ARIA'S POVDante's words hung in the air between us. I felt a rush of conflicting emotions, all tangled up inside me, and for a moment, I couldn’t speak.I saw something raw and vulnerable in his eyes, something I hadn’t seen in a very long time. But then, just as quickly, another memory pushed its way in — the memory of the child I had lost, our child. The loss that had torn me apart, that had left me shattered. And it had been his fault.Because of his cheating, his careless, nonchalant attitude towards me… his refusal to see me, really see me.The pain of that bitter memory cut deep, and suddenly, I felt a rush of anger rise within me like a wave crashing against the rocks.I pulled my hand away from his grasp, shaking my head. “You want to know why I don’t rely on you?” I snapped, my voice shaking with the force of my emotions. “It's because you never gave me a reason to, Dante. Because every time I’ve needed you, you’ve turned your back. You’ve lied, cheated, and pretended like n
DANTE'S POVAria's words had cut through me like a blade, but I couldn't blame her for being mad – I had given her plenty of reasons to feel that way. Though, it still stung.The memory of her tear-filled eyes, the way she had pulled away from me — it haunted me as I stood alone in that empty room.I had watched as she angrily walked out into the night without a second thought, but the thought of her going back alone troubled me.My enemies were still out there, lurking in the dark, and waiting for any opportunity to strike, so I couldn’t let her leave like that, not without knowing she would be safe at least.Without thinking, I hurriedly made my way out of the hall. I followed the scent she left behind, that familiar trace of her perfume mixed with the cool night air. It was faint, but it was enough to guide me.As I ran through the path, I tried to tell myself that she would be fine. But something in me — some strong instinct was screaming that she was in danger.The dark forest st
ARIA'S POV“Dante! Dante!!” I cried out, my voice shaking with panic as I knelt beside him, gripping his shoulders.His eyes were closed, his face pale, and his body felt far too still under my touch.I shook him, desperate, hoping that somehow I could wake him up. But there was nothing - no response. Just his shallow breathing, barely there, and the slow trickle of blood staining the ground beneath him.“Dante, please!” I shouted again, louder this time. “Don’t do this to me! Wake up! Come on!!”Good grief! What was I supposed to do?“My phone… where’s my phone?”I quickly started rummaging through the dirt and leaves, my hands shaking as I searched for it. “Come on,” I whispered. “Where is it?”Finally, my fingers brushed against something solid, and I snatched up the phone.Without wasting time, I quickly unlocked the screen, my fingers fumbling over the keys as I scrolled through my contacts. My hands shook so badly I almost dropped it.“Ryan, Ryan…” I muttered, searching for my b
ARIA'S POVWhen I woke up, the world felt oddly muted. I blinked, trying to make sense of my surroundings.White walls, beeping machines, the sharp smell of antiseptic… I then realized that I was in a hospital, and suddenly all the memories came rushing back - the attack, the chaos, the fear.I sat up too quickly, wincing as a sharp pain shot through my body. I actually just had a few cuts and bruises. Nothing too serious.My head spun for a moment, but it wasn’t the dizziness or the faint ache in my muscles that mattered. It was the thoughts of Dante – the memory of his blood-soaked body, his weak breathing, flooded back to me.I hurriedly scrambled out of bed, ignoring the protests of my aching muscles.Where was he? Was he alright? The last thing I remembered was… Ryan standing in front of me.I stumbled into the hallway, my bare feet cold against the floor. I didn’t care about myself — I just needed to find him.A nurse was walking by just outside my door, her arms full of medical
ARIA'S POVI recognized the voice instantly – it was Ryan.Goodness, what on earth was he doing here? How did he even know that I was in here?Panic seized me as I looked between Dante and the door that was about to burst open at any second.I couldn't let Ryan see me in here, not with Dante. I had to leave before he barged in and started to lash out unnecessarily."I have to go," I whispered hurriedly to Dante, my eyes locked with his. The confusion in his gaze made my chest ache, but I didn't have time to explain.Before anyone could stop me, I moved to the door and placed my hand to it for a moment, trying to calm the panic that was building inside me.When I opened the door, I saw Ryan standing in the hallway, his face dark with anger. His eyes flashed, and before he could even speak, I quickly stepped out, shut the door behind me, and pressed a finger to my lips.“Ryan, not here,” I hissed, cutting off whatever explosion was brewing. “Let’s just go.”He gave me a fierce look, his
ARIA'S POVAfter I left the hospital, a heavy burden settled in my chest. My thoughts were consumed by all that Ryan had revealed, the picture still burned into my memory.How could Linda be involved with something like this? It was hard to believe, but the pieces were starting to come together in ways I never wanted to imagine.I needed to act, and using the power of my family, it wouldn't be difficult to start putting plans into motion.The Griffith family… we were influential, strong, and when we set our sights on something, we always made sure to get results. I intended to use every ounce of that influence to get to the bottom of this mess.It wasn't long before I called an urgent meeting with Ryan, Adam, and our most reliable pack warriors. We all gathered in the study of our family estate.The first plan was capturing the wolf who had attacked me.Adam had already begun mobilizing our forces. We even called in a special team — wolves and hunters trained for missions like this —
