Aiden’s POV
It was a quiet evening, my head was banging so I felt like I should step out of the kind where the air hung still, with only the occasional rustle of leaves breaking the silence. I walked alone with clouded thoughts, heavy with everything that had transpired since I came to Rock Reel Pack. I decided to walk around the estate since it was late and I wasn’t going to be allowed to enter without their Alphas’ permission. I saw a figure walking slowly ahead of me and I froze when I realized who it was.
It was Shenaya.
She was looking up at the sky, seemingly lost in her own thoughts. I hesitated, not sure if I should approach or turn back, but fate had other plans. As I shifted my weight, the gravel underfoot crunched loudly, making her spin around in surprise.
“Aiden?” her voice was soft. I could listen all day.
“Shenaya… didn’t expect to see you out here this late.” I was caught off guard, so I offered her a half-smile.
Shenaya tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear and shrugged. She looked so good. Oh goodness.
“I couldn’t sleep. I needed some fresh air.” She said while she bit her lower lips.
“Same,” I said, closing the distance between us. There was an awkward pause as we stood face to face, the night air was thick with the unspoken tension between us.
I cleared my throat, gesturing to the path ahead. “Mind if I join you?”
She hesitated for a moment, then nodded. “Sure.”
My mind went back to when she came to me earlier and saw me naked, she had brought some food my favorite to be precise.
“Thank you for the food from earlier” I thanked her.
“No problem,” she said reluctantly and her face instantly flushed probably still remembering what happened. I just smiled
We began to walk side by side in silence. After a few moments, Shenaya spoke, her voice barely above a whisper.
“It’s been… a lot,” she admitted in a heavy. “Raising two kids on my own. Some days, I feel like I’m drowning.”
I glanced over at her, surprised by the way she admitted her struggles. Ever since I arrived here, I had always seen her as a strong, almost unbreakable Alpha. To hear her speak of her struggles to me especially made me feel a little more important than usual. I softened, slowing my pace slightly to match hers.
“I can’t imagine how hard it’s been for you,” I said gently. “I’ve been absent for so long… I never meant to leave you alone like that. I didn’t even know when you left…”
“You didn’t know because I didn’t bother to tell you. You didn’t care after all. After everything… after what you said…”
Shenaya let out a small, bitter laugh, her eyes distant.
I winced as the memory of my cruel words cut deep.
“Shenaya, I was wrong. About everything. Skylar… she had me under her control, and I couldn’t see past her manipulation. I didn’t know how to fight it. By the time I realized, it was too late.”
Shenaya stopped walking and turned to face me, her eyes searching my face for the truth.
“Do you expect me to believe that everything was because of Skylar? That you had no control over what happened between us?”
“I’m not saying I was blameless. I made mistakes, but she did have power over me, Shenaya. You know Skylar is a witch, she has the power. I fought it every day, but she was stronger. It wasn’t until I broke free.” I sighed and ran a hand through my hair.
Shenaya’s expression softened slightly, though the hurt in her eyes remained. “I just… I needed you, Aiden. And you weren’t there. I had to figure everything out on my own. I’ve been doing this alone for so long.”
The vulnerability in her voice struck me like a blow to the chest. I took a big step closer with a soft voice.
“You don’t have to do it alone anymore, Shenaya. I want to be here. For Leo, for Zoey… for you.”
At the mention of Zoey, I sensed how tensed she became, her gaze flickered away. She wrapped her arms around herself as if trying to shield herself from the conversation’s emotional weight.
“Zoey… she’s… she’s not yours,” She whispered, her voice breaking slightly.
“I know,” I said quietly still trying to understand how Zoey came to the picture but I wasn’t going to ask her directly, not now. “But that doesn’t change anything. I care about her too.”
Shenaya looked up at me, her eyes filled with uncertainty It broke my heart that she didn’t trust me in the slightest.
“It’s not that simple, Aiden. Nothing about this is simple.”
“I get that. But we can try, right? To figure it out. Together.” I nodded slowly, understanding the depth of her words.
Shenaya allowed herself to consider my words for a moment as I could see her and her mind conflicting if they could trust me or not. The walls she had built over the years remained firm. She shook her head.
“I don’t know if I can trust you again. So much has happened…” She finally admitted.
I swallowed hard as the weight of her words sank deep.
“I get that. I just… I need you to know that I’m here now. I want to make things right, but I can’t force you to forgive me.”
There was a long pause as we stood under the moonlight, the tension between us became thick with unspoken emotions. Shenaya turned her gaze back to the sky and bit her lower lips.
“I just… I don’t know what the future holds,” she admitted softly. “I don’t even know if I can move forward without looking back.”
My heart ached at her words, but I didn’t bother to push it, instead, I stepped closer to her and whispered.
“Whatever happens, Shenaya… I’m not going anywhere. Not this time.”
She looked up at me still biting her lower lips and I tried to fight the urge to not bite them for her.
“I guess we’ll see,” Shenaya finally said, her voice soft and uncertain.
With that, she turned and continued walking down the path, leaving me standing there while I watched her disappear into the night.