Lucian’s POV I often thought about the question Aria asked me in the bar, whether I loved her or not. My answer then had not been satisfactory. But that answer still hadn’t changed. I genuinely wasn’t sure. Earlier in the day, while I had been sitting at my desk at the alpha headquarters build
“With the family gathering coming soon, you must bring Aria,” Mom continued, either not noticing or not caring about my clear discomfort. “It’s the perfect opportunity for the two of you to make up!” “I’ve had a lot on my plate lately,” I said. “But I’ll consider it.” Huffing a harsh breath, Mom
Aria’s POV The news took me a long moment to process. Long enough, it seemed, for Cathy to grow worried. “You okay, sweetheart?” Cathy asked, stepping closer to me. These past two days, I’d started having pregnancy reactions to things. As a Healer, I knew this was an inevitability, but knowing
Lucian’s POV The family gathering was taking place at my parents’ villa. I paced in their living room, back and forth across the carpet. The party was about to start, but Aria hadn’t arrived yet. Ben walked in from outside, shaking his head. Under his breath, he muttered, “Could it really be. Is
Aria’s POV I looked down at my dress, unsure what was wrong with it. Yes, it was more revealing than the conservative dresses I’d usually worn since our marriage, but I wasn’t sure that warranted a look as fierce as the one Lucian was giving me now. Did he think I was embarrassing him? Was I emb
Tonight, however, he seemed to be my shadow. When I went to the drink table to pick up some sparkling water, he came with me. When I stood near the wall on the pool deck people watching, he stayed right by my side, like a statue – or a bodyguard. “Lucian…” I started to say, though I wasn’t sure
Aria’s POV “Lucian,” Julia scolded. “You should be more considerate to Aria.” “Sheila’s presence in my home has nothing to do with Aria,” Lucian replied. My home, he’d said. Not, our home. That hurt more than it should have, especially now, after I’d left. He really mustn’t miss me at all. A
Lucian’s POV I went into the house with the full intention of getting a piece of cake for Aria. I could tell from her tone that she was annoyed with me and that I’d done little to rectify the situation. I’d thought the topic of her having a child might help resolve things, but it’d only seemed to
After all this time, my heart should have been numb. Nothing had changed from then to now. It was always the same pain, again and again. Lucian loved Sheila. He didn’t love me. It still hurt. My foolish little heart still longed for a day when Lucian would want me instead. Distance was going t
Aria’s POV “Hello, Jasper,” I said. “What are you doing here?” Jasper grinned as he walked closer to my bedside. “What, a guy can’t just visit a friend?” I narrowed my eyes, immediately suspicious. Jasper had proven to be a decent friend to me, keeping my secret and helping me with Caleb’s fam
Aria’s POV Forgetting about the mask entirely, I dropped my hands to my belly instead. “Also safe,” Cathy said at once. “Both of you are okay.” Closing my eyes, I reached into myself, asking my wolf for confirmation. “The baby is safe,” Luna replied. “We both shielded her when you fell. And
Aria’s POV My unconscious mind dreamed of the past. I’d been born into a lower class family. My parents fought hard to give me the best life they could, each working two or three jobs. But that hard work led to exhaustion, and that exhaustion left them susceptible to illnesses that they might ha
Lucian’s POV As Dr. A slouched forward, I quickly realized that she was fainting and reached out to grab her before she could hit the table or the floor. She slumped into my arms, and as I held her I continued to marvel at just how very much she reminded me of Aria. But she wasn’t Aria. She coul
Aria’s POV Cathy had a good point, so, taking her advice, I started weeding through my case load. Piper made the calls, redirecting some of my patients to new Healers. No one seemed happy about it. An angry few even came to my office to shout at me. Fortunately, the security guard removed them bef
I braced myself, but annoyance still surged through me as Sheila’s face filled the screen. This wasn’t just an interview in passing. She was on a set. This had been arranged. “Dr. A refuses to save Caleb, who has made great contributions in the war,” Sheila said. “Whether this brings Dr. A’s loyal
Aria’s POV The next morning, as I headed into the office disguised as Dr. A, I was still no closer to deciding Caleb’s fate. There were many things to consider, pros and cons for both sides. No matter what, I couldn’t be hasty and make the wrong choice. The newspapers, somehow, already, caught w
“I think I’d better go with Jasper,” I told her. “He’s been patiently waiting all this time.” And we needed to talk. At Cathy’s nod, I turned away and walked with Jasper down to his car. Once we were safely inside, he started the engine, turned to me, and asked, “How in the world has Lucian not fo