My fingers tighten around the phone 112

Aria’s POV
The evening chill swept over me as I rubbed my arms, trying to generate some warmth for my cold skin. I stood outside
the restaurant, checking my rideshare app while waiting for my car to arrive. The soft glow of streetlights cast long
shadows across the pavement, matching my darkening mood.
Leo burst through the restaurant doors, his eyes scanning the area until they found me. His expression was a mix of
urgency and determination that made my stomach clench.
“Aria!” His voice carried across the parking lot.
I kept my head down, deliberately focusing on my phone screen. Ten minutes until my ride arrived. Why couldn’t
anything in this city ever be on time when you needed it most?
I felt Leo’s hand wrap around my upper arm, turning me to face him. His touch wasn’t rough, but it was firm enough to make me look up.
“Don’t be like this,” he said, his voice gentler now. “Tonight’s been rough enough. Let me drive you home.”
“Back off, Leo,” I replied, my voice as cold as the evening air. “Today has been sufficiently awful without adding your
nonsense to it. All I want is to go home, eat something that doesn’t make me nauseous, check on my son, and collapse
into bed.”
With unexpected swiftness, Leo plucked my phone from my hands and canceled the ride request. I watched in disbelief
as his thumb moved across my screen.
“The next ride isn’t coming for twenty minutes,” he said, holding my phone just out of reach. “Please, let me take you
home.”
“It literally said ten minutes a second ago,” I protested, reaching for my phone as he held it above his head.
Leo’s expression softened into something almost puppy-like, his eyes wide and pleading. “Please, Aria. Let me drive you
home.”
I let out a long sigh, my warm breath creating a wispy cloud in the night air. Every part of me hurt—from my swollen feet
to my pounding head—and the morning sickness that had been haunting me for weeks was still lurking, ready to strike
at any moment.
“Whatever,” I muttered, giving in. “Just take me home so I can end this nightmare of a day.”
Leo’s face brightened as he handed back my phone. His hand found the small of my back, guiding me to his massive
truck. The door opened with a creak, and I climbed in, clicking my seatbelt into place immediately. Thirty minutes of
torture ahead. I wiggled around, trying to get comfortable as the vehicle jolted over every tiny bump in the road.
We drove in heavy silence. I kept my eyes on the window, watching streetlights blur into golden streaks. Leo gripped the
steering wheel so tightly his knuckles looked like polished bone.
“About the match,” he said suddenly, his voice cutting through the quiet. “I’m sorry. Don’t worry about postponing. I’m
sure you’ve got your reasons, and I won’t push.”
I felt a small weight lift from my chest. “Thank you for understanding. I know it means a financial hit, but I just can’t do it
right now.”
“That’s fine,” Leo assured me, his voice dropping to a near whisper. “But in exchange, can I ask you something?”
I tensed immediately, unsure how to respond, but found myself nodding before I’d fully processed the question.
Leo adjusted his grip on the steering wheel, licking his dry lips. “What happened six years ago?” he asked quietly. “The
full story?”
My blood turned to ice in my veins. “What?” I managed to choke out.
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“I’ve never heard the complete story,” Leo explained, an almost feverish energy radiating from him. “I know something
bad happened, and then Lucas came along. But you’ve never told me exactly what occurred that night.”
I swallowed hard, my throat suddenly dry. “No, I haven’t,” I admitted. “I’ve never told anyone the full story. It was
unbelievable. Everything about that day was traumatic, and the next morning changed my life forever. I don’t want to talk
about this.”
“I’m asking if you would tell me now?” Leo’s voice took on a pleading quality. “I know it’s difficult, but I promise I have
good reasons for needing to know.”
“I said I don’t want to talk about it!” I hissed, the words escaping through clenched teeth.
“Please, Aria.” There was something in Leo’s voice that softened my resolve—an urgency, a need. I could hear how
important this was to him. “I have my reasons. Please tell me.”
I stared out the window for a long time, watching the city lights blur past. Finally, I began to speak, sharing for the first
time in six years a story I’d kept locked deep within my heart.
“Six years ago, Bella and Emma orchestrated a fake kidnapping after Bella secretly poisoned my water bottle after
training,” I began, my voice barely audible over the hum of the engine. “Emma claimed she was being held captive at the
resort and needed me to rescue her.”
I paused, the memory of that place etched into my mind like a brand. “That place… I still remember every detail of the
lobby, the elevator, the hallway. On the way there, I started feeling sick, nauseated. Like something was breaking inside
me, and I couldn’t stop it. By the time I reached the elevator, whatever Bella had given me had severed my connection
with my wolf—killed her. But I thought I needed to save my friend, so I stumbled down the hall, feverish and dizzy.”
My fingers unconsciously traced patterns on the cool window glass. “The door was unlocked. When I walked in, a man
grabbed me. He said something, but the rest is darkness. When I woke up the next morning, all I had was a necklace
clutched in my hand and… evidence of what had happened on the bed. Bella and Emma had taken pictures of me leaving
the room. They used those as proof that I wasn’t fit to be a pack princess.”
“So Marcus kicked you out, and you ran to the human world. Then found out about the baby,” Leo said quietly.
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“Yeah, that’s the gist of it,” I snorted without humor. “Guess having a ‘slut’ for a daughter wasn’t in his plans. Funny how I
got the ‘whore’ label after one night I didn’t even choose, while the ones who set me up hop from bed to bed without
consequences.”
Leo went quiet at a red light, drumming his fingers on the wheel. The moment it turned green, he hit the gas.
“What about the father?” he asked suddenly. “Lucas’s dad. Do you remember anything?”
“Nothing,” I murmured, rubbing my temple. “Just bits and pieces that fade like smoke.”
He swung into a parking spot at my building and twisted toward me. The car’s ceiling light caught the almost desperate
look in his eyes.
“What do you want me to say?” I snapped, feeling trapped. “I get fragments in dreams—soft kisses, strong hands that
somehow made me feel safe and overwhelmed at once. But they’re just dreams, Leo! The real memories are locked
away!”
“That doesn’t make sense,” Leo growled, raking fingers through his hair. “Lucas isn’t just any kid. He’s brilliant, practically
glows with Alpha presence. And you expect me to believe you know nothing about who made him?”
I felt like he’d slapped me. My chest tightened painfully as tears threatened to spill.
“You think I don’t want to remember?” My voice cracked. “The necklace was my only clue, and I sold it just to afford a bus
ticket out of town. I have nothing, and maybe that’s for the best.”
I snatched my purse and flung his door open, hands shaking with rage. Before stepping out, I turned back with a glare.
“Fuck off, Leo. Don’t push me on this agai