HIS FATHER'S LUNA

CHAPTER 2: The Alpha's Eyes

Aria's POV

I didn't remember how I got home.

One moment I was standing in front of Ethan's bedroom, watching my entire future collapse.

The next, I was sitting on the floor of my apartment, staring at the wall as dawn crept through the curtains.

My chest still hurt.

Every breath felt like dragging broken glass through my lungs.

The mate bond hadn't completely disappeared.

Not yet.

It was still there.

Damaged.

Fractured.

Dying.

And every c***k felt like torture.

Nyra paced restlessly inside my head.

He betrayed us.

I closed my eyes.

"I know."

He chose her.

The words hurt even though they were true.

I wrapped my arms around my knees and rested my forehead against them.

For years, Ethan had been my entire world.

I had built my future around him.

Dreamed about him.

Trusted him.

Loved him.

And now all I could see was him touching my sister.

The memory made nausea rise in my throat.

A knock sounded at the door.

I froze.

Another knock followed.

"Aria?"

Sophia.

My entire body went rigid.

The audacity.

The absolute audacity.

After everything that happened, she came here?

I remained silent.

"Please open the door."

I laughed bitterly.

The sound surprised even me.

The old Aria would have opened it.

The old Aria would have listened.

The old Aria was gone.

"Leave."

Silence.

Then another knock.

"Aria, please."

My wolf snarled.

Open the door so I can rip her throat out.

I almost smiled.

Almost.

"Leave before I make you regret coming here."

The silence that followed lasted several seconds.

Then I heard footsteps retreating.

Good.

I wasn't ready to see her.

Maybe I never would be.

Hours passed.

I ignored calls.

Ignored messages.

Ignored everyone.

Especially Ethan.

By noon, my phone had more than thirty missed calls from him.

Thirty.

As if calling me repeatedly would somehow erase what he had done.

Finally, another message appeared.

Not from Ethan.

From Alpha Damien Thorn.

I stared at the screen.

My heartbeat immediately accelerated.

The message was simple.

Pack meeting tonight. Attendance required.

Nothing unusual.

Nothing inappropriate.

Yet I couldn't stop remembering the way he looked at me last night.

The intensity in his silver eyes.

The strange possessiveness hidden beneath his calm expression.

A shiver ran down my spine.

Nyra noticed immediately.

Interesting.

"Don't start."

The Alpha is interested.

"He's Ethan's father."

Exactly.

I groaned.

My wolf was impossible.

By evening, I forced myself to leave my apartment.

The last thing I wanted was to attend a pack meeting.

But skipping it would only create rumors.

And I already had enough problems.

The moment I entered the meeting hall, conversations stopped.

Every head turned.

Wonderful.

News traveled fast.

Apparently discovering your mate cheating with your sister was excellent entertainment.

I kept my head high.

Refused to show weakness.

Refused to let them see how badly I was hurting.

Then I spotted Ethan.

His gaze immediately found mine.

Relief flashed across his face.

As though seeing me somehow made everything better.

I looked away.

He didn't deserve my attention.

Or my forgiveness.

Or my tears.

The hall suddenly fell silent.

A powerful Alpha aura filled the room.

Everyone stood.

Damien had arrived.

He entered wearing a black suit that fit his broad frame perfectly.

The room seemed smaller around him.

His presence dominated everything.

Controlled everything.

My stomach tightened.

For one brief moment, his gaze swept across the crowd.

Then landed on me.

And stayed there.

Far longer than necessary.

Heat flooded my cheeks.

I immediately looked away.

Unfortunately, not before noticing Ethan watching the interaction.

His jaw clenenched.

Interesting.

The meeting began.

Pack finances.

Border security.

Trade agreements.

Normally I paid attention.

Tonight I couldn't focus.

Not when I could feel Damien's gaze finding me repeatedly.

Not when Ethan kept staring at me from across the room.

Not when my entire life was falling apart.

When the meeting finally ended, relief flooded through me.

I stood quickly.

Ready to leave.

Ready to escape.

"Aria."

I froze.

That voice.

Deep.

Commanding.

Dangerous.

Slowly, I turned around.

Damien stood behind me.

The room immediately seemed too small.

Too warm.

Too intimate.

"Alpha."

His silver eyes studied me carefully.

As if searching for something.

"You should be resting."

The concern surprised me.

"I'm fine."

One dark eyebrow rose.

The expression clearly said he didn't believe me.

Neither did I.

"You look exhausted."

I forced a smile.

"I've had a difficult day."

Something dangerous flashed through his eyes.

For the first time, his calm mask slipped.

Only for a second.

But it was enough.

Enough for me to glimpse the anger beneath.

Not directed at me.

Directed at whoever caused my pain.

Directed at Ethan.

The realization startled me.

"Did he hurt you?"

The question was quiet.

Controlled.

Yet there was something terrifying beneath it.

A promise of violence.

I swallowed.

"No."

His gaze sharpened.

I suddenly had the strange feeling that he already knew the truth.

Every detail.

Every betrayal.

And judging by the tension in his jaw, he was not pleased.

"Good."

One word.

Yet somehow it sounded like a warning.

To someone.

Not me.

Before I could respond, another voice interrupted.

"Father."

The atmosphere instantly changed.

Ethan.

He approached us with obvious determination.

His eyes moved from Damien to me.

Then back again.

A strange tension filled the air.

Something primal.

Something possessive.

For the first time, I noticed Damien's expression harden.

His gaze became cold.

Sharp.

Predatory.

The resemblance between father and son was suddenly obvious.

Yet Damien seemed infinitely more dangerous.

"Ethan."

The single word carried enough authority to make most wolves submit.

Ethan didn't.

But he looked uncomfortable.

Good.

"You need to speak with me?" Damien asked.

"No."

Ethan's eyes shifted toward me.

"I need to speak with Aria."

My stomach tightened.

Absolutely not.

"I have nothing to say to you."

His face fell.

"Aria—"

"No."

The word came out colder than I intended.

But I didn't regret it.

Not for a second.

Pain flashed across his features.

Real pain.

For a brief moment, satisfaction warmed me.

Then I remembered everything.

And the feeling vanished.

Ethan took a step forward.

"I made a mistake."

I laughed.

The sound echoed through the nearly empty hall.

"A mistake?"

His jaw tightened.

"You know what? I'm tired of hearing that word."

"Please just let me explain."

"There is nothing to explain."

The silence that followed felt endless.

Then Damien spoke.

"Enough."

Immediately, Ethan went silent.

The Alpha's voice left no room for argument.

His silver eyes settled on his son.

Cold.

Disappointed.

Dangerous.

"You've said enough."

For the first time, genuine fear crossed Ethan's face.

And suddenly I understood something.

Damien knew.

He knew exactly what happened.

And unlike most fathers—

He wasn't protecting his son.

He was judging him.

Harshly.

The realization sent an unexpected thrill through me.

Ethan looked away first.

A rare occurrence.

Then Damien turned toward me.

His expression softened slightly.

"Go home, Aria."

My pulse quickened.

The way he said my name should have been illegal.

"I'll handle everything else."

Before I could ask what that meant, he walked away.

Leaving me staring after him.

Confused.

Curious.

And far more affected than I should have been.

Beside me, Nyra finally spoke.

The Alpha is furious.

I swallowed.

"About what?"

My wolf laughed softly.

Not what.

A pause.

Who.

And somehow, deep down, I already knew she was right.