Arias pov The alpha wants a word with me? Why does Xander want to talk to me? And why is he sending someone to call me?"Is everything okay?" I ask him."Well… in a way it is," he smiles. "You can finish up here. I'll be on my way," he turns to leave.I give Julia one last look before making my way to the door. "I'll be right back.""But you haven't finished your meal," her voice is behind me."I'll finish it when I come back," I yell back, making my way to Xander's office.I take a deep breath when the door comes into view. Before knocking on it. Before waiting for his response, I open the door to find Xander seated behind his desk with Simon sitting across from him."Hello," I say when I close the door behind me. I sit on the couch at the other end of the room.The room goes silent for a few minutes."So," Xander's voice breaks the silence. "Let's get straight to the point." His expression looks nothing like the Xander I went to the lake with."Okay… what are we talking about today
Aria's POVAfter what felt like an hour of crying, yes, in the shower, I finally got a grip on myself and got out of the shower.I honestly forgot the real reason that made me cry, but I knew I was mad at Xander. I wrapped my hair in a towel and dressed in sweatpants and a long-sleeved shirt. I don’t know why it was so cold today; maybe it was because I sat in the cold shower for a long time.Staring at my puffy eyes in the mirror, I knew I needed to do something. My crying is getting out of hand, and if I don’t do anything about it soon, my eyes might fall out of their sockets.I need to find something to calm my nerves and emotions. I’m a very big mess!Then it hit me, ‘Rose.’ Rose might be able to help out; she tried her best to help me when I was going through my withdrawal. So she must definitely have something to help out.But… for that, I need to get out of this house first. So I made a mental note to go see Rose tomorrow. I’ve missed her a little bit.I dragged the covers over
Aria's POVComing out here was a bad idea; I should have grabbed a coat or jacket to keep me warm. I don’t even have a shoe on, even though my wolf genes are supposed to keep me warm, I guess it’s too cold for it.I took another step closer to the lake. I had nowhere to go, and I have no idea where to go. The pack house wouldn’t be a good idea; people there don’t actually like me, and the healers are a bunch of snitches. I know for a fact they will call Xander the very moment I walk in the entrance.So I settled on the lake; it was the only place I could think of. Unlike the morning, it’s so cold out here; so cold I don’t even dare to put a foot into the water. I can’t risk it.So, I just sit by the water, trying my best not to cry. Sitting out here is triggering memories I don’t want to remember, memories from my past, my first day in the pack house.—It was a very snowy night, and I had to move to the pack-house because I’m not allowed to live alone in my house. I wasn’t old enough
Aria's POV"You’re not wrong, Aria; we are mates; you are my mate," I hear Xander’s voice.I turn abruptly to the sound of his voice. He was standing a few feet away, and I fight the urge to ask him why he's here. I bring my knees closer to my chest, wrapping my arms tighter around them to ease the chill engulfing me.I turn my attention back to the lake. I really need to know how he’s doing this, how he’s listening to my thoughts without my knowledge. Letting himself into my head without my permission. His heavy footsteps draw closer, but I don’t even acknowledge them. I feel a jacket being wrapped around me, and the cold immediately subsides a little. The smell of Xander’s cedarwood scent makes me feel a little better.“It’s cold out here; let’s go home,” he gives me his hand, which I don’t accept. My attention is still focused on the lake.“Sunshine,” he whispers, “it’s cold out here. You’re even shaking” I look down to my hands and legs, I didn’t know I was shaking until he said
Aria's POV“I don’t like avocados,” I grimaced after taking a bite of the sandwich Julia had made.“Then don’t eat it,” Julia snapped as she washed dishes. We were in the kitchen; she cleaned while I tried to eat my breakfast.“Then make me another sandwich.”She paused before responding. “No! Make it yourself.”“Well, I would’ve made it myself, but,” I paused, “I’m a bit lazy today. Don’t worry; I’ll get Xander to make another sandwich without avocados for me.” I jumped down from the counter to the door.“Wait,” she grumbled. “I will make you a new one.”“I’m sorry; I didn’t quite catch that.” I placed my hand behind my ear.“I said I will make you a new one.” I bit my lip, holding back a laugh, and made my way to my chair, watching as she prepared a new sandwich.“Here,” she shoved the plate my way and took the other one away. I couldn't help but let out a laugh.“I love spending time with you, Julie,” I said between laughs.“I don’t, leave when you’re done.” Her famous scowl shone
Aria’s pov Today is one of the best days of my life . Whoever said ‘spending money you didn’t work for is bad’ need a reality check. At first, I did feel guilty, but Xander deserves it. He didn’t think twice when he was doing things I didn’t like, so he’s paying with his money.I love the way the shopping bags look, and the sound of the machine when the card gets approved, and the fake smiles from the workers when they hand me the card back.I walked out of the fourth store today. At this point, I don’t know what I want. I’m just buying things out of spite for Xander.I can’t imagine what his face looks like when he sees all those debits.I flinch as some of my bags fall to the ground when I feel a hand snake around my waist. But the smell of cedar wood calms me. I turn to see Xander.But not the way I expected him. I thought he would be fuming with smoke coming out of his ears, but no, something that resembles worry spreads across his face. “What the heck, you scared me.” I place
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