Chapter 8: Awakening
1858 Words
Rowan didn't give the crowd a second glance.
His hand wrapped around Aria's wrist, warm and steady, and he led her out of the arena as if the world behind them no longer existed. The murmurs, the gasps, the flash of shock on the faces of people around were nothing to him.
“Rowan… Slow down,” Aria whispered, stumbling as they cut through the snowy path.
He didn't slow down. Hell, he didn't even breathe the same.
Not until they reached a towering gate of black steel, his estate.
He pushed the door open with one sharp motion and led her inside.
Aria pulled her hand free the moment they crossed the threshold. “You can't just drag me around—"
“You were trembling." His voice was low, " You're still trembling.”
" I'm fine,” she snapped, though her fingers shook when she tucked her hair behind her ear. " It was just a note—"
“It was a threat." His jaw tightened so sharply, enough to make a slight click. “A direct one. To you."
Aria stepped back from the heat in his eyes. " I don't want to be your problem.”
Something flickered in his face, anger, frustration, fear. " You were never a problem.”
" You literally said I was—”
" I was lying,” he barked quickly. " To myself.”
Silence pressed between them.
Aria's fingers clung to her sleeves, pulling them down as she shook her head slowly, "We shouldn't be doing this. There's too much at stake."
Rowan reaches out for her, but she takes a step back. He inhaled deeply and straightened his posture. “You're not sleeping alone tonight."
Aria blinked. " Excuse me?”
" There are too many unknowns. It's dangerous, and I can't let anything happen under my watch.” His eyes shifted, silver bleeding into icy blue.
" You'll take the guest room beside my office. Two guards at the door. No arguments.”
" You don't get to order me around!”
" His eyes snapped to hers. “Aria. They found you."
The words cut deeper than cold.
“And who said it was me?” She folded her arms protectively against her torso. " Last time I checked I was very much human with no wolf DNA."
Rowan just stared, his jaw ticking, “You can't keep denying your way out of everything."
She exhaled shakily, not meeting his gaze. “Fine. I'll stay the night."
Rowan nodded once, then guided her up the stairs, he walked closely with her that she felt the warmth seeping out of him. He stopped at a room lit by soft lights, the bed layered with thick furs and sky blue sheets.
“Stay here." His voice dropped, “I'll be outside."
She frowned. “Outside?"
“In the doorway." He ran his finger through his hair. “I don't trust walls tonight."
Aria's heart twisted, not romantically or sensually, but with something more intense than either.
She nodded and slipped inside.
She told herself she wouldn't sleep, that she'd stay awake, alert, and ready to run if she heard so much as a whisper.
Instead, fatigue hit her like a wave.
Aria drifted under the blankets… then deeper… then—
The darkness changed.
Whispers. No words, howls or claws scraping the stone floor. Aria turned and twisted on her bed, images of what had happened earlier clouded her dreams. She let out a strained groan.
Her body surged forward all at once, uncontrolled, wild, her heartbeat hammering into something too fast and primal.
Her back arched, a sound ripped from her throat, and Rowan was in the room before she could draw a breath.
“Aria…” His voice broke as he reached for her.
Her eyes snapped open, glowing Silver. Her nails elongated, her pulse raced with feral panic.
“I can't–” She gasped, chest rising violently. " I can't breathe… Rowan… something's wrong…”
He grabbed her hands, grounding her. "Look at me.”
His thumb pressed against her trembling wrist.
" Look at me, Aria.”
Her wolf responded fast.
She jerked forward and Rowan caught her with both hands, pulling her against his chest. His breath hitched as her face buried against his throat, her body shaking uncontrollably.
" Easy…" he whispered, voice cracking. “I've got you."
But her wolf wasn't calming.
It was seeking.
Reaching. Recognizing.
Her fingers slid up his chest on instinct, knotting in the fabric of his shirt, dragging him closer.
Rowan's control shattered.
He turned her beneath him in one swift, helpless movement, pinning her to the bed. His breath was hot and ragged against her throat, his hands braced beside her head, as veins popped on his temple.
“Your wolf,” he breathed, voice raw. "She knows me. Even if you don't.”
