~ARIA~"I… understand," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. They had to know. There was no other reason I would be here. This was it—my secret was finally out. "I’ll explain everything," I blurted out, the words tumbling out before I could stop them. My hands trembled as I clutched the edge of the table.Lady Seraphine’s eyebrows lifted slightly, a flicker of surprise crossing her cold, composed face. It vanished as quickly as it appeared. Her smile tightened, sharp and unreadable. "Smart girl," she said, her voice calm but cutting. “So you're already aware of what this lunch is about. Tell me about yourself" I blinked, confusion swirling inside me. "What…?" My voice faltered, my mind racing. She leaned back, her eyes never leaving mine. "This is just lunch, Aria. A family meal." Her tone was almost gentle, but the intensity in her gaze pinned me in place. "I wanted to learn more about you. After all, you’re part of our family now." Family? The word echoed in my mind, leav
~ARIA~ Damon was about to say something when his phone rang. He looked at his phone and switched it off. I waited patiently for him to answer my question. The hum of the car engine filled the heavy silence between Damon and me. Shadows from the passing trees flickered across his impassive face as he drove. I could feel the tension radiating off him. It was clear he wasn’t just a driver—his entire demeanor screamed vigilance, like he was always on edge, always watching. “You started to say something earlier,” I ventured, my voice breaking the quiet. “About secrets. What did you mean?” Damon’s hands tightened briefly on the wheel. “I said too much already,” he replied curtly, his eyes fixed on the road ahead. I leaned back in my seat, crossing my arms. “Well, you can’t just drop something cryptic like that and expect me to forget about it.” His jaw tightened, the only sign of his annoyance. “Sometimes it’s better not to know everything.” “That sounds like something someone
Every word I had exchanged with Eliara was sharper than anything I’d ever said before. This wasn’t like me—not the me I knew. The old Aria would have taken her insults quietly, lowering her head and walking away.I clenched my fists as I stood in the empty sitting room, my mind racing.My legs felt unsteady, and I turned, ready to leave the room. I needed to get away, to think. But as I hurried toward the hallway, I nearly stumbled. “Careful.” Damon’s steady hands caught me before I hit the floor. I froze, feeling his grip on my arms as he straightened me. “I’m fine,” I muttered, brushing him off and avoiding his gaze. His dark eyes lingered on me for a moment, like he was searching for something. But I didn’t give him a chance to ask whatever question was hanging on the tip of his tongue. I turned and walked briskly to my room, my heart pounding with every step.Once inside, I closed the door behind me and leaned against it, letting out a shaky breath. I moved toward the mirr
~KAEL~My heart skipped a beat, a sudden tightening in my chest.I swung my legs over the edge of the bed, ready to stand, but Eliara’s hand shot out, pressing against my chest. “Kael, wait,” she said, her voice a soft purr, trying to hold me back.I looked at her, the disdain burned so hot inside me, I was surprised she didn’t feel it scald her skin. My wolf clawed at me, urging me to shake her off, to get away from her touch.I opened my mouth to say something—anything—but the words withered on my tongue. Her hands slid off me as if she sensed the shift. But then her lips twisted into a smirk. “You’re leaving because of her?” she asked, venom coating each word.Eliara stood, crossing her arms over her chest. “You’re pathetic,” she sneered. “Running after a weak girl like her.”I paused at first. Slowly, I turned to her, my eyes cold. “Get out.”Her smirk vanished. “Kael—”“I said get out.” My voice was low, but the threat in it was clear. She huffed, muttering under her breath an
~ARIA~I waited for Kael to say something, anything, my body tense and my heart pounding. But the silence dragged on. I opened my eyes, expecting anger or argument. Instead, he was smiling.But it wasn’t the kind of smile that brought comfort. It was dark, almost cruel. My stomach twisted in disbelief.“Did you hear me?” I asked, my voice wavering.His smile widened slightly, his eyes gleaming with something I couldn’t name. “I heard you the first time,” he said, his voice low and cold. “You’re delusional if you think I’d let you go back to Luca’s pack.”My lips parted, shock freezing me in place. He patted my head like I was a stupid child, and my hands clenched into fists. “When you’ve calmed down, you’ll realize how ridiculous you sound,” he said softly. And just like that, he turned and walked away, his footsteps fading into the distance.I stared at the closed door, anger bubbling under my skin. How dare he dismiss my decision like that? I meant what I said. I’d rather go back
~ARIA~ I closed the door to my room and leaned against it, letting out a shaky breath. I walked to my bed and sat down, my hands clenching the sheets. Escaping wasn’t going to be easy. Kael's estate was more like a prison. Guards patrolled every inch of the grounds, and cameras watched everything. But I was willing to risk it all. I took out a small notepad and started making a list. The first step was to stay calm and not draw attention to myself. The second was to get as much cash as I could. The money Kael had given me as an allowance was enough for me to survive for a while. The third step — the most important one — was to meet Lena tonight. She was the only person I trusted here. Once I got out, I’d call Luca. He would pick me up the next morning. I can even book a cheap hotel for a night to stay off Kael’s radar. After making the call, I’d switch off my phone so Kael couldn’t track me. A soft knock at the door startled me. “Aria?” came Lena’s whispered voice. Rel
