Chapter Two: The Scent of Betrayal
Aria's POV
I knew the second I heard the howl.
It wasn't a random call or a patrol check-in. It was sharp, clipped, urgent a signal.
The kind wolves only used when something had gone wrong.
I sat still for a moment on the edge of my bed, breath shallow, heartbeat thundering in my ears. The sheets were tangled around my legs, still warm from Kael's body, and his scent clung to me like the memory of his touch.
No. Like a mark.
He'd only just slipped out the window minutes ago, vanishing into the night like smoke , fast, careful. We were cautious. We always were.
But something was off.
I reached for my robe and wrapped it tightly around me, smoothing my hair down, fixing my face in the mirror. Not a hair out of place. No emotion. No weakness. No truth.
There wasn't room for that in this life.
Just as I finished tying the sash, a knock came. Not gentle. Not Lucian.
Hard. Sharp. Deliberate.
I already knew who it was.
I opened the door slowly, keeping my expression composed. Behind it stood Elder Bram, tall and imposing, his dark eyes assessing every inch of me before I even spoke.
"Aria," he said. "May I come in?"
A polite question.
But I knew better.
In the Darkwood pack, elders didn't ask. They gave you the illusion of choice but you were already under their control the second they arrived.
"Of course," I said, stepping aside. "Is something wrong?"
He walked past me with slow, deliberate steps, his gaze moving over every corner of my room. The silence between us stretched, thick with unspoken suspicion.
"There was a report of a disturbance near the Alpha quarters," he said, tone calm but coiled. "A rogue, possibly. Patrols are sweeping the grounds. It's standard to check all quarters especially those of importance."
I folded my arms, feigning confusion. "A rogue? That's unusual. Has the barrier been breached?"
"Not visibly," he replied, stopping at my window. "But we're thorough, as always."
He turned and looked at me then really looked. "You were alone tonight?"
The lie came effortlessly.
"Yes. I've been in since dusk."
Bram's nostrils flared slightly as he breathed in, scenting the air. My heart seized.
Kael's scent still lingered faint, but real. Musk and pine and heat.
I watched Bram closely, and for the briefest moment, his eyes narrowed. He smelled it. But he couldn't name it. Not yet.
"I couldn't sleep," I added, tilting my head. "Too many thoughts. About the ceremony."
That part wasn't a lie.
He stepped toward me, close enough that I could feel the chill coming off his skin. "It's understandable. Bonding with the Alpha heir is no small thing. Your union will shape the future of this pack."
I smiled tightly. "That's what I've been told."
His gaze dropped to my bare collarbone, where Kael's mouth had just been minutes earlier. I fought the urge to pull the robe tighter. Let him look. Let him wonder.
"I hope you understand the weight of your role, Aria," he said softly. "And what would happen if that role were compromised."
There it was. The threat beneath the surface.
"I'm very aware," I said, locking eyes with him. "I was raised for this."
He studied me for a long moment waiting for the smallest flicker of guilt, the tiniest crack in my mask.
But there was nothing. Because I am my mask. And I've learned to wear it better than anyone.
Finally, he nodded once and moved toward the door. "Moonrise," he said, without turning around. "Don't be late."
The door shut behind him with a click that echoed in my bones.
As soon as it was locked, I backed away from it and collapsed onto the edge of my bed. My hands were shaking. My legs ached with tension. And Kael's warmth had barely faded from my skin.
We were in trouble.
Someone had seen him. Or maybe they'd only sensed him. But that was enough. The
Darkwood pack didn't require evidence , just whispers. And those whispers could become accusations faster than fire spreads through dry leaves.
I looked down at my hands the same hands that had clutched Kael to me hours earlier, that had tangled in his hair, had scratched down his back.
Gods, what have we done?
And yet I didn't regret it. Not a second. Not a breath.
He was the only real thing I'd ever chosen for myself. In a life built on obligations, arranged bonds, and ceremonies that felt more like sacrifices, Kael was the one choice that came from me.
And now, that choice might cost us everything.
But I would not run from it.
No. I was done playing the sweet, silent bride-to-be. I wasn't just Lucian's future mate. I wasn't a pawn in Bram's twisted little war of bloodlines and legacy. I wasn't even the sacred vessel they thought I'd be for power.
I was a woman in love with the wrong brother and I would set this entire city ablaze before I let them cage me.
I stood and walked to the window, staring out over the forest. The wind had shifted. I could feel it in my bones like a storm was brewing beneath the soil.
Somewhere out there, Kael was moving in the dark. Being hunted. Maybe even followed.
And if Bram or Lucian caught him, if they uncovered even a fraction of the truth I would lose him.
Not just to exile or punishment.
They would kill him. Not because he broke the rules but because he broke Lucian's claim.
Because in this pack, possession mattered more than love.
And yet here I stood trembling with fear but burning with something fiercer. Something that tasted like rage.
If they wanted to play this game, I'd stop playing by their rules.
Because this wasn't just my story anymore.
It was war.
And I didn't intend to lose.
