Zander’s POV.
The dining hall was silent now, so silent that the faint echoes of the staff clearing plates felt deafening. The tension from dinner lingered in the air like a heavy storm, refusing to dissipate. My mind replayed Sarah’s words, the casual yet deliberate way she’d dropped them, as if tossing a grenade into an already volatile room. The explosion of her statement still reverberated inside me, refusing to let me think clearly.
*”So, Aria and Alpha Asher had coffee today. Isn’t that interesting?”*
I hadn’t shown any reaction. My face remained composed, my expression calm, betraying nothing. But inside, something fierce and uncontrollable had ignited. Hearing his name again-*Asher*-was like throwing fuel on a fire that had never truly burned out. Just the sound of it was enough to make my blood boil. Asher, the man I once considered my brother, my closest friend, had betrayed me in a way I never thought possible. Two years ago, he crossed a line no one should ever cross. He had an affair with Lyra-my fiancee at the time, the woman I thought I would spend my life with. That betrayal shattered everything, leaving behind nothing but ashes of what we once had.
And now, after two years of silence, Asher had reappeared in my life. He hadn’t slunk back quietly or humbly. No, he had returned boldly, slithering into my world like the snake I always knew he was. This time, though, it wasn’t Lyra he was chasing. That chapter was over. This time, it was Aria-*my mate*. The thought of him anywhere near her made my chest tighten with anger, jealousy, and something far more dangerous.
The image of Asher sitting across from Aria, his gaze locking onto hers, his smooth, manipulative voice weaving its lies, was enough to make my jaw clench. I could almost see him watching her with those cold, calculating eyes, pretending to be harmless, pretending to care. The thought of him even speaking to her made something raw and primal roar inside me, a possessive instinct I couldn’t suppress, no matter how hard I tried.
Sarah’s voice pulled me out of my spiraling thoughts like a sharp tug on a leash. “Zander,” she said softly, her tone calculated, gentle in a way that always carried a hint of manipulation. She leaned forward slightly, her eyes glinting with her usual charm. “I just thought you should know. Aria might not realize what kind of man Asher is, but I figured you’d want to protect her.”
I turned my attention to her, studying her face carefully. For a moment, I didn’t speak. I didn’t need to. The faint smirk tugging at the corners of her lips was enough to tell me everything I needed to know. Sarah wasn’t just being helpful. She never was. She was clever, I’d give her that much. She played the role of Aria’s friend well, but it was clear she had her own motives-motives that had nothing to do with Aria and everything to do with me.
“You’ve done your part, Sarah,” I said, my voice calm but cold as I pushed my chair back and stood. “Now leave.”
Her smirk faltered, the confidence she carried so easily slipping for a moment. She blinked, clearly caught off guard. “Leave? What do you mean?”
“I mean,” I said, my voice hardening like steel, “you’re leaving the castle. Tonight.”
Her jaw dropped slightly, her lips parting as if she couldn’t quite believe what she’d just heard. For the first time, she looked genuinely stunned, her composure cracking under the weight of my words. “But-Zander, I-”
“You’ve made yourself clear,” I interrupted, my tone sharp and unyielding. “You don’t belong here, and I won’t have you stirring up trouble. The castle staff will prepare your things. You’ll leave before midnight.”
She stood abruptly, the legs of her chair screeching against the polished marble floor. Her eyes flashed with anger, but her voice was laced with disbelief. “You can’t just throw me out!”
I stepped closer to her, towering over her, my presence a deliberate reminder of who I was and the authority I held. “I can. And I am. You’ll leave tonight, Sarah. Don’t make me repeat myself.”
For a moment, her lips trembled as if she might argue, but she quickly masked her emotions with a saccharine smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “Fine,” she said, her voice tight with suppressed anger. “But don’t forget, Zander-I warned you. Aria doesn’t belong in this world. She’s not like us, and she never will be. She’ll only bring you more trouble. You’ll see that soon enough.”
I didn’t respond. I didn’t need to. Sarah’s words were just empty attempts to claw her way back into relevance, and I wasn’t going to give her the satisfaction of a reaction. I watched as she turned on her heel and stormed out of the dining hall, her heels clicking sharply against the floor like the ticking of a clock counting down the seconds until she was gone.
Good riddance.
I found Aria in the east wing of the castle, wandering the long, dimly lit halls like she didn’t have a single care in the world. Her steps were slow, her head slightly tilted as if she were lost in thought. She was still wearing the simple dress she’d had on at dinner, the soft fabric flowing around her legs as she moved. Her hair was loose, cascading over her shoulders in soft waves, catching the faint light from the sconces on the walls. She looked… innocent. Too innocent. And for some reason, that only made the anger boiling inside me burn even hotter. How could she look so calm, so unaffected, after what I’d just learned?
She didn’t even notice me as I approached. Her attention was somewhere else-on the paintings lining the walls, or maybe just lost in her own thoughts. It wasn’t until I grabbed her wrist, spinning her around to face me, that she realized I was there.
“Zander!” she gasped, her voice startled as her wide eyes snapped up to meet mine. Her lips parted in surprise, and for a second, I thought I saw a flicker of something else in her gaze-fear, maybe. “What are you-”
“What the hell were you thinking?” I growled, cutting her off mid-sentence. My voice was sharp, laced with all the anger and frustration I’d been trying to keep in check since Sarah’s little revelation.
She blinked up at me, her confusion evident as she tried to process my sudden outburst. “What are you talking about?” she asked, her tone defensive.
“Asher,” I snarled, the name leaving a bitter taste in my mouth. My grip on her wrist tightened slightly, though not enough to hurt her. “Why were you with him? Why were you having coffee with that… *bastard*?”
Her brows pulled together in a frown, and with a firm tug, she pulled her wrist free from my grasp. Her movements were calm, deliberate, but there was a spark of defiance in her eyes now. “He showed up on campus,” she said, her voice steady and even. “It wasn’t planned, Zander. He asked me to have coffee, and I didn’t see the harm in it.”
“The harm?” I barked out a sharp, bitter laugh, the sound echoing down the empty hallway. “Do you have any idea who he is? What he’s done? What he’s capable of?” My voice rose slightly with each question, my frustration bubbling over.
“I know he’s your ex-best friend,” she said flatly, crossing her arms over her chest as she stared up at me. Her calm tone only made my anger flare hotter. “And I know you hate him. But that’s between you and him, Zander. It has nothing to do with me.”
I stepped closer to her, my shoulders squared and my voice low as I spoke. “It has *everything* to do with you, Aria. Don’t you get it? He’s not just some harmless Alpha passing through. He’s manipulative. He’s dangerous. And he’s only here for one reason.”
She tilted her head slightly, her eyes narrowing as she studied me. “And what reason is that?” she asked, her voice challenging.
“You,” I snapped, the word cutting through the air like a blade. “He’s after *you*, Aria. Don’t act so naive.”
Her cheeks flushed with anger, and she took a step back, putting some distance between us. “You don’t know that,” she said firmly, her voice rising slightly as she glared at me.
“I do,” I said, my tone dropping into something darker, something dangerous. “I know him better than anyone, Aria. And I’m telling you-he’s not here by accident. He’s playing a game, and you’re too blind to see it. You’re playing with fire.”
Her jaw tightened, and I could see the fire in her eyes now, the defiance that seemed to rise whenever I tried to assert control. “I can handle myself, Zander,” she said, her voice sharp. “I don’t need you-or anyone else-to protect me.”
I let out a bitter laugh, shaking my head as I took another step toward her. “You think you can handle him?” I asked, my voice dripping with disbelief. “You don’t have the slightest idea what he’s capable of. The man betrayed me, Aria. He didn’t just betray me-he destroyed years of trust, years of friendship. He slept with my fiancee, tore my life apart, and now he’s back. And do you know why he’s here?” I paused, my eyes locking onto hers. “Because of *you.*”
She flinched at my words, just barely, but I caught it. For a moment, she looked like she wanted to say something, but instead, she squared her shoulders and held her ground. “That’s not my fault,” she said quietly, her voice softer now but still steady.
“No,” I said, stepping even closer until there was almost no space left between us. My voice dropped lower, quieter, but no less intense. “But you’re mine, Aria. And as long as you’re mine, you’ll stay the hell away from him. Do you understand me? I won’t say it again.”
Her eyes widened slightly at my tone, and for a moment, I thought I saw something flicker in her gaze-anger, confusion, maybe even fear. It was hard to tell.
“Why do you care so much?” she whispered, her voice barely audible.
Her question hit me harder than I expected. Why *did* I care so much? Because she was my mate? Because the thought of Asher anywhere near her made something primal and possessive rage inside me? Because the idea of losing her, even to someone I hated, was unbearable?
But I couldn’t admit that. Not to her. Not to myself.
“You wouldn’t understand,” I said coldly, stepping back and putting distance between us. I forced my expression to harden, even as my chest twisted painfully.
Her expression changed, her eyes narrowing as her features hardened in response. She crossed her arms over her chest, her stance defensive. “Well, if you’re done yelling at me, I’d like to go to bed now,” she said, her voice clipped.
I said nothing as I watched her turn on her heel and walk away, her steps quick and purposeful. She didn’t look back, and I didn’t call after her. I stood there in the dimly lit hallway, the tension in the air lingering long after she was gone.
As the sound of her footsteps faded, the anger in my chest began to shift, giving way to something else. Something heavier. Something I didn’t want to name. It wasn’t just frustration or jealousy-it was something far more dangerous. Something I couldn’t control.