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
Over the next few days, I didn’t see Lucian at all. Presumably he saw the kids after I took them to spend time with their grandparents. Harold was out of the hospital and eager to see the kids.With the kids there, I returned to Cathy’s and started packing up my clothes and that of the kids. Cathy w
Aria’s POV“Lucian…”I could tell he was hanging on my every word, nervously anticipating my answer.I hated that I was about to break him. But surely he would understand.“I’m sorry,” I said. “I can’t marry you.” Before he could say anything, and he clearly wanted by how quickly he opened his mouth
Aria’s POVWe all waited with bated breath to see how Harold would handle the medicine. Perhaps I had been too late in providing it? The heart monitor was still beating too quickly. Harold was moaning in pain. The nearby Healers seemed ready to help him along with his passing. Piper and I physically
Aria’s POVAt the hospital, Lucian gave me a final squeeze. “Please help him,” he said.“I’ll do my best,” I promised. Then, breaking away from him, leaving him with Julia in the waiting room, I rushed to the emergency room to see what was going on.Fortunately, one of the nurses lent me a hair-tie
“But the food hasn’t arrived yet,” he said.I couldn’t wait. Feeling like I was going to pass out, I needed out of here.I pushed my chair back and stood. “I’m sorry,” I said.Turning, I hurried away from the table, from the dining room, from the restaurant. I threw the door open and ran outside.Wh
Aria’s POVSilas’s words haunted me long after the phone conversation, and that, combined with my discussion with Cathy and Piper convinced me to at least hear Lucian out. Because of this, when he called me to talk, and asked me to go out on a date with him, I decided to say yes.Now, after dressing
Aria’s POVHow was it, even after all this time, after all this distance, after all the hurt that sat piled up between us – I still so easily fell back into Lucian’s web.I wanted to be stronger, to be harder, and keep up the walls with him, yet every time we’d been around each other, he seemed to s
Aria’s POVMaybe I shouldn’t have been surprised that Lucian finally pieced this together, but the reality of it still hit me like a ton of bricks. I don’t know why I thought he would never find out. There was no reason he wouldn’t, especially with Jasper and Lucian’s own parents already in on the s
Lucian’s POV“It’s not possible,” I said.Mom pressed her lips hard together before asking me slowly, “Are you sure? The boy especially looks just like you.”“A coincidence,” I said. It had to be.Because if it wasn’t, that meant that the night of pleasure I had shared with Aria a few months before