Aria’s POV

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I stared at him, his words echoing in my head on a cruel loop: I will never marry. ESPECIALLY not your daughter.

Especially not me. fn57fe Newest update provided by FιndＮovel/fn57fe

My mom picked up on it immediately. Her voice instantly turned sharp and mocking: “You heard him, Aria. He’d rather marry anyone else in the world than you. Doesn’t that hurt? And you are fine with that?”

My fists clenched tight at my sides, my body trembling.

This was humiliationyered on humiliation. Even worse than anything the elders or reporters had just said.

But I knew if I let it show now, I’d only make it worse. So I bit my lip until I tasted blood, forcing myself to stay still even while I was breaking inside.

“Take her down and interrogate her. I want an answer before nightfall,” Grayson said coldly.

“Aria! ARIA!” my mom screamed as the guards dragged her up by the arms. “Are you really going to let him do this to me? He’s going to kill me―ARIA!”

bI /bshut my eyes. Didn’t move. Didn’t answer. I forced myself to stand there while her shrieks echoed down the way, every part of me screaming to run after her—but I didn’t.

If Grayson was determined to punish somebody, nobody could stop him. Not even me.

“Clear the crowd,” Grayson ordered next. “From now