ARIA'S POVColour drained from the man's face. "You're bluffing… I know you are," he stammered. "You Griffiths, you're too noble for torture."Adam and Ryan both burst into laughter, surprising the man.The man’s eyes shifted nervously between us, wide with fear. He was trapped, and he knew it.“Listen, I-I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he flattered, trying to pull away, but Ryan kept a tight grip on him.“Oh please,” Adam said, his voice cold and commanding. “We know you attacked Aria. We know you’re involved with the rogue wolves. Now, tell us everything.”The man swallowed hard, realizing that there was no way out. His shoulders slumped in defeat. “I… I was ordered to do it,” he muttered, barely above a whisper. “I didn’t have a choice.”“Ordered by who?” Ryan demanded, shaking him slightly.He hesitated, his eyes flicking toward me for a moment, then back to Ryan. “Linda,” he admitted quietly.A gasp escaped my lips, and I took a step back. I had already suspected that sh
DANTE'S POVLying in the hospital bed, staring at the beeping monitor beside me, I couldn't shake off the uneasiness overwhelming me.My mind wasn’t on the pain in my ribs; it was on the notification I had received about a large fund transfer that didn’t sit right with me.Linda’s name had been all over it, and I just knew it wasn’t by chance.Arnold stood at the window, arms crossed, watching the rain streak down the glass. He had been quiet, but I knew he could feel the tension in the room.The moment I shared what I had found on my phone, everything had clicked into place.“I’m telling you, it’s all connected,” I said, my voice rough but steady. “The attack on Aria, the sudden transfer… I think Linda’s behind it.”Arnold turned, his eyes sharp, mirroring the worry I was trying to suppress. “You really think she’s using that money to pay them off? The rogue wolves?”I nodded. “She has to be. Why else would there be such a large transfer from that account? It’s like she’s covering he
DANTE'S POV Linda’s bloodied body had been rushed into the emergency operating room, leaving Finn and me standing in the hallway. The doors closed with a loud slam as the stretcher passed through, the sound echoing like the end of a sorrowful melody.I couldn’t move. My legs felt like lead, and my mind was blank.Finn was beside me, his voice low and urgent. “Dante,” he said, gripping my shoulder. “You know that this wasn’t your fault, right? You couldn’t have stopped her.”I didn’t respond. How could I? Linda’s words haunted me, her cries of desperation echoing endlessly in my head. You don’t believe me, do you? I’ll have to prove my innocence by dying. And then the window. The fall. The blood.“It doesn’t feel that way,” I finally whispered, my voice cracking.Finn shook his head, his grip tightening. “Listen to me. You can’t take this on yourself. Linda… Linda made her choices. You tried to help her. That’s all anyone could’ve done.”Before I could answer, a loud, piercing wail
DANTE'S POV Linda’s cries filled the hospital room like the stubborn pounding of a storm. She was sobbing uncontrollably, her hands clawing at her chest, her voice hoarse as she repeated the same words over and over again: “It’s my fault… it’s all on me… I listened to Ralph and I didn’t protect my child…”I just stood there, rooted to the spot, not sure of what to do or say. Finn’s words echoed in my mind, clear and steady: “The child wasn’t Silas’s, it was Ralph’s!” Those words refused to leave me, even as Linda’s cries grew louder, slicing through my thoughts.“Linda,” I finally said, my voice low, though it didn’t feel like my own. “You really need to stop. You’re only going to hurt yourself.”She shook her head violently, her hair whipping around her face as fresh tears streamed down her cheeks. “No, Dante! You don’t get it! I should have done more! I should have protected my baby!” Her voice cracked, and she fell to her knees, clutching at my shirt. “Please… please don’t hate me
ARIA'S POV The call from Finn came late in the evening, just as the world outside my window turned dark. His voice was calm, but there was an edge to it that sent a chill down my spine.“Aria, Linda’s baby didn’t make it,” he said suddenly.For a moment, I couldn’t breathe. “What… what did you just say?” I whispered, gripping the phone so tightly that my knuckles turned white.“Linda lost the baby,” Finn continued. “And she’s making quite a scene. But, Aria, listen to me… you don’t have to feel guilty about this.”My mouth went dry. “I…I wasn’t…”But that was a lie, wasn’t it? Guilt had already taken a hold of me, tightening its grip with every word he spoke.Finn sighed, his voice softening. “I’m telling you this because I know how you think. Don’t let her manipulate you. She’s good at this… making herself the victim, drawing everyone in. You know this wasn’t your fault.”But how could it not feel like my fault? I could still hear Dante’s voice from earlier that day, blaming me for
