Chapter Four

CONNOR

I reclined back in my chair with the glass of dark whiskey swirling in my hand. The faint burn of victory warmed my chest as I reflected on our latest conquest. This was the third Pack we had taken down with barely a fight. I would make every single one of them pay, not even one would survive my fury. That's when Beta Jake burst in, slightly agitated before placing a stack of photos before me.

"We have identified intruders," his tone was calm, but there was a glint of urgency in his eyes.

"What have we got here?" I asked, dropping the glass before glancing at the photos. My blood ran cold. T-that was Aria. Bruised, dirty, and scared.

"W-what is this?" I asked, taking a close look before looking at the other pictures. Beside her was a man I didn't recognise. He was battered and barely standing.

"Do you know them?" Jake asked.

I turned away, masking my fury with a scowl. "Nobody touches her," I growled. "Understood?"

"Yes, Alpha." Jake nodded but not without hesitation.

"And take me to her, right now!"

When I arrived at the scene, my guards were all over the place, covering every inch of the perimeter. But the moment they sensed my anger, their eyes began to dart between Aria and me. Her face was turned slightly away, but I saw it- the bruise on her cheek.

Her hair was matted and her clothes were torn. I noticed she'd clutched the arm of the injured man beside her, protecting him even in her own helpless state. Her father was right, she wasn't just nice, but kind.

"Who did this to her?" My voice was ice.

The silence stretched, and my patience thinned. "Have you all suddenly gone dumb? Who hit her?!"

I scanned the group until one of them nervously gestured towards a stocky guard standing at the back, hunched like a cowering dog.

"You?" I said, stalking towards him.

"Alpha, I-" his voice cracked like dry twigs as he stammered. He stepped back, only to bump into Jake. The smell of his fear hit me instantly- sharp, suffocating, almost acrid. "Don't make me ask again." My voice had fallen an octave now, but the threat still carried.

The young man stumbled forward, paling as if the blood had been drained from his face. "Alpha, I didn't mean to-"

I was on him before he finished. I grabbed his hand and twisted it until his fingers gave way beneath the pressure.

"Aargh!" His scream was sharp and short-lived as the bones cracked, and snapped but I didn't care for mercy.

"You ever touch her again," I growled, before striking his temple with a brute punch. "and you'll wish I stopped at this."

Tossing him aside, I turned back to Aria. Her eyes were wide and the tears were running silently down her face. And then I saw him. A kid. Small, with dark hair and wide eyes.

The moment they let him go, he rushed back and clutched the hem of her torn dress while staring up at me. He looked just like her- the sharp chin and the same stubborn set to his lips.

"Is he...?" I whispered, but the question died in my throat.

She shook her head and pulled the kid closer. "Don't."

I nodded before turning to the guards. "Take them to the guest apartment. Get a doctor for him." I gestured to the man she was with. "I'll treat her myself."

"I'm fine." She quipped but I shook my head immediately. "We both know you're not. Come along."

Sitting close to her in the quiet of the guest apartment, I gently cleaned the bruise on her cheek with a cloth soaked in warm water. She flinched at my touch but didn't pull away. "I'm sorry," I murmured. "I should have been there sooner."

She pulled her child closer, as though he'd vanish if she let go, but said nothing.

"You know," I continued. "I left you to protect you. I never should have, but... I had to."

She still said nothing, but I could tell from how beady her eyes looked, that she was battling the tears. "Not now, Connor. You never cared. And you made it clear"

The question cut deeper than I wanted to admit. "I know how you feel, but you should know that I never stopped loving you, not even for a single moment."

Her breath hitched, but she turned away from me. "Don't even think about it. You're a rogue, you lied to me. And you killed my parents." I froze for a moment, shocked. How did she find out?

"Aria, I was... I was just settling a score."

"What does that even mean?"

"Your father... he killed my parents." "You don't know that."

"They were killed right in front of me, but he spared me. I never forgot his face. Aria-"

I shook my head, pausing. "I don't want to talk about this anymore. Please, just let us go when Noah is healed."

"Noah?" I repeated. I didn't know who that was. She nodded and gestured towards the opposite room with a nod.

"He's my... partner," she said. "We have a son."

I felt like I'd been stabbed when she said that. Partner. Son. What the fuck! The words felt wrong, unnatural coming from her.

"Wow. R-really?" I asked, looking down at the towel now. My hands were on my sides now.

"Yeah. He stayed by me when you turned your back on me." She added, making it hurt even more. I nodded, heartbroken. I still wanted her, and for a moment I thought we could mend things here.

“You know, I was going to come back.”

“But you didn't.”

“They found my pendant, Aria. If I stepped a foot inside the Pack, they'd know.”

“If you really wanted to, you would have found a way. You would have sent an emissary. I don't trust you, you lied to me.”

"Fine," I said, dropping the towel into the bowl before handing it to the maid who was standing by the doorway. "You'll leave once he’s healed."

Her head dipped in a nod, and the tears began to flow. Maybe it was just never meant to work.