Aria’s POV Xander lets out a little laugh, and that makes butterflies in my stomach churn."Do you have it with you?" He inquire."No, but I have the formula," I say with a smile."I'll talk to Lucas; he can help with anything you might need," Xander suggests."I don't think I'll need any help from Lucas," I express. I'm unsure if Xander wants Lucas to assist me with pure intentions, but I don't think I'll need it.I’m okay with sharing cures I’ve formulated, but I’m a gatekeeper when it comes to herbs I’ve formulated myself—unless it’s a cure."You will, sunshine," he smiles."When’s the wedding?"I try to change the topic. I need to know the date to make the poison in time for the wedding. The poison will take a few weeks but will be perfect."In two months," he replies. Great! I smile to myself; that's enough time to perfect it without any hassle."Perfect, I’ll make a list of things I need.""Okay, sunshine. There’s enough space in the healers for you to make whatever without anyo
Aria's POV"Pass me the watering can, please," I say to Xander, my gaze focused on the hole I’m digging.We were currently planting a small garden in the backyard. The place looked dull, and I was tired of looking at it from my window.So, I told Xander I wanted to plant some herbs I might need in the near future. He was against it at first, but with a little persuasion, he finally gave in and even offered to help me plant.I was using some of the seeds I had with me when I left Moon Waters pack and some other seeds Xander had. He wanted me to plant them at the healers, but I preferred here, so I could take better care of them with an assurance that no one will tamper with them or mistake them for another herb or flower."Here you go," he hands me the watering can."Thank you," I muttered before I began pouring the water into the hole. When the soil was damp enough, I planted each seed carefully, marking them with a nametag.Xander took the opportunity to make small talk, which was su
Aria's POV"Can you please stop?" I groan.Xander kept trying to kiss me at every chance he got the whole day."Why?" he wraps an arm around my waist, pulling me closer to him."I'm trying to get some sleep, Xander. Please stop this madness already," I groan. Xander is going to drop me off at the healer’s before he leaves for a meeting in a neighboring pack tomorrow.I need to get as much rest as I can because tomorrow is going to be a very busy day for me. I don’t know if they have some of the plants I need for the poison or if I have to look for a new one to substitute it."Dealing with herbs is very tiring, Xander, and I'd appreciate it if you let me sleep tonight. You can start thinking of making those babies later, not now," I whisper, smacking his arm that was slowly making its way under the huge T-shirt I was wearing.Dealing with Xander wasn't easy. I have to muster every ounce of willpower in me to stop myself from giving in. Not just giving in, I might as well get into makin
Aria’s POV "How do you know Fara?" he raised a brow."Well... she is a friend, one of the only people who've been genuinely nice to me when I stayed at the pack house. you're the infamous daddy she's been telling me about," I chuckle."I guess so," he smiles. Now that I'm looking at it, Fara has the same face as her father; the only difference is her eyes and hair—probably her mother's."Fara is a good kid. She'd always have stories to tell me whenever she came back from school. I miss her cute voice and her stories.""As nice as she is, she can be a pain in the neck sometimes," he laughs."Oh really?" I raise a brow."Knock, knock," Rose says when she walks in.Lucas frowns, "How many times do I have to tell you to knock before coming?""I did; I said knock, knock" she smile innocently. "Well, I don't remember telling you, you couldn't come in." His frown deepen."Oh come on, Lucas, take a break," she rolls her eyes."Are you done getting the lab ready?" Lucas turns to his papers."
Aria's POVRose's high-pitched voice filled my ears, and a frown took over my face. I don't know how, but her voice somehow sounded high-pitched—maybe it's because I'm annoyed, or perhaps the pain in my wrist is getting worse."Rose," I force a smile.She rushed to my side, linking arms with my injured arm. It took everything in me to stop myself from wincing. I made a mental note to check my arm when I get to the lab, it’s supposed to heal almost instantly but it’s feels as if i got injured few seconds ago. Maybe it might have something to do with withdrawal or something was stopping me from healing faster. "Where have you been? The alpha has been looking for you." Xander is here? I turn my gaze to the window, but it's already very dark outside. I didn't expect Xander to be back this early; he had to go to two different meetings in two different packs, and maybe he has rounds."Where is he?" I ask as I scan the room for him, but I couldn't find him."He thought you might be in the
Aria’s POV:I groan when a sharp pain pierce through my stomach, but I'm too sleepy to open my eyes, much less figure out what's wrong. Another sharp pain pierces through my stomach, then another follows, I clench my stomach tightly, hoping it will ease the pain. But it feels as if my stomach is being attacked by sharp arrows striking one after the other.I try turning to the other side, hoping to feel better, but it doesn't seem to work. I attempt to roll again, feeling my body leave the bed, and I crash on the hard floor, landing on my injured wrist.Unable to hold back, I let out a little scream, finally forcing my eyes to open. The bed makes a little sound when Xander stands up from the bed and rushes to my side."Sunshine, are you okay?" He asks, helping me off the floor."I'm good, I just fell off while sleeping," I let out a chuckle."Are you sure?" His eyes narrow on me."I'm perfectly fine," I lied. My stomach was killing me, and my wrist was on another level of stinging."Yo
