Aria’s POV
It was him.
Alpha Dendrick.
“Quiet,” he whispered urgently, removing his hand from my mouth once he saw the recognition in my eyes. “It’s me.”
I stared at him, my mind reeling. What was he doing here? How had he found me? My thoughts were a chaotic mess, but before I could say anything, he stepped closer, his expression serious.
“You’re safe now,” he murmured, his voice low and reassuring, though it did little to calm the storm inside me. “But we have to move quickly. There’s no time to waste.”
I nodded, too overwhelmed to speak. I clutched Edward closer, my heart still racing. Alpha Denderick had found me-whether I was relieved or terrified, I couldn’t quite tell. But for now, I had no choice but to trust him.
I clutched Edward tighter, my mind racing with questions. “Why are you even here?” I asked.
Alpha Denderick’s eyes darkened as he looked at me, the torchlight casting shadows across his face. “Aria, Logan could be after us now. We need to move!”
He made a move to grab my hand, but I yanked my hand away. “I’m not going anywhere with you until I know this!”
Alpha Denderick made an impatient noise and glanced around nervously. “I had to make sure you were alright before I left,” he said quietly. He reached out as if to touch my shoulder, but I instinctively flinched away again.
He paused, his hand hovering in the air for a moment before he withdrew it. A flicker of hurt passed through his eyes, but he nodded, understanding.
“I know I treated you badly before,” he admitted, his voice tinged with regret. “I can’t change the past, but I’m not going to impose myself on you more than I should. You have my word.”
I studied him for a long moment, trying to gauge his sincerity. The Denderick I knew had been harsh and cold, treating me as nothing more than a breeder. But now, there was something different in his eyes-a softness I had never seen before.
I nodded slowly, still wary, but willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. “You’d better not,” I replied, my tone firm.
His gaze shifted to the bundle in my arms. “Is he real?” he asked.
I hesitated for a moment before nodding. “Yes, he’s yours.” Slowly, I handed Edward to him, watching as Denderick carefully took the boy into his arms.
As he held his son, I saw a transformation in Denderick. The hardness in his eyes melted away, replaced by a look of pure, unfiltered love. His fingers gently traced the outline of Edward’s tiny face, his eyes filled with wonder and affection.
It was a look I had never seen in Alpha Logan-Logan, who saw his son only as a means to secure his throne.
For the first time, I saw the father in Denderick, not the harsh alpha who had bought me as a breeder. My heart ached with the contrast between the two men. Logan’s love was conditional, driven by power and control, but Denderick’s love, at the moment, was genuine, raw, and undeniable.
I watched as he cradled Edward, feeling a confusing mix of emotions-fear, hope, and something else I couldn’t quite name. But whatever it was, it made me realize that, despite everything, Denderick cared for this child in a way Logan never would.
I shook my head, trying to clear the confusing thoughts that swirled in my head. I had to remind myself that this was the same man who had purchased me for a million gold coins, treating me like a piece of property rather than a person. I couldn’t let myself forget that, no matter how tender he seemed now.
Clearing my throat, I interrupted the silence. “When do we start moving?” I asked, my voice edged with impatience. “You just said Logan could be after us.”
Alpha Denderick blinked as if coming out of a trance, his gaze shifting away from Edward. He seemed to collect himself before answering.
“I sent my guards back to my pack while I waited for you, so as not to draw suspicions from Logan,” he replied. “But it’s too late to travel now, so we’ll go a short distance to where I’ve set up camp for the night.”
With a nod, he handed Edward back to me. His touch lingered on my hand for a moment, and there was a slight hesitation that made me tense up. But then, without another word, he stepped back and began to shift.
I watched as his form rippled and transformed, the human shape giving way to the massive, powerful body of his wolf. When he stood before me, fully shifted, I had to crane my neck to look up at him.
He was nearly six feet tall at the shoulder, his fur as blonde as his hair, and his eyes gleaming with a fierce, primal light. The sheer power radiating from him was undeniable, and it made me shiver with a slight fear.
Denderick turned his gaze to me, then nudged me gently with his nose. For a moment, I hesitated, but his eyes softened, and I understood his thoughts. He was offering me a way to ride on his back.
I did not like the idea one bit, but I had to trust that Alpha Denderick’s intentions were pure.
Holding Edward close to my chest, I carefully climbed onto Denderick’s broad back. His fur was thick and warm beneath me, the muscles beneath rippling with strength as I settled in.
“Where do I hold on to?” I asked. Alpha Denderick let out a series of snorts, as though he was laughing at my question. I said nothing, opting to settle Edward between my legs instead. Then I grabbed fistfuls of his neck hair instead.
Without another moment’s delay, Denderick took off into the night, his powerful legs propelling us forward with effortless speed. The wind whipped past us, carrying away some of the fears and uncertainties that had been weighing on me. But even as we traveled through the darkness, I couldn’t completely shake the unease that lingered in my heart.
This was the man who had once treated me as nothing more than a commodity. And yet, here I was, trusting him with my life and the life of my child.
I held on tightly, hoping that, despite everything, I hadn’t just made another terrible mistake.