Aria’s POVI didn’t give the woman a chance to escape.“Move,” I ordered, grabbing her wrist tightly and dragging her forward.She didn’t resist, but I could feel her trembling under my grip. Her eyes darted around, as if looking for someone to save her. There was no one.The warrior who had come with me followed closely behind, ensuring she didn’t try to run. I stormed into Xeros’s office, pushing the door open without knocking.Xeros and Alexander were already inside, deep in conversation. They looked up the moment I stepped in.“What is this?” Xeros asked, his sharp gaze moving to the woman.“She has something to tell you,” I said coldly. “Go on. Tell them everything.”The woman hesitated, but when I tightened my grip, she flinched. “I… I was paid to lie,” she confessed in a shaky voice. “The poisoning… it wasn’t her fault.”Alexander’s jaw tightened, and Xeros leaned back in his chair, his expression unreadable.“I was threatened,” the woman continued, her voice breaking. “They sai
Aria’s POVMy face was still burning.I paced around my room, biting my lip, trying to stop thinking about what Alexander did.He kissed me. He really kissed me.And worse—I didn’t hate it.I groaned, covering my face with my hands. “Get a grip, Aria. You can’t fall for this again.”I had to remind myself that just because he was acting differently now didn’t mean I should believe him. He had already doubted me once. If I let my guard down and trusted him, what if he turned his back on me again?No. I couldn’t be weak.I took a deep breath, trying to shake off my thoughts, when suddenly—The door burst open.Carlo strolled in without knocking, his damp hair sticking to his forehead. His shirt was missing, and his toned body glistened with sweat.I blinked.“What—what the hell are you doing?” I sputtered.He stretched his arms lazily. “Checking on you.”“Checking on me?” I frowned, crossing my arms. “Why would you do that?”I wouldn't believe he just wanted to check on me for no reason
Xeros’s POV The next morning, I called for an emergency meeting due to the situation. I sat at the head of the long wooden table in the pack’s meeting hall, watching the Alphas and elders settle into their seats. The tension in the air was thick, and I could already tell this meeting wasn’t going to be pleasant.Alexander sat to my right, his arms crossed, his face blank. Carlo leaned back in his chair, looking bored but alert. Across from us, Lucas sat with his usual smug expression, acting like he owned the room.I wasn’t in the mood for games.“We need to discuss the attack on my brother and his mate,” I said, my voice cutting through the murmurs in the room.Some of the elders exchanged glances, while others avoided looking at me.“The ambush was from the Golden Spike Pack,” Alexander added, his voice firm. “Their warriors were there. We saw them with our own eyes.”An older Alpha scoffed. “And what proof do you have of that? The Golden Spike Pack has been quiet for months. They
Aria’s POVThe ropes around my wrists burned against my skin, but I barely noticed the pain anymore. I had been tied up for so long that my hands felt numb. My legs were also bound, making it impossible to move. The dimly lit room smelled damp, like old wood and dust, and the only sound was my own shallow breathing.I didn’t know how long I had been here. Hours? A full day? There was no way to tell.The door creaked open, and I tensed.My kidnapper walked in, a smug expression on his face. He leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, as if he had all the time in the world. His presence made my skin crawl, not because he looked dangerous, but because he was too calm—too confident.“They’re looking for you,” he said, his voice filled with amusement. “Running around like idiots, completely blind to what’s right in front of them.”I didn’t react, but inside, my heart pounded. They were searching for me.He walked closer and crouched in front of me. “I almost feel bad for them,” he contin
Aria’s POVI woke up slowly, my body feeling heavy and sore. My head ached slightly, and for a moment, I was confused about where I was. The soft bed beneath me wasn’t familiar. I blinked a few times, trying to focus.Then I saw Carlo and Alexander sitting beside me.Carlo grinned when he noticed I was awake. “Finally up, sleeping beauty?”I frowned, still feeling groggy. “What happened?”Carlo smirked, leaning back in his chair. “You don’t remember? That’s disappointing. I was expecting a dramatic reaction.”I tried to think. Flashes of memory came back—the kidnapper, the dark room, the way he covered my mouth, the fear of not knowing if I would ever escape. My chest tightened, and I sat up suddenly, my hands shaking.Alexander noticed immediately. “Stop being a baby,” he muttered, but his voice was softer than usual.I turned to look at him properly. Something about him seemed different. He wasn’t his usual cold self. He wasn’t glaring at me like I was a problem he wanted to get rid
Aria’s POVI sat on my bed, still shaken by the maid’s warning. My kidnapper had escaped.I had barely processed the information when my door swung open. My heart leaped, but it was only Xeros.His sharp eyes scanned the room as he stepped inside, his presence instantly making me feel a sense of security. He looked tense, his jaw clenched.“You’re not leaving this room,” he said firmly. “It’s not safe.”I frowned. “I don’t need to be locked away like a—”“It’s not up for discussion, Aria.” His voice was serious, leaving no room for argument. “He’s still out there, and we don’t know what he’s planning. I need you to stay put.”I sighed, knowing I wouldn’t win against him.Xeros checked the entire room, moving swiftly as he looked behind furniture, under the bed, and even behind the curtains. He was thorough, making sure no one was hiding.I watched as he finally turned back to me, satisfied. “I’ll be back to check on you,” he assured me. “Don’t open this door for anyone but me or my br
