Aria’s POV
“A pregnant woman’s dead body was found at the border of the pack.”
Mia’s words hung in the air, heavy and scary. I stared at her, my mind struggling to process what she had just said.
“What did you just say?”
Mia looked at me with a grim expression, then entered my cottage through the door I left open. “That’s all I know, Aria. I heard it from the women in the marketplace. They were talking about it this morning. We have to be more careful now.”
I felt my heart pound against my ribs, my breath quickening as fear took hold of me. “But who was she? How did she die?” I pressed, needing to know more, even though the thought of it terrified me.
Mia shook her head, her eyes filled with sorrow. “I don’t know. No one knows for sure. Some say she was killed, others think it might have been an accident… but considering where she was found… it’s hard to believe it was anything but murder.”
Murder.
The word echoed in my mind like a terrifying tattoo. My hands began to tremble, and I clasped them together to keep them still.
“Mia, this can’t be happening…” My voice broke as I spoke, the memories of Logan’s pack rushing back to me in a flood of terror. “When I was with Alpha Logan, there were cases… cases of pregnant women disappearing or being found dead. Nobody ever knew what happened to them, but now… now I think it might be related.”
Mia’s eyes widened in shock, and she opened her mouth to say something, but before she could, a sharp knock at the door silenced her. We both froze, the sound of it echoing through the small room like a death knell.
I just stood there for a moment, before moving slowly toward the window. My hands shook as I pulled back the blinds just enough to see who was outside. When my eyes landed on the tall, sandy-haired figure standing at the door, my blood ran cold.
It was Alpha Denderick.
I stumbled back from the window, my heart slamming against my chest so hard it hurt. Goddess, it was too early to see him again after everything that had transpired between us the last time.
It was also hard to separate my emotions. Was I still angry at him? Or was I scared?
I pressed myself against the wall, trying to think, trying to breathe. What was he doing here? Why now? Did he know about the body? Was he… responsible?
Mia stared at me with concern. “Aria, what’s wrong? Why aren’t you opening the door?”
I swallowed hard, my mouth dry as sandpaper. “Mia… I don’t think I can. I… I suspect Alpha Denderick might be behind these killings. What if he’s here to… to…”
Mia’s eyes widened in disbelief, and she shook her head vehemently. “No, Aria. No. Alpha Denderick isn’t that kind of person. He’s strict, yes, but he wouldn’t harm innocent women, especially not pregnant ones. You must be mistaken.”
Her words didn’t bring me any comfort. I wanted to believe her-I did-but the fear and suspicion filling my heart wouldn’t let me. The dead women had been found so close to his territory. It was too much of a coincidence to ignore.
But what if I was wrong? What if I was accusing an innocent man of something so horrific? The thought twisted my insides, making me feel sick. I didn’t know what to do.
“Aria,” Mia prompted gently, pulling me out of my spiraling thoughts. “Open the door. Talk to him. If you don’t, it’ll only make things worse. You can’t keep running from this.”
I took a deep breath, trying to calm the storm inside me. Mia was right. I couldn’t run from this. No matter how terrified I was, I needed to face Alpha Denderick and get to the bottom of this, one way or another.
Slowly, I walked to the door and hesitated, my hand hovering over the doorknob. My heart pounded in my ears, so loud I could barely hear anything else. I felt Mia’s reassuring hand on my shoulder, giving me the strength to do what needed to be done.
Finally, I opened the door, and there he stood-Alpha Denderick, tall and imposing, his presence filling the doorway. The sight of him made my breath hitch, and for a moment, I couldn’t speak.
He smiled at me, a warm, hesitant smile that made me doubt my suspicions all over again.
“Aria,” he called softly, stepping through the doorway. “I just came by to check on you and Edward. How are you both?”
I swallowed hard, forcing myself to speak despite the fear tightening my throat. “We’re fine,” I managed to say. “Edward is fine too.”
Denderick’s eyes flicked to Mia, and she gave me a small nod before stepping back. “I’ll leave you two to talk,” she said, giving a quick curtsey to Alpha Denderick before walking out the door.
The door closed behind her with a soft click, and suddenly, the room felt much smaller. I looked up at Alpha Denderick, my heart hammering in my chest, as the words I’d been holding back burst out of me.
“Why are you here, Dendrick?” I blurted. “Did you come to check on us, or did you come to cover your tracks?”
He looked at me with confusion, his brow furrowing slightly. “What are you talking about, Aria? What tracks?”
I took a step back, needing the distance between us. “The dead woman at the border,” I replied, my voice rising. “You know about her, don’t you? All the bodies-they’ve been found so close to your territory. How can that be a coincidence?”
Denderick’s expression darkened, hurt flashing in his eyes before it was replaced by something colder. “Are you accusing me of killing those women?” he asked, his voice dangerously low. “Is that what you think of me, Aria? That I’m some kind of monster?”
I flinched at the harshness in his tone, but I couldn’t back down now. “What else am I supposed to think?” I shot back. “They’re always found near your borders! How can I ignore that? And considering what you’ve done in the past.”
“What happened in the last stays in the past.”
“How can I be so sure?” I snapped back.
Denderick’s jaw twitched, and for a moment, I thought he might lash out. But instead, he took a deep breath, forcing himself to stay calm. “Aria,” he murmured. “I would never harm an innocent woman, let alone a pregnant one. I thought you knew me better than that.”
His words made me pause for a moment. Could I have been wrong? The sincerity in his voice, the hurt in his eyes-it didn’t match the image of the cold-blooded killer I had feared. But the doubt was still there, teasing at my heart, making it impossible to fully trust him.
“I don’t know what to believe anymore,” I whispered, my anger dissolving into despair. “But if you didn’t do it, then who did?”
“Who else?” Denderick shrugged. “It’s Logan.”