DANTE'S POV Finn's words seemed to echo endlessly in my head. There was no humour in his tone, no trace of malice or lies. He wasn’t the kind of man to twist stories for the sake of drama, especially not about Linda. But this? This was too much to wrap my head around.“Are you really sure this is true?” I asked, my voice quieter than I intended.Finn nodded, his expression serious. “I wouldn’t say it if I wasn’t.” He leaned against the wall, his shoulders slumping. “Right after Ralph died, her baby didn’t make it either. That’s not a coincidence, Dante. It’s hard not to suspect that this was all part of her plan.”The burden of his words hung between us, heavier than anything I had ever carried before. Linda? Linda, the woman who I thought I knew better than anyone? Could she really be capable of this? Could she…Goddess help me…be ruthless enough to kill her own child?I shook my head, trying to push the thought away, but it clung to me like smoke. “No. No, I can’t believe that.”F
ARIA'S POV The loud sound of the ambulance siren broke through the chaos, silencing the frantic murmurs of the crowd for a moment. Dante didn’t wait for the paramedics to take charge. With a sense of urgency I hadn’t seen in him before, he picked up Linda in his arms. Her pale, lifeless body looked even more fragile in the bright light of the ambulance as Dante climbed in, shouting for them to hurry. I watched him go, his desperation etched into every line of his face. His eyes never left Linda’s bloodied form as the ambulance doors slammed shut behind them. For a brief, fleeting second, I felt a pang of something close to pity. But it was quickly swallowed by a flood of bitterness as the whispers began. “This is all Aria’s fault,” someone muttered from the crowd, loud enough for me to hear. “Yes,” another voice chimed in, filled with hate. “If Linda’s baby dies, the pack won’t spare Aria. That child is the pack’s future heir.” The words hurt more than I cared to admit. My che
ARIA'S POV Linda’s sudden breakdown into tears left me frozen, the weight of her confession crashing over the room like a wave. Her emotional words rang in my ears, each one crafted perfectly to squeeze sympathy from Dante and the crowd. “I swear on the goddess, I did it to protect you, Dante!” she cried, holding onto his arm like a lifeline. “Ralph had threatened to kill you if I didn’t do what he wanted. Everything I said to him, everything I did… it was all to keep him calm, to deceive him. You have to believe me!” The room was filled with hushed whispers, and the crowd’s uneasiness grew with every word. I could see the doubt flickering in their eyes as they turned to one another, whispering under their breaths. “She looks scared… she must be telling the truth.” “Could Ralph really have been manipulating her?” My hands balled into fists as I stepped forward, my voice cutting through the noise. “I have heard enough!” I shouted, pointing at Linda. “Can’t you all see what she
DANTE'S POV I couldn't wrap my head around what Aria was doing. From the moment she asked to speak with Linda, she had been relentless, accusing Linda of things that seemed so absurd.Claiming that Linda's child was fathered by a rogue wolf? The words were so ridiculous I almost laughed when I first heard them. Almost.Instead, I felt my patience wearing thin with every accusation, every raised voice. Aria wasn't like this. She was calm, collected, and never reckless. Tonight, though, she seemed agitated, lashing out like she was desperate for everyone to believe her. And yet, Finn...Finn wasn't the type to back wild accusations, and yet he had claimed to have proof. He said he had seen Linda go into the silver cell and kill Ralph. Murder. That word hung heavy in the air, causing my chest to tighten as I looked around the room. The air was thick with tension, whispers circulating through the crowd, spreading speculation and doubt. My eyes landed on Linda, standing not far from m
ARIA'S POVLinda’s expression changed the moment she realized that I wasn’t going to back down. That mask of fragile innocence she wore cracked for just a second, but then, to my surprise, she started crying.“I’m sorry,” Linda suddenly said, her voice trembling as her eyes welled with tears. She looked around the crowd, her lower lip quivering in just the right way. “I’m so sorry, everyone. I don’t know what I’ve done to make Aria hate me so much. I…I’ve tried to be kind, but she just won’t stop harassing me!”The crowd murmured in confusion, their eyes darting between the two of us. My mouth fell open in shock, but Linda pressed on, her voice trembling with perfect fragility.“I really don’t know why she’s doing this,” she continued, wringing her hands. “I’ve tried so hard to stay out of her way, but she keeps accusing me of… awful things. And now she’s saying horrible things about my child… my unborn child. I just… I don’t know how much more I can take.” Her voice broke, and she bu
ARIA'S POVLinda stood beside him, her hand resting on his arm, a smug look of confidence flickering across her face.That look—so composed, so sure of herself—ignited something hot and uncontainable inside me.After everything she had done, she could still stand there so calm, so unbothered, wearing that look of triumph? I felt the anger pulse through my veins, louder than the quiet hum of murmurs around us.Before I could stop myself, I took a step forward and grabbed her hand firmly, my words spilling out in a fierce, steady tone. “Didn’t you just kill someone? You killed Ralph, the father of the child in your womb!”The room went deathly silent. It was as if the entire crowd was holding its breath, their shocked expressions frozen in place, eyes wide and darting between Linda and me.I could actually hear my own heartbeat, the loud, insistent thud filling the quiet. The weight of my accusation seemed to hang heavy in the air, pressing down on everyone around us.Linda’s smug expre