Chapter 8
Aria’s POV
The heavy office door clicked shut behind me as I stepped into the corridor. My conversation with Ethan still echoed in my mind, mixing with the familiar ache where my wolf should be. The afternoon sunlight streamed through the tall windows, casting long shadows across the polished floor.
I heard them before I saw them
–
the subtle click of heels, the whisper of expensive fabric, the barely contained energy of predators looking for prey. Taking a slow breath, I turned.
‘Well, well. A woman’s voice dripped with manufactured sweetness. ‘If it isn’t the fallen princess of Silver Moon.”
Three she–wolves blocked my path, their designer workout gear and perfectly styled hair a stark reminder of the privileged world I’d left behind. I recognized their faces from my old life when I’d been the alpha’s cherished daughter instead of an outcast. The youngest, barely out of her teens, practically vibrated with barely contained aggression.
One of them stepped forward, her movements deliberately graceful. “Word is you’ve been playing human cage fighter.” Her lips curled into a sneer. “Now you’re back, trying to climb the ranks by seducing Shadow Fang’s heir? How… predictable.”
I kept my face carefully neutral, though my fingers instinctively curled into loose fists.
“I’m here as a combat instructor,” I said evenly, “nothing more.”
A harsh laugh bounced off the walls. “Right. That’s why Ethan personally arranged your position. The youngest wolf’s eyes flashed yellow, her control slipping. A scent–less reject teaching pure–blooded wolves? You don’t belong here.”
She lunged forward, claws extended. Even without my wolf powers, I could have handled her easily six years of human combat had honed my reflexes beyond what most wolves expected. But before I could move, a commanding voice rang through the corridor.
“What are you doing here?”
David, Shadow Fang’s beta, emerged from around the corner. His presence carried the weight of authority, immediately forcing the young wolves to step back. I watched as these wolves‘ faces transformed from aggression to practiced innocence.
“We were just welcoming our new… instructor,‘ they said sweetly.
David’s stern gaze swept over the group. “The training facility has clear rules about challenging staff members. His voice left no room for argument. ‘I suggest you remember them.”
The she–wolves retreated, though not without shooting venomous glares in my direction. Once they were gone, David produced an elegantly wrapped box from his leather messenger bag.
‘From the alpha heir,” he said formally, extending it toward me.
The box felt heavy in my hands, its silver wrapping paper catching the light like moonlight on snow. Inside, nestled on black velvet, lay a key with an intricate design I recognized immediately it belonged to one of the luxury residences in Shadow Fang’s most prestigious district.
–
‘Please thank the alpha heir,” I said carefully, closing the box and holding it out to David, “but I must decline.”
His eyebrows rose slightly. “This a significant honor.”
“It’s a generous offer,” I acknowledged, “but Lucas and I are comfortable where we are.”
Once alone, I leaned against the wall, my hand unconsciously rubbing the empty space over my heart where my wolf’s presence used to be. The phone in my pocket felt like it weighed a thousand pounds. My fingers trembled slightly as I pulled out the phone. The number was still there, saved but never deleted, never used. I caught my reflection in the window lifted, shoulders straight, the stance of a warrior. But inside, I felt like that eighteen–year–old girl again, standing before her father’s judgment.
‘Father?” I forced my voice to remain steady, though my heart thundered against my ribs. “It’s Aria.”
chin
The silence stretched so long I could hear my own shallow breathing echoing in the empty corridor. Then, “Aria.” Just my name, but it carried the weight of six years of separation. His voice sounded older, more tired than I remembered.
I swallowed hard, fighting back the sudden burn of tears. “I wanted you to know I’m back in Montana. My free hand clenched into a fist at my side. ‘I’m working at the Alliance training facility as an instructor.”
“I… I heard.” Another pause, Tilled with unspoken words. “The pack… they say you’ve become quite renowned in the human fighting world.”
A bitter smile tugged at my lips.
Aria, 1- His voice cracked slightly. “Will you be returning to Silver Moon?”
I closed my eyes as memories of that terrible night flooded back – the accusations, the betrayal, the look in his eyes as he cast me out.
No. The word came out barely above a whisper. “Lucas and I have our own life now.”
Lucas. He breathed my son’s name like a prayer. “He’s… he’s well?”
1/2
Chapter 8
“He’s perfect.” My voice strengthened with pride. “He’s smart, kind, strong. Everything a grandson of Silver Moon’s alpha should be. The implied accusation hung in the air between us.
The silence that followed spoke volumes. We both carried the scars of that night – he from believing the worst of his daughter, me from being cast out without a chance to defend myself.
‘I should have listened to you,” he said finally, his voice rough with emotion. “Should have given you a chance to explain.”
I pressed my palm flat against the cool floor, anchoring myself in the present. ‘It’s too late for that now.”
“I understand,” he said, though his voice carried a weight of regret that made my chest ache. “But Aria… if you ever need anything-
“Goodbye, Father, I cut him off gently, ending the call before he could hear the sob building in my throat.
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