Aria POV
I am still seated in the back seat of Lucian's car. The warm air inside feels nothing like the cold outside.
Lucian's scent fills the small space around me. It is strong and mesmerizing and my wolf akela couldn't resist.
My lips curved out a drunken smile as I pushed myself up and made my way to the front seat.
"Lucien…" I slurred, glancing at him but he didn't give me a glance. He knows better than responding to someone who is sober.
His scent hit me again. It is the same kind of smell Mateo always carried, the clean but wild scent of an alpha. My head spins from all the alcohol still in my system, and for a moment, my confused mind thinks Lucian is Mateo sitting beside me.
"Mateo…" I slurred as I reached out, barely awake, and let my fingers touch his hand. My voice comes out soft and sleepy when I whisper again, "Mateo…."
I'm drifting halfway between dreams and memories, slipping back into moments I once shared with Mateo. The older, quieter memories tug me in, as if my tired mind wants to relive them.
Lucian doesn't pull his hand away. He doesn't say anything either. He simply was focused on driving.
The Lucien I always knew always acted cold with women. He gave none of them attention. In fact, rumors always had it that Lucien might not find a mate because of his nonchalant attitude towards women.
Well, Lucian has been with other female wolves before. But those were always simple for business meetings, no deeper feelings.
And most times, he had kept a mistress that didn't even last for a long time. Just two wolves wanting something temporary. None of them ever stayed with him. He never felt anything close to the kind of love I once felt for Mateo. And now, sitting beside him, and him protecting me, I realize he wasn't nonchalant as every shewolf out there tagged him to be.
Soon, I shift a bit in my seat, sleepy, and the small movement catches Lucian's attention. He looks at me with careful eyes. "Easy." He says with calm.
My body feels weak, like all my energy has been drained out of me. But my thoughts slowly come back into focus.
I definitely drank too much, and the memory of Lucian pulling me out of the club flashes through my mind. Everything after that is mostly a blur.
My throat feels dry. "What time is it now?" I ask.
"It's just after one-thirty AM," he says.
I turn my head toward the window. My eyes feel hot and watery. Inside my chest, everything feels still and empty, as if I've accepted something that hurts too much to fight, realising, he was indeed driving me home, to Matteo's pack house.
After a long silence, I speak again, my voice barely above a whisper.
"I once thought I'd be happy if I marry him." I say softly. "I thought he would be mine forever. But I forgot something important… love doesn't last forever."
A small smile escapes me. It's short and painful. "Just like Mateo and me. I used to believe that if I gave up everything and chose him, I could keep him. I thought I'd had enough. But now I see it. Maybe he felt something once, but the woman in his heart was never me. Never Aria."
My smile twists, bitter this time. "Lucian, do you think I did anything wrong to him?"
"No," he says immediately.
He sounds firm, like he truly believes what he says.
"You are the true Luna of silvermoon. You always deserve to be a Luna."
He is right.
Someone like Mateo wouldn't give up his Luna so easily. Bella he spends time with is just a quick, meaningless flings. To become a Luna, she has to be someone strong, smart, and steady, the way I've always been. I see Bella is none of that. He won't make her his Luna right?
I give Lucian a small smile but remain silent. I turn back to the window watching the lights fade behind us as the car continues forward.
By the time Lucian stops in front of the main Silvermoon mansion, it's well past two in the morning.
The car comes to a gentle halt. I look at him and thank him quietly before trying to return his coat.
But he shakes his head. "You can keep it. The weather will cause you a cold before you make your way into the building."
"I'll return it after it's cleaned." I say. "Thank you." I added. I step out of the car with his coat draped over my arm, say a soft goodbye, and head toward the mansion doors. Lucian waits for a short moment, gives a small nod as if making sure I'm really safe, then drives off quickly into the night.
I'm finally back to this place. The memories of my last encounter with Mateo only made my chest tighten.
A throbbing headache began to pound in my temples.
Just as I entered, an omega maid walked out to greet me. As she gets closer, the smell of alcohol on my clothes and I see the worries in her eyes before she finally speaks. Her voice stays respectful and careful.
"Luna," she says gently, "you are sober?" She takes another step and stand in front of me as I try to hold myself from staggering.
Her voice comes again.
"Alpha called earlier. He wants you to pack his clothes in a bag. He will come take them in an hour."
Of course, he's coming back to take his things to go spend more than with his lover.
Since I've already decided to go through with the rejection, what Mateo does shouldn't bother me.
"You can handle that yourself." I say coolly, brushing past her while still holding Lucian's coat around me. I go up the stairs to the bedroom. The moment my body touches the soft bed, I fall into a deep sleep.
A cool night breeze slips through the open windows. The white curtains sway softly.
Lucian's dark coat lies forgotten at the foot of the bed.
Mateo POV
The moment I stepped into the room, something felt wrong. The scent hit me first, alcohol. Strong and fresh one.
"Aria…" I called.
From the dark room, I see her lying on the bed but it wasn't so clear, the lights are off.
The moment I switched on the light, my chest tightened at what I saw.
She is sleeping, hair all over her shoulders, her silk top slipping near the collar, half showing her cleavage, her skirt shifted up enough to show the curve of her thighs.
What? Had she been drinking? The scene only made me wonder. Angry at the same time. Why is she being dramatic? She's doing all this because I had left a few days ago to help Bella's sick health?
My wolf growled inside me. 'Calm down, Mateo. Don't jump to conclusions.'
But the anger was stronger.
She is my wife, my Luna, that was enough. And the love she wanted… I could never give it. I knew that. She knew that. But seeing her like this, made something wild twist inside my chest. Not pity but disgusted at how low she can go.
Ignoring that, I turn to walk out but something caught my attention. I see a jacket. It's not mine, expensive and familiar.
It's Lucien's brand. Despite being a lawyer, he also has a clothing brand and this particular jacket belong to him. I'd seen him wear it some time ago.
My jaw locked so hard at the sight, my head filling with different thoughts.
Lucien was here? What has he done to her? Did he touch her? Did they kiss? What exactly happened?
My wolf pushed back against me again as it tries to calm my thoughts.
'Stop overthinking, Lucien won't do anything as such.' Says my wolf in my head.
But jealousy consumed me anyway.
I grabbed the coat and stormed downstairs. The anger was already too loud in my head. I found Leah, the driver, and shoved the jacket toward her.
"I found this. Was Lucien here?" I demanded.
She looked surprised but then shook her head quickly. "No, Alpha. I didn't see him."
Her response didn't quite help my rage but there was nothing I could do. On a second thought, the urge to go confront Lucien intensified and I know it won't end well for the both of us but then, I try to control my anger.
Not everything should be handled in anger. I tell myself.
But the continuous thought of another man being near my wife made my blood boil.
And I hated that it did.