Chapter 128

Aria’s POV

The hug with Jasper lingered. Five years was a long time to be away from a friend, and it was nice to catch up, so I didn’t totally mind. When we did eventually part, he looked me over, smiling like I hung the moon in the sky.

“You look exactly the same,” he said, grinning.

I couldn’t say the same for him. He’d cut his hair, making it more uniform that the type of wild young hairstyle he’d had before. He wore a suit now too, tailored and sharp, but still more than I would have expected from him five years before.

His features seemed a touch more stern as well, though that boyish grin was the same as ever. He could hide much of his expression, but I could still see the hint of mischief flashing in his eyes.

“You look good,” I told him. It wasn’t a lie. Though I missed some of the carefree persona he used to exude, it was nice to see him take life a bit more seriously now as well.

“Thanks.” He looked around, his eyes taking in the surroundings while consistently also darting back to look at me. It was as if he couldn’t take his eyes off of me for too long, maybe worried I might disappear.

It was flattering, but I hoped he hadn’t forgotten our many conversations about how we were better as friends.

“Do you think we could go somewhere to talk?” Jasper asked. “Sit down, just me and you, and catch up for a while.”

I wanted to, but my work was so very important. Maybe there was some way I could… Ah.

“Give me one moment,” I told him. “I want the research team to start on something, then we can sit in the break room for a moment.”

“Great,” he said, his smile widening.

Moving to the phone, I called down to the lab to ask the researchers to look into my idea. They caught onto my line of thinking pretty quickly, so it didn’t take much time for them to fully understand what I really wanted.

“I will be in the break room if you need me,” I told them. “Then I will be down after.”

“We’ll do our best, Dr. A!” the researcher said.

After hanging up, I turned back to Jasper and we walked out into the hallway. As this floor was mostly vacant without my office up and running, the break room for this floor was vacant too. That was perfect for our purposes.

I led Jasper to a six-person round table and sat down. Of all the chairs Jasper could have chosen, he picked the one directly to my right. He turned toward me, facing me more than the table. I inched my chair away from him slightly, so I could turn toward him as well without our knees bumping together.

In his eyes is clear affection, more obvious now under the bright fluorescent lights.

“Tell me everything that’s happened,” he said, though that seemed somewhat silly. We talked both on the phone and in letters so much, he already knew many of the big moments of my life.

“Piper and I are almost finished setting up the new clinic,” I said. “Well, we were… before all this. Silas stepped in, in our stead. I think he was happy to get out of retirement.”

Like this, I regale him with my most recent stories for five minutes or so, and then I asked, “Tell me about you. Still working at the Alpha headquarters?”

“Yes,” Jasper said. “I’ve moved up the ranks pretty far.” He seemed proud of that, and I was proud for him. He’d worked hard in these past five years to develop his career, building upon his own successes and not just because of his family name.

“I’m proud of you,” I told him. It wasn’t the first time I said it, but the others had been in letters or on the phone. This was the first time in person.

Like this, I could see the satisfaction cross his face and the hope burn brightly in his eyes.

Even if I didn’t totally understand why yet.

Then, leaning forward, he scooped my hands in his. He kissed the backs of both of my hands, and then told me, his voice earnest and so full of affection, it made my own chest ache, “I’ve worked hard to become a better man. I wanted to be the kind of man you deserve…”

“Jasper…”

“Please,” he said. “Will you consider marrying me?”

Lucian’s POV

I sat at my desk, enjoying my 2:30pm cup of tea. Though the staff had gotten much better at crafting it over the past five years, it still paled in comparison to how Aria used to make it.

Aria. The thought of her panged through my chest. Even after all these years, that hollow feeling that had developed during our mutual rejection never really went away.

“She was our true mate,” my wolf said. “You were wrong to push her away…”

“It was what she wanted,” I reminded him.

Yet before I could say more, Ben walked through the door to my office. He was out of breath like he had been running. He didn’t even bother to knock on my door as he rushed up to my desk.

“What is it?” I asked, sensing something was wrong.

“Aria was spotted at the airport,” Ben said.

“Aria?”

“And Dr. A was seen at the hospital,” Ben said. “She’s there now.”

“Aria and Dr. A are both here?” I asked, making sure I heard him right. This was big news, and went against my usual routine.

Even so, it couldn’t be ignored. Not if it was Aria.

Despite five years of research, I was still no closer to discovering if Aria and Dr. A were the same person. There were many coincidences, but until proper proof could be obtained, that was all they could be. Coincidences.

Perhaps now. If I could properly confront them.

I didn’t know where Aria was, but if Dr. A was at the hospital, all I would have to do was go there and I’d be able to speak with her.

If she was Aria…

My heart started to race.

Immediately, I pushed away from my desk and stood, my tea forgotten.

“Get the car ready,” I told Ben. “I’m going to the hospital at once.”

Being Alpha King gave me certain advantages in situations like this. Where others might not have been able to ascertain information, I walked up to the reception desk of the hospital and said, “I’m looking for Dr. A.” Immediately, my inquiry was given a satisfactory result.

“She has returned to her old office, Dr. A,” the receptionist said. “Though one of our researchers told me she has presently stepped away to the break room on the same floor. Do you need directions?”

“I know where that is,” I said and headed for the elevator. I stood very still, waiting, even as excitement buzzed around inside of me.

On the floor with Dr. A’s old office, I walked right by it, headed toward the breakroom.

Thinking nothing of it, I pushed open the door to the breakroom and stepped inside.

There, I froze, taking in the scene in front of me.

Jasper was holding Dr. A’s hands, and looking at her deeply.

“Please,” he said. “Will you consider marrying me?”