Aria’s POV
Alpha Logan grabbed my arm and practically yanked me down the narrow, sparsely lit corridor of dungeon cells. My heart felt as though it was about to burst apart with terror. The walls felt like they were closing in on me, and the stale air of the dungeons was suffocating.
I knew the plans he had for me couldn’t be anywhere good. After everything he had said, after the cruel threats he had made, the fear of what awaited me ate away at my insides. My son, he said he was taking me to Edward, but how could I be sure that they hadn’t harmed my poor boy? What had they done to him?
Suddenly, we emerged from the darkness, and the bright sunlight nearly blinded me. I squinted, my eyes stinging from the sudden change. It had been four days since I had seen the sun, four days trapped in that cold, dark cell. The warmth on my skin felt foreign, like something I no longer deserved.
Logan didn’t say a word as we crossed the grounds toward the main pack house. My bones felt like they were made of lead, but I forced myself to keep moving. The thought of Edward kept me going, even though the fear of what they might have done to him stole my senses.
As we entered the pack house, I was hit by the familiar scent of the place. Memories of the time I had spent here flooded my mind, but they were even more tainted now, twisted by everything that had happened.
Logan led me to a room at the end of a long hallway. His hand never left my arm, as though he feared I might try to run. But where would I go? I was trapped, just like before.
He pushed open a door, and I found myself standing in front of a large window that looked into another room. A loud gasp escaped my lips as I peered through the window.
It was the nursery. The very same nursery that Edward had used when we had lived with Alpha Denderick.
My eyes scanned the room, and then I saw him.
Edward.
He was there, sitting on the floor, propped against several satin cushions while two maids hovered nearby. My heart leaped in my chest, and a desperate, overwhelming wave of relief crashed over me.
My poor boy was safe. At least, he looked safe.
“Edward!” I screamed, banging on the window, desperate to get to him. “Edward!”
My voice was hoarse, but I didn’t care. I needed to reach him. I needed to hold my baby, to know he was okay.
Suddenly, a strong hand wrapped around my throat, pulling me back from the window. I gasped, my hands flying up to claw at the fingers pressing into my skin. Logan’s face loomed over me, his eyes dark and furious.
“If you make another sound, I’ll kill him,” he hissed.
I froze, every muscle in my body going rigid. My chest heaved as I struggled to breathe, panic gripping me. My son-he was threatening my son.
“Wh… What?”
“You see those maids in there?” Logan snarled into my ear from behind. “They have been instructed to tend to Little Eddie’s every need. But at my command, they can also wring his tiny neck or drive a blade through his little heart. All it takes…. is a snap of my fingers.”
“I… I’ll do anything,” I gasped, my voice tinny and pitiful through the pressure on my throat. “Please, Logan, don’t hurt him.”
Logan’s grip loosened slightly, but he didn’t let go. “Anything?”
I nodded quickly, tears doubling my vision. “Yes. Just don’t hurt my baby. Please. I’ll do anything.”
He smiled a slow, cold smile that made me feel even more terrified. “Good. Because you’re going to do exactly what I tell you, Aria.”
I swallowed hard, my throat raw from the strain. “What…. What do you want me to do?”
Logan released me then, and I stumbled forward, gripping the windowsill and gasping for air. He turned back toward the window, watching Edward for a moment before speaking again.
“In time, you’ll know,” he said, his voice calm now, as though we were having a casual conversation. “For now, I want you to remember one thing: you belong to me now. Your life, your decisions, everything you do-it’s all mine. And I will take extra care to not let Alpha Logan anywhere near you again. Understand?”
I nodded, my heart sinking. I had no choice. He had my son, and he wasn’t going to let me forget it.
Logan turned back to me, his eyes narrowing. “You made a lot of trouble for me, Aria. Lied to me. Tried to run. You thought you could hide from me with Denderick, that you could raise his son and pretend he was mine.”
“I’m sorry,” I whispered. “I did it to protect Edward… to protect myself.”
“You should have known better,” he snarled, stepping closer to me, his face inches from mine. “Nobody gets to run from me. Not now, not ever.”
I felt sick, my stomach twisting with fear and helplessness. “I won’t,” I promised. “I’ll do whatever you say. Just don’t hurt my son.”
“Good,” he said, his tone casual again. “That’s what I like to hear.”
I shook my head, disbelief washing over me. “I don’t understand,” I whispered. “Why me?”
Alpha Logan’s mouth twitched in a sadistic smile. “Because you’re the one I want, Aria. You’re the one I can’t let go of. You’re mine, body and soul.”
I shuddered, my skin crawling at his words. There was nothing of this man that I could even try to love. This was a monster, and I was trapped in his grip.
The reality of spending eternity with Alpha Logan was one I was not ready to reconcile with. But I knew what he was capable of doing. I knew he would kill Edward if I didn’t comply.
And what about Alpha Denderick? A voice whispered in my ear. What about your love for him?
I shook my head again, trying to dispel the thoughts. As much as I wanted to be with Alpha Denderick, I knew I couldn’t. Not when he would rather choose Giselle over me.
Logan straightened, turning away from me. He motioned to one of his guards standing nearby. “Take her to her room. Make sure she’s well taken care of.”
The guard nodded, stepping forward to escort me.
As they led me away, I cast one last, desperate glance at Edward through the window. My son-my little boy. I had to find a way to protect him, to get us out of here and back to safety. But as long as Logan had control, as long as he held Edward’s life in his hands, I was powerless.
And that thought terrified me more than anything.