Knox's POV“Do you think not telling me will protect them?” I asked coldly. “All you’re doing is making it worse for them. I will find out, Aria. One way or another. You should know that by now.”Her eyes widened, but she didn’t respond.I took a step back, with a hard glare on my face.“And when I do, there will be no mercy. If you had told me their names, I might have considered being lenient. But now? Now, they’ll face the full wrath of the Alpha King—and the wolf who protects his mate.”I could see a hint of fear cross her face. However, she wasn't scared of me. She was scared of what I would do to those people. Good.I turned away from her. “You’re mine, Aria. And I won’t allow anyone to treat you with disrespect. Not ever.”After my declaration, I went to sit on my chair behind the table, and there was a tense silence.Aria fidgeted as she stood there, avoiding my eyes. I wondered what was going through her mind at that point.As I opened my mouth to ask her to take a seat, a lo
Aria's POV~A week later~“Knox?” I called softly as we lay on the bed in my room. We were about to sleep. For some reason, Knox kept sleeping in my room, but I had never seen his own room.Whenever I asked him about his room, he always said, “Yours is more comfortable, so why bother?”He had even brought more of his clothes into my room so that he could dress in my room.He turned to me, yawning with sleepy eyes. “Yeah?”I bit my lips softly before I replied. “I want to learn how to fight,” I told him.He furrowed his eyebrows. “Why? Who are you fighting?” Then he paused with a small frown. “Did someone threaten you?” He growled.I shook my head, as I quickly sat up. “No, no. It's…it's nothing like that. No one is threatening me, Knox,” I said firmly.And that was true. Since that incident with Connor at the pack clinic, no one had approached me to say anything insulting. The people that disliked me could only glare at me and give me angry looks. Nothing more. Not even Astrid said an
Aria's POV“You are the cause of all this,” the voice cackled. “Their blood is on your hands, you've brought death upon them... this is your power, Aria.” The voice was getting closer now, but I was frozen in terror.“Embrace it, Aria. This is what you are meant to be.”I scrambled to my feet, but the bodies were everywhere. I couldn't escape them. It was my fault. I had done this.I turned to look at Knox’s body again, as the guilt ate into me.“Accept it, Aria. You have the power. You always have. You are the one who ended their lives. You are to be feared. You're the one who destroys. Embrace your strength. Embrace who you are.”I collapsed to my knees, and closed my ears with my shaking hands to block out that dark voice. “No, no, no.” I mumbled over and over.But the voice didn’t stop. It became even louder, forcing its way into my mind.“You are more than what you think. You are unstoppable. Powerful. The blood is your birthright. You will take what is yours, and you will make t
Aria's POVKnox watched me for a moment with a piercing gaze, and I had to force myself not to look guilty or tense. At that moment, his eyes were unnerving, as though they were piercing into my soul.Finally, he nodded, and I sighed internally in relief. ‘That was not a comfortable feeling,’ I thought to myself.Knox placed a soft kiss on my lips. “Rest up now, Aria. I’m right here,” he murmured softly, and I closed my eyes.“Remember that you have training with Hunter this morning by 6am,” he added.Immediately, my eyes flew open, and my heart raced – I had totally forgotten. No matter how excited I wanted to be about learning how to defend myself, the fact that it was Hunter that would train me, really dimmed my excitement.Knox’s voice cut through my thoughts. “I know you’re excited about tomorrow, but you need to go back to sleep.” He must have mistaken my racing heart for excitement, and not panic.But I obeyed, and closed my eyes, willing myself to calm down as I tried to sleep
Aria's POVThe distance they stood at was far enough that I couldn’t hear what they were saying. Knox murmured to Hunter, and I tried to pick up what he was telling Hunter by reading his lips or by watching Hunter’s facial expression. However, to my disappointment, I couldn’t pick up what he was saying, and Hunter kept his blank, so I couldn’t even get a hint.I turned away from them disappointed, deciding to wait for them to finish their private discussion instead. Internally, I was slightly upset that I was being excluded.A few minutes later, they both walked back to where I stood.“Hey,” Knox said softly, “You’re in good hands, alright? Like I said earlier, Hunter is a very good and experienced fighter. One of the best in this pack, actually. I might be a better fighter than he is, but he’s a much better teacher.” He assured me.I nodded in understanding, but internally I was panicking inside because very soon, I would be left alone with Hunter.“Take care of yourself, I’ll come s
Aria's POVAs I rose to my feet, I winced at my aching muscles. They would certainly hurt more later on. My throat was parched, and I desperately needed water. The thought of walking all the way back to my room to get some made me groan inwardly.Just as I was about to force myself to start the long trek, a bottle of water was thrust toward me. Startled, I looked up to see Hunter standing there with his usual sneer on his face.I hesitated, eyeing the bottle suspiciously. For a moment, I wondered if he had done something to it—poisoned it, maybe. Besides, he was Astrid's brother after all.“Take it or don’t. Your choice.” He said flatly, and his eyes shone with impatience at my hesitation.I clenched my jaw, thinking about my two choices. I could reject the water out of pride, or I could accept it because I needed it. At the end, the dryness in my throat won the battle, and reluctantly, I reached out and collected the bottle of water.“Thanks,” I muttered reluctantly.Hunter snorted.
