Chapter 84

DANTE'S POV

The old man swallowed nervously, shaking his head. “No, Alpha Dante, I… I didn’t mean any harm. If I had known…”

I just stared at him, not sure what to do anymore because I was tired—tired of this night, tired of the lingering tension that had been simmering since the moment Aria walked in. I just wanted this night to end.

It was the same old story, a pathetic excuse. The old man was drunk on his own arrogance, now terrified because he realized he had crossed the line. It would be easy to deal with him, to make him leave and forget this whole thing.

"Fine," I said, my tone flat. "Just go. You've caused more than enough trouble.”

But Finn wasn’t ready to let it go. He was vibrating with anger, his eyes locked on the man. His voice came out sharp, cutting through the hum of the room.

“He insulted Aria. You don’t just walk away from that.”

I could see the rage boiling in Finn, the same sense of protectiveness that had sparked the fight in the first place. His loyalty to Aria