Chapter 158

Aria

I tried to look away from Darren, but my eyes kept drifting back to him. That look on his face as he watched Raven… there was something about it that made my stomach twist into knots.

No. I was being ridiculous.

I took a deep breath and forced myself to stand. This was just paranoia, nothing more. Darren was my mate; our bond was unbreakable. I was letting my wolf’s possessiveness cloud my judgment again, and I needed to get it under control.

“I should go,” I said to the mother sitting beside me. “There’s still a lot to prepare for the summit.”

With that, I cast one last glance at Lucas, who was now enthusiastically acting out some kind of scene with the other children, before turning away and heading back toward the pack house.

Inside the pack house, I found Wendy and Bella already hard at work in the ceremonial chambers. The large room was being adorned with tapestries and floral displays. Several long tables had been arranged in a U-shape, with the Alpha’s chair positioned at the head.

“There you are,” Wendy called as I entered. She was balanced precariously on a ladder, hanging a particularly heavy tapestry depicting the history of the pack. “Come help me with this, will you? My old arms aren’t what they used to be.”

I hurried over, steadying the ladder as Wendy adjusted the tapestry. “It looks beautiful in here,” I said, glancing around at their progress.

Bella was across the room, arranging flowers in tall vases. Her face was still pale from her morning sickness, but she offered me a smile.

“Alright,” Wendy said, wiping her hands on her apron. “I need to check on the food preparations. You two finish up in here.”

As Wendy bustled out of the room, I moved to help Bella with the flowers. She was working slowly, pausing every few minutes to take a deep breath.

“Are you feeling okay?” I asked, noticing the sweat beading on her forehead despite the cool temperature in the room.

Bella waved a dismissive hand. “Just a bit of morning sickness. But they should really call it all-day sickness.”

I laughed, but kept a careful eye on her as we continued working. We moved around the room, hanging more tapestries and arranging decorations. Bella insisted on handling the ladder work while I arranged things on the ground, claiming she needed the exercise. I reluctantly agreed, but stayed close by just in case.

We were about halfway through when it happened. Bella was reaching up to hang a streamer when she suddenly swayed on the ladder. Her face went from pale to gray in an instant.

“Bella!” I cried out, rushing forward just as she lost her balance.

She tumbled sideways off the ladder with a startled cry. I managed to catch her enough to break her fall, but we both ended up in a heap on the floor. The streamers fluttered down around us.

“Oh, shit,” Bella groaned, clutching her stomach. “I’m sorry, I just got so dizzy all of a sudden.”

I scrambled to my knees, my heart pounding. “Are you hurt? The baby—”

“The baby’s fine,” she assured me with a huff. “But I think I twisted my ankle.”

I looked down and saw that her right ankle was already beginning to swell. Cursing under my breath, I carefully helped her to her feet, supporting most of her weight, and guided her to a nearby chair.

Once she was seated, I gently lifted her leg and examined her ankle. It was definitely swollen, but didn’t appear to be broken.

“I’ll get some ice,” I said, but Bella caught my wrist.

“In a minute,” she said. “Just… sit with me for a second while the world stops spinning.”

I nodded and pulled up another chair, sitting beside her. I carefully took her injured foot into my lap and began to massage the area around the swelling, using techniques I’d learned during my brief stint as a massage therapist back when I was trying to figure out which side gig would be best for me.

“That feels amazing,” Bella sighed, leaning back in her chair. “You know, sometimes I forget you had a whole life before all this werewolf madness.”

I smiled, continuing to work on her ankle. “So did you.”

“Yeah,” she said softly. “Sometimes I miss it. Not the bad parts, obviously, but… the simplicity. Knowing the rules of the world.”

I nodded, understanding exactly what she meant. “I miss it too, sometimes. Even with all the wonder of this place, there’s something about the human world that feels like… home.”

“Do you think you’ll stay here?” Bella asked, her eyes searching mine. “I mean, long-term? Assuming those fuckers let you back into the human city, I mean.”

I paused, considering the question. It was something I’d been asking myself a lot lately. “I don’t know,” I admitted. “I love it here, and Darren… but I love the human world too. And I want to be there for you, through all of this.” I gestured to her still-flat stomach. “I want to be the cool aunt who spoils your kid rotten.”

Bella’s eyes filled with tears, but she quickly blinked them away. “Oh, shut up.”

“I mean it,” I laughed. “Don’t act like you don’t want me to.”

She sighed. “It’s just weird to think about, that’s all. Me, the little shit who used to get thrown in juvie every other month for spraying graffiti and egging rich people’s houses, having a fucking baby. With a werewolf, no less.”

I couldn’t help but smirk. “Just like your wildest dreams, huh?”

She laughed, wiping at her eyes. “Can’t we talk about you instead? You’re so different from when I met you in the youth home. You were such a dork. Now you’re a dork, but a hot one. And confident to boot.”

I felt my cheeks warm at her words. It was true that I’d changed a lot since meeting Darren and discovering this new world. I’d found strength I never knew I had.

“I’m glad I met you in that youth home,” Bella said softly, pulling me into a tight hug. “You’re the sister I never had, Aria.”

I hugged her back just as tightly, blinking away tears. “Bells, you have no fucking idea.”

We stayed like that for a moment, both a little emotional, before I pulled back. “Now, let me get that ice for your ankle, and then we should probably tell Liam what happened.”

“Don’t you dare,” Bella said with a groan. “He’s already treating me like I’m made of glass. If he finds out about this, he’ll probably lock me in our bedroom until the baby comes.”

I laughed, knowing she was probably right. Liam was fiercely protective of Bella, especially now that she was pregnant. “Fine, but at least let me help you back to your room to rest.”

After getting Bella settled with her ankle elevated and iced, I returned to the ceremonial chambers to finish the preparations. The work kept my mind occupied for the rest of the day.

It was nearly sunset by the time I was finished. I stood in the center of the room, admiring the transformation. The chambers looked warm and inviting, and I hoped it would ease some of the tension that was sure to come during the summit.

Just then, movement outside caught my eye, and I walked to the window. My breath caught in my throat as I saw Darren walking up the path with Raven. They were deep in conversation, their heads bent close together. As they paused near the end of the pathway, Raven placed her hand on Darren’s shoulder, leaning in to say something that made him laugh.

My wolf stirred again, that primal jealousy bubbling up inside of me like hot lava. “Ours,” she growled menacingly, and I had to grip the windowsill to steady myself.

Gritting my teeth, I turned away from the window just as I heard the front door open and close. A few moments later, Darren appeared in the doorway of the ceremonial chambers. His eyes found mine immediately, and his smile faltered at whatever he saw in my expression.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, crossing the room toward me.

I shook my head, forcing a smile. “Nothing. Just tired. It’s been a long day. Bella hurt her ankle earlier, but don’t tell Liam, or she’ll kill me.”

He studied my face, clearly not believing that that was all that was on my mind. but I couldn’t bring myself to voice my ridiculous jealousy. It would only make me sound insecure and petty.

“I think I’m going to head to bed early,” I said, planting a kiss on his cheek. “I want to be well-rested for tomorrow.”

He stared at me, but nodded and let me go. I didn’t realize I was holding my breath until I rounded the corner and suddenly felt my head spin from lack of oxygen.