~ARIA~“I asked you a question" The voice became clearer this time. Relief hit me like a wave. It was Damon. My knees nearly gave out, my heart pounding so loud I could barely think. Damon’s expression was unreadable, his dark eyes giving away nothing. For a moment, hope flickered in my chest. Maybe he’d let me go.“Please,” I whispered, my voice trembling. “Let me go. I can’t stay here. You know what he’s like.”His eyes met mine, cold and detached. He didn’t look angry or sympathetic — just indifferent. It was like he couldn’t care less about what I was doing or why. He didn’t move or say a word.“Damon, please,” I choked out. “I just want to be free.”But before he could answer, a shadow moved behind him. Kael. His eyes burned with a fury so intense, I felt like it might consume me. My stomach dropped, and I started sweating.I wanted to run, but my feet refused to move. Running would only make things worse, and besides, I wasn’t fast enough to outrun the both of them. I was trapp
ARIA~The sound of keys jingling woke me up. I rubbed my eyes, trying to shake off the exhaustion. Damon stood at the door, his face calm as always."Kael says you can come out now," he said quietly.I nodded and stood up, my legs shaky from the cold, hard bed. Damon’s eyes softened just a little."For your own good, try not to make Kael angrier," he said. "It’ll only make things worse. And… watch what you say."I knew Damon didn’t talk much, so those words meant he was trying to help me. I swallowed hard and followed him out of the small, stone room. The door closed behind me with a heavy thud, and I took a deep breath, trying to calm my nerves.We walked back through the garden, gravel crunching under our feet. The sun was up now. We entered Kael’s mansion through the back door to avoid anyone seeing me like this. My cheeks burned with shame, but I kept my head high.Damon led me straight to Kael’s chambers. We stopped in his private guest room, which was beautiful and full of expen
~ARIA~ I straightened my shoulders, refusing to let her see how her words stung. “And here we have the desperate mistress,” I shot back with a cold smile on my lips. Indie’s eyes widened slightly, clearly caught off guard. She hadn’t expected me to fight back. Her mouth opened to retort, but before she could, Kael gently placed his hand on my waist. “We’re done here. Let’s go,” he said authoritatively, guiding me away before Indie could say another word. For a moment, I was stunned. Kael’s touch was firm but not forceful. I followed him without protest, too surprised to argue. But then again I wanted to argue, to tell him I didn’t need his help, but deep down, I was grateful. Not that I’d ever admit it out loud. “Was that really necessary?” I asked, glancing up at him. Kael’s dark eyes met mine, unbothered. “I don’t waste time on people who don’t matter.” I raised an eyebrow. “So why do you waste time on me?” His lips curved into a small, almost teasing smile. “Who s
~KAEL~I stared at Damon for a long moment after he broke the news. “Luca is at the hotel,” he said again, his tone almost cautious, like he was gauging my reaction. I didn’t flinch, didn’t let anything show. Instead, I leaned back and folded my arms across my chest, the memory of Aria’s kiss still fresh on my lips. “And?” I said, my voice flat. Damon hesitated, then added, “He brought Indie with him.. At least that can ease your mind.” At that, I couldn’t help the low growl that escaped me. “Ease my mind?” I repeated, my voice dripping with sarcasm. “By flaunting the woman he betrayed Aria with? Does he think that makes me feel better about anything?” Damon sighed, running a hand through his hair. “You don’t need to worry about him. If anything, this works in your favor. It’ll only remind Aria why she doesn’t belong to him.” I clenched my jaw, forcing myself not to nod. He wasn’t wrong, but the thought of Luca being anywhere near Aria still irritated me. If not that t
~ARIA~The kiss was fierce, possessive but passionate. His mouth moved against mine with a desperate intensity that stole my breath. His fingers slid to the small of my back, pulling me closer until there was no space left between us. The heat of his body seeped into mine, burning away my resistance.My heart pounded wildly and my lips refused to respond. His lips were relentless, coaxing and claiming, as if he was trying to erase every doubt, every fear. A soft moan escaped me, and he seized it, deepening the kiss. I kissed him back before I realized what I was doing.A warmth I hadn’t known in so long spread through me, washing over the cracks in my heart. His grip tightened, his fingers pressing into my skin like he was afraid I’d disappear.But then reality crashed down on me.What am I doing?I quickly pushed Kael, my breath coming in ragged gasps. The way I was breathing,it was as if I had engaged in a marathon. My lips burned, tingling with the ghost of his kiss. Kael’s eyes b
