor collapsed in an instant. She wasn’t the fierce woman who fought at every turn.
She was just... a mother.
And it froze .
I couldn’t look away. I couldn’t even breathe.
Her hair fell softly across her cheek, framing her face, the face of a woman who had survived too much, fought too hard, yet still trembled at the thought of losing her child. Her lashes trembled, catching the dim light. Sothing inside twisted painfully.
My pulse jumped.
My wolf pushed forward, ears perked, drawn to her... drawn to them.
"She’s fine," I managed, my voice rougher than I ant. It was too raw.
She didn’t even seem to hear . Her worry was back already, sharp and frantic. Lana kept nibbling at her hand, whining.
Aria’s hands trembled as she carried her into the kitchen, and despite myself, I followed, close enough to catch her scent but far enough not to crowd her.
When she reached for a can of formula, everything clicked.
She was starving.
She was so small and fragile. Was she... ours?
No, not "ours."
I pushed that thought down.
Aria tried to unscrew the thermos but her hands slipped. Her exhaustion was showing.
"You hold Lana," she said finally.
She didn’t ask, she instructed.
Her eyes t mine, steady and firm, a command threaded beneath her words. My wolf bristled on instinct, not in defiance but in... recognition. She wasn’t challenging . She was trusting .
I raised an eyebrow but obeyed without complaint, taking Lana from her. The baby settled against easily and sothing warm spread in my chest.
Aria turned to the formula again, trying to lift the kettle.
Her fingers trembled.
Dammit.
"Here," I murmured, stepping in before she strained herself.
I held Lana in one arm and grabbed the thermos with the other, pouring the water with ease.
Lana squealed, sensing food, and clapped excitedly.
Her laughter lightened the air, turning the cold, awkward kitchen into sothing warr, sothing that felt painfully close to... ho.
My breath hitched for a mont.
This right here felt too natural, too easy and that terrified more than anything.
Aria’s POV
I forced myself to shake off the uneasy flutter in my chest and focus on what mattered which was feeding Lana. My hands were still trembling but I steadied the bottle and brought it to her lips.
She latched on instantly, sucking with small, desperate gulps.
The kitchen fell silent except for her soft and rhythmic swallowing, grounding more than any deep breath ever could.
Lana, never still for even a heartbeat, grabbed Nathan’s thumb with one hand and my own with the other, giggling as she tugged us closer.
Her tiny fingers brushed mine against his.
A jolt shot through sharp and unsettling.
My wolf stiffened, startled.
Why?
Why did sothing as innocent as a touch feel like a spark?
Nathan didn’t react at all. His gaze stayed gentle on Lana, steady, unruffled, maddeningly unreadable.
Don’t overthink.
Don’t be stupid, Aria.
When Lana finally let go, I exhaled a breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding.
Tomorrow morning, I’d find a secure hotel.
A place far away from here.
This villa felt like walking on a tightrope barefoot.
Not always, though...
Once or twice, it had felt almost—
No. I shut down that thought imdiately.
I glanced at Nathan, only to find his eyes already on .
My heart lurched violently. I turned away fast, pretending to adjust Lana’s bib.
But his stare didn’t waver.
"This is the second ti, Aria," he said.
I froze. The bottle nearly slipped from my hand.
"What... are you talking about?" I managed.
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