Aria’s POV “You don’t need to apologize for Lucian,” Matt said quickly. I shook my head. “I do. His behavior was out of line, and instead of trying to clear up the misunderstanding, I went along with him and left you there.” “It’s fine, Aria.” “It isn’t,” I insisted. “I should have corrected
“I only ever wanted you to find happiness,” Matt said. “I know,” I replied. “Maybe now you will,” he added. “Maybe.” I felt too vulnerable and exposed, having brought this up with him. Looking down, I tapped my fingers against the edge of the book in front of me. “I should get back to read
Aria’s POV Ignoring Cathy’s remarks, we returned home, where I read until I fell asleep. The next day, I felt as if I needed to come at the issue of Caleb’s health from a new perspective. Instead of arguing over the life-extending medicine, perhaps I could treat his illness with more conventional
Aria’s POV My feelings for Lucian, as Aria, were a jumbled mess. My outrage with him was bundled up with my confusing, lingering love for him. It made me passionate and emotional, quick to anger. As Dr. A, I had to keep all of these feelings under lock and key. Above all, he couldn’t know that t
I blinked, startled. Of all the things he might have said, I hadn’t expected that. “You have been severely mistreated during this entire controversy, and as pack Alpha, the Alpha King, I wish to formally extend an apology to you on behalf of the entire pack.” “You don’t have to do this…” I said.
Aria’s POV With the money and the identification cards on the desktop, I realized there was one more thing tucked inside the envelope: a letter. Retrieving it, I unfolded the paper to see a note scrawled in Lucian’s handwriting. It read: Whether you choose to stay with Nightfall or travel el
Sheila’s POV Lucian once told Sheila that he only appreciated Dr. A because of her professional merits, but Sheila knew that had been a lie. Men and women could never have a relationship of any kind without desire and love. That Dr. A lusted after Lucian was obvious. He was Alpha King, everyon
“Good. Now make this happen.” Without a goodbye, Sheila smashed the phone down onto the cradle. She hoped that old healer – what was his name again? – heard the smash right in his ear. Satisfied that her threat had been taken seriously, Sheila lifted the phone again and made her second call of the
Lucian’s POV“Of course not,” I said at once, a bitterness rising up within me.Trusting Sheila had been the worst decision of my life. Not only had I been complicit in ruining Travis’s life, but I’d also allowed Sheila to come between Aria and I, enough to help destroy our marriage. I couldn’t blam
Looking past her, I motioned toward Ben, my Beta. “Take her away, Beta. I want her in lockup until the time for a trial can be arrange.”“A trial?” Sheila gasped.“Yes,” I said, looking at her. “You will face punishment for your crimes. I will personally see to that.”“But, Lucian –”“Do not say any
Lucian’s POV“I want the truth, Sheila,” I demanded.The longer Sheila looked at me, the more her wide-eyed nervous gaze shifted into one of fury. “You trust him over me?”“Give me a reason not to.”In the past, I had let my guilt over having introduced Sheila to Travis to fully critique her story.
Lucian’s POVWithout another word, Sheila pushed past Dr. A and her assistant and burst into the hallway.“Sheila!” I called after her, both annoyed and confused by her outburst. Must she act so erratically?I followed her into the hallway, with Dr. A and her assistant in tow.Sheila was halfway to
Lucian’s POVWhile I didn’t agree with Sheila that Aria should be totally forgotten, I could acknowledge, at least to myself, that my clinging onto the past wasn’t healthy. So, after installing a lock on Aria’s old bedroom door, I resolved to keep it locked and not visit it again.Every time I had s
She slammed the door to her room loud enough to echo through the hallways.Sighing, I wondered if I had any hope of detangling myself from Sheila and this guilt without marrying her.At this point, I just didn’t know.Aria’s POVPiper was on break and Cathy was in a different section of the hospital
Lucian’s POVAs I watched, Sheila’s entire demeanor shifted, from happy and curious to increasingly upset and alarmed.“That’s Aria’s room,” she said.“Yes,” I replied, seeing no need to hide it.“Why were you in Aria’s room?”It wasn’t any of her business, but I knew I couldn’t just say that to She
Weak with heartsickness, I peeled back the cover of the diary and began to read a later chapter, from nearer the end of our marriage.Dear Diary,Tomorrow is Lucian’s birthday. While he’s never been much for celebrating, I still want to do something special for him. With hope, maybe this will start
Aria’s POVAt work, Cathy, Piper, and I gather in the office that morning over coffee. At my insistence, Cathy didn’t bring the newspaper with my photo on it, but to my dismay, Piper already had one. I believed she was fully ready to frame it and hang it behind her desk.“You know that my identity i