Chapter 132

Aria’s POV

After Lucian left, I returned to my office and then down to the lab, where I worked with the researchers until their shifts were done. At that point, the jetlag began to set in, and I grew tired myself.

When I was tired, it was difficult not to keep my thoughts from wandering.

Lucian had told me he was happy. For that to be true, likely meant that he’d moved on with someone else. He probably didn’t think about me at all anymore. It was likely only curiosity that had him asking Dr. A if I was in town.

Cure-wise, the researchers and I had made some good progress so far. I was still unsatisfied, we needed to do more. I didn’t want to wait.

But for now, for the kids and for Cathy who had been babysitting, I needed to head back to her place, put Dr. A aside for a moment, and be Aria for the rest of the night.

As soon as I walked through the door, the kids came running to see me, eager for hugs and conversation. They already knew my Dr. A persona, so they recognized me either way. I half hugged them as I removed my mask and asked my wolf to release the disguise of my hair and scent.

I generally enjoy my time as Dr. A, but it was nice to be Aria again.

“The kids napped most of the afternoon,” Cathy said from the couch. I was relieved to hear it, so that she didn’t have to watch their full boisterous selves for too long. I’d have to look into hiring a babysitter for the rest of our trip. When I agreed to these plans, I hadn’t realized Cathy was quite so weak already.

I never would have agreed to a lot of things had I known. Cathy had insisted, wanting to be a part of the kids’ lives, but no matter her confidence level, she couldn’t just ignore how she was feeling.

She might believe whole-heartedly that I would find a cure, but until I actually found one, she needed to take better care of herself.

“Aunt Cathy was telling us all the places we can go see starting tomorrow!” Jean said. “I’m too excited to sleep!”

“Why don’t we just watch a movie for now?” I asked. Glancing at Cathy, I asked her, “Can you turn something on while I get out of these clothes?”

“Sure,” Cathy replied.

The kids seemed hesitant to let me go. “I’ll be right back, I promised them.”

The joined Cathy on the couch, and then I walked into my old room to change.

It felt strange reaching for my suitcase rather than going for the drawers of the dresser in the room. I felt for a moment like I had time-traveled five years before and was still living here.

Standing in front of the vanity, I looked at myself, without my disguise yet still wearing my doctor clothes.

Dr. Aria. That was what I had gone by in Moonglow. Here, if felt impossible to be my true self. If I’d tried, today would have been so much more awkward and troublesome.

I didn’t know how I would explain any of this to Lucian. Hopefully I wouldn’t have to.

Setting the mask aside, I quickly changed. Just as I was tying my hair up, Cathy knocked on the door.

I checked my watch. Had I been gone too long?

“Come in,” I told her.

Cathy sauntered inside. I could tell she was exhausted from the effort of walking here from the couch and gestured for her to sit on the bed. She did so.

“We need to talk before you go back out there in front of the kids,” Cathy said.

“About what?” I asked.

“About whatever it is that’s bothering you,” she said.

“There’s a lot on my mind,” I admitted.

“I know. And I know you are working hard on a cure, but I have a feeling something else happened today.”

“How could you tell?”

“It’s all over your face.” She paused a moment. “And also, Jasper hasn’t checked in today.”

That surprised me. “You talk to Jasper?”

“Most days, yes,” she said with a shrug. “Since I’ve gotten sick he usually checks in once a day. I knew he was excited to see you. I can imagine what happened…”

“He proposed,” I said.

“Yeah, I thought he might.” Cathy sighed. “He’s been caught up on you for a while. I think it’s the fantasy he likes though.”

“Me too,” I said.

“I hope you let him down gently.”

“I did,” I said. “That was when Lucian showed up.”

Cathy’s eyes nearly bugged out of her head. “Lucian?!”

I quickly filled her in on what occurred, what I said to Jasper and then what Lucian and I talked about.

“I asked him if he was happy,” I said. “Is it bad that I was hurt when he said yes?”

It didn’t make sense. I cared for Lucian, so shouldn’t I want him to be happy? Yet, all I could feel in that moment was the disappointment knowing that he had so easily moved on from me. He didn’t think about me anymore. He didn’t need to. Whoever he was with made him happy now.

He didn’t need me anymore.

It wasn’t fair, when I was still so caught up on him.

I couldn’t blame him for that, though. I could only blame my own foolish, foolish heart.

“That’s what he told you?” Cathy asked.

“He must have someone else,” I said. “He has to. And I have such mixed feelings about it. I don’t even know how to process it…”

“Did he tell you he moved on?”

“No. But he said he was happy. What else could he mean?”

“Aria,” Cathy looked at me straight in the eye. “I have no idea why Lucian told you that, but whatever his reasons, he has decidedly not moved on.”

“What do you mean?”

“It’s in the news all the time. Even Jasper talks about it,” Cathy replied. “He’s famous for turning down dates. The elders are furious at him for not finding another Luna and making heirs, but he always refuses.”

“He… does?”

“It’s a known fact in Nightfall pack,” Cathy said. “Alpha King Lucian is a confirmed bachelor.”

The words struck me like a bolt of lightning, fixing me to the spot. I couldn’t understand. Couldn’t comprehend.

How could someone as handsome and king and strong as Lucian not have another woman in his life by now?

The only answer could be, because he didn’t want one.

Before I could fully think through what that could mean for him and for me, the doorbell rang.

“I’ll get it,” Cathy said, though she struggled to sit up.

“Allow me,” I told her.

She tiredly looked at me and nodded, though she seemed upset about it. No doubt it was frustrating for her not to be able to do the things she wanted to do as easily as she usually did them.

For now, I helped her to her feet and then hurried out of the room to answer the door before the kids could think to, especially when the bell rang again.

At the door, I unlocked the lock and pulled it open.

Then I froze.

Lucian was staring there. “Cathy, I was hoping to see… Aria…”