Aria’s POV
I woke up to the sound of birds chirping softly outside the window, but the warmth of the morning did nothing to ease the cold dread sitting in my chest. Mia’s face flashed in my mind, her lifeless eyes staring up at me, frozen in time. I squeezed my eyes shut, hoping to push the image away, but it was useless.
Mia was dead.
And it should’ve been me.
All the events of the past day washed over me as I sat up. Denderick had saved me, but he hadn’t been able to save her. She had died because of me, all because she was my friend because she was in the wrong place at the wrong time. If it hadn’t been for me, Mia would still be alive, smiling, laughing… breathing.
I clenched the sheets, my knuckles turning white. Why her? Why not me?
A small whimper snapped me out of my spiraling thoughts. Edward. My son.
I rolled over to where he lay beside me, still asleep. His tiny chest rose and fell with each soft breath, so peaceful and unaware of the darkness lurking around us. He was the only thing keeping me grounded, the only reason I hadn’t completely shattered into a thousand pieces.
I ran my fingers through his soft blonde curls, forcing a smile. As he grew older, he started to look more and more like Denderick. Edward needed me to be strong. I couldn’t afford to crumble. Not now. Not ever.
But first, I had to get him cleaned up. I hadn’t even had the energy to bathe him last night after everything that happened. The room I was in didn’t have a bath, so I got up and quietly slipped out of the room, making sure not to wake him.
The hallways were still, and I walked quietly, trying to keep my footsteps as light as possible. My mind was on Mia again. She would’ve laughed if she saw me sneaking around like this, telling me I was being ridiculous, but I couldn’t shake the guilt. Mia’s laugh echoed in my ears as I found a bathing room down the hall.
I filled the basin with warm water, making sure it was just right for Edward. As I turned back to go and get him, the door creaked open behind me. I tensed, not in the mood for any company, especially this early in the morning.
“Lady Aria?” a voice called out, sharp and cold.
I turned to see two maids standing there and staring at me. They didn’t look pleased. “You’re not allowed to use the bath,” one of them said.
I blinked, confused. “What do you mean?” I asked. I had just filled the basin. Surely, they didn’t think it was only for them to use.
The second maid stepped forward, her eyes darting everywhere, not meeting mine. “Luna Giselle has ordered that you are not to use anything in the pack house without her permission,” she revealed as if I should have known this all along.
My heart lurched in my chest. Giselle. Of course. Her pettiness knew no bounds. How many times had she tried to make my life miserable when I stayed under this roof? Too many to count, and now she was going to punish my son, too?
I let out a low growl, feeling anger boil up inside me. Enough was enough.
“I’m going to talk to Alpha Denderick,” I muttered, pushing past them before they could say anything else. They watched me, probably shocked that I wasn’t backing down, but I didn’t care. Not anymore.
I stormed down the halls, heading straight for Denderick’s study. The door was closed, but I didn’t bother knocking. I threw it open and found him sitting at his desk, papers spread out in front of him. He looked up, surprised to see me, but I didn’t give him time to say a word.
“Denderick, I’ve had enough!” I snapped, my voice shaking with fury. “This thing with Giselle, it ends now.”
He shook his head slowly, clearly confused. “What are you talking about, Aria?”
“She’s treating me like a prisoner!” I shouted, pacing in front of his desk. “She’s ordered that I can’t use the bath, that I can’t even take care of my son without her permission! How much longer are you going to let her do this?”
“I knew this would happen again.” Denderick sighed, leaning back in his chair. “Aria, you have to understand.”
“Understand what?” I snapped. “This is why I didn’t want to come back to this packed house.”
“Aria, listen to me. Giselle-”
“I don’t care what excuse you have for her!” I cut him off, my chest heaving. “She’s petty and wicked, and I’m not going to put up with it anymore.”
He stood up, his expression serious. “Aria, calm down. You’re not being reasonable.”
“Reasonable?” I laughed bitterly. “I’ve been more than reasonable. I’ve stayed quiet, I’ve tried to be respectful, but this is too much. I won’t let her treat me like this anymore. Either you make her leave, or I’ll take Edward and go. I won’t live under the same roof as that woman.”
A stunned silence filled the room at my words. Denderick’s eyes darkened, and I could see the conflict in his expression. I thought, for a moment, that he would agree. That maybe, just maybe, he would finally choose me.
But when he spoke, his words shattered that hope.
“I can’t send Giselle away, Aria,” he said quietly. “We’re betrothed, remember? If her father or even the Council of Alphas find out I sent her away, they will have my head. I’ve already made too many enemies.”
The shock hit me like a slap to the face. “You’re choosing her?”
Dendrick didn’t meet my eyes. “As much as I want you, I can’t. Giselle is meant to be my Luna, Aria. I do not have a choice.”
I took a step back, my head spinning. I thought I meant something to him. I thought he cared. But this… this changed everything.
“I knew you were a lot of things, Denderick,” I said, quietly. “But I never knew you were a coward.”
His head snapped up, pain flashing across his face, but I didn’t care. I was done.
I turned on my heel and stormed out of his office, slamming the door behind me. My heart was pounding, and my hands were trembling, but I didn’t stop. I couldn’t. Not until I was far away from him, from this whole mess.
Everything I had believed about Denderick, about our relationship, had been a lie. He had been stringing me along this whole time, knowing that he would never choose me.
I reached my room, opening the door quietly. Edward was still fast asleep, blissfully unaware of the chaos around him. I sat on the edge of the bed and watched him, my heart aching.
We didn’t belong here. Not anymore.
It was time for me to go.