Aria’s POV.
The moment I stepped into the grand hallway, it felt like the walls were closing in on me, pressing down until I could hardly breathe. My father’s cold, calculated words echoed in my mind, Kael’s smug smirk burned into my memory, and Alpha Wolfhart’s commanding tone reverberated like a drumbeat that wouldn’t stop. All of it swirled together into a storm of anger, betrayal, and suffocating helplessness that made my chest feel tight, as though I were trapped in an invisible cage.
I didn’t stop until I reached my room, my sanctuary, the only place in this castle where I could feel even an ounce of freedom. The heavy oak door slammed shut behind me, the sound echoing in the silence, and I locked it with trembling hands. I leaned against the cool wood, my body shaking uncontrollably as the emotions I’d been holding back all night began to overwhelm me. My head fell into my hands, and the tears I had fought so hard to keep in check finally broke free, spilling down my cheeks in hot, angry streams. The weight of everything I’d been forced to endure tonight crashed over me in waves, each one heavier than the last.
Kael’s manipulation, my father’s cold indifference, and the looming shadow of the wedding all pressed down on me until I felt like I couldn’t breathe. Why was no one on my side? Why did it feel like my voice was always silenced, my choices stolen from me at every turn? I had spent my entire life trying to please others, trying to fulfill the role expected of me, but it was never enough. No matter what I did, my opinions didn’t matter, my feelings were dismissed, and my freedom was stripped away one decision at a time.
I sank to the floor, my knees pressing into the plush rug beneath me as sobs wracked my body. The sapphire gown I’d chosen so carefully earlier in the evening now felt like a prison, its tight bodice making it harder to breathe. It had been meant to make me feel strong, to remind me of my own dignity, but now it felt suffocating, like armor that had failed to protect me from the blows I’d endured tonight. Every stitch of fabric seemed to mock me, a reminder of the control I thought I had but never truly did.
Minutes passed, or maybe it was hours-I couldn’t tell. Time lost all meaning as I sat there, swallowed by the grief and anger that consumed me. My tears eventually slowed, leaving my throat raw and my chest aching. The hollow emptiness that remained was even worse than the tears, a heavy ache that settled deep inside me. I wiped at my face with trembling hands, but no amount of wiping could erase the pain etched into every corner of my thoughts. My mind was still spinning, refusing to quiet down, every emotion clashing with the next.
As I slowly stood, trying to gather what little strength I had left, my eyes fell on the closet. The door was slightly ajar, and something white inside caught my attention. Frowning, I stepped closer, my curiosity momentarily pulling me out of my despair. I reached for the door and opened it fully, and when I did, my breath caught in my throat.
There it was, hanging in the center of the closet like it had been waiting for me: a wedding dress. It was breathtaking in every way imaginable, the kind of dress that would make anyone stop and stare. The intricate lace detailing along the bodice was delicate and beautiful, and the flowing silk train looked as if it could go on forever. Tiny pearls shimmered along the bodice, catching the faint light from my bedside lamp and glowing like stars. It was the kind of dress people dreamed about, the kind of dress that belonged in fairytales. But to me, it was nothing short of a nightmare.
I didn’t need to ask who had brought it here. I didn’t need to wonder whose idea it was to have it hanging in my closet, waiting to be discovered. The answer was obvious-Kael. No one else would dare to make such an intrusive gesture, to presume to take control of something so personal. My hands trembled as I stared at the dress, its beauty doing nothing to soften the anger rising inside me.
The tears that had dried only moments ago returned with a vengeance, but this time they weren’t born of sadness or hopelessness. They were born of rage, a fiery, unrelenting anger that burned hotter with every passing second. How dare he? How dare he presume to choose my wedding dress without even consulting me? This wasn’t a gift. It wasn’t an act of kindness. This dress was just another way for him to control me, to remind me that I was nothing more than a pawn in his game.
Before I could stop myself, I grabbed the dress from the closet and hurled it onto the bed with as much force as I could muster. Its delicate fabric crumpled in a heap, the shimmering pearls and flowing silk losing their flawless perfection. My breathing was ragged as I stormed toward the vanity, my hands shaking with furious energy. I yanked the drawer open, my fingers searching desperately until they closed around what I was looking for: a pair of scissors. The sharp metal glinted in the light as I held them tightly, my knuckles white with the force of my grip.
I hesitated for only a second, my fingers clutching the delicate fabric of the wedding dress. It was beautiful, almost heartbreakingly so, and for a fleeting moment, I felt like it was pleading with me to stop, begging me to spare it from what I was about to do. But the anger inside me burned hotter than the guilt, hotter than the fleeting hesitation. It roared through me like a wildfire, consuming every rational thought. Without another moment’s pause, I raised the scissors in my trembling hands and sliced through the intricate lace, the sharp blades ripping apart the bodice, the train, and the delicate sleeves. Each cut was swift and final, like tearing through my own chains.
Piece by piece, the dress fell apart under my assault, its once-perfect beauty destroyed by my shaking hands. Shredded silk and lace piled on the bed, a chaotic mess of fabric that had once been a symbol of control and expectation. By the time I was finished, the gown was unrecognizable, reduced to a heap of ruined dreams and suffocating demands. The bed was covered in the remnants of what was supposed to be my future, but instead, it felt like I had reclaimed a small piece of my freedom.