Then suddenly
Another knock
Chapter Two: The Scent of Betrayal
Aria's POV
I knew the second I heard the howl.
It wasn't a random call or a patrol check-in. It was sharp, clipped, urgent a signal.
The kind wolves only used when something had gone wrong.
I sat still for a moment on the edge of my bed, breath shallow, heartbeat thundering in my ears. The sheets were tangled around my legs, still warm from Kael's body, and his scent clung to me like the memory of his touch.
No. Like a mark.
He'd only just slipped out the window minutes ago, vanishing into the night like smoke , fast, careful. We were cautious. We always were.
But something was off.
I reached for my robe and wrapped it tightly around me, smoothing my hair down, fixing my face in the mirror. Not a hair out of place. No emotion. No weakness. No truth.
There wasn't room for that in this life.
Just as I finished tying the sash, a knock came. Not gentle. Not Lucian.
Hard. Sharp. Deliberate.
I already knew who it was.
I opened the door slowly, keeping my expression composed. Behind it stood Elder Bram, tall and imposing, his dark eyes assessing every inch of me before I even spoke.
"Aria," he said. "May I come in?"
A polite question.
But I knew better.
In the Darkwood pack, elders didn't ask. They gave you the illusion of choice but you were already under their control the second they arrived.
"Of course," I said, stepping aside. "Is something wrong?"
He walked past me with slow, deliberate steps, his gaze moving over every corner of my room. The silence between us stretched, thick with unspoken suspicion.
"There was a report of a disturbance near the Alpha quarters," he said, tone calm but coiled. "A rogue, possibly. Patrols are sweeping the grounds. It's standard to check all quarters especially those of importance."
I folded my arms, feigning confusion. "A rogue? That's unusual. Has the barrier been breached?"
"Not visibly," he replied, stopping at my window. "But we're thorough, as always."
He turned and looked at me then really looked. "You were alone tonight?"
The lie came effortlessly.
"Yes. I've been in since dusk."
Bram's nostrils flared slightly as he breathed in, scenting the air. My heart seized.
Kael's scent still lingered faint, but real. Musk and pine and heat.
I watched Bram closely, and for the briefest moment, his eyes narrowed. He smelled it. But he couldn't name it. Not yet.
"I couldn't sleep," I added, tilting my head. "Too many thoughts. About the ceremony."
That part wasn't a lie.
He stepped toward me, close enough that I could feel the chill coming off his skin. "It's understandable. Bonding with the Alpha heir is no small thing. Your union will shape the future of this pack."
I smiled tightly. "That's what I've been told."
His gaze dropped to my bare collarbone, where Kael's mouth had just been minutes earlier. I fought the urge to pull the robe tighter. Let him look. Let him wonder.
"I hope you understand the weight of your role, Aria," he said softly. "And what would happen if that role were compromised."
There it was. The threat beneath the surface.
"I'm very aware," I said, locking eyes with him. "I was raised for this."
He studied me for a long moment waiting for the smallest flicker of guilt, the tiniest crack in my mask.
But there was nothing. Because I am my mask. And I've learned to wear it better than anyone.
Finally, he nodded once and moved toward the door. "Moonrise," he said, without turning around. "Don't be late."
The door shut behind him with a click that echoed in my bones.
As soon as it was locked, I backed away from it and collapsed onto the edge of my bed. My hands were shaking. My legs ached with tension. And Kael's warmth had barely faded from my skin.
We were in trouble.
Someone had seen him. Or maybe they'd only sensed him. But that was enough. The
Darkwood pack didn't require evidence , just whispers. And those whispers could become accusations faster than fire spreads through dry leaves.
I looked down at my hands the same hands that had clutched Kael to me hours earlier, that had tangled in his hair, had scratched down his back.
Gods, what have we done?
And yet I didn't regret it. Not a second. Not a breath.
He was the only real thing I'd ever chosen for myself. In a life built on obligations, arranged bonds, and ceremonies that felt more like sacrifices, Kael was the one choice that came from me.
And now, that choice might cost us everything.
But I would not run from it.
No. I was done playing the sweet, silent bride-to-be. I wasn't just Lucian's future mate. I wasn't a pawn in Bram's twisted little war of bloodlines and legacy. I wasn't even the sacred vessel they thought I'd be for power.
I was a woman in love with the wrong brother and I would set this entire city ablaze before I let them cage me.
I stood and walked to the window, staring out over the forest. The wind had shifted. I could feel it in my bones like a storm was brewing beneath the soil.
Somewhere out there, Kael was moving in the dark. Being hunted. Maybe even followed.
And if Bram or Lucian caught him, if they uncovered even a fraction of the truth I would lose him.
Not just to exile or punishment.
They would kill him. Not because he broke the rules but because he broke Lucian's claim.
Because in this pack, possession mattered more than love.
And yet here I stood trembling with fear but burning with something fiercer. Something that tasted like rage.
If they wanted to play this game, I'd stop playing by their rules.
Because this wasn't just my story anymore.
It was war.
And I didn't intend to lose.
Then suddenly
Another knock