Chapter 38

Aria’s POV

“Aria,” Lucian said, his voice low, nearly growling.

I stood on the sidewalk beside Matt, watching as Lucian’s car came to a screeching halt and then as Lucian himself emerged, storming toward us.

My heart sunk down with dread. Lucian’s face was twisted with rage. Had he discovered my secret? Did he know that I was Dr. A, and had been deceiving him this entire time?

Yet, no. That didn’t seem right. His cold focus was on me for only a moment before sliding entirely onto Matt.

Matt straightened. I knew, from the past, that while Matt respected Lucian as the Alpha King, he didn’t particularly like him. While Matt had been romantically pursuing me, he had tried to talk me out of my feelings for Lucian.

“He’s too cold, too distant. Please, Aria, reconsider…”

I remembered those words now, as the two glared at each other.

Lucian was slightly taller than Matt, but while Lucian had muscle, Matt’s were more bulging. If they fought, I didn’t know who would win.

“Get in the car, Aria,” Lucian said.

“She doesn’t have to if she doesn’t want to,” Matt said. “Unless you are the kind of brute of a husband who enjoys bullying his wife.”

“Good. I’m glad you recognize that she is my wife,” Lucian said. “That makes her off-limits to you.”

Matt glowered.

“Lucian,” I said, about to remind him of our upcoming divorce.

Before I could say the words, he barked at Matt, “She is my wife. Mine. And I will not suffer anyone trying to take her from me.”

This possessive side of him was so unusual that for a moment, I simply stood there stunned. Then, my hope began to lift. If he was this protective of me… If he thought of me as his…

Maybe he was coming to love me after all.

“Careful,” Luna whispered inside my mind. “We’ve been down this path before… He’s always disappointed us.”

Even as she said it, I could feel her hope swell in tandem with my own. Maybe we were inadvertently feeding each other, or maybe we both simply wanted our mate back – but only if he was willing to change and love us as we deserved.

As if to emphasize his point, Lucian wrapped his arm around my waist and tugged me closer to him.

Again I was surprised into silence. Staring up at Lucian in wonder, I wished he’d shown emotion like this from the start.

Still… better late than never.

Matt glanced between Lucian and me. As he looked at me, he must have seen how much in love with Lucian I was still was, even if I’d been trying to get over it. Disappointment flashed over his face, though he quickly hid it behind a mask of cool anger.

“I’ll go,” Matt said. “If that’s what Aria wants.”

I didn’t trust my voice, so instead, I just nodded.

“Fine.” Matt swallowed hard. “I’ll be at the hospital if you change your mind.”

“She won’t,” Lucian said.

Matt gave Lucian one last glare before turning away and continuing to walk to the hospital alone. Lucian continued to stare after him, as if making sure he was really leaving.

“Get in the car now, Aria,” he said, without looking at me.

With my heart racing and my hope flying high, I could only do as he commanded. I walked to the car and slipped into the backseat. He stayed close behind me, protectively covering my back, and then entered the car behind me.

Lucian slammed the door closed. “Drive,” he said to the driver.

“Yes, Alpha,” the driver said and obeyed.

Lucian leaned forward and pressed the button that lifted the partition, separating the front seat from the back. This gave us more privacy.

What did Lucian have in mind? My heart thundered hard in my chest, pounding against my ribcage in an unsteady, quick-paced rhythm.

Maybe he’d finally tell me he loved me.

“What were you doing with him?” Lucian asked.

“I was visiting Caleb in the hospital,” I explained, eager to clear up this misunderstanding so that we could get to the better part of what might happen here. “Matt was there too. He seemed upset about everything, so I agreed to have coffee with him. We caught up a little.”

“He wants you,” Lucian said bluntly.

I blushed. “That’s not… We were just catching up.”

“You need to be more careful, around him and other men. They will get the wrong impression, especially when you wear clothes like that.”

I glanced down at my slacks and turtleneck. I’d worn this same outfit a few times in the past and he’d never commented on it then. In fact, to me, it was excessively conservative.

“What’s wrong with this outfit?” I asked, genuinely confused.

“That shirt is too tight. He was likely staring at your breasts the entire time you were together,” Lucian said, frowning. His gaze dipped down and my blush deepened. Too quickly, however, he glanced away, looking out the window instead.

“Lucian,” I said, leaning closer. I liked him looking at me. If I could still stir his passion, then maybe our marriage could be saved after all.

The only thing I ever wanted from his was love.

Yet, as I leaned forward and inhaled, I caught the scent of Sheila’s perfume. Outside, in the moment, I hadn’t noticed it. But here in close quarters it was obvious.

Sheila’s scent was all over him.

With a start, I pushed myself back into my seat. “Tell the driver to stop.”

“No,” he replied.

“Do it, or so help me, Lucian, I will jump out of this car.”

He turned his head sharply, looking at me. “You wouldn’t.”

I wouldn’t, not being pregnant as I was. But that didn’t mean I wouldn’t threaten it more to get him to let me go.

I couldn’t stand to be in this car anymore with him. With that smell.

Daring him with my eyes, I reached for the door handle.

“Wait! Driver, stop!” he shouted loud enough to be heard through the partition.

The car skidded to a stop once more. Lucian’s arm immediately shot out, protecting me from flying too far forward.

I resented him for it, for protecting me and being decent, all without loving me.

When the car fully stopped, I opened the car door for real and stepped out. Finally, I breathed in some clear, crisp air. No more Sheila overpowering my nose.

Surprisingly, Lucian followed me outside. He even walked behind me as I made my way to the sidewalk.

“Aria…”

“Leave me alone, Lucian.”

“We need to talk.”

“There’s nothing to talk about,” I said.

“We should talk about what just happened,” Lucian said. “With Matt.”

Huffing, I came to a stop, then swiveled to face him. “You were jealous,” I accused.

His eyes went wide a moment, but he recovered quickly. “I was not,” he insisted.

My heart ached. I kept doing this to myself. Over and over, I was on a record-player of pain.

I wanted him to want me so badly that I was willing to believe anything. But he was always ready to deny it.

I knew he had been jealous. I’d seen it with my own eyes. But for him to say he wasn’t’ meant that he was either in denial or purposefully ignoring his feelings.

That left no hope for me. Things were never going to get better.

Even if he grew to love me, which was doubtful at this point, he would never admit it.

I couldn’t live this way.

“I was simply upset because you were behaving so irresponsibly,” Lucian continued. “Going out with that man. What were you thinking? You are still Luna of this pack.”

I was so very tired. Looking at him, I felt my bottom lip tremble, and I begged, “Just sign the papers, Lucian. Give me a divorce.”