Aria stood outside the chamber, her heart hammering in her chest. She had been waiting for a few minutes now, rehearsing what she would say, trying to steady her breath. Her hands fidgeted with the edge of her apron, wringing it nervously. Finally, the door swung open, and Kiernan, the pack's Beta and commander, stepped out. He was tall and broad-shouldered, his dark hair tousled from the earlier confrontation, his expression thoughtful.Aria immediately felt a blush creeping up her cheeks as she looked up at him, her voice barely above a whisper. "Thank you… for standing up for me," she said, forcing herself to meet his eyes.Kiernan glanced at her, his gaze calm but distant. "It was nothing," he replied shortly, his tone polite but dismissive. "Just be more careful next time, Aria. You don’t want to be on the Alpha’s bad side."Her heart sank a little at his response, but she nodded quickly, not wanting to seem ungrateful. "I will," she said, her voice trembling slightly. "I’m sorry
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