Aria’s POV.
The first thing I noticed when I regained consciousness was the faint smell of cedarwood and musk. It was warm and comforting, yet it carried a sharpness that made my heart ache. My body felt heavy, my cheeks stung faintly, but it was the sound of urgent voices that pulled me fully back into awareness.
“Where the hell are the doctors?” Zander’s voice rang out, sharp and commanding, laced with something that caught me off guard-panic.
I blinked my eyes open, the soft glow of the bedside lamps flooding my vision. My head throbbed, but it wasn’t unbearable. I turned slightly, and there he was-Zander, standing near the doorway, pacing like a caged wolf. His fists were clenched, his hair disheveled as though he’d been running his hands through it repeatedly.
“Alpha Zander, they’ll be here any moment,” a maid stammered, her voice trembling as though she feared his wrath.
“It’s not fast enough!” he barked, his voice cracking slightly. “She could’ve-” He stopped mid-sentence, his shoulders rising and falling with shallow breaths.
I shifted slightly in the bed, and the movement must have caught his attention. His head snapped toward me, his eyes locking onto mine. For a brief moment, everything about him softened-the tension in his jaw, the fire in his gaze. He crossed the room in a few long strides, kneeling beside the bed to look at me more closely.
“Aria,” he said, his voice low and rough, like he’d been swallowing down too much emotion. “You’re awake.”
I blinked at him, unsure of what to say. His expression was so different from the cold, unyielding Alpha I’d faced earlier. He looked… worried.
“You fainted,” he added, his hands hovering near mine as though he wanted to touch me but wasn’t sure if he should. “You almost-” His voice faltered again, and he shook his head. “It doesn’t matter. The doctors will be here soon. They’ll check you over to make sure you’re fine.”
I swallowed hard, my throat dry. “I’m okay,” I murmured, my voice hoarse.
“You’re not,” he snapped, his worry sharpening into anger. “You tried to jump out of the damn window, Aria. Do you have any idea what could’ve happened? You could’ve…” He trailed off, his jaw clenching as he looked away.
The door opened, and a pair of doctors rushed in, their white coats fluttering behind them. Zander stood abruptly, stepping back to give them room, but his eyes never left me. I could feel the weight of his gaze, heavy and unrelenting, as the doctors fussed over me, checking my pulse, asking me questions I barely registered.
“She’s stable,” one of them said after a while, glancing at Zander cautiously. “It was likely the stress and exhaustion that caused her to faint. She needs rest, Alpha. Nothing more.”
Zander nodded curtly, dismissing them with a wave of his hand. They hurried out of the room, leaving the two of us alone once again.
Silence lingered between us, thick and suffocating. I could feel his anger simmering beneath the surface, but I also saw the lingering worry in his eyes. It was strange, seeing this side of him, and for a moment, I let myself believe that maybe-just maybe-there was a shred of humanity beneath his cold exterior.
“Why do you care so much?” I asked softly, my voice breaking the silence.
His eyes narrowed slightly, his lips pressing into a thin line. “Don’t ask stupid questions, Aria,” he said, but his voice lacked the usual venom.
I took a deep breath, gathering the courage I needed to say what had been clawing at my heart since the moment I’d woken up. “Zander,” I said quietly, my voice trembling. “Please… just let me go.”
His entire body stiffened, his hands balling into fists at his sides. “What did you just say?” he asked, his voice dangerously calm.
“I can’t do this,” I continued, my words coming out in a rush. “I don’t belong here, Zander. I haven’t shifted yet. I haven’t found my true mate-what if he’s still out there, waiting for me? Please…” My voice cracked as I looked up at him, desperation in my eyes. “Let me wait for him. Let me wait for the one I’m meant to be with.”
For a moment, I thought I saw something flicker in his expression-hurt, perhaps, or doubt. But it was gone as quickly as it came, replaced by a blazing fury that made me shrink back slightly.
“Your *true mate*?” he spat, his voice rising as his anger finally broke free. “You’re still clinging to that fantasy, Aria? You’re still hoping for some fairytale ending where the Moon Goddess hands you the perfect mate on a silver platter?” He let out a bitter laugh, shaking his head. “Wake up. That’s not how the world works.”
Tears welled in my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. “It’s not a fantasy,” I said softly. “It’s my right.”
“Your *right*?” he repeated, his voice dripping with venom. He stepped closer, towering over me as his rage radiated off him in waves. “You lost the right to choose the moment you became a pawn in this alliance. You’re mine, Aria. And in two days, you’ll be my mate. We’ll have the wedding ceremony, and you’ll take your place at my side as Luna of the Silverfang pack.”
“No,” I whispered, shaking my head. “You can’t do this.”
“I *will* do this,” he growled, his eyes blazing with determination. “You don’t get a choice in this, Aria. This is happening, and you will obey me.”
I stared up at him, my heart pounding as tears streamed down my face. I’d thought I could reason with him, that I could appeal to whatever humanity he had left. But I was wrong.
This wasn’t a man who could be reasoned with. This was a man who would take whatever he wanted, no matter the cost. And in two days, he would take me.
And I didn’t know how to stop him.