In the Wolf’s Den
981 Words
Chapter 13 — In the Wolf’s Den
(Dual POV — Aria & Damian)
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Aria’s POV
Cold.
That was the first thing I felt when I woke up. My skin was damp, my throat dry, and my head pounded like someone had slammed it against stone.
I tried to sit up, but my wrists burned, metal biting into my skin. Handcuffs.
My heart lurched, panic rushing through me like wildfire as my surroundings came into focus.
Dim light. Concrete walls. A single steel door.
And the man leaning casually against the table, sipping whiskey like this was a dinner party and not… a nightmare.
Victor Hale.
“You’re awake,” he said smoothly, as if he’d been waiting for this moment. “Good. We have… a lot to talk about.”
I glared at him, forcing strength into my voice even though fear knotted in my stomach.
“Untie me,” I demanded. “Right now.”
He laughed, low and dark, swirling the amber liquid in his glass. “Ah, I see Damian likes them feisty. Makes sense.”
My pulse spiked at the mention of Damian’s name. My thoughts immediately spiraled back to the last thing Victor said before everything went black — about my father.
I swallowed hard, forcing the words out. “Tell me the truth. Did your men… kill my father?”
Victor tilted his head, studying me, his lips curling into a cruel smile.
“No, Aria,” he said softly. “Damian’s family did.”
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Damian’s POV
The glass shattered in my hand.
Cole swore, grabbing a towel and tossing it toward me, but I didn’t feel the sting of the shards cutting my skin.
All I could see was the empty chair in front of me — the chair where Aria should’ve been.
“We tracked Victor’s men leaving the estate,” Cole said, his voice steady despite the tension hanging in the room. “They split up into three different convoys. We’ve already eliminated two.”
“Which means,” I growled, loading another magazine into my gun, “he’s in the third.”
Cole hesitated. “…Damian, listen to me. He wants you to come after him. This is a trap.”
“Good,” I said flatly, my voice like steel. “Let him set it.”
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Aria’s POV
My throat tightened, but I forced myself to keep my composure.
“You’re lying,” I whispered, refusing to let his words take root. “Damian would never—”
Victor cut me off, stepping closer until his breath brushed against my cheek.
“Damian would burn this entire world down for you, yes,” he said softly. “But that doesn’t change the truth about his past. The Blackwoods have been running this city’s underground for decades. Your father? He tried to expose them.”
My stomach churned violently.
“No,” I breathed, shaking my head. “That can’t be—”
Victor leaned down, his voice dripping like poison.
“It wasn’t Damian who ordered the hit, sweetheart.” He paused deliberately, savoring my silence. “It was his mother.”
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Damian’s POV
“Damian.”
Sofia’s voice pulled me back from the storm raging inside my head.
I turned to find her standing in the doorway, pale and tense, holding a thin manila folder in her hands.
“You need to see this,” she whispered, her voice breaking.
I yanked the file from her and flipped it open.
Inside were photos. Grainy surveillance stills. Reports. Documents.
And then — a name.
Margaret Blackwood.
My mother.
And under it, one simple, brutal line in black ink:
> Primary suspect in the Sullivan murder case.
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Aria’s POV
Victor poured himself another drink, his every move deliberate, theatrical, like he was savoring my torment.
“Do you know why I took you, Aria?” he asked casually.
I clenched my jaw. “Because you’re a psychopath?”
He chuckled softly, almost amused. “Because you are Damian’s weakness. And I’m going to use you to destroy him.”
I swallowed hard, forcing the tremor out of my voice. “If you hurt me, Damian will kill you.”
Victor leaned closer, his eyes gleaming with something cold and dangerous.
“Oh, sweetheart,” he murmured. “That’s exactly what I’m counting on.”
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Damian’s POV
I slammed the file shut, the weight of the revelation pressing like iron against my chest.
Cole spoke carefully, his tone tight. “If Victor tells her before you do—”
“I know,” I snapped, grabbing my keys and my gun.
Sofia stepped in front of me, blocking my path. “Damian, stop. You’re bleeding, you’re not thinking straight, and if you walk into Victor’s trap right now, you’ll die before you even reach her.”
I stared at her, cold and unblinking.
“I don’t care,” I said flatly. “He has Aria. Nothing else matters.”
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Aria’s POV
Victor circled me slowly, like a predator toying with prey.
“You want to know the real reason your father died?” he whispered, leaning close enough that I could feel his breath on my neck. “He got too close to a truth that could destroy the Blackwoods forever. And now…”
He smirked. “You’re going to help me finish what he started.”
My stomach dropped. “I’ll never help you.”
Victor’s smile widened.
“You will,” he said softly. “Because if you don’t, Damian dies.”
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Cliffhanger Ending
Victor leaned down, his lips inches from my ear.
“Welcome to the war, Aria,” he whispered. “And whether you like it or not… you’re my weapon now.”
I froze, my heart pounding violently in my chest.
Because deep down…
I knew he wasn’t bluffing.
- Writer
