Aria’s POV Nothing I said to Lucian was a lie. For a werewolf to conceive, both partners needed a certain measure of love and affection for each other. That I was pregnant could, from the outside, be seen as something of a miracle. But I remembered the night that Lucian came to me, a couple of w
“That’s not enough,” I told him. “Aria…” “I need more,” I said. “Unless you can promise to love me, I see no other way forward for us.” He’d never be able to make that promise, and we both knew it. Lucian had already told me he didn’t know how he felt about me. After overhearing his phone call
Aria’s POV I was worried about Piper, but I couldn’t leave without saying goodbye to Julia and Harold. After all, my curiosity over what Lucian might say was only part of the reason I came tonight. My main priority had been to say farewell to his parents, knowing this would likely be the last time
Aria gestured toward the door. “We have to go now, Jasper. There’s no time for games. Piper works at the hospital. If she needs me, that’s where we have to go.” “The hospital…?” I felt like my brain was offline, all of my thoughts still enamored with her. “Yes,” she said, giving me a flat look.
Aria’s POV Aria knew enough about Caleb, the war hero, to know that this group were his children and their spouses. I’d never interacted with them. They’d always kept a wide berth from me, but we’d seen each other at parties. Granted, it was from across the room, but we still recognized each other
Maybe that was just one more mistake I’d made. “If you will excuse me, I would like to speak to Dr. A privately about this. Jasper,” I said, remembering him at my side. “Please stay here.” “But –” “This is a private matter.” He huffed like a petulant child but agreed, “Fine.” “Thank you,”
Aria’s POV To my surprise, as I exited the office with Piper, still disguised as Dr. A, and suggested going down to see Caleb in the coma ward, Jasper was the one who agreed the readiest. The others, Caleb family, seemed confused at my needing to be involved beyond this point. “I just want to ke
“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
I’d been too lenient with her, and in doing so, created a monster. I had no one to blame for her behavior but myself. “This is not a matter that is up for debate,” I said firmly and definitively. Anyone else would have heard the warning in my voice and accepted what I had to say. But not Sheila.
Lucian’s POV Knowing that if we tried to have this conversation in our home, Sheila would just storm off to her room and slam her door in my face, I called Sheila to my office in the Alpha headquarters building to have a discussion on her recent press appearances and interviews. When she arrived
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