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
LINDA'S POVThe banquet hall buzzed with the usual chatter, as the low hum of voices mixed with the soft clink of crystal glasses and silverware.This was no ordinary gathering — it was the follow-up to the charity auction that had sparked so much attention a few weeks ago. However, tonight’s banquet wasn’t about collecting donations; it was about deciding how those funds would be used, about planning future relief efforts.I had, of course, been invited. As one of the central figures in Dante’s life and a member of the family, I was expected to attend, to smile and play the part of the supportive partner.I actually wore my mask well, but the truth was, these events bored me. Everyone pretends to care about charity, when in reality, they were just here to flaunt their wealth, power, and status… and well, I was no exception.After all, what is a pack event without flaunting your most expensive designer wear or jewelry?But tonight… tonight, something was different. I felt it in the ai
ARIA'S POVAgatha’s tone was low, deadly, filled with the kind of authority she expected everyone to bow to. She had always had this way about her, this iron grip over every room she stepped into. And for years, I had been one of the ones who cowered, who bowed my head and accepted whatever scorn or disdain she threw my way.But not anymore.The old me—the woman who had once been Dante’s obedient wife, walking on eggshells around his family, bending under their expectations—was gone. I wasn’t that woman anymore, and I wasn’t going to let Agatha treat me like I was… a… a piece of garbage.I felt the intensity of her gaze, sharp as daggers, pressing down on me, trying to force me into submission. But I stood my ground.I was done being the doormat, done letting Dante's family walk all over me.“I am not leaving,” I said, my voice louder than I intended, but I didn’t care. I squared my shoulders and met her gaze head-on, refusing to be intimidated. “And you do not have the right to tell
ARIA'S POVGasps spread through the crowd. I couldn't believe my ears. Did Dante really just stand up to his mother? And for me?Agatha's face turned an alarming shade of red. "How dare you speak to me like that?" she hissed. "I am your mother!”"And I'm a grown man," Dante shot back. "I can make my own decisions about who I want in my life."I felt… a bit of relief, but it was quickly overshadowed by the whispers that started up around me."Look at her, causing trouble in the family.""She must have bewitched him somehow."“How pathetic.”“But why is he even defending her?”As they picked me apart with their judgement, a rush of humiliation and frustration welled up inside me, burning in my chest.I wanted to scream, to tell them to stop looking at me like I was nothing, to tell them they didn’t know the whole truth. But my throat felt tight. I just stood there, feeling helpless, as the whispers grew louder.Just when I thought I couldn’t stand it any longer, Finn stepped forward.Da
DANTE'S POVFinn's expression was annoyingly calm. "I'm just having a conversation with Aria, Dante. Last time I checked, that wasn't a crime."He had always been the easygoing brother, someone who would go out of his way to avoid conflict at all costs. But in that moment, he didn't look like he wanted to avoid anything.My eyes narrowed as I watched him, trying to figure out what was going through his head."Don't play dumb with me," I snapped. "You know exactly what I mean."Aria looked between us, her eyes wide. "Dante, is there a problem?"I ignored her, keeping my focus on Finn. "Answer me, brother. What the hell are you up to?”"You really don't have the right to be angry, Dante,” he said calmly, almost too calmly, like he wasn't talking to me at all. Like I wasn't his Alpha.I stared at him, completely thrown off. “What did you just say?”“Come on brother. You heard me.” He didn't flinch. If anything, he looked at me like I was the one out of line. “You should take a deep breat
ARIA'S POVI saw the hurt flash across Finn's face, and something in me snapped. Without thinking, I flung open the car door and rushed towards them."Stop it!" I suddenly shouted, my voice cracking with emotion. "Both of you, just stop!”But they were both too far gone to listen to me."You've always been jealous of me," Dante snapped, landing a kick to Finn's ribs.Finn grunted in pain. “Me? Jealous?" he laughed bitterly. "Of what? Your arrogance? Your inability to stand up to our mother?""At least I have a place in this pack," Dante spat. "What are you? The spare? The backup?"In that moment, I didn’t think, I just acted.I positioned myself directly in front of Finn, my back to him, my arms outstretched as if I could physically shield him from Dante’s anger.Dante’s eyes, still burning with anger, shifted from Finn to me. And just like that, his expression darkened even more. His jaw tightened, the muscle in his cheek twitching with barely controlled rage.“Aria, get out of my wa
ARIA'S POVFor a moment, Finn didn’t say anything. His jaw was set, his eyes fixed on his mother’s, and I could almost feel the tension radiating off him. But then, his shoulders relaxed, and he took a deep breath, his voice steady and calm in a way I hadn’t expected."No, Mother," he said. "I'm not mad. I'm perfectly fine. In fact, I've never been clearer about anything in my life." He paused and took a deep breath. "I've found love, Mother. Real, honest love. And I'm not going to let anyone, not even you, stand in the way of that.”The words echoed in the silence that followed, hanging in the air like a thunderclap. For a second, the world seemed to stop.I stared at him, utterly stunned. Did he really just say that? Was he being serious? Love? But… when did that happen? And why was my heart suddenly racing at the thought?Agatha’s eyes widened in shock, her face drained of colour. She tried to speak, but no sound came out, and then just like that her eyes rolled back in her head an
ARIA'S POVThe question filled me with panic, and I couldn’t help but laugh—too loudly, too awkwardly. It was the kind of laugh that didn’t feel natural, the kind you give when you're caught off guard and scrambling for some control.“What?” I blurted, quickly glancing at him before focusing back on the road, my heart racing. “I wasn’t staring at you. Seriously.”Finn raised an eyebrow, clearly amused. “Uh-huh.”I could feel the heat creeping up my neck, and I hurriedly tried to defend myself, desperate to cover up the fact that he had caught me again. “No, really! I wasn’t staring. Why on earth would I be staring at you?”He chuckled again, the sound light but teasing. “That’s what I would like to know.”I tried to come up with something, anything that didn’t make me sound like a complete idiot. “I was… uh… I was looking at the trees outside. Yeah, the trees. They’re really nice, you know?”Finn just stared at me, his lips curving into a small, knowing smile. He didn’t believe a word
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