Aria's POVI froze, staring at him with wide eyes, as a thrill ran down my body, even though my body was in a sorry state.“What?”He was talking about the silent treatment I had been giving him this morning.Knox laughed heartily at my reaction, “Relax, angel. I think today’s training was punishment enough, don’t you?”I exhaled sharply, feeling both relieved, annoyed and a little disappointed. “Very funny,” I muttered, glaring at him.Knox grinned, and he pushed off the door frame and headed toward the bathroom. “Let me go run that bath for you,” he said over his shoulder.As he entered the bathroom, I fell back on the bed, releasing an exhausted sigh as I stared up at the ceiling.Today had been torturous, but a little part of me felt proud of myself. This was my first step towards being stronger. If Hunter was really going to teach me how to fight, I would be stronger, not just physically but in other ways.A few minutes later, Knox returned, leaning against the door frame with a
Aria's POVAt Knox's words, I paused with a small wince.“Well…” I started, and Knox also paused, lifting an eyebrow at me in question.“I want to go on my own.” I said softly, but steadily. “I don't want you to come with me, let me handle it myself.”He hesitated, clearly unhappy as he crossed his arms with narrowed eyes.“Why not? Is there a problem with me walking you there?”I shook my head quickly. “It’s not that. I just... I want to do this on my own. I need to.”His jaw tensed as he watched me, “Aria, I don't want anyone taking advantage of your kindness or soft heart to disrespect you.”“I’ll be fine,” I assured him, “I want to stand on my own two feet. If you come with me, it’ll feel like I’m relying on you for everything. Please, Knox, trust me.”Knox sighed, running a hand through his hair. “I do trust you, Aria. It’s just… after that incident with Connor, I…I”He trailed off with a frustrated sigh, clenching his fists. “I just don’t want anything like that to happen again.
Aria's POVI closed the door behind me, watching as Knox paced the length of the room. His movements were sharp, restless, like he was barely keeping himself together. His fists clenched and unclenched at his sides, his entire body coiled tight. Whatever was on his mind, it wasn’t just about the meeting. It was deeper. More personal.“Knox? What's going on?” I asked.He didn't reply at first, but I knew he heard me because he glanced at me for a split second.I waited patiently for a few minutes, hoping he would respond. But nothing, he just kept pacing.“Knox!” I snapped, and he paused in his pacing, turning to me slowly.“What the hell is going on? You're freaking me out! Is it the threat of the vampires that is causing you to react this way?” I asked.“I know that everyone is tense, but there's something more bothering you. What is it?” I asked firmly, keeping my eyes on his.He ran a hand through his hair, looking so frustrated, but in the frustration, I saw something else. Somethi
Aria's POV‘We have two options today,’ Jade muttered as I prepared to go to the pack’s clinic. ‘We could heal that little girl in room 76, or we could heal the young woman in room 128. But I suggest we heal the young woman instead.’I paused, frowning. “What? Why? That little girl’s sickness is more serious. The healers are already losing hope on her. The young woman’s illness isn’t so bad—her treatment is just complicated.”‘I think healing the young woman is better. It’s less risky,’ Jade insisted.My frown deepened. “Okay, something’s up. Lately, you keep pushing for smaller cases. At first, I thought it was because you wanted me to rest after healing Hunter, but it’s been three days.”Jade was silent for a moment before sighing. ‘Look, I’m trying to be cautious, Aria. If you want to take on a complicated case, make sure Knox approves it first. I don’t want to give your mate more reasons to hate me.’I smirked. “Oh my goddess, I can’t believe it.”‘What?’ Jade asked, sounding confu
Aria's POVI opened my eyes to see Knox hovering over me, his gray eyes with worry. His hands were holding onto mine tightly, like he was afraid I would disappear if he let go.“Aria?” He said softly, and I smiled.“Hey,”He exhaled sharply in relief, and his shoulder sagged as if he had been holding his breath this whole time.“Thank the moon goddess.” He breathed, running a hand through his hair. “Even though you had told me what to expect, I didn’t expect it to be that scary, Aria.” He admitted, gripping my hand tighter.I lifted an eyebrow at him. “Did you freak out?” I asked with a small smile.He scoffed as though I had asked a ridiculous question, “Of course I did. Do you have any idea how scary it was to watch you pass out so abruptly?”I furrowed my eyebrows in thought. “How long was I unconscious?” I asked.“Four hours, Aria. You were unconscious for four damn hours,” he replied, clenching his jaw.I blinked in surprise, “Four hours? Really? But it didn’t feel like that over
