ARIA'S POVThe streets were empty—eerily quiet for this time of the night. Not a single soul was in sight. The street lights dimmed and flickered as if they were on their last breath.The further I drove, the more empty it became, the darkness swallowing the road ahead of me like a black hole. The silence in the car felt deafening, broken only by the soft hum of the engine.It reminded me of a haunted graveyard, the kind you see in horror movies, where nothing good ever happens.I swear I could literally hear my instincts screaming at me to turn around, to head back home where it was safe, but I shook the feeling off. I couldn’t let fear paralyze me now.Suddenly, the car jolted, hitting something hard on the road. I gasped, my heart leaping into my throat as I slammed on the brakes. The car screeched to a stop, the sound cutting through the night air like a scream.I gripped the steering wheel, my breath coming in short, panicked gasps as I stared out into the darkness. For a moment,
DANTE'S POVFinn and Aria’s sudden departure weighed heavily on my mind. The moment they drove off together, something in me shifted, unsettled.I couldn’t shake the look I had seen in Finn’s eyes—intense, burning, filled with desire. It wasn’t just protective concern; it was something deeper, something that made my gut twist in ways I didn’t want to acknowledge.Desire for Aria.I tightened my grip on my wine glass just thinking about it.Heck! I should have stopped Finn from leaving with Aria, should have said something. But what could I do? As her ex-husband, I had no right. As Finn’s brother… I didn’t know how to handle it.It was a mess, a twisted knot that no amount of reasoning could untangle.Let it go, Dante. It’s not your place anymore. I kept telling myself that, but it didn’t help. The thought of Finn looking at Aria like that… of them being together… it gnawed at me, made me feel like my chest was going to cave in.And then, there was Linda.“Dante, are you even listening
DANTE'S POVThe flames surrounded the car quickly, licking up the sides like they were hungry for more. I stood frozen, staring at the scene in front of me, my mind spinning.The night air was thick with the sharp stench of burning rubber and metal, and there was something about the way the flames curled around the wreckage that sent a chill crawling down my spine.I wanted to go over, to see what had happened, but the darkness around the crash felt thick, heavy with danger.It was too quiet, too still, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that I wasn’t supposed to be here. Everything about this scene screamed to stay away.My hands tightened on the steering wheel, and I thought about driving off, leaving this mess behind.A car explosion in an empty area like this? It was suspicious, to say the least. No one would blame me for getting out while I still could. It was none of my business.But then it hit me—PAIN. It was sharp and sudden.A searing bolt of pain shot through my chest, like m
DANTE'S POVThe thought echoed in my mind, louder than the crackling flames.I looked again, squinting through the thick smoke, and that was when I saw the sparkle—the familiar sparkle from the diamond bracelet I had given her. It kept on catching the light from the flames, flashing like a warning, and my breath caught in my throat.It had to be Aria. It was really her.“Aria!” I shouted, my voice rough, but there was no answer. My pulse spiked as panic clawed its way up my chest. I couldn’t waste any more time.Without even thinking for more than a second, I rushed into the flames, my body moving on instinct.The intense heat was suffocating, the smoke thick enough to choke me, but I didn’t care. My mind was a blur, my only thought to get to her. To save her.The fire had not reached the front of the car yet, and I thanked the goddess for whatever safety features had kept the flames at bay. The driver’s seat was still intact, though the rest of the car was a twisted mess of metal and
ARIA'S POVWhen I woke up, it felt like my entire body was wrapped in a fog. I blinked slowly, trying to focus, but everything around me was a blur.The sterile smell of antiseptic and the faint beeping of machines were the first things that registered. And then, the pain hit.A dull, throbbing ache spread throughout my body, and I realized I couldn’t move. My limbs felt heavy, weighed down by something tight.As I glanced down, I saw that I was wrapped in bandages—so many bandages. My body looked like it had been mummified.Where am I?I tried to speak, but the moment I opened my mouth, a sharp, intense pain tore through my throat. I swallowed, wincing as the dryness scratched at my voice box. No sound came out. I felt helpless and confused.My heart pounded as I took in my surroundings—the room was empty, and I was alone.How did I even get here?I racked my brain, trying to remember, but everything was hazy. Bits and pieces of the night flashed before my eyes—the accident, the expl
ARIA'S POVMy father’s question hung heavy in the room. “Aria,” he repeated, his voice firm but filled with concern, “how did this happen? Who dared to do this to you?”I tried to form words, tried to explain, but my throat wouldn't let me, it felt like it was on fire, raw and swollen from the smoke and the injuries. I just couldn’t speak.I shifted slightly in the bed, desperate to give him some kind of answer… anything at all, but the pain in my chest and ribs stopped me cold.He asked his question again, his voice cutting through the fog in my brain. I flinched, startled by the intensity of his tone.I understood that he was just scared, but I couldn’t ignore the guilt that was starting to consume me. I really wanted to explain, to tell him everything, but I was trapped in my own silence.Before I could even try to make a sound, there was a knock on the door, and it swung open almost immediately.Adam barged in, not bothering to acknowledge our parents. His eyes locked on me, his e
ARIA'S POVSuddenly, a phone began to ring. It was my father's, so he quickly excused himself and walked out of the room.The thoughts and questions in my mind were overwhelming, so I didn't even pay him much attention.My mind kept going back to the moment I lost consciousness, the instant the car slammed into me.I was very much aware that the rogue had wanted me dead. He should have immediately fled the scene and left me to burn alive in that car. That was what should have happened, but it didn’t.I was still here, with only burns and some fractured bones—alive.Someone had pulled me from the wreck. Someone had saved me, risking their own life.I turned to look at my mother, her face still stained with tears. She was watching me closely, her hand holding mine tightly. I squeezed her hand, feeling the desperation in my chest.I needed to know who saved me. But the moment I tried to speak, the familiar pain in my throat flared up, my voice refusing to cooperate. No sound came out, ju
ADAM'S POVAfter walking out of Aria’s hospital room, the weight of everything that had happened slammed into me like a ton of bricks.My legs felt weak as I hurried down the hallway, pushing open the bathroom door. As soon as I was inside, I leaned against the cold tiles, sliding down to the floor with my back pressed against the wall.My mind was spinning, replaying the nightmare over and over. I couldn’t bear to think about it, couldn’t bring myself to face what had happened that night.Aria…I buried my face in my hands, trying to shake the images from my mind, but they clung to me. I could still hear my mother’s voice, urgent and filled with fear.That night was supposed to be uneventful. After Aria had gone to the store, I figured I would try to get some sleep, though something about her being outside felt off. There was this nagging feeling in my gut that wouldn’t go away, but I brushed it off, trying to convince myself that she was fine.Aria is a grown woman, after all. She’s
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