Aria “An order of your apple crisp, please.” “That would be $4.98.” I handed a crisp five-dollar bill to the cashier and took the receipt. Then, I patiently waited on one of the tables for them to hand it over to me. Today was my day off. I did not have a live performance tonight so I am free to do whatever I want. “Here’s your order, ma’am. Thank you for coming and enjoy your apple crisp!” the waiter uttered. I smiled at him and waved goodbye. Then, I guided my feet toward the next block where Royal Cave was located. About two hours ago, Nixon called me and asked me to come over to the bar. He told me that Sex Deity, I mean Alpha Axel, wanted to talk to me about something. To be honest, he could have just discussed the matter with me over the phone so I didn’t need to come down from the mountain. But since Nixon stated it was important, I decided to come down and visit them. I still wondered what that talk would be about. But still, I tried my best not to think about it that much
Aria’s POVIt was a beautiful Sunday morning. From the windows of my room, I could see peace and quiet outside. Some of the small animals began to peak from their wholes and were about to start their day. I let myself feel the heat of the morning sun one last time before I got out of bed. I headed straight to the shower afterward. Contrary to the usual time I was spending washing my body, I got out of it faster than I normally would. I had a very important appointment today. For this day, I finally agreed to visit the Darkwood pack and meet Alpha Axel’s congregation. I chose to wear high-waisted leggings and a gray hoodie. I was just glad that because of my work in the Royal Cave, I would no longer have to borrow the clothes of Peter’s dead wife. “Just in time. Breakfast is ready,” Peter uttered. The smell of crispy bacon and pancakes welcomed me when I passed by the kitchen. “Sorry, Pops! But I have to go. I don’t want Alpha Axel to wait for me. You know how much he hated latecome
Simon’s POVAfter long hours of walking and asking these stupid humans for directions, I finally reached the place. I looked up the bar signage to confirm whether I was on the right one Royal Cave, the signage said. I could not be mistaken. This was the bar the man I asked earlier had talked about. “Let’s see if the mouse was here,” I said to the evening wind before walking toward the front door. But not before taking out the last vial of the potion I got from a witch back in the forest of Craigwood. It was a bit expensive but it was all worth it. Normally, I would use it for my hunting spree but now, I would need this to mask my scent from Aria in case she was really here. I needed to ensure she would not go anywhere once I found her. And so, I drank the bitter, sparkly-blue liquid from the tiny bottle and headed to the front door. “Welcome to Royal Cave,” a waiter whom I bumped into exclaimed. I nodded at him in return and proceeded to one of the empty tables on the darkest corn
Aria’s POV“Will you come with me or would you go to Royal Cave yourself?”Contrary to his usual demeanor, Pops seemed to have been oddly quiet these past few days. This started when I told him about a familiar presence that I felt the other night at the bar while I’m singing. Worst, I felt that presence following me on my way home. But when I checked, I didn’t see anyone. No scent was left to follow a trail. In the end, I told Pops about it. And he had been suspicious and overbearing ever since. To his word, never underestimate the instinct of a wolf. “I’m sorry, Aria but I’m afraid I will miss out on your performance tonight. I still need to investigate the mysterious presence you were talking about. The truth is, I was able to gather some faint smells near our home. This was the same smell that I was able to gather at the bar yesterday.”My heart began to race inside my chest. “What does that mean?”“It means that whatever you are feeling was real. Somebody was following you.”I s
Aria’s POVAlpha Adrian already knows your location.Alpha Adrian already knows your location.Alpha Adrian already knows your location.Simon’s words continued to echo inside my mind. I saw him smirk seeing my reaction. “Are you the one that follows me these last few days?” I asked, hoping that he would provide an honest response. I no longer care on whether how he was able to spy on me undetected. What mattered to me now is the truth. “It wasn’t easy, I admit. But nothing a Simon Lopez couldn’t do,” he boasted. I gave it to the guy, he was good at hiding his scent. I wonder what type of black magic he was able to channel for him to have accomplished this?I heaved a sigh. I needed to gather my thoughts together. Once Simon noticed that I was distracted, it might give him the opportunity to attack. I might handle him in single combat but not in a surprise attack. Simon was one, sneaky wolf. I wouldn’t allow him to drag me back to Moon Valley and deliver me to his alpha. Not now,
Adrian’s POVAria was like a dream. A dream that would never be part of my reality. Hearing the lyrics of her last song, my heart was filled with guilt. Am I that bad? Am I that bad to inflict those pain on her? On my own mate?I took the glass of vodka in one gulp. I felt the bitter-sweet liquid go down my throat. Even the sudden burst of alcohol in my system was not enough to ease the pain that I was feeling. It was me who drove Aria away. Why am I feeling this way?Aria had changed drastically since the last time I saw her. Gone were the days of her being the insecure, unconfident, and awkward teenager who was the younger sister of my best friend. Now, she completely bloomed into a very beautiful lady. Her hair was now longer. Her body was more desirable with bustier breasts and curvier hips. She was still having her small face but now more defined with a touch of makeup. Indeed, she had grown from a regular-looking teen into a beautiful well-groomed woman. Finally, Aria turned
Adrian’s POV“How dare you show your face to me! How dare you enter my life after what you did!”I saw her eyes burned not with passion but with rage. I held my breath, as my chest tightened with indescribable pain. It hurt so bad that she was looking at me this way. And for the nth time, I have nothing else to blame but myself. “I came here to say sorry for what I did,” I said swallowing my ego. I looked her straight in the eyes and uttered the words I’d been practicing saying for the longest time. “Please come back to my life.. I’m a wreck without you…”I tried my best not to be fucking emotional as I uttered those words. It took me two long years to admit my feelings to Aria, and finally, I let it all out. It was a tough pill to swallow but worth all the pride in me. Every word, every phrase, I meant it from the bottom of my heart. When I drove her away, I slowly became a robot.I was functioning but not breathing. I existed but felt empty.I was living but feeling dead inside.
Peter’s POVI shook my head contemplating the event that led me here in the forest hunting for something that I wasn’t even aware of. I should have been in Royal Cave listening and cheering for my foster daughter Aria while she was performing on probably the most important night of her singing career. And yet, here I was, sniffing in the air like a Bloodhound dog inside the forest. I agree that over the last few months, I became complacent. I haven’t been doing a lot of patrolling because I was so busy with my life with her. It had been a while since I became invested in building a relationship with another wolf so it really altered my everyday routine. Nixon and Sex Deity were both important figures in my life but it was still different when you live with someone else. When I lost my mate Leila years ago, I was certain that I would die alone. But the night I found Aria shivering under a thunderstorm, everything changed. She put another meaning to my routine life. And I wouldn’t trad