A Tough Choice
1118 Words
Aria’s POV
“How dare you!” The Grand Luna’s voice shrieked, her face burning a bright red. The control queen was gone, replaced by a woman trembling with a fury so raw it bordered on madness. “This estate is my home!”
I didn't flinch. “No, it’s not. It’s your sons' home, not yours. You’re a guest here, just like you claim I am.”
The Grand Luna spun around, her golden eyes darting to Noah, then to Cassian, pleading for them to strike me down or silence me. But they both kept their gazes away, their expressions frozen like statues. It was as if her words weren't even their problem anymore. The silence of her own flesh and blood was a louder insult than anything I could have said.
Elena, who had been quiet since the Council member pointed at her stomach, finally stepped forward. ”Aria, you have no right to send the Grand Luna away. Hell, she’s the Grand Luna!”
“Shhhh,” the Council member hushed her, his finger raised in a dismissive, mocking gesture. “Why don’t you face your own problems, Elena? I heard you were also involved with Julian.”
The blood drained from Elena’s face instantly. She opened her mouth to protest, but the look in the Council member’s eyes told her he knew exactly which magic she had helped peel back. She shut her mouth, her hand trembling as she clutched her stomach, retreating back into the shadows of the room.
“Now, Aria,” the Council member said, his voice dropping into a smooth, oily purr. “Choose a brother.”
I blinked, the air in the room suddenly feeling too thin to breathe. “Excuse me?”
“I said, choose a brother. Unless, of course, you want to fight both,” he added, a stupid, cruel smirk spreading across his face.
I turned, looking at both brothers. My heart started to hammer against my ribs, a rising panic. Neither of them said anything. They both kept mute, their mouths looking as though they were glued shut by some ancient, unbreakable law.
“What is he talking about?” I whispered, my voice cracking. “Noah? Cassian?”
Cassian finally spoke, his voice low and empty of all its usual playboy charm. ”The Silver Trial is a traditional rite of combat between the accused and an Alpha.”
My heart skipped a beat, a cold dread washing over me. Noah continued, his eyes finally meeting mine, filled with a sorrow so deep it was almost unbearable. ”In other words, Aria, you are to fight one of us.”
The room seemed to tilt. To stay in the estate, to be free of the Grand Luna, to prove I wasn't a traitor... I had to draw blood from the only two people who had stood between me and the dark. They wanted to see if I had the stomach to kill a Vaelor, or if I would let one of them kill me.
I looked at Cassian. He looked weary, his eyes begging me not to pick him not because he was afraid to fight, but because he was afraid he wouldn't be able to stop himself from winning. Then I looked at Noah. He stood like a pillar of salt, his jaw so tight I thought his teeth might shatter. He was the Alpha. The leader. The one who lived by the rules I was currently breaking.
I took a deep breath, the scent of the red silk of my dress mixing with the smell of fear in the air. "I've made my choice," I said, my voice echoing in the silent hall.
“Very well,” the Council member spoke. “But don't worry in case you need to rethink, you have an hour to make your choice and at the same time, get yourself ready.”
I turned to the brothers and silently walked away to my room. I locked the door behind me to prevent them from coming in to try and convince me. I knew it would be pointless. Oh, Aria, your life’s a mess.
I peeled off the heavy red silk, letting the dress that felt like a curse pool on the floor. I reached for something practical—black tactical leggings and a fitted, charcoal-grey sleeveless tunic made of reinforced leather. It allowed for movement, but offered little protection against an Alpha's claws.
As I laced up my boots, I was lost in thought. My feet carried me instinctively toward the room where Maeve lay. I needed to see my cousin one last time.
She looked so small under the heavy covers, her breathing shallow. Her face remained pale. I was sitting by her side when the door creaked open. It was Noah.
He looked at me, his Alpha composure struggling against the turmoil in his eyes. He tried to convince me that if I pleaded with the Council, they might spare me the trial.
“It’s fine, Noah,” I said, my voice barely a whisper. I looked at Maeve, then back at him. “Promise me something. If she wakes up... take care of her. Don't let them throw her to the wolves because of what Julian did.”
Noah stepped closer, his leadership mask slipping. “Nothing is going to happen to you, Aria. I won't let it.”
I smiled slightly, a sad, hollow thing. “Well, this seems like the end of the road for me.”
That was the breaking point. Noah lost his grip. Before I could breathe, he reached out and pulled me to himself, his hand tangling in my hair as he kissed me. It wasn't the kiss of an Alpha. It was desperate, possessive, and terrifying.
The gesture shocked me, and from the way he jolted back, it shocked Noah even more. We stood there in the heavy silence of the sickroom until the Council member’s voice roared from downstairs.
“It is time!”
Slightly flushed and heart racing for all the wrong reasons, I quickly walked away, leaving Noah standing there stunned. It took him a few minutes to regain himself before he followed me down.
When we reached the drawing room, the Council member looked at me expectantly. “Have you made your choice?”
I looked at Noah, the taste of him still lingering on my lips, and then I looked at the Council.
“I choose Noah.”
- Writer
