Aria’s POV.
The castle had been quiet since Zander left. Too quiet. The kind of silence that presses down on you, makes you feel like the walls themselves are holding their breath. Even after he was gone, his words lingered in the air, like a storm that hadn’t quite passed.
I sat by the window in my room, staring out at the forest, my mind a tangled mess of emotions. Zander’s anger, his accusations-they shouldn’t have hurt me, not after everything he’d done. He had broken the bond. He had walked away first. But still, his words stung, and the fire in his eyes when he confronted me burned in my memory.
I had told him I didn’t belong to him anymore, and I meant it. But the truth was, I didn’t know where I belonged anymore.
A knock on my door jolted me out of my thoughts. My father’s voice followed, low and gruff. “Aria, someone is here to see you.”
I frowned, standing slowly. “Who?”
“It’s Alpha Daniel Huntington,” he said, his tone unreadable.
My stomach twisted at the name. I hadn’t spoken to Daniel since the video surfaced, since everything had come crashing down around me. What could he possibly want now?
“I’ll meet him in the sitting room,” I said, grabbing a shawl to wrap around my shoulders. I needed to look composed, even if I didn’t feel it.
When I entered the sitting room, Daniel was already there, standing by the fireplace. He looked different than usual-less polished, more disheveled. His tie was loose, the top button of his shirt undone, and there was a weariness in his eyes I hadn’t seen before.
“Aria,” he said, turning to face me as I stepped into the room. His voice was soft, almost apologetic. “Thank you for seeing me.”
I crossed my arms over my chest, keeping my distance. “What are you doing here, Daniel?” I asked, my tone colder than I intended.
He sighed, running a hand through his hair, and for a moment, he looked almost vulnerable. “I wanted to apologize,” he said. “For everything. For the video, for how it’s affected you. I never wanted this to happen.”
I scoffed, narrowing my eyes at him. “You didn’t want this to happen? Then who sent the video, Daniel? Who made sure it was shared with the entire university and every pack in the region?”
“I don’t know,” he said quickly, his voice filled with what sounded like genuine regret. “I swear, Aria, I didn’t send it. Someone must have hacked into my files or stolen it from my computer. I would never do something like that to you.”
I wanted to believe him. His words, his expression, the way he carried himself-it all painted the picture of a man who had been wronged just as much as I had. But a part of me couldn’t shake the doubt, the nagging suspicion that he wasn’t as innocent as he claimed.
“You ruined my life, Daniel,” I said, my voice trembling with anger, each word heavy with the weight of my pain. “Do you even understand what you’ve done to me? Do you realize how much you’ve taken from me? My reputation is destroyed, my future is completely ruined-everything I’ve worked hard to build is in shambles because of that video. I can’t even look people in the eye anymore without feeling ashamed.”
“I know,” he said, stepping closer to me, his voice softer now, almost pleading. “And I’ve lost everything too, Aria-everything that mattered to me. My job is gone. My reputation has been dragged through the dirt just like yours. Everything I’ve poured my life into, everything I’ve worked so hard for-it’s all gone now. The university fired me this morning. I have nothing left, nothing at all.”
For a moment, I hesitated, unsure of what to say or feel. The sadness in his eyes, the way his shoulders sagged with exhaustion-it all felt genuine, like he was truly broken. And yet, deep down, I couldn’t bring myself to fully trust him. His words might have been true, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that there was more he wasn’t telling me.
“What do you want from me, Daniel?” I asked finally, after a long, heavy silence. My voice sounded as tired as I felt, worn down by everything that had happened.
He looked at me carefully, his expression changing. His eyes grew sharper, more focused, as if he had made up his mind about something. “I want to fix this,” he said with determination. “I want to make things right. Not just for you, but for both of us.”
I blinked, confused and unsure. I didn’t understand what he was trying to say. “What are you even talking about?” I asked, my voice tinged with frustration and disbelief.
He took another step closer, his blue eyes locked on mine, searching for some kind of answer. “Aria, the packs are already talking about us,” he began, his tone serious. “The scandal is spreading like wildfire. It’s gone too far to stop now. But there’s still a way to fix this mess-for both of us, if we work together.”
My heart sank as his words began to sink in. I could already see where this conversation was heading, and I didn’t like it. “No,” I said quickly, shaking my head in protest. “Absolutely not.”
“Aria, please listen to me,” he said, his voice urgent and desperate now. “If we’re married-if you become my Luna-this scandal won’t matter anymore. The packs won’t care about the video or the rumors. They’ll see us as a united front, and no one will dare question your integrity or mine. This is the only way to turn everything around.”
I stared at him, my thoughts spinning wildly out of control. Marriage? Becoming his Luna? The very idea made me feel sick to my stomach. How could he even suggest such a thing?
But then, as I thought about it, I realized I didn’t have many options left. The video had already destroyed my reputation beyond repair. My father had been furious and disappointed, and the whispers among the pack members were growing louder and more vicious with each passing day. If something wasn’t done soon, I would be branded as a complete disgrace-not just in my own pack, but in every pack around us.
And then there was Zander. Zander, the man I had once believed in, had made it painfully clear he didn’t want me anymore. Even though part of me still longed for him, I knew I couldn’t rely on him to fix any of this. He had left me to deal with the mess on my own.
I felt trapped, like the walls around me were closing in, leaving me with nowhere to run.
“Aria,” Daniel said again, his voice softer now, almost gentle. “I know this isn’t what you wanted. It’s not what I wanted either. But it’s the only way to protect you, to protect both of us. Please, just think about it. Don’t say no right away.”
I looked at him closely, really seeing him for the first time in what felt like forever. This was the man who had once been my professor, my mentor, someone I had looked up to and trusted. I had admired him for his intelligence and strength. And now, here he was, offering me a way out of the mess we were both drowning in-a way to save what little was left of my reputation.
But at what cost? What would this decision take from me?
I closed my eyes tightly, trying to steady my breathing. I needed to think clearly about this, but it was impossible with everything weighing down on me. “If I agree to this,” I said finally, my voice quiet and shaky, “it’s not because I love you, Daniel. It’s not because I want this. It’s because I don’t have another choice.”
He nodded slowly, his face calm but unreadable. “I understand,” he said softly, his tone almost apologetic.
I opened my eyes and met his gaze, forcing myself to stay strong. “Fine,” I said, the words bitter and heavy on my tongue. “I’ll be your Luna.”
The weight of my decision hit me like a heavy cloak being thrown over my shoulders, suffocating and impossible to escape from.
Daniel’s smile was small and faint, almost sad, as he took a step back. “You won’t regret this, Aria,” he said in a quiet, solemn voice.
But as I watched him leave the room, I couldn’t escape the overwhelming feeling that I already did.