Aria's POVI didn't know for how long I slept, but by the time I woke up, I could still see Carlo sitting beside me on the bed, and that was something I wasn't expecting at all. What the hell is going on with him? He's being weirder than his usual self. And the fact that I felt safe with him earlier says a lot. I have nothing else to blame but this mating bond because this surely couldn't be me being so weak for him, right?Even if I find him attractive, he's still a jerk that did a lot of things that made me angry, and I can't stop thinking about how to get back at him. Our eyes met the moment I looked at him, and I immediately looked away. I know he's going to be annoying about this."What's wrong, little mate? Are you suddenly shy looking at my face?" he questioned, like his usual annoying self."I would prefer if you just shut up and not talk to me. Must you always be annoying?" I fired at him.He shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know what else I'm supposed to do if not teasing yo
Carlo's POVI could see the fear on her face the moment my brother mentioned going somewhere. I think with the things that have been happening to her the past few days, she's already scared to go outside anymore, so I decided to intervene. At first, I wanted to only play with her, and now I don't understand my feelings. She is the only woman I have ever been interested in this way."Why are you requesting her to go with you when you can just go whenever you want yourself? Besides, we can protect her if you're not here," I said to my brother, but he looked at me and shook his head. I don't know what is going on in his mind."You don't understand what I'm trying to do. I'm only trying to protect her better than you can," he replied.I know I shouldn't get angry since we both have the same goal, but sometimes my brother makes things feel like we're not really capable of protecting her."If you're going to the border, you shouldn't take her there. Didn't you see what happened the last tim
Xeros's POV Why is she so cruel and annoying? I've been trying my best to protect her as much as I can but it's not working out. What exactly am I doing wrong?I wasn't taking her to the border but somewhere she could have some time alone, away from all this madness. It was supposed to be a surprise. Now, I don't even know if I should take her there since she doesn’t even want to be with us at all.But she is our mate, and if we want to reject her, we have to do it all at the same time. You can't do it one by one, or we would suffer the consequences. How am I supposed to tell her that? She's probably going to use that against us the moment she knows.Alexander is the reason she is in all of this. I also never told her that I was going to reject her, and I don't think I've ever thought of rejecting her from the moment I met her. If I wasn't entangled with my brothers, I would love to have them break the bond with her so that I could be with her alone.Now that I think about it, it's n
Aria's POVI'm so mad! Every time I try to see a good thing about them, they always make things difficult for me. I was starting to think that they actually cared about me and that it wasn’t just my delusions, but now I’m right about it.I was just delusional, thinking that they would really want to be with someone like me. But did he have to be harsh about it? Of course, I know my place, and I know I shouldn't covet things that aren't supposed to be mine.If Alexander still wants to go on with the rejection, then I'm going to do it for him. I don't have to force myself to be with them. After all, I'm so low, and I'm a criminal not worthy of anyone.Maybe I should start thinking of how to get out of here again. I thought I finally got somewhere to stay, but now I know I'm not welcome. They probably just let me stay because they felt sorry for me, or maybe I was just pushing my luck too much.The entire night, I couldn't sleep as I kept turning around. Not only do I have to take off th
Carlo's POVI could see the fear on her face the moment my brother mentioned going somewhere. I think with the things that have been happening to her the past few days, she's already scared to go outside anymore, so I decided to intervene. At first, I wanted to only play with her, and now I don't understand my feelings. She is the only woman I have ever been interested in this way."Why are you requesting her to go with you when you can just go whenever you want yourself? Besides, we can protect her if you're not here," I said to my brother, but he looked at me and shook his head. I don't know what is going on in his mind."You don't understand what I'm trying to do. I'm only trying to protect her better than you can," he replied.I know I shouldn't get angry since we both have the same goal, but sometimes my brother makes things feel like we're not really capable of protecting her."If you're going to the border, you shouldn't take her there. Didn't you see what happened the last tim