Aria's lips parted, heat spiraling through her in a dizzying rush. "Rowan—”
" Don't say my name like that.” His head dropped, his nose brushing her jaw, his chest vibrating with restrained hunger. "I'm losing it. I'm losing all of it.”
Her heart thudded wildly, fear, desire, and confusion merging into a single pulse.
For a split second, his lips hovered over her throat.
A single inch away from his claim mark.
Then Rowan jerked back like he'd been burned, immediately she dropped to the bed slightly convulsing.
“Gods." His voice was a rasp. “I almost—"
He didn't finish.
He staggered away from the bed, gripping the edge of the dresser's hard the wood cracked beneath his fingers.
Aria groaned heavily, shaking her head like it was throbbing. The space between them vibrated.
She looks up to Rowan, confusion written all over her. “Why… What happened?” Her voice was rough, drained.
Rowan was taken aback for a few seconds, before his mask slipped back on. " Sleep,” he said hoarsely. " I'll stay here.”
It didn't take her time to fall back to sleep.
**********
Morning after, sunlight filtered weakly through the windows when Aria finally left the guest room, her mind tangled in too many emotions.
Liana.
Rowan.
The note.
The wet dreams. Everything was unraveling.
She found Liana near the training courtyard, a bag slung over her shoulder, her posture stiff with tension.
“Liana!" Aria called.
Liana stopped but didn't turn.
Aria approached slowly, “Were you avoiding me?”
" No,” Liana said too quickly. " Just busy.”
" That's not true.”
Silence.
Then Liana finally looked at her, eyes sharp and defensive.
" You need to stop this, Aria.”
Aria frowned, "Stop what?”
" This thing with my father.”
Aria froze. “There's no—"
“Don't lie to me," Liana's voice cracked with anger and humiliation. “Everyone saw how he ran after you last night. How he carried you out like… like you mattered more than the entire pack.”
Aria stepped back, stung. " Liana… nothing happened."
“I don't care what didn't happen. I care what could." Liana's voice sharpened. “Don't sleep with him, Aria. Don't be that girl and ruin everything for all of us."
Aria swallowed hard. “I would never hurt you. You're my—"
“Are you?" Liana whispered, eyes burning intensely. “Because it didn't feel like it yesterday."
She turned and walked away before Aria could move.
Leaving her alone with guilt and something that felt like grief.
Aria walked away from Liana with a heavy chest, her thoughts were a bundle of mess, the harsh words from Liana left an aching shock in her. She only wanted to reach her room, shut her door, and finally breathe.
But as she turned the corner leading to her room she heard voices, low with tensed urgency spilling out from the slightly cracked floor of Rowan's office.
She slowed, her feet stopping to grasp what it was all about.
Her pulse kicked up. If they were talking about the “half-breed rumor," maybe she could finally understand what was happening and why the symbol appeared on her window.
“Just one second." She told herself, tiptoeing towards the cracked door carefully.
Elias's voice was the first she recognized, thick with strain.
“He resisted every method, Alpha. Until the silverbane touched his skin.”
Rowan's answer was clipped and cold. "Then speak.”
Aria held her breath, her lower lip caught between her teeth.
The guard exhaled shakily.
“He said… they were sent for someone.”
Aria's heartbeat slowed, a silent prayer of denial.
" Who?” Rowan voiced impatiently.
A long pause, then the guard forced out, "Aria.”
Her name hit her like a physical blow, she stumbled backwards in shock, too fast that her shoulder brushed the tall marbled pot plant behind her. It wobbled, tilted, and crashed to the ground with a violent crack that echoed through the hall.
Silence.
Chairs scraped the floor loudly as she heard the sound of boots.
Then Rowan's voice cut through the air, low and lethal.
“Someone's outside."
Panic surged through her as she tried to move her confused feet around. She spun on her heel, just a few steps to disappear around the corner but she didn't make it that far.
“s**t s**t shit." She muttered before the office door was ripped open, the sound halting her steps involuntarily.
There she was frozen mid-run. Eyes wide with erratic heartbeat.
“Aria?" She heard Elias's voice before turning slowly to face the six pairs of eyes.
“Hi.." she chuckled nervously, giving them a stiff wave.
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