Between Two Worlds
994 Words
Aria’s POV:
The apartment felt too small after Damien left, like his presence still lingered in every corner. She paced the living room, arms wrapped around herself, replaying every word.
A werewolf.
The word sounded absurd, something pulled out of a child’s fairy tale. But the conviction in his eyes, the weight in his voice—he had believed it. Worse, deep down, she had too. She couldn’t deny the strange moments with Ethan. His sharp senses, the way he always seemed aware of things before anyone else. The unnatural strength in his small hands when he’d clung to her.
Her son. Their son.
Aria closed her eyes, pressing her palm against her mouth. She had promised herself she would protect Ethan, no matter what. But how could she protect him from something she didn’t understand?
She thought of Damien’s words: He belongs with me. With us.
The idea of leaving everything behind—her job, her apartment, her carefully built life—to step into his world terrified her. Yet the thought of Ethan growing up without answers terrified her even more.
And then there was Damien himself.
Even now, her body betrayed her, humming with awareness of him. That pull hadn’t faded over the years. If anything, it had grown sharper, more dangerous. She hated him for it. She hated herself more.
From Ethan’s room came the soft sound of movement, and she slipped in quietly. He was curled under his blanket, his brown hair a tousled mess against the pillow. Peaceful. Innocent.
Her throat tightened. “I’ll keep you safe, my love,” she whispered. “Even if it means walking into a world I don’t understand.”
But deep down, she knew safety wasn’t the right word anymore. What she owed Ethan was truth.
And only Damien could give it to them.
⸻
Damien’s POV
The city stank of steel and smoke, but her scent cut through it, clinging to his skin long after he’d left her apartment. Damien prowled the streets with his wolf pacing restless inside him, both parts of him vibrating with need.
He had seen the fear in Aria’s eyes. Not fear of him, not truly—but fear of what he’d told her. Fear of the unknown.
He should have been patient. He should have given her time. But patience was a thin leash on his instincts. For years, he’d buried the bond, forced himself to forget. But the moment he laid eyes on her again, it had been like fire through his veins.
And then he’d seen the boy. Ethan. His son. His heir. His blood.
The wolf inside him howled with pride, with hunger to protect, to claim. He wanted to roar it to the world—that the boy was his. That Aria was his. But he bit it back. She wasn’t ready. If he pushed too hard, she’d run.
He stopped on a rooftop, the city sprawling beneath him. His keen senses stretched outward, hunting for threats. The man Aria had seen tailing her recently wasn’t here now, but Damien could smell traces of others. Rogues, perhaps. Wolves without allegiance. That tightened his gut. They weren’t safe, not here.
He raked a hand through his hair, frustration gnawing at him. The pack needed to know. His beta had already asked why their Alpha was restless, distracted. Soon he’d have to tell them the truth—that he had a son. That the boy was coming home.
If Aria agreed.
Damien’s jaw clenched. He’d said the words to her—“I won’t take him from you”—but every fiber of his being screamed to do exactly that. To scoop Ethan into his arms and carry him into the safety of the pack lands. To lock the gates behind them and never let the human world near again.
But Aria…
He closed his eyes, breathing in the memory of her. She was still his. Whether she knew it or not, the bond remained unbroken. She could hate him, resist him, but it wouldn’t change what she was to him.
The wolf growled in agreement. Ours.
Damien’s hands curled into fists. “Soon,” he muttered into the night. “You’ll see soon enough, Aria. You and Ethan both. You belong with me.”
⸻
Aria’s POV:
Sleep never came. By dawn, her body ached from tension. She sat at the kitchen table, a mug of coffee untouched in her hands, staring at the pale morning light leaking through the curtains.
She wanted to call someone, to spill everything and beg for advice. But who could she tell? “My son’s father came back into my life and revealed he’s a werewolf.” They’d lock her away.
The truth weighed heavily on her chest. Damien deserved answers, she knew that. Ethan deserved them more. And no matter how much she wanted to keep Damien at a distance, she couldn’t deny him forever.
Her gaze drifted toward Ethan’s room. He would wake soon, bounding into the day with that endless energy that left her breathless. Her boy was special—she had always known that. Maybe Damien was right. Maybe it was time to stop pretending otherwise.
Her stomach twisted with both dread and something harder to name. Hope, maybe. Or longing.
Because the terrifying truth was this: part of her wanted to step into Damien’s world. Not just for Ethan. For herself.
⸻
Damien’s POV:
By the time the sun rose, Damien was already waiting. Hidden in the shadows outside her building, watching her window with predator’s patience.
He told himself he’d give her space. But his wolf wouldn’t allow it.
She would come to him. She had to.
And if she didn’t…
His jaw tightened, the wolf snarling beneath his skin. He would find another way.
Because Ethan wasn’t just Aria’s son. He was his.
And nothing in this world—or the human one—would keep him away
- Writer