~ARIA~I turned and left Kael’s chambers without a word. My heart pounded painfully against my ribs. The moment I stepped into the hallway, the cold air brushed against my skin, but it did nothing to ease the tension I was feeling.As I walked, I saw Eliara leaning casually against the wall, her arms crossed. Her golden hair gleamed under the sunlight streaming in from the tall windows. Why was she always around whenever I feel frustrated? She looked me up and down, her eyes gleaming with disdain.“Well, look who finally crawled out of the dungeon,” she sneered. “Did Kael finally get bored of punishing you, or did you beg for mercy?”How did she know? Did Kael tell her?I clenched my fists, but I didn’t have the energy to argue. My whole body ached, and my soul felt bruised. I decided to ignore her and kept walking, my eyes fixed straight ahead. Eliara’s laughter followed me, mocking and cold. “Silent treatment? Oh, Aria, you’re even more pathetic than I thought.”I wanted to snap ba
ARIA~The sound of keys jingling woke me up. I rubbed my eyes, trying to shake off the exhaustion. Damon stood at the door, his face calm as always."Kael says you can come out now," he said quietly.I nodded and stood up, my legs shaky from the cold, hard bed. Damon’s eyes softened just a little."For your own good, try not to make Kael angrier," he said. "It’ll only make things worse. And… watch what you say."I knew Damon didn’t talk much, so those words meant he was trying to help me. I swallowed hard and followed him out of the small, stone room. The door closed behind me with a heavy thud, and I took a deep breath, trying to calm my nerves.We walked back through the garden, gravel crunching under our feet. The sun was up now. We entered Kael’s mansion through the back door to avoid anyone seeing me like this. My cheeks burned with shame, but I kept my head high.Damon led me straight to Kael’s chambers. We stopped in his private guest room, which was beautiful and full of expen
~ARIA~“I asked you a question" The voice became clearer this time. Relief hit me like a wave. It was Damon. My knees nearly gave out, my heart pounding so loud I could barely think. Damon’s expression was unreadable, his dark eyes giving away nothing. For a moment, hope flickered in my chest. Maybe he’d let me go.“Please,” I whispered, my voice trembling. “Let me go. I can’t stay here. You know what he’s like.”His eyes met mine, cold and detached. He didn’t look angry or sympathetic — just indifferent. It was like he couldn’t care less about what I was doing or why. He didn’t move or say a word.“Damon, please,” I choked out. “I just want to be free.”But before he could answer, a shadow moved behind him. Kael. His eyes burned with a fury so intense, I felt like it might consume me. My stomach dropped, and I started sweating.I wanted to run, but my feet refused to move. Running would only make things worse, and besides, I wasn’t fast enough to outrun the both of them. I was trapp
~ARIA~ I closed the door to my room and leaned against it, letting out a shaky breath. I walked to my bed and sat down, my hands clenching the sheets. Escaping wasn’t going to be easy. Kael's estate was more like a prison. Guards patrolled every inch of the grounds, and cameras watched everything. But I was willing to risk it all. I took out a small notepad and started making a list. The first step was to stay calm and not draw attention to myself. The second was to get as much cash as I could. The money Kael had given me as an allowance was enough for me to survive for a while. The third step — the most important one — was to meet Lena tonight. She was the only person I trusted here. Once I got out, I’d call Luca. He would pick me up the next morning. I can even book a cheap hotel for a night to stay off Kael’s radar. After making the call, I’d switch off my phone so Kael couldn’t track me. A soft knock at the door startled me. “Aria?” came Lena’s whispered voice. Rel
~ARIA~I waited for Kael to say something, anything, my body tense and my heart pounding. But the silence dragged on. I opened my eyes, expecting anger or argument. Instead, he was smiling.But it wasn’t the kind of smile that brought comfort. It was dark, almost cruel. My stomach twisted in disbelief.“Did you hear me?” I asked, my voice wavering.His smile widened slightly, his eyes gleaming with something I couldn’t name. “I heard you the first time,” he said, his voice low and cold. “You’re delusional if you think I’d let you go back to Luca’s pack.”My lips parted, shock freezing me in place. He patted my head like I was a stupid child, and my hands clenched into fists. “When you’ve calmed down, you’ll realize how ridiculous you sound,” he said softly. And just like that, he turned and walked away, his footsteps fading into the distance.I stared at the closed door, anger bubbling under my skin. How dare he dismiss my decision like that? I meant what I said. I’d rather go back
~KAEL~My heart skipped a beat, a sudden tightening in my chest.I swung my legs over the edge of the bed, ready to stand, but Eliara’s hand shot out, pressing against my chest. “Kael, wait,” she said, her voice a soft purr, trying to hold me back.I looked at her, the disdain burned so hot inside me, I was surprised she didn’t feel it scald her skin. My wolf clawed at me, urging me to shake her off, to get away from her touch.I opened my mouth to say something—anything—but the words withered on my tongue. Her hands slid off me as if she sensed the shift. But then her lips twisted into a smirk. “You’re leaving because of her?” she asked, venom coating each word.Eliara stood, crossing her arms over her chest. “You’re pathetic,” she sneered. “Running after a weak girl like her.”I paused at first. Slowly, I turned to her, my eyes cold. “Get out.”Her smirk vanished. “Kael—”“I said get out.” My voice was low, but the threat in it was clear. She huffed, muttering under her breath an