Chapter 82
Chapter 82
Aria’s POV
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“So? What happened?” I asked softly.
“You were shot. Remember?” His voice was gentle, almost too soft. “But it’s fine now. You’re getting better.”
frowned. Something felt… off. “If I was just shot, then why did you give me your blood? Why couldn’t someone else do it?”
“Because I didn’t want anyone else to.” He looked at me with that unreadable expression. “Don’t you like the way things are now?”
I didn’t know. My head was still foggy. I couldn’t think straight.
Just then, a doctor walked in with a few nurses. They checked the machines, our vitals, and eventually removed the blood transfusion line.
“Everything went well. Miss Collins is stable now,” the doctor smiled as he looked over at Grayson.
“Um, doctor?” I asked weakly. “What exactly happened to me?”
In that split second, I swore I saw him glance at Grayson.
And Grayson gave the tiniest shake of his head.
The kind of shake someone does when they don’t want something said out loud.
“You were shot, that’s all,” the doctor said kindly. “Once the wound heals, you’ll be fine. Do you feel any discomfort elsewhere?”
“I… I’m not sure. I just feel so weak. And my wolf… she hasn’t spoken to me. She’s been sleeping, and I can’t reach her.”
They were definitely hiding something from me. I could feel it in my bones.
But the doctor just nodded and said firmly, “Healing takes time. Give your wolf some rest.”
“But-”
“Trust the doctor, Aria.” Grayson came to my bedside, took my hand. “Whatever happens, I’ll be right here.”
They didn’t want to tell me the truth. And I couldn’t force it out of them.
So I stayed in the hospital day after day.
Grayson spent a lot of time with me, but he was busy too. Constant meetings behind closed doors, long phone calls late into the night, endless paperwork.
He was clearly planning something important. But no one would tell me what.
And the weirdest part?
Even though everyone kept saying I was healing, my wound wasn’t. Not fully. It still throbbed. And that wasn’t normal. At least not for a werewolf. Even one as weak as me.
The more time passed, the more uneasy I felt.
And that’s when Delilah came to visit.
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Chapter 82
I was lying in bed, flipping through a book when she walked in. She looked pale, tense, and honestly, a little scared,
“What are you doing here?” I frowned, setting the book aside. “Grayson wouldn’t want you here.”
I’d heard him several times, warning the guards to keep his parents and sister away from my room.
“…I know.” She clutched her bag nervously. “That’s why I came when he’s not around, I–I had to see you.”
I stared at her coldly. “Why? If you’re here to ask where Jace is, don’t bother. Your husband’s quite something. He still hasn’t been caught. Maybe he vanished off the face of the earth.”
“No–no! That’s not why I’m here,” she said quickly, almost panicking. “I know what kind of person he is now. I don’t want anything to do with him anymore.”
I looked into her eyes.
Honestly? Any trust I’d had in her was long gone.
The last time I gave her a chance, she invited us to that snow cabin.
And look where that got us.
“Can I sit?” she asked quietly.
She looked so fragile. Like a gust of wind could knock her over. Her hair was a mess, her nails chipped and unpolished. Nothing like the glamorous socialite she used to be.
I sighed. “Fine.”
She quickly took a seat beside the bed, her eyes sad as they landed on my shoulder. “Are you getting better?”
“More or less,” I mumbled. I didn’t feel like telling her the truth. “So? Why are you really here?”
She bit her lip, then gently rested a hand on her belly. It wasn’t showing yet. “I… I wanted your opinion…On whether I should keep the baby.”
I sat up so fast it made my wound twinge. “What? You’re thinking about getting rid of it?”
“I–I’ve thought about it… I don’t know,” she sobbed, voice breaking. “How can I raise a child knowing who their father is? The same man who tried to kill their own uncle…God, I can’t even imagine how they’d face Grayson after, being born.”
“I know Grayson wouldn’t blame an innocent child,” I said firmly. “He’ll still love his niece or nephew. He’s not the type to take things out on a baby.”
She wiped her tears, still trembling. “But I feel so guilty… After what Jace did to you all, if I just go and have his baby without even asking you or Grayson, it…it just feels wrong.”
I frowned at her.
“If you’re hoping I’ll say ‘It’s okay, I forgive you, go ahead and have Jace’s baby,’ then you’re wasting your time.” My voice stayed cool. “This is your decision. A hard one. And nothing I say will make it easier.”
She looked stunned, like I’d ripped the words right out of her heart. She covered her mouth and cried harder.
“I just… I don’t know if I can do it. This baby would be born without a father. And I know nothing about being a single mom! What if they turn out like Jace? What if they’re… a monster?”