I stood there, panting, my chest heaving as the scissors slipped from my fingers and clattered onto the floor. My hands hung limply at my sides, trembling from the effort and from the surge of emotions coursing through me. For the first time in what felt like days, I felt a flicker of control. It was small, almost insignificant in the grand scheme of things, but it was mine. This act of defiance, this destruction, was mine, and no one could take it from me.
But the moment was fleeting, vanishing as quickly as it had come. A sharp knock at the door startled me, and I froze in place, my breath catching in my throat. My heart began to pound, the sound echoing in my ears as I stared at the ruined dress on the bed, panic starting to creep in.
“Aria,” Kael’s voice called from the other side of the door. His tone was low, calm, and impossibly steady, as though he already knew what had happened. “Open the door.” His words were a command, not a request, and they sent a shiver down my spine.
I didn’t answer. My heart raced faster, thudding painfully in my chest as I tried to think. He’d know what I’d done the moment he stepped inside. There would be no hiding it, no denying it. The evidence was right there on the bed, staring back at me like a damning accusation.
“Aria,” Kael said again, his tone firmer now, edged with warning. “I’m not leaving until you let me in.” His persistence was unyielding, and I knew he meant every word. He wouldn’t go away, not until he got what he wanted.
Swallowing hard, I forced my feet to move. I walked to the door with slow, reluctant steps and unlocked it, the sound of the heavy bolt sliding back echoing in the silence. The door creaked open, revealing Kael standing in the dimly lit hallway. His expression was calm, but his dark eyes flicked past me almost immediately, landing on the shredded wedding dress lying in ruins on the bed.
For a moment, he said nothing. The silence stretched between us, thick and unbearable, before a faint smirk tugged at his lips. “Well,” he said, stepping into the room and closing the door behind him with a quiet click, “I guess you didn’t like the dress.” His tone was light, almost teasing, but there was an edge to it that made my blood boil.
I glared at him, my fists clenching tightly at my sides as I fought the urge to lash out. “What do you want, Kael?” I demanded, my voice sharp and filled with anger. I didn’t have the patience for his games, not tonight.
He raised his hands in mock surrender, his smirk widening slightly. “I just wanted to talk,” he said smoothly, his voice calm and measured, as if this were all perfectly normal.
“Talk about what?” I snapped, my anger bubbling over. “How you lied to me? How you manipulated everyone into rushing this wedding? Or maybe how you didn’t even bother to ask me what *I* wanted before dumping that… that *thing* in my closet?” My voice shook with frustration, my words spilling out in a torrent of rage that I couldn’t hold back.
His smirk faded, replaced by something softer, something almost vulnerable. “Aria,” he said quietly, his tone gentle now, “I know you’re angry. And you have every right to be. But I need you to understand something.”
I crossed my arms over my chest, refusing to let the sudden change in his tone sway me. “What?” I asked coldly, my glare unwavering.
“I love you,” he said simply, the words falling from his lips like they were the most natural thing in the world.
The words hung in the air between us, heavy and impossible to ignore. For a moment, I forgot how to breathe, my mind reeling from the weight of what he had just said.
I stared at him, my eyes searching his face for any sign of deceit, for any hint that this was just another one of his games. But his expression was sincere, his dark eyes steady as they held mine.
“No,” I said finally, my voice trembling with disbelief. “You don’t.”
“I do,” he insisted, taking a step closer to me. “I know I’ve done a terrible job of showing it, but I swear, Aria, everything I’ve done-everything-has been for us.” His voice was earnest, almost desperate, and it twisted something inside me that I didn’t want to acknowledge.
I let out a bitter laugh, shaking my head as I took a step back. “You expect me to believe that? After everything you’ve done? After you forced this wedding on me without even asking how I felt?”
“I didn’t force anything,” he said, his voice rising slightly. “The wedding was going to happen anyway. I just…” He paused, running a hand through his dark hair in frustration. “I wanted it sooner because I couldn’t stand the thought of waiting. I couldn’t stand the thought of losing you.”
His words hit me like a punch to the chest, twisting my emotions into a tangled knot. But I shoved the feeling down, refusing to let him get to me. I couldn’t trust him-not yet, not after everything he’d done.
Kael sighed, his gaze softening as he looked at me. “Look,” he said, his voice quieter now, “I can’t undo what’s already happened. But I want to make this right. Let me prove it to you.”
I frowned, my arms still crossed as I regarded him with suspicion. “How?” I asked, my voice flat.
He gestured toward the ruined dress on the bed. “We’ll get a new dress. Together. Tomorrow.”
I blinked, caught off guard by the offer. “You want to… go shopping with me?” I asked, my voice laced with disbelief.
“Yes,” he said simply, his tone unwavering. “We’ll go to the best shop in the region, and you can pick whatever dress you want. No interference, no pressure. Just you and me.”
I hesitated, unsure if this was another one of his manipulations. But there was something in his voice, something sincere, that made me pause.
“Why?” I asked quietly, my voice barely above a whisper. “Why are you doing this?”
“Because I want you to be happy,” he said, his tone soft but firm. “And because I want you to believe me when I say that I love you.”
For a long moment, we stood in silence, the tension between us thick and unyielding. Finally, I nodded, my voice barely audible. “Fine. Tomorrow.”
A small smile tugged at his lips, and he nodded in return. “Tomorrow,” he echoed.
As he left the room, I sank onto the edge of the bed, staring at the shredded remains of the dress. His words echoed in my mind, their sincerity both comforting and terrifying.
*I love you.*
I didn’t know if I could believe him. But tomorrow, I’d find out.