Chapter 112
Aria’s POV
I heard Grayson’s voice from inside, and it’s sharp with irritation:
“I thought I made myself very clear. I don’t want to hear this topic again.”
Silence stretched for a beat. Before another elder spoke up again, his voice trembling but
stubborn:
“W–We understand, Alpha. But it’s our duty as elders to remind you-”
“Your duty-” Grayson snapped, “-is to keep this pack strong. To make sure our soldiers are prepared, our finances stable, and our members united. Not to sit here obsessing over
whether I’ve had a child with a woman!”
A messy chorus of apologies rose up immediately, but one elder still rang loud and clear among the noises:
“With all due respect, Alpha… a Luna and an heir are part of your duty too. An Alpha with a wife and child stands stronger in the eyes of the world. And with a Luna at your side, your power will rise significantly. Which means that you can better protect your pack and
members.”
This time, Grayson went quiet.
And I knew why. Because that last line was what he really cared about. He did need stability, strength, something to keep his wolf from spiraling.
We all tried to hide it, but his episodes weren’t exactly a secret among the pack’s leadership anymore. Everyone knew our Alpha carried a terrifying power, a power that made him the strongest Alpha of the century. But it’s also taking a toll on him.
A Luna. A stable mate bond. It would really help him.
My hands were damp with sweat. I wiped my hands on my skirt. My stomach twisted into a
knot.
Then Grayson’s voice came again, slower this time:
1/7
+23)
Chapter 112
“It can be arranged because I am currently dating someone…”
Yet instantly, the room exploded.
“No. Not that girl!” one elder shouted angrily.
“From a public image standpoint, you’d be better off staying single than marrying her,”
another added.
“With her by your side, Red Stone Pack will be a global laughingstock!”
CRACK.
The sound of something shattering rang out. Grayson must’ve smashed something in his rage. His roar followed, vibrating the walls:
“I thought the whole point of me marrying was to give me strength to protect this pack! Aria Collins is the only one who can soothe my wolf. And now you want to laugh at her bloodline? What the fuck do you people even want?!”
His Alpha aura swept through the air like a storm, suffocating even from the other side of the door. Even my lungs burned. I don’t know how the elders managed to even stay standing in there.
Then one elder stammered:
“I–It’s not just her bloodline, Alpha. The girl never even attended a proper university, no decent degree. How is she supposed to handle those complicated social occasions when she goes on trips with you? A Luna must have knowledge, polish, refinement.”
Another elder added to that;
“She’s beautiful, yes, we all see that. But your heir needs more than a pretty face. They need strength. They need pure blood to inherit from their mother.”
And then, the dagger:
“…Besides, we all know where you disappeared to these past days.”
My heart skipped a beat. Grayson’s voice dropped into something cold and dangerous. “What the hell do you mean by that?”
44
217
16:02 Thu, 21 Aug Q
Chapter 112
“Forgive my boldness, Alpha,” that elder said quickly. “But you skipped the medical summit for the past couple of days. And we heard you went to treat Aria Collins. Something about her wolf… weakening.”
“That was a private matter. A secret.” Grayson’s furious voice thundered. “Which means one of my guards is a fucking traitor.”
“You don’t need to hide things from us, Alpha,” the elder insisted. “Think about it. A woman without a wolf–how could she ever soothe yours? And now even her last bit of value is
gone!”
The words punched the air out of my chest.
I stumbled against the wall, gasping, my vision blurring.
Because they weren’t wrong.
They were saying out loud everything I feared most.
The traits I’d always been proud of–my kindness, my fieriness, my independence–they
didn’t matter here.
To those people, I was nothing but a flawed bloodline.
A girl with a broken wolf.
Useless.
“Alpha, you have other options,” another elder slowly suggested. “There are many Alpha’s daughters here at the summit who would be honored to stand at your side. And even if you refuse them… there is always Lady Isla. We all know that the bond between you two-”
“Enough,” Grayson snapped.
But the elder dared keep talking, “If you insist on having Aria Collins, then why not make her your mistress? It’s not uncommon for a strong Alpha like you to have many women to share your bed. And if Aria Collins is lucky enough to get pregnant, her bastard children would still be well taken care of-”
I slapped a hand over my mouth. Hot tears blurred my eyes.
3/1
16:02 Thu, 21 Aug Q
Chapter 112
Mistress? Bastard children?
Are these people kidding me right now?
And Grayson’s roar split the air like thunder:
“I SAID ENOUGH! This damn meeting is over. All of you–get the fuck out!”
30%
+23)
There was a tense silence. Then, the scrape of chairs against the floor, followed by heavy footsteps shuffling toward the door.
I quickly hid behind a column just as the elders came out. They were all muttering, sighing, shaking their heads. Their robes brushed past me. None of them noticed me crouched here
in the shadows.
