Aria’s POV
When I woke up, I found myself nestled against a warm, solid chest. My heart skipped a beat as I realized it was Denderick. His blue eyes were watching me closely, a look of interest gleaming in them. I quickly pulled away, my face heating up with embarrassment.
“Where’s Edward?” I asked, avoiding his gaze as I searched for my son.
Denderick pointed to a spot a few feet away. “I moved him so you could sleep better.”
I rushed over to Edward, scooping him up and holding him close. The familiar weight of him in my arms eased the tension in my chest. Denderick’s voice brought me back to the moment.
“How did you sleep?” he asked, his tone casual, but his eyes were still studying me.
“Okay,” I mumbled, still flustered from how I’d woken up.
“We need to pack up and start moving,” Denderick said, standing up and brushing off his pants. “Logan will be after us soon.”
I nodded mutely, setting Little Ed down again. We worked together to pack up the campsite, moving quickly but quietly, each of us lost in our thoughts.
But it was as though the Moon Goddess had other plans for us. While packing, my hand brushed him and my eyes met his blue ones again.
We both stared at each other for what felt like an eternity. I’d never noticed just how deep and striking Denderick’s blue eyes were, catching the flickering light of the dying campfire at a perfect angle.
For a moment, all my problems seemed to fade into the background as I looked up at him. His scent filled my senses-like a fresh rain mixed with the faintest hint of pine-every element of him overtaking my common sense.
Denderick, the man responsible for my suffering in so many ways, stood before me, his face filled with mild concern. He stepped closer to me.”Are you alright? Did you get hurt?” he asked, his voice gentle.
I took a moment to compose myself before answering. “I… I’m fine,” I muttered, my voice quivering. My whole body was still trembling from the events of the past few days, but with his presence so close, the tremors began to ease. I looked at him, taking in his strong features, and anger flared within me li wildfire.
This man had bought me like I was nothing more than livestock, had put a baby in me, and now he stood here, acting as if he cared. How could life be so cruel?
I roughly pushed him away and stood to my feet, folding my arms tightly against the chill of the morning.
“Don’t be difficult, Aria.” He snapped. “I’m your only option. Or do you have anywhere else to go?”
Resentment surged within me. How could he not understand the torment and suffering I’d endured because of him? My anger boiled over, and I lashed out at him.
“No, I don’t have anywhere to go,” I retorted, my voice dripping with bitterness. “But don’t think for a second that I owe you anything. You may have helped me escape Logan, but you’re the reason I was trapped in the first place!”
Denderick’s face tightened, a mix of surprise and anger flashing across his features. His eyes locked with mine, and I could see the weight of his guilt behind the defiance. “I saved you, Aria,” he growled. “You keep forgetting that.”
“Of course. How noble of you,” I scoffed, my voice thick with sarcasm. “You also thought it was perfectly fine to buy me like a piece of property, didn’t you? Well, I’m not going to pretend that I’m grateful for any of this, because I’m not!”
A tense silence settled between us as my words struck him. Denderick seemed lost for a moment, and I could see the hurt mingling with his frustration. It was a small victory, but it didn’t ease the pain I had endured.
His anger slowly turned to a kind of dark amusement. “In other words, you have nowhere to go from here, right?”
“And whose fault is that?” I snapped.
He stared at me for a long moment, an incredulous look on his face. “Come on. We’ll head to my pack. You’ll stay there for today, and then we’ll figure out the next steps tomorrow.” He turned, gesturing for me to follow. “Are you coming?”
Left with no other choice, I trudged after him. We walked in silence for a while, the only sound being the crunch of leaves beneath our feet. I felt his gaze on me, even as I kept my eyes focused ahead, and then he spoke softly.
“I understand,” he said, his voice thick with something that almost sounded like regret. “I made your life… a living hell, in every sense of the word.”
I stayed silent, staring forward.
“But you’d have to get on me again, so we can move faster.”
I wanted to object, wanted to rain all the curses I could think of at him. But I was more exhausted than angry. This time, I climbed his back without protest and drifted off into another bout of sleep.
*******
When I woke again, the steady rhythm of movement had stopped. I blinked groggily and realized we had arrived at our destination- Denderick’s pack house.
I slid off his back, my legs trembling slightly from the long ride.
Denderick shifted back into his human form. “We’re here. Follow me.”
I nodded and followed him towards the pack house. The air was cool, and the towering trees around us only added to the sense of isolation. As we approached the front doors, I couldn’t help but feel a mixture of relief and anxiety. I still remember a short time living here.
Denderick opened the door, and I hesitated for a moment before stepping inside. A sense of quiet echoed through the empty halls. It was still very early, and the house was silent, the guards and servants still sleeping. I was acutely aware that it was just the two of us in this massive house.
It was as though I’d never left.
“Come on,” Denderick said, his voice breaking the silence. “I’ll show you to your room.”
He led me up the familiar wide staircase, our footsteps the only sound as we ascended. We finally reached a landing lined with several doors, each identical in design. He opened one and motioned for me to enter.
I stepped into the room and was taken aback by its sheer size and elegance. A large bed, several comforters and chairs, a dresser, and wide windows that overlooked the grounds.
It was nothing like the shack of a room I was kept in in Alpha Logan’s pack house.
For a moment, I felt a pang of awe at the sight before me. But then, reality set in, and my awe was quickly replaced by sadness. I was back where I started, and yet, things still felt different.
“Rest well,” Denderick said quietly, his voice pulling me from my thoughts.
“Yeah, whatever,” I muttered in response.
As I lay down on the bed, I couldn’t shake off the feeling of unease. Denderick’s words, his actions, his eyes – everything seemed to be chipping away at my defenses. I thought I hated him, but a part of me was starting to wonder if that was true.
In the silence of the room, I heard my oeartbeat, and with it, a whispered truth: I was scared. Scared of Denderick, scared of myself, scared of what I might feel if I let my guard down.
Denderick’s anger, his wrath, his endless torture. It was a memory I had tried to bury, but it refused to stay hidden.