Chapter 78

Leo's gaze hardened but he didn't pull back. He didn't even flinch and just met Aiden's gaze. He didn't understand what Aiden meant by his question and was only trying to comprehend it. His lips pressed into a thin line as if waiting for Aiden to explain himself.

Aiden exhaled sharply, shaking his head. “You want her. But you won't admit it. You won't act on it. You think standing here, acting like you don't care, makes you strong?” His voice dropped lower, a quiet challenge. “It makes you a coward.” 

Leo's jaw clenched. A muscle ticked at the side of his face.

Aiden tilted his head, his eyes searching Leo's face for any sign or flicker of emotion. “You don't deserve to be Alpha.” he tapped Leo's chest with his finger and pushed him. But it was a slight push. His gaze was strong like he was expecting the worse from Leo, hoping he was going to react and fight him.

Leo's nostrils flared. “Watch your mouth.”

Aiden chuckled, but there was no humor in it. “Or what? You'll finally do something? Stop pretending you're in control, Leo. You're not. You let everything slip through your fingers because you're too afraid to hold on.”

The words struck deep. He could see it in the way Leo's hands curled into fists, in the way his breathing had slowed—controlled, restrained.

Aiden leaned in just slightly, his voice a whisper against the charged air. “You don't deserve her either.”

That did it.

Leo moved before he could think, shoving Aiden’s hand away from his chest. The force of it sent Aiden back a step. But he barely reacted. He only smiled like he had expected it. Like he had wanted that to happen. And yes, he expected it and wanted it. He wanted to see for himself whether his thoughts were right. He wanted to see his reaction when he mentioned Lucy. He had to say such words to spike up his emotions. And it worked.

Leo's voice came out. It was low and sounded dangerous. “You don't decide that.”

Aiden held his gaze for a moment, then took a step back, as if satisfied. He dusted his hands off against his pants and nodded slowly.

“No,” he admitted. “But she will.”

Then, without another word, he turned on his heel and walked away.

Leo was furious, his body shot, his hands clenched so tightly his nails dug into his palms. His breathing was rough, uneven as they didn't rhyme at all. His chest could be seen rising and falling in quick, shallow bursts. He could still see Aiden's back, the way he walked away without care, without fear, as if he had already won something.

Leo's face snarled within him, clawing at the surface. His muscles tensed, heat rolling off his skin as fur began to sprout along his arms. His transformation fought to take over, to release the anger burning inside him.

His teeth ground together. He wanted to shift. He felt like he needed to run after Aiden. To pin him to the ground and tear his throat out—wipe that smirk on his face permanently.

His throat tightened as the rage built, swelling, pushing him to the edge. He threw his head back, about to release the furious roar building in his chest—

Then, a touch.

It was soft. It was gentle.

An apparent contrast to the storm inside him.

His breath hitched. His body came to a still, the heat simmering just enough for him to regain a silver of control. His wolf growled within, but the touch kept it from fully taking over.

Slowly, he turned his head.

Isabella.

*************

The night was quiet, save for the rustling of leaves and the distant hoot of an owl. A soft breeze filtered through the open window, brushing against Lucy's skin.

Her eyes fluttered open.

For a second, she lay still, staring at the ceiling. Something pressed against the back of her mind. It was a lingering weight that hadn't been there before.

Then, it hit her.

The memory.

Flashes of movement. Shadows shifting around her. The masked faces of the omegas.

Her body seemed to stiffened.

She could still feel the way they circled her, their smirks stretching beneath the masks. The way her heart pounded as she realized there was no escape.

The first attack—so fast she barely saw it coming.

She had dropped low, pure instinct guiding her and dodging the claws that would have torn through her skin. The rush of adrenaline and the desperate struggle when rough hands grabbed her from behind. The sharp sting of a strike against her back, spiking pain to splinter through her.

And then—

That moment.

That strange, impossible surge of strength.

It wasn't just anger. It was deeper, something buried inside her. It had ignited like fire in her veins, spreading, consuming her, until she moved without thinking.

The way she had torn herself free. The way she had fought, faster, stronger than she ever had before.

But she wasn't invisible.

She felt the sting of her wounds now more than before. Her fingers twitched as she soon felt something inside the room. She turned to notice Marie. She was still sleeping.

Something felt off.

She turned her head slightly and saw Marie. She was already fast asleep beside her, curled up, her breathing slow but steady. Nothing seemed out of place. But the feeling she had didn't fade.

A presence. She felt a presence.

Her heart picked up its pace.

She flicked her gaze to the window, her eyes adjusting to the dim light outside. Nothing. No movement, no shadow shifting in the darkness. And yet…

She felt it.

Her senses had been sharper lately, her awareness heightened. And now, she perceived a scent as it drifted toward her. She sniffed once and with unmistakable doubt. She knew who it was.

Aiden.

Immediately, her body moved even before her mind could fully process it. She slipped out of the mattress, folding the blanket and carefully placing it back on the mattress. She was careful enough not to wake Marie and in no time, she padded toward the door. The moment she stepped outside, she was greeted by the night air as it wrapped around her, cool and thick with the scent of damp earth

She inhaled deeply, following the pull of his scent.

Her bare feet barely made a sound against the ground as she moved. Her eyes darted around through the shadows and the thick fog of darkness. He was close as she could feel him.

And then, she saw him.

Standing a short distance away, his figure bathed in the moonlight. She didn't think at all. She didn't hesitate. She ran.

The moment she collided with him, Aiden caught her, his arms wrapping around her tightly. He lifted her okt the ground with ease, holding her close like he had been waiting for this—like he needed this as much as she did.

Lucy buried her face against his neck, inhaling his scent, the warmth of his skin calming something inside her that had been unsettled all night.

“You came,” she whispered, her voice barely above a breath.

Aiden tightened his grip on her. “I'm sorry I was late… I shouldn't have left you. I had to come when I learnt about what happened.”

Lucy wrapped her arms around him. She didn't let go. And neither did he.