Aria's POVI swallowed. “So… is that why I passed out?” I had been worried that something had gone wrong.“Of course it is,” Mama Felz said dryly, taking another sip of whiskey. “If you weren’t such a stubborn little shit, you would have stopped before it got this bad. Your body must have been giving you fucking signs.”I winced. It had been a long time since I had been called a ‘little shit’.Gosh, I was already missing Knox—he called me little angel.“So, what do I do now?” I asked her.She sighed and leaned back. “You wait. You rest. Your body needs time to recover. There ain't no quick fix for this, kid.”I pressed my lips together. I didn’t like that answer. Knox was probably losing his mind right now, and Hunter.My stomach clenched. “Will the person I was healing be okay?”She eyed me for a moment, then nodded. “Yeah. What you did should hold. But if you push yourself like that again too soon, you might fall into a magical exhaustion coma, and those are fucking pains in the ass
Aria's POVMy mouth gaped open in shock as I stared at the glaring woman in front of me.Mama Felz looked me up and down like I was a stray dog that had just pissed on her doorstep.Was I hallucinating? Because there was no way I was back at the Gray Moon Pack.My heart skipped a beat. What if I was?“Hey!” Mama Felz snapped, “I asked you a fucking question! What the fuck are you doing here?”Panic gripped me as I imagined what would happen if I was back at the Gray Moon Pack.“Where… Where am I?” I asked shakily, glancing around as I prayed internally that I was hallucinating. “Am I really back at the Gray Moon Pack?”She frowned at me. “Of course not! What kind of stupid question is that? Have you started teleporting?”I shook my head slowly. “I don’t…I don’t think so.” I muttered slowly. I wasn’t sure, because I hadn’t even known that I could heal people.Mama Felz must have seen something on my face because she sighed. “You’re not here physically. This is just a projection.” She e
Aria's POVKnox had ordered everyone out of the room, claiming that the Alpha King and Luna Queen needed to pay their last respects to the Beta. At this point, Hunter was paralyzed.A small thrill of satisfaction coursed through me when Astrid rushed to Knox with tears running down her face, and he stepped away, coldly telling her to step outside too. I knew I shouldn’t be feeling that way, but I couldn’t help it. Knox wasn’t a comforting shoulder for her to lean on, and it wasn’t like Hunter was going to die.She sobbed, looking confused. “But… he’s my brother. He’s dying, and I need somebody to—”“My mate and I are here to pay our last respects. Step outside.” Knox interrupted coldly.It was probably cruel of Knox, as Hunter was her only living relative who was currently dying, but Knox knew how I felt about his relationship with Astrid. Besides, he knew that there was a probability that Hunter wasn’t going to die, so he wasn’t as cruel as they were probably thinking.Immediately the
Aria's POVKnox clenched his fists. “And I can’t stand by and watch you hurt yourself… you're too precious for that, I can't lose you.” he said softly.The room was silent, and the air was thick with tension.This was about Knox’s fear of losing me.I reached for his hand. “Please,” I whispered. “Trust me.”Knox’s jaw tightened stubbornly.“I won't be able to live with myself if Hunter dies, when I know I could have done something to help him. It will haunt me forever, please.” I pleaded, placing my palm on his chest.His eyes stayed on mine, filled with worry, frustration and desperation.After what felt like an eternity, he released a shaky breath.“Damn it,” he muttered.My heart pounded. “Knox—”“I’ll be there,” he said firmly, “And if I notice that anything is about to go wrong, you'll have to stop.”Relief flooded through me, and I nodded. “Okay.”Knox pulled me into his arms again. This time he held me tightly like he was scared of losing me. I closed my eyes, enjoying the warmt
Aria's POV“Absolutely not!” Knox snapped, and I flinched at his harsh tone.~Jade kept cursing me internally. She had wanted me to heal Hunter first, before telling Knox, but I was done with keeping secrets. So immediately I heard that Knox had returned and was in Hunter’s room. I quickly made my decision, and rushed out to meet him.Knox was on his way to my room when I met him. His clothes were torn and stained with blood. However, there were no scratches or bites on him. Relief flooded through me, and my tense muscles relaxed. Knox was alright.I knew we still had a few unresolved issues, but those could wait for now. I threw my arms around him as a sob escaped me. “Oh, thank the moon goddess, you’re alive”, I sobbed, tightening my arms around him.I could feel as the tension in his body melted away, and he relaxed, wrapping his arms around my body.“My little angel,” he murmured, burying his nose into my air and inhaled deeply, relaxing even moreAfter a few minutes, we pulled aw
Aria's POVMy hands shook as I walked away.‘Wait,’ Jade said abruptly, and I instantly froze.Hope flooded me. Maybe there was something Jade could do. I thought to myself.‘You can go heal him.’ Jade said.I frowned in confusion. “I’m sorry, what are you saying?” I asked.‘I think you should try to save his life.’ She replied.“What do you mean? You just persuaded me from doing so, reminding me that I was risking the life of my unborn child. Now you want me to go ahead?”‘No, no. I'm not asking you to risk your life or your pregnancy. There's something I want us to try. If it works, there's a high possibility that we can heal him—without harming you or the baby.’My heart skipped a beat. “What?”Jade pressed. “When you healed that man, you took his sickness. You absorbed it. But this isn’t just sickness—it’s venom. Something entirely different.”I swallowed hard, glancing at Hunter’s trembling body. “So what are you saying?”‘I’m saying that we need to do things differently.’ She re