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Chapter 82
“Hey.” I sat up straighter. “You’re the mother. You’re the one raising them. And this kid? They’ll never even know their father. So who do you think they’ll really take after?”
She sniffled, pulled out a tissue and wiped her eyes. “I hope they turn out like Grayson. I’d be lucky if he could guide them. But… but he doesn’t even talk to me anymore.”
“Well can you blame him?” I said, not bothering to sugarcoat it.
Her head dropped, her sobs going quiet and soft.
I sighed. “But I know this—he wouldn’t want you to give up this baby because of him. Just… don’t do something you’ll regret. Think about it. You could have a child who’s completely yours. How cool is that?”
She looked up and gave a weak laugh through her tears. “You really like kids, huh? I heard Frostpine Pack’s kids take their mother’s last name. And that moms are usually the providers?”
I nodded.
Frostpine Pack was one of the rare matriarchal werewolf packs. Many of our Alphas were women. Their children took the mother’s name and were raised by strong, independent moms.
But that was for royalty and nobles.
It never had anything to do with me.
“You and Grayson’s future kids would be beautiful,” she said quietly.
I let out a short, dry laugh.
Me? Having kids with Grayson?
I couldn’t even imagine it.
Commitment, marriage and family were probably the top 3 things on hie fear list.
“Hey since you’re here, why don’t you go say hi to your brother?” I asked. “He should be in the next room, working.”
She looked instantly tense. “I… can I? He probably doesn’t want to see me.”
“What’s the worst that could happen? He throws you out?” I smirked. “Come on.”
Honestly, I was dying to get out of that room anyway.
So I led Delilah out, down the hall toward the large meeting room at the end. Two guards nodded when they saw me and opened the door for
- us.
But what we saw inside wasn’t what I expected at all.
Instead of a meeting room, the room had been completely transformed into a media set.
A camera crew stood by the walls, with a director, a boom mic operator, and lights all around.
In the center, Grayson sat on a sleek couch, face–to–face with a host. Looks like they were doing an interview.
Oh god he looks so handsome today. Wearing a tailored grey suit that perfectly matched his eyes, with his hair styled to perfection and every angle sharpened for the camera.
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Chapter 82
That polished, lethal charm would break the Internet. I just knew it.
His eyes flicked over to us as we entered. When he saw me and Delilah together, his brows furrowed slightly.
I stuck out my tongue at him.
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“This is Global News,” the host was saying, smiling at the camera. “We’re live right now with Alpha Grayson from Red Stone Pack. Thank you for joining us, Alpha Grayson.”
Grayson turned back, giving a faint, polite smile. “My pleasure.”
“We heard you’re currently preparing a major event–the Global Medical Summit, is that right?”
“That’s correct.”
I blinked.
Global Medical Summit?
Was that what he’d been so busy with lately?
But it didn’t sound like something he usually got involved in.
The host seemed to wonder the same thing. “But your past ventures were mostly in tech, real estate, and business. What made you turn to healthcare?”
“I wanted to explore new opportunities,” he said smoothly. “And bringing pack leaders from around the world together could lead to real breakthroughs.”
“But it’s no secret White River Pack is the global leader in medical advancement. And rumor has it, your relationship with them is… tense?”
“There were some unfortunate misunderstandings in the past,” Grayson said evenly. “But I’m hoping to change that. I’d like to sincerely invite the Alpha of White River Pack to attend.”
That was… shockingly sincere. I’d never heard him talk like that before.
Whoever that Alpha is, they must be a big deal.
“And we noticed,” the host continued, “that you’ve been absent from Apex and the packhouse. You’ve been staying at the hospital. Are you having a health issue?”
“Of course not. I’m here for another reason.”
He paused–then suddenly turned toward me.
“Aria, would you like to join us?” he asked, holding out a hand.
…What?
I froze.
Every person in the room–host, director, cameraman–whipped their heads to look at me.
Their faces mirrored mine: total shock.
This is a live broadcast for god’s sake! I thought in panic. Is he serious? He wants me to go over there? Sit next to him? In front of the whole
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Chapter 82
world?
I didn’t move until Delilah gave me a gentle.nudge.
I stumbled forward, awkwardly stepping onto the set.
I sat beside him, my brain still empty. The bright studio lights practically melted my thoughts.
God, my face probably looked like a total stunned idiot.
The host recovered faster than I did. “So… is this young lady the reason you’ve been staying here? Is she unwell?”
“She’s getting better,” Grayson said, reaching out and taking my hand. “But when your girlfriend is in the hospital, you stay with her. Obviously.”
My ears started ringing.
Wait… wait, what?
What did he just call me?!
