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
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
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 POV He kissed me! He fucking did!I was hoping to pull away from him but I didn't have the chance to do that. To be honest, I also didn't want to pull away from him at all as I was getting immersed in the kiss. The more I tried to pull away, the more he kissed me hard that I ended up giving in. Since I've met him, all we have ever done is get argue or disagree. He didn't let me have my chance at all. His lips were sweet and the kiss was rough, devouring every part of my mouth like he was going to eat me up. He ended up pulling away just when I wanted to reciprocate and I started breathing heavily. My cheeks were flushing and I felt embarrassed that I couldn't do more than just blush at what he did. I should have a little bit of backbone and get mad at him so he wouldn't catch me off guard like that again. "From now on, you shouldn't ever say that to me again. Every time you mention rejection, I'm going to kiss you harder than this." I frowned, "don't you know what consent
Sage's POV That Aria! I hate her! I hate her so much! Why does she have to be so lucky enough to have such powerful people protecting her? We're twins! Everything that's hers is supposed to be mine!It has always been like this right from childhood. She has all the favoritism—people are always looking at her and not me. We look exactly the same; we are both sisters, but she always takes all the fame for herself. She has always been selfish and annoying to me. I don't like seeing her around at all. I just want her to suffer all the time.I can't believe she brought that Alpha to the pack, daring to sneak in to see our grandmother, who was also always having favorites. It's good that she's in this situation now. I'm going to make sure I ruin her favorite granddaughter completely.She should have just stayed in the human world and never come back. I let her stay around by begging for her life to be saved when, in reality, I wanted her to die that time. But they gave her an opportunity t
Aria's POV "Why aren't you saying anything?" He asked seeing how I wasn't saying a thing. I stared at him unable to give him an answer. This is what I've always wanted as I stayed in that pack, to be back in the place with more humans and less of my kind. Now that I'm here, why do I feel sad that he's abandoning me. This was bound to happen anyways. It's not as if I wasn't expecting this but I don't understand how I feel now. Why do I feel so sad knowing that he's leaving me all alone here? If that's the case, I don't think I need to get anything from him. I've always gotten help from him but I don't think I have done much than save his life. Our debts to each other have being paid and I still have enough to get a small place to stay and also find a job as a doctor. I'm not going to take all of this from him. If we're going to be detached from each other, we might as well fully do it or nothing at all. I should tell him the truth that I'm going to reject this—"What exactly is go
Aria's POV "You're going to start a pack war? What is going on with you? When has violence ever solved anything than bring more trouble to everyone?" I fired at him. I completely forgot about the conversation we had earlier, and the only thing I could think about was the pack war. If they brought me back here so that they could go to war with other packs, then it only means that they are either looking down on me or just trying to protect me.How can I even be at ease when this is going to begin because of me? Should I say thank you to them and be happy because they are fighting other people and losing their chances of having allies because of me?"I never said we were going to war. It's just because of the situation that is going on now and not because of you. Did you forget what happened the last time? You're not the only one getting attacked by those enemy warriors. We still don't know who they are and where they come from, but we know that by the time we find out, we would have
Aria’s POV The sunlight peeked through the long curtains and fell softly on my face. I opened my eyes slowly and blinked a few times. For a second, I forgot where I was. Then I remembered… I was in Xeros’s room. His scent was still strong in the room, that familiar mix of clean soap and something dark that always made me feel strange inside.I turned quickly to the side. His bed was empty. I sat up straight. The sheets were cold, meaning he had left for a while. I ran my fingers through my hair and got out of bed. I was still in the same clothes from yesterday. Everything that happened kept playing in my head—Sage, my grandmother, Alexander, Lucas… and Xeros saving us.Where did he go so early?I left the room, thinking I’d check outside, maybe the training field. On my way back down the hallway, I bumped into someone. I stumbled a little and looked up.“Carlo?”He gave a small smirk and crossed his arms. “Well, you look surprised to see me.”“I didn’t expect you here.”He tilted his
Aria’s POVI turned around an indeed my guess was right. It was Xeros who came to rescue us. He looked powerful, standing tall in his dark clothes, his eyes glowing like fire. But I noticed something—his arm was bleeding. He was holding his side tightly. He was hurt. Badly hurt. But he didn’t show it on his face.My heart jumped in my chest the moment I saw him. “Xeros…”He looked at me and gave a small smile, even though I could see the pain behind it. How did he even manage to find us and how did he get hurt again? Lucas stepped back in shock. “You… you’re supposed to be dead.”Xeros smirked. “You’ll have to try harder next time.”I saw the way Lucas looked at him. His face twisted in confusion and fear. He didn’t expect Xeros to survive. He looked like he had just seen a ghost.Xeros slowly walked forward, the wolves surrounding us like a protective wall. “You tried to kill me,” he said, his voice low and dangerous. “But now I’m alive… and I promise, Lucas, you will pay for it.
Aria’s POVI stared straight at Sage.She was sitting on the floor, tied up and weak, but when I said those words, her eyes widened like she’d seen a ghost.“Why did you try to kill Xeros?” I asked again, slowly this time.For a moment, she didn’t say anything. Just kept blinking like she couldn’t believe I’d asked her that. Then her mouth opened.“What?” Her voice was high and sharp. “You think I tried to kill him? Are you out of your mind?!”I didn’t answer. I just kept looking at her. Her face looked pale, but her eyes had that usual fire. The fire she always used to cover up her lies.She started shaking her head fast. “No! No! That wasn’t me! I didn’t— I would never—”But I wasn’t sure I believed her. Maybe she was telling the truth. Maybe she was just scared, and it really wasn’t her.But my heart… it wasn’t ready to trust her. Not after everything.I took a deep breath and looked down. My hands were shaking a little, but I clenched them. “You knew he was getting close to the tr
Aria’s POVI followed Alexander quietly, staying close enough to not lose him, and also so he wouldn't lose me. My heart was beating so fast in my chest. I didn’t know what exactly I would find, but something inside me kept warning me that I was going to see something painful.The night air was cold. I felt a lot of Goosebumps trying to walk around. My feet made soft sounds as I stepped on dry leaves, but I didn’t stop moving. I just needed to know what was going on. I needed to see it with my own eyes.We passed through some bushes and took a sharp turn. That was when I saw it. This wasn't where we're supposed to stopped but what am I looking at?My legs froze on the spot. My breath stopped.There, in the middle of the quiet garden behind the old house… was my grandmother. She was lying down on a wooden bench with a thin cloth over her. She wasn’t moving. Her skin looked pale and dry. Her lips were cracked.And standing beside her… was Sage.My heart burned with so much anger that I
Aria's POV I knew Alexander was up to something, but I didn’t quite know what he wanted to do. I was trying to figure it out, so I pretended to have gone back to my room. I knew he was watching me, and the only way he could be sure was if I was settled down in my room. Now, I needed to follow him to find out. I know they asked me to sit down and stop being nosy, but I just can’t stop myself. If he’s going to put himself in danger because of me, I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep at all.And just like I thought, he was going out of the pack without anyone. More like he was sneaking out because he didn’t want the guards to see him or follow him, because he might attract attention, which is something he’s probably trying to hide from me. Let’s say this is something he and Xeros planned.I carefully followed him out, and I saw he was going in the direction of my pack. I was so scared and didn’t know what to do because I was too worried to go into that place alone. And most importantly,
Alexander’s POVI walked quietly into Xeros’s room, the door clicking shut behind me. He was sitting up now, the covers pulled to his waist, a glass of water in his hand. The pale sunlight spilling from the window made him look even more fragile than I remembered. His body was still weak, but his eyes were sharp—too sharp for someone who just survived poison.Aria was sitting beside him, holding his hand and whispering something I couldn’t hear. When she noticed me standing at the door, she turned to look at me with a faint smile.“I’ll give you both some space,” she said softly and stood up.“No,” I said quickly. “I actually need to speak with my brother. Alone.”Her eyes narrowed slightly. She hesitated, like she didn’t want to leave, but she gave Xeros a gentle pat on the shoulder and left the room without saying another word. I waited until the door clicked shut behind her. I even walked over to make sure she wasn’t standing behind it like last time.Xeros raised an eyebrow. “You’
Xeros's POVThe soft glow of morning light streamed through the curtains, touching my face with warmth. It was gentle, yet it made my eyes flutter open slowly. My whole body felt heavy like I had been carrying a mountain through my dreams. But the weight on my chest… it wasn’t just pain. It was the memory of everything that happened.The arrow. The poison. The argument with Edgar. The darkness I fell into.I blinked a few times and turned my head. Sitting by my bed was someone I didn’t expect right away—Carlo. His arms were crossed, and he looked tired, like he hadn’t slept much. But when he saw me move, his eyes widened and he leaned forward.“Hey… Xeros?” His voice sounded cautious, like he wasn’t sure if I was fully awake or just imagining things.I cleared my throat. “Yeah… I’m awake.”Carlo let out a shaky breath and ran his hand through his hair. “You scared the hell out of all of us. I thought we were going to lose you.”I tried to sit up, but pain stabbed through my side, maki
Aria’s POVThe ride back home was completely silent.No one said a word.Alexander was beside me in the car, looking out the window like I wasn’t even there. Carlo sat in the front seat, also quiet. I kept staring at my hands, playing with my fingers nervously because the silence was loud. So loud it felt heavier than their voices.I already knew what they were thinking.I already knew they were disappointed.But I didn’t regret sneaking out. At least, not yet. I needed answers. I couldn’t just sit still while everyone else decided what was true or false. I had to know things for myself, even if it meant doing something reckless.When we got home, the second we stepped through the door, Alexander finally turned to look at me.His expression was calm but cold. Too calm, and that scared me more than if he had yelled.“Why did you do it?” he asked, his voice low. “Why would you sneak out after everything we told you?”I swallowed hard, looking away. I didn’t want to lie anymore. I was ti
Aria's POVI wrapped my hoodie tighter around me as I tiptoed out of the house, careful not to make a sound. My heart kept beating fast with every step I took, afraid that someone might notice I was gone. The security had been tighter than usual lately. Ever since Xeros was brought back home, things became harder. I guess they really don’t want me to step outside again. But I have to do this. I need answers, even if no one else wants me to investigate.The cool night breeze touched my skin, and I shivered, not from the cold, but from nervousness. I looked back once more to make sure no one was following me. Then I turned toward the usual hidden path near the garden. That’s where Edgar told me to meet him.I saw him standing in the shadows, arms crossed, his usual smirk sitting on his lips like he wasn’t worried about anything in the world. When he saw me, he raised his brows and whistled low.“Wow. You actually managed to sneak out,” he said, walking towards me.I rolled my eyes. “Of