Aria’s POV
As Denderick reached out to pat my shoulder, a small gesture of comfort perhaps, I flinched away from him instinctively. I couldn’t bear his touch, not now. Not after what he had just said.
His hand hovered in the air for a moment before he slowly pulled it back. “Right. I am sorry.” He murmured. I didn’t spare him an answer.
A long stretch of uncomfortable silence ensued between us, and then he turned and left without another word.
The door clicked shut behind him, and I was left sitting there with my son in my arms. My heart heavy with a sadness I couldn’t put into words.
Move away from the pack house. Restore peace. It echoed in my head, over and over, like a harrowing, torturous thing. What did he really mean? That I was a threat to this peace? That my very presence was disruptive? And that the only way to protect his throne was to remove me? To remove Edward?
I sank to the floor, cradling Edward closer to my chest. The tears started to well up, stinging my eyes, but I tried to blink them away. I had to be strong for my son and for me.
But the more I thought about Denderick’s words, the more my strength crumbled. They were all right; I was nothing more than a breeder to them. Even to Denderick, I was just a means to an end, a way to secure an heir.
I thought I could handle that. I thought I could accept my place in this world, but hearing it from him, hearing him confirm it in such a cold and practical way, had shattered something inside me. And the tears, the ones I tried so hard to hold back, finally spilled over. They streamed down my cheeks, hot and bitter, as I clutched my son even tighter.
My heart ached, not just for myself, but for the future I had imagined, the life I had hoped for. A life with Denderick, one where we could be together, raise our son together. But that life was never meant to be, I knew that now.
*********
Days passed after this incident, but Denderick didn’t come back, nor did he make any effort to see me. I stayed in my room, avoiding everyone, avoiding him. I didn’t think I could bear to see him, not after everything.
I ate my meals in silence, never leaving the room except to take care of Edward. The walls of this room had become my sanctuary, a place where I could hide from the cruel reality that waited for me outside. A reality where I was nothing more than a temporary fixture, a problem to be solved.
Then, one day, there was a knock on the door. It was a sharp, authoritative sound that pulled me from my thoughts. I hesitated for a moment before going to see who it was. When I opened the door, I found two maids and two guards standing there. They were strangers to me, faces I hadn’t seen before, but their presence was unmistakably official.
One of the maids stepped forward, a slight bow of her head as she spoke. “Lady Aria, we’ve been sent by Alpha Denderick to escort you to your new cottage.”
Her words were soft, almost gentle, but they meant the end for me. So, it was really happening. I was leaving Denderick.
I nodded mutely, my throat too tight to speak. I gathered my few belongings- there wasn’t much to pack, anyway- and held Edward close as I followed them out of the room. Each step felt heavy, like I was walking through quicksand, or walking the plank.
When we reached the entrance of the pack house, I saw him. Denderick was waiting there; his tall, imposing figure was hard to miss. Now, it only made my heart ache even more. His blonde hair caught the light of the sun, and his chiseled features were as handsome as ever, but there was a darkness in his eyes, a sadness that mirrored my own.
I wanted to look away, to shield myself from the pain of seeing him like this, but I couldn’t. My eyes were drawn to him, like a moth to a flame, knowing that I would only get burned. As I stared at him, the realization hit me like a punch to the gut.
I would never be with him. No matter what my heart wanted, no matter how much I wished for it, we were never meant to be. The divide between us was too great, too impossible to bridge.
Just then, I heard a soft, familiar voice. “Oh, I’m so sorry to see you go, Aria.”
I turned to see Giselle walking towards us. She was as prim and beautiful as ever, but her face was a mask of smug satisfaction. She slipped her hand into Denderick’s arm, a gesture that was as possessive as it was territorial. They looked like the perfect couple, the future Alpha and Luna, and it made me feel sick to my stomach.
“Thank you,” I replied stiffly, forcing the words out even though I knew she didn’t mean it. I knew she was pretending to be sorry, but what else could I do? I had no strength left to fight.
Giselle’s smile widened, her eyes gleaming with triumph. “This pack house was never meant for you, anyway.”
Her words were a slap in the face, and I gasped softly. I felt the sting of it deep in my chest, but I kept my face neutral, refusing to give her the satisfaction of seeing me break.
Before I could respond, Denderick stepped in, giving her a cold stare. “Giselle, that’s enough.”
But the damage was already done. The wound was already inflicted, and I knew it would take a long time to heal, if it ever did. I didn’t want to hear any more, not from her, not from him. I just wanted to leave, to escape this place and all the pain it had brought me.
“Aria, I…” Denderick began, turning to me with an apologetic look in his eyes. He looked like he was about to say something more, to apologize, maybe even to explain himself, but I didn’t want to hear it.
I cut him off before he could continue. “Hold it, please. There’s nothing to be sorry about, Denderick.”
Without waiting for him to speak again, I turned on my heel and walked toward the waiting carriage.
As I stepped into the carriage, cradling Edward close, I felt the weight of Denderick’s gaze on my back. My heart screamed for me to look back one last time, to search his eyes for the truth, for something-anything-that would make this pain bearable. But I didn’t. Instead, I forced my gaze forward, biting down on the sob that threatened to escape.
The door slammed shut behind me, the finality of it echoing in the silence. As the carriage lurched forward, I squeezed my eyes shut, refusing to let the tears fall again.
I wouldn’t look back. I couldn’t. Because if I did, I knew I’d never be able to leave. And leaving was the only choice I had left.
The carriage rumbled down the path, taking me further away from the life I had wanted so desperately.
The life I had imagined, the love I thought we shared-it was all gone now, slipping through my fingers like sand. And as the pack house disappeared from view, the reality of my situation settled in my chest like a stone.
There was no going back.
I closed my eyes and leaned back against the seat, fighting to hold onto the last fragments of my shattered heart.
But deep down, I knew I was already lost.