“The fact that everyone knew about this except us still shocks me. It makes me feel so stupid for not noticing the signs.” Mara and I were settled on her bed, thankfully having moved past her tears.
“I always thought they hated me, especially Daryl.”
A sigh escaped Mara’s lips as she took my hands in hers, locking her gaze onto me. “How do you feel about being mated to my hot-headed brothers? Does it scare you at all?”
“Not at all. I mean, I was nervous at first, but it turns out they actually like me as their mate,” I replied honestly.
She nodded, and for the first time that day, a smile broke across her face before she pulled me into a warm embrace.
“Part of me is genuinely happy that you’re mated to my brothers. It means you’ll be living in Waterfall for the rest of your life, and I get to watch you become Luna someday.”
Tears brimmed in my eyes at her words, but the last part sent a shiver down my spine. Poor Aria would have to face the reality of becoming Luna one day.
“I feel ecstatic too, Mara. Our children could grow up together when you find your mate.”
Mara giggled, her laughter infectious. My bubbly best friend was back, and it warmed my heart to see her embracing the reality of our situation.
***
**Daryl’s POV**
Our sister acted exactly how any best friend would react when realizing her brothers now had more claim to her friend. The pain on Aria’s face revealed just how deeply she felt Mara’s agony. I tried to stop her when she implored me to let her go, and I relented.
Her absence stung our wolves, but we pushed it aside; she needed to be there for Mara.
“You both should understand your sister’s pain. We all know how much she loves Aria,” my mother, Macy, said. “I promise she will come around.”
Leo and I nodded at our mother’s words. Mara just needed to accept that Aria was now ours.
“How about I make snacks for everyone to lighten the mood?” Aria’s mother suggested.
“That sounds great, Flora,” Mother agreed, though Leo and I had other plans beyond snacking.
Later that day, we retreated to Father’s office, where Greg was also present.
“Like I said, you both stay out while I handle this mess,” Dad ordered.
“But Dad, this is about our mate. We have every right to be involved,” I argued.
“Yeah, you can’t leave us in the dark about it,” Leo added.
“You killed an Alpha of a pack, Daryl. This could lead to war. The Star Crust pack might be five times less the size of Waterfall, and they won’t hesitate to seek assistance from other packs. So I need my sons to stay put while I sort this out.”
“Razam deserves more than death, Dad. He was lucky we didn’t capture him alive.”
“Relax, boys. Allow your father and me to tackle this matter,” Greg interjected.
“So what happens to his accomplice?” I asked.
“He’s being held in the cellars and will face trial soon.”
Jagao stirred with anger at our father’s decision. My beast growled; I would have chopped the head off the culprit without hesitation.
“Why don’t you both focus on the pack’s business relations? There’s a mountain of paperwork to handle. Greg and I will meet with the Beta of the Star Crust pack,” Dad instructed.
“Or you could focus on your mate. I bet you both have something hard planned for innocent Aria,” the Beta joked with a wink.
We rolled our eyes at his comments. Uncle Greg always found a way to joke during serious moments.
An hour later, while we were still in Father’s office, an alarming mind link echoed through our heads: “There are men outside the mansion claiming they are searching for their Alpha.”
Dad cursed and stood abruptly, his wolf’s instincts kicking in. “Seems they came earlier than expected.”
“What do we do now?” I asked.
“Stay inside. Greg and I will talk to them.”
In swift strides, both men rushed out of the room. I glanced at Leo, who mirrored my thoughts. We had to be ready for whatever happened next; if only those men knew the truth behind their Alpha’s death.
“We need to go out there, brother. Staying locked up makes us look weak,” Leo insisted.
He was right. Hiding away didn’t sit well with my Lycan. If we were to show our strength, we had to face this challenge head-on.
“Come on, brother. We’ll handle Dad later.”
As we stepped outside, the scene that greeted us ignited our beasts. Armed men stood facing Dad and his Beta, our pack surrounding the area. The tension in the air was palpable; any ordinary person would have fled in fear.
“We seek our Alpha Razam, who attended the festival last night. He was last seen with your children,” the apparent leader declared.
“Razam is dead. I killed him myself,” Father announced, shocking everyone-including me. Was he truly taking the blame for my actions?
Weapons were suddenly pointed at Dad and his Beta.
“Alpha Liam, you’ve just admitted to killing an Alpha. Your actions will bring consequences you cannot fathom,” said the bald man.
“His actions led to his death, and I would do it again if I could rewind time.”
“You’ve drawn the conflict line, Alpha Liam. An eye for an eye.”
“Is that a threat, Gordon?” Dad shot back, his aura radiating authority.
“Prepare to face the consequences in the Alpha’s council.”
The men turned and left after Gordon’s chilling words, confidence oozing from their retreat.
“I told all of you to stay inside!” Dad yelled as he turned around.
“You didn’t expect us to hide while you clean up our mess,” I retorted.
“I’m sorry, Alpha… it’s all my fault. None of this would have happened if I hadn’t followed Razam into those woods,” a sweet voice rang out from behind.
Leo and I froze, shocked by her words. Where had she come from?
“Aria, you should be inside,” I urged.
“No, I’m the reason for all this trouble. It’s only fair that I be punished instead,” her voice trembled.
“No!” both Leo and I yelled in unison. I locked eyes with my mate, desperate to protect her. “Whatever happened last night was never your fault, Aria.”
“No one is getting punished. I will handle Star Crust, so you all should relax.”
My mind raced after hearing Aria’s words. She truly believed Razam’s death was her fault. Oh, innocent Aria!