I watched them leave and slowly sank to the ground. Tears streamed down my cheeks.
I felt hollow, helpless. Was it my illness making me weak, or those words cutting me down? Probably both.
Suddenly there was rushed footsteps coming at my direction. Before I could wipe my face, a strong pair of arms swept me off the ground and crushed me against a hard chest.
“…I’m sorry.”
Grayson’s voice was raw in my ear.
1 clung to his neck, choking on my sobs. “H–how did you know I was here?”
His mouth pressed desperate kisses to my wet cheeks. “What use am I if I can’t even find my own girl? Fuck, every time I see you cry, my wolf is losing its mind.”
“I won’t be your mistress, Grayson. You hear me?” I shook his shoulders, my tears falling harder. “I’m done with broken marriages, done with being the abandoned kid! I deserve better. I deserve a husband who’s mine alone. I deserve a family! I will not share you with
another woman, and have my children to be called bastards-”
“I know, I know!”
He held me tighter, his face torn with rage and pain. “I would never let that happen. NEVER.
Damn it, I should just fucking hang every elder who fucking said that!”
4/7
16:02 Thu, 21 Aug Q
Chapter 112
I buried my face in his chest and sobbed until I couldn’t breathe.
༨ 30%_-
Right now it felt like the whole world was against us. And he was my only anchor, my rock..
I don’t know how long I cried. But eventually, a hesitant voice came from the near distance:
“…Alpha Grayson, forgive me, but your next meeting is coming up in 5 minutes-”
“CANCEL IT!” Grayson thundered. “We are not to be disturbed!”
“No…No.” I pushed him away, wiping my swollen eyes. “Go. Go to your meeting. I don’t
need you hovering over me.”
“You think I’ll leave you like this? No way,” His grip tightened.
I forced a weak smile. “Send Delilah. Or Nova over. I just… I need to talk to a girl. And then I’ll be okay.”
His jaw flexed. He still looked reluctant. But I pulled free and stumbled away before he
could stop me.
I wandered through the packhouse. With the elders‘ cruel words replaying over and over in
my mind like a curse.
I told myself I shouldn’t give a damn about what they said. But I couldn’t help myself.
I drifted into the gardens and nearly smacked into a pillar. Until a hand caught me.
“Careful.” Nova steadied me with a sigh. “Good thing I found you before you ruin your
pretty face.”
I gave her a weary smile, “Grayson sent you?”
“Yeah. He said you needed someone to talk to. And I’ll be the one to take you to your date tonight.” She studied my face. “So? Wanna to talk? I heard the elders were being complete assholes again. You shouldn’t care about them.”
“It’s not just them…It’s me,” I whispered. “I think I’m getting greedy. At first, just being in the same room with him made me so, so happy. Then I wanted to be his girlfriend. And now, my world would end if they told me I couldn’t be his lifelong partner…Maybe–Maybel am asking for too much, you know?”
5/7
16:02 hu, 21 Aug
Chapter 112
30%
23
“No. Stop it.” Nova gripped my hand, her tone serious. “The only thing that matters is Alpha Grayson wants you back. He’s getting greedy too, Aria, don’t you see? And that’s a good thing! Don’t let a few bitter old bastards scramble your head.”
I shook my head. But the shadows still clung to me.
Nova tugged me along with a grin:
“Come on. Let’s get you to your date. A romantic dinner might knock the gloom out of you.”
Grayson wasn’t riding with us–Nova said he’d arrive later from another meeting. She drove me away from the packhouse, through the evening rush in the city center, and toward the mountains on the edge of city.
By the time the car started climbing uphill, I already had a guess of our destination. “So mountaintop dinner, huh?”
Her smile was sly in the rearview mirror. “Alpha put a lot of thought into this. I’m not
spoiling the surprise.”
I found myself smiling as well. I turned to gaze out the window and saw the glittering lights of Red Stone Pack below. It’s so majestic. And it’s surreal, knowing I was dating the man
who ruled it all.
“So… how long have you worked for Grayson, Nova?” I asked, curious. I’d always seen her as a friend, but I realized I knew so little about her.
She laughed. “God, it must be 15 years now. I joined him when he first became Alpha, and
Suddenly, her words cut off. I heard her suck in a sharp breath.
“What is it?”
Her knuckles went white on the wheel. Her voice became tense abruptly. “Shit… Don’t panic, Aria. But I think our brakes just failed.”
“What?!”
My body jolted upright. And I saw what’s right in front of us. Fuck, it’s the cliff’s edge!
6/7
16:03 Thu, 21 Aug Q
Chapter 112
“Hold on!” she shouted, yanking the wheel hard.
I screamed, as the car screeched and hurtled at full speed toward the cliff!
AD
Comment
Send gift
No Ads