Aria's POVI'm currently standing in a foggy field. I turn to see if anyone is close, but no one is. It's more because I can't see anything, but the white fog covers the whole place like smoke.Sounds of giggling from a few feet away make me snap my head in that direction. My sensitive ears pick up the light sound of running kids.I follow the sound of the kids running, but as the sounds get louder, the fog grows thicker and darker.I jerk to a stop when I step on something soft yet hard. The sound of a high-pitched scream fills my ears, and I realize I've stepped on a child's foot. Still not able to see anything, I wave my hand around, trying to find the child's body, but I can't. Their foot disappears from under mine, and I scream, "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean—"Another scream cuts me off.I turn to the direction of the scream, waving my arms in that direction, and I reluctantly feel a child's shoulder. I quickly pull her closer.A pair of golden orbs stare up at me. I place my hand
Xander's POV:“We have enough warriors to find everything out in a few seconds, man,” Caine smiled.“We’re finally going to get rid of that bastard. For good this time,” Russell rested his hands on the table.We’re currently in a meeting discussing how we would kill Victor, but little did they know, I don't want him dead. I have other things in mind. Killing him that easily doesn't seem right to me.Someone as awful as Victor doesn’t deserve a death that simple. Plus, I have a lot of questions to ask him.“What do we do with the body after?” Jacob asks from the other end of the table, and I raise my head to stare at him.“I don’t care, as long as he’s out of the picture. That’s enough for me,” Caine says, taking another sip of his drink.“I agree with that,” Russell spoke. He and Caine burst into a fit of laughter, fist-bumping each other in the process.I shake my head in distaste. I can’t believe these two fools are alphas. They always try to turn any situation into a joke.“We’ll
ARIA'S POV When I was sure Albert was dead, I dragged what was left of his body to the mud pit at the far end of the clearing. My hands were trembling, and my breathing was uneven, but I had no time to dwell on it.The chaos from the ceremony was still ringing in my ears, and I needed to get back. After wiping my hands on the damp earth, I made my way back to the gathering. But when I arrived, what greeted me was utter destruction.People were running in all directions, panic clear on their faces. Shattered decorations and overturned chairs littered the ground. Fires burned in scattered patches, and the air smelled of blood and smoke.I searched the area for Marcus, but he was nowhere to be seen. Neither was Xander. My heart pounded in my chest as I scanned the chaos. The only person I could make out was Russel, who was helping people escape from the premises.Where’s Victor? I thought to myself, my anxiety growing.Pushing through the chaos, I kept searching until I finally caught s
ARIA’S POV““Hello, Berta. I knew we’d meet again, but I didn’t expect it to be this soon,” I said with a smirk, watching the fear flicker in her eyes. It was clear she hadn’t anticipated this confrontation, and the sight of her trembling filled me with satisfaction.“A-Aria... What are you doing here? And you...” She paused, sniffing the air cautiously. “You smell different.”“We’re not friends or long lost allies, Berta, so what I smell like should be none of your business,” I replied coldly, taking a deliberate step toward her.She stepped back instinctively, and for every step I took, she retreated further, her back finally pressing against the rough bark of a tree.In a sudden, desperate move, she pulled out a knife and plunged it into her stomach. Warm blood splattered onto my hand, and for a moment, I froze in shock.“Berta!” I shouted, my voice rising with disbelief. “What the heck did you just do?”She slumped to the ground, clutching her self inflicted wound, her breaths com
ARIA'S POV From the corner of my eye, I spotted a familiar figure a woman with grey hair tied in her usual thin plaits, wearing the same plain dress I'd seen her in countless times before.Her scent hit me before her identity fully registered, and with it came a rush of emotions I couldn’t suppress. Anger, grief, and hatred all mixed into a bitter concoction I’d been forced to swallow over the years.How could I ever forget that scent?For a moment, I hesitated. I wanted to stay and savour the view before me Victor, the man who orchestrated so much of my suffering, unknowingly sipping from his poisoned glass of wine. But this wasn’t just about revenge. It was about justice, and justice demanded answers.I turned on my heel and followed her, keeping my distance. She walked briskly, her movements deliberate, as though she were on a mission. My instincts screamed that this could be a trap, but curiosity won. Whatever this was, I needed to know.My hand brushed the weapon strapped to my
XANDER'S POV"i'm in" Marcus says the desperation in his tone clear as day.“This isn’t the place to talk about these things,” I say, my voice steady but firm. I glance at him, trying to figure out what Aria must have said to him. Something has clearly changed because, out of nowhere, he’s full of determination to join the plan.I still can’t wrap my head around it. The last time we spoke, he made it very clear he had no interest in this event, let alone helping with anything related to it.In fact, he outright told me he wasn’t coming.“That’s exactly why we need to do this now,” he says. His tone is calm but urgent as he pulls a small pocket knife out of his jacket. Before I can even react, he slices his palm without hesitation. Blood seeps from the cut, and he holds out his hand toward me, silently urging me to shake it.For a moment, I’m stunned. I blink, trying to process what just happened. Amusement and shock mix inside me.“Do you even know what you’re doing right now?” I ask,
ARIA’S POV“Oh, hey Marc,” I say, smiling as Marcus steps up beside me from behind.“Hey, Marc,” Kristie echoes, wiping her mouth with a napkin.“Hi,” Marcus responds with a polite nod.“I’m Kristie,” she introduces herself, offering him a hand to shake before I even get the chance to introduce them.“Nice to meet you, Kristie. I’m Marcus,” he says, shaking her hand firmly.We both chuckle at their exchange, though my mind is elsewhere.We need to get out of Xander’s reach, I tell Marcus through the mind link.I haven’t looked back since Kristie and I walked away, but I can feel Xander’s eyes boring into my back, hot and heavy like a burning flame.“He’s just being a good mate, as he should be, Aria,” Marcus replies.“You call making me uncomfortable being a good mate?” I retort.“Well, if it were me…” He pauses for a moment, scratching the back of his neck. “If my mate were still here, I’d probably be staring at her like a lovesick stalker twenty-four hours a day if she wasn’t next t
ARIA'S POV “Gentlemen,” Xander says, his voice shifting to a more casual tone as we approach the group. “Meet my mate.”I force a small smile, trying to appear calm despite the uneasiness in my chest.“Meet my brothers, sunshine,” he says to me, his tone softening just a little.“This is Jacob,” he adds, motioning toward the man in the black suit and tie. Jacob simply nods at me, his expression unreadable.“And you’ve already met Caine.”I glance at Caine, but he’s too lost in his own thoughts to even notice that we’re talking about him.“And over there is Russel and his mate, Kristie,” Xander finishes.“Hey, I’m Aria,” I say to Kristie, offering her a polite smile.“It’s nice to meet you, Aria,” Kristie replies warmly, unlinking her arm from Russel’s and stepping forward to give me a hug.For some reason, despite just meeting her, I feel an odd sense of familiarity. It’s as if I’ve known her forever.“Do you want to head to the food stand?” she asks, a playful gleam in her eyes. “Th
ARIA'S POV “If you so much as let another man hold you, I will make sure they don’t spend another second on this earth,” Xander says, his voice low and threatening. He closes the gap between us, his intense gaze pinning me in place. Then, without warning, he captures my lips in a firm, possessive kiss.For a moment, I melt into it, my anger and resistance fading. I hate how much I miss this how much I miss him. As much as I want to stay in this moment forever, I know I can’t.The memories of yesterday flood back like a tidal wave, and I feel a sharp, massive pain shoot through my neck. The betrayal, the hurt it’s all too much.“No!” I manage to say between breaths, breaking away from the kiss.“I am not yours,” I bite out, my voice shaking with emotion.I try to push past him, desperate to get back to the crowd where I can breathe again, but Xander grabs my arm and pulls me back against the wall. His touch is firm but not forceful, though it leaves me no room to escape.He takes a d
ARIA'S POVVictor’s smirk falters for a split second but quickly returns, his usual confident demeanor sliding back into place. “Ah, Alpha Xander,” he says smoothly, his tone dripping with mock politeness. “Always swooping in at the last minute. How charming.”Xander doesn’t reply. Instead, he keeps his firm hold on me, his silver eyes blazing with quiet intensity. The look sends shivers down my spine, making my heart race, even though I’m furious at him for what he did to me yesterday in the woods.Victor’s gaze shifts between us, his lips curling into a faint smile that reeks of amusement. He finally steps back but not before giving me one last lingering look. “Enjoy your evening,” he says, his voice calm yet loaded with meaning.Without a word, Xander pulls me away from where Marcus and I were standing. He doesn’t stop until we’re in a quieter spot, far away from the crowd and behind the tall fence that encloses the area.“What were you thinking?” Xander hisses, leaning closer so o
ARIA'S POV. “Now, you stay close to me at all times unless you plan on staying by your mate’s side,” Marcus said in a low voice, his tone serious. “The people here are dangerous.”I didn’t need him to warn me about that. The tension in the air was enough to tell me everything I needed to know. The powerful auras surrounding us were suffocating, and my instincts were on high alert. There were too many strong wolves gathered in one place.And when has having so many powerful wolves in one gathering ever been a good idea?The chances of this ending peacefully were slim to none. Something always goes wrong in situations like this.“Are you even listening to me?” Marcus whispered sharply in my ear.“Of course I am,” I lied smoothly, giving him a quick glance.The truth? I hadn’t heard a single word he said. My mind was elsewhere, already bracing for the chaos I was sure would erupt before the night was over.“Great,” he muttered, clearly unconvinced. “When we see my dad, let me know immed