Aria's POVI didn't know for how long I slept, but by the time I woke up, I could still see Carlo sitting beside me on the bed, and that was something I wasn't expecting at all. What the hell is going on with him? He's being weirder than his usual self. And the fact that I felt safe with him earlier says a lot. I have nothing else to blame but this mating bond because this surely couldn't be me being so weak for him, right?Even if I find him attractive, he's still a jerk that did a lot of things that made me angry, and I can't stop thinking about how to get back at him. Our eyes met the moment I looked at him, and I immediately looked away. I know he's going to be annoying about this."What's wrong, little mate? Are you suddenly shy looking at my face?" he questioned, like his usual annoying self."I would prefer if you just shut up and not talk to me. Must you always be annoying?" I fired at him.He shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know what else I'm supposed to do if not teasing yo
Aria’s POVI sat on my bed, still shaken by the maid’s warning. My kidnapper had escaped.I had barely processed the information when my door swung open. My heart leaped, but it was only Xeros.His sharp eyes scanned the room as he stepped inside, his presence instantly making me feel a sense of security. He looked tense, his jaw clenched.“You’re not leaving this room,” he said firmly. “It’s not safe.”I frowned. “I don’t need to be locked away like a—”“It’s not up for discussion, Aria.” His voice was serious, leaving no room for argument. “He’s still out there, and we don’t know what he’s planning. I need you to stay put.”I sighed, knowing I wouldn’t win against him.Xeros checked the entire room, moving swiftly as he looked behind furniture, under the bed, and even behind the curtains. He was thorough, making sure no one was hiding.I watched as he finally turned back to me, satisfied. “I’ll be back to check on you,” he assured me. “Don’t open this door for anyone but me or my br
Aria’s POVI woke up slowly, my body feeling heavy and sore. My head ached slightly, and for a moment, I was confused about where I was. The soft bed beneath me wasn’t familiar. I blinked a few times, trying to focus.Then I saw Carlo and Alexander sitting beside me.Carlo grinned when he noticed I was awake. “Finally up, sleeping beauty?”I frowned, still feeling groggy. “What happened?”Carlo smirked, leaning back in his chair. “You don’t remember? That’s disappointing. I was expecting a dramatic reaction.”I tried to think. Flashes of memory came back—the kidnapper, the dark room, the way he covered my mouth, the fear of not knowing if I would ever escape. My chest tightened, and I sat up suddenly, my hands shaking.Alexander noticed immediately. “Stop being a baby,” he muttered, but his voice was softer than usual.I turned to look at him properly. Something about him seemed different. He wasn’t his usual cold self. He wasn’t glaring at me like I was a problem he wanted to get rid
Aria’s POVThe ropes around my wrists burned against my skin, but I barely noticed the pain anymore. I had been tied up for so long that my hands felt numb. My legs were also bound, making it impossible to move. The dimly lit room smelled damp, like old wood and dust, and the only sound was my own shallow breathing.I didn’t know how long I had been here. Hours? A full day? There was no way to tell.The door creaked open, and I tensed.My kidnapper walked in, a smug expression on his face. He leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, as if he had all the time in the world. His presence made my skin crawl, not because he looked dangerous, but because he was too calm—too confident.“They’re looking for you,” he said, his voice filled with amusement. “Running around like idiots, completely blind to what’s right in front of them.”I didn’t react, but inside, my heart pounded. They were searching for me.He walked closer and crouched in front of me. “I almost feel bad for them,” he contin
Xeros’s POV The next morning, I called for an emergency meeting due to the situation. I sat at the head of the long wooden table in the pack’s meeting hall, watching the Alphas and elders settle into their seats. The tension in the air was thick, and I could already tell this meeting wasn’t going to be pleasant.Alexander sat to my right, his arms crossed, his face blank. Carlo leaned back in his chair, looking bored but alert. Across from us, Lucas sat with his usual smug expression, acting like he owned the room.I wasn’t in the mood for games.“We need to discuss the attack on my brother and his mate,” I said, my voice cutting through the murmurs in the room.Some of the elders exchanged glances, while others avoided looking at me.“The ambush was from the Golden Spike Pack,” Alexander added, his voice firm. “Their warriors were there. We saw them with our own eyes.”An older Alpha scoffed. “And what proof do you have of that? The Golden Spike Pack has been quiet for months. They
Aria’s POVMy face was still burning.I paced around my room, biting my lip, trying to stop thinking about what Alexander did.He kissed me. He really kissed me.And worse—I didn’t hate it.I groaned, covering my face with my hands. “Get a grip, Aria. You can’t fall for this again.”I had to remind myself that just because he was acting differently now didn’t mean I should believe him. He had already doubted me once. If I let my guard down and trusted him, what if he turned his back on me again?No. I couldn’t be weak.I took a deep breath, trying to shake off my thoughts, when suddenly—The door burst open.Carlo strolled in without knocking, his damp hair sticking to his forehead. His shirt was missing, and his toned body glistened with sweat.I blinked.“What—what the hell are you doing?” I sputtered.He stretched his arms lazily. “Checking on you.”“Checking on me?” I frowned, crossing my arms. “Why would you do that?”I wouldn't believe he just wanted to check on me for no reason