Chapter 9 – The Alpha’s Claim
659 Words
The door swung open before Aria could move. Damian filled the doorway, tall, powerful, his presence commanding the entire room. Rain dripped from his dark hair, his tailored suit soaked from the storm, yet he looked untouched—untouchable. His golden eyes locked onto her, blazing with fury and something far more dangerous.
“Aria,” he said, his voice low, vibrating with restrained power.
Aria’s breath caught. Her knees weakened under the weight of his presence. She instinctively wrapped her arms around her belly, shielding her secret.
Lila stepped forward, trying to mask her fear. “You can’t just barge in here, Alpha.”
Damian didn’t even glance at her. His gaze stayed fixed on Aria. “Leave us.”
Lila hesitated, then looked at Aria. Aria gave the slightest shake of her head, but Damian’s power filled the room like a command no wolf could resist. With trembling hands, Lila backed away and slipped into the bedroom, closing the door behind her.
Now, it was just the two of them.
Aria tried to steady her breathing. “What do you want, Damian?”
His lips curved into something dark, humorless. “What do I want? You dare ask me that after what I just discovered?”
Her heart thundered in her chest. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
He took a step closer. The scent of rain, musk, and raw dominance rolled off him, making her wolf whimper inside. “Don’t lie to me, Aria. You’re carrying my child.”
Her stomach flipped violently. She took a step back, pressing herself against the wall. “You—You don’t get to decide that. You rejected me. You said I wasn’t good enough!”
His jaw clenched, his golden eyes burning with regret—and anger. “I was wrong.”
Aria laughed bitterly, though tears blurred her vision. “Wrong? Do you know what those words did to me? You shattered me, Damian. You threw me away like I was nothing.”
Damian’s eyes flickered, but he didn’t falter. He took another step, towering over her. “I will not throw away my child. Our child. Do you understand me?”
Aria’s hands trembled as she gripped her belly. “You don’t get to claim what you rejected.”
He growled, his wolf pushing to the surface. His voice dropped, primal and raw. “The bond between us never died. And now that I know what you’re hiding, I will never let you go again.”
Aria’s tears spilled over. She shook her head violently. “I won’t let you cage me. Not again.”
Damian braced a hand against the wall beside her, caging her in. His breath was hot against her skin, his eyes glowing in the dim light. “You can fight me all you want, Aria, but the truth is written in your body. In your scent. In the life growing inside you. You are mine. And I will protect what’s mine.”
Aria’s chest rose and fell rapidly, her wolf trembling under the weight of his dominance. For one terrifying moment, she almost leaned into him, almost let the bond pull her back into his arms. But then she remembered the pain, the rejection, the humiliation.
She shoved him hard in the chest. “Get out!”
Damian stumbled back half a step, more from shock than force. His eyes widened, then narrowed. His voice dropped into a deadly promise. “I’ll give you one night, Aria. One night to think. Tomorrow, we talk. And when we do—you won’t be able to hide anymore.”
With that, he turned and stormed out, slamming the door so hard the windows rattled.
Aria collapsed against the wall, sobbing into her hands. Her entire body shook. Lila rushed out from the bedroom, wrapping her arms around her.
“What happened?”
Aria whispered through her tears, “He knows.”
- Writer
