I didn't really think he would come when he said he would.
So when I saw Seth standing under the trees, looking calm like it was just another night, I froze.
"Are you sure about this?" I asked as I walked closer.
Seth gave me a small smile. "I wouldn't be here if I wasn't."
"I thought you changed your mind," I said. My voice sounded weak in the cold.
"I almost did," he replied. "You make running away look easy, Aria."
I didn't smile. I couldn't, because I felt too numb.
"Thanks," I said softly, looking away from him.
"For what?"
"For showing up."
He tilted his head and smiled again. "You really think I'd let you run off into the wild alone? No way."
That almost made me laugh. Almost.
"We need to go. If anyone notices we're gone—" he began.
"They won't," I cut in. "No one notices me even when I'm right there."
That shut him up.
We stood in silence, facing each other like ghosts, until a faraway howl pulled us back.
The moonlight lit up the trees, while the leaves swayed gently in the wind.
The night air was cold and quiet.
I had never walked this deep into the forest before.
I should've been scared, but I wasn't.
Being out here felt safer than staying in a house full of people who didn't care about me.
I thought about my mom.
How she didn't say a word when I left.
No questions. Not even a sigh.
I could've slammed the door, and she still wouldn't have moved.
I've always felt invisible to her.
"You look sad," Seth said, walking beside me now.
"I'm just thinking," I answered.
"About what?"
"My family," I said, kicking a small branch out of the way. "They didn't even try to stop me. It's like I don't even exist to them."
He didn't speak right away.
We walked in silence for a while before he finally said,
"You deserve better than that, Aria."
I nodded, but I didn't know what to say back.
A few minutes later, I looked around and gasped.
"Wow. I didn't know the forest could look this beautiful at night."
"Yeah," Seth said, staring at the moonlight shining through the trees.
"But it won't stay like this," he added.
"Rosa once told me the forest changes depending on who's walking through it. Right now, it's calm."
A chill ran down my spine.
The deeper we walked, the more it felt like the forest was alive.
Like the path was opening just for us.
"Do you ever think about what comes next?" I asked out of nowhere.
"Not really," he said. "I'm just trying to get through tonight."
That made me smile.
Just for a second, it felt like we weren't running away, like we were on an adventure.
Then he asked, more serious this time,
"Can I ask you something?"
"Sure."
"It's about Jaxon. You don't have to answer if it's too personal."
I looked up at him.
He didn't finish the question, but I already knew what he was trying to ask.
"Yes," I said softly.
A few seconds passed.
"You and him... did you really…?" He tried demonstrating with his fingers.
"Yes," I said. "We slept together. It wasn't planned. I barely remember everything. I just remember how I felt. I wanted to feel something. Anything."
His jaw tightened.
"And after that, he still rejected you? After marking you?" he asked in a low voice. "That's insane. How could he do that to his own mate?"
I hesitated.
"He didn't mark me actually."
"But you slept with him."
"I said yes," I said quietly. "I wanted it. I thought maybe if he saw me that way, he'd finally see me. Really see me."
I paused for a moment.
"Maybe I started it. Maybe we both lost control. Either way, he didn't force me. I made the choice."
Seth looked away. He was clearly angry.
"He shouldn't have touched you if he wasn't going to claim you. That's not what a real Alpha does."
I felt heat rise in my face, not from shame, but from anger. At Jaxon. At myself. At everything.
"It doesn't matter now," I said. I stopped walking and turned to face him.
"That part of my life is done. If he didn't want me, that's his loss. I've found someone better. A real friend. You."
His expression softened.
"You mean that?"
"I do," I said.
He looked down, then back right at me. His eyes were full of something I couldn't quite read.
"I should've come sooner. Maybe things would've been different."
"You're here now," I said with a small smile. "That's what matters."
We walked until we found a big fallen branch across the path. It looked like a good place to rest.
We sat beside it, using our bags like pillows.
The night got colder as the moon climbed higher.
Then I felt something strange in my stomach. Not pain, but a steady ache.
I shifted, pressing my hand gently to my belly.
I didn't look at Seth when I asked,
"I've heard Alpha sperm works… fast. How fast are we talking?"
He turned to me looking surprised. "What?"
I looked at him now, meeting his eyes.
"I think something's happening inside me."
I lowered my voice.
"I've been feeling weird lately. Like something's changing. And I don't know if it's fear or… something else."
Seth slowly searched my face.
"You think you're pregnant?"
I didn't answer.
His face changed. He went from shocked to a calmer expression.
"Then we stay hidden," he said firmly. "No matter what. I'll protect you. Even if the pup is his."
"I don't want your pity, Seth."
"You don't have it," he said sharply. "What I feel isn't pity."
The way he said it made something break open inside me.
"I don't know how to trust anyone anymore," I admitted.
"Then start with me," he said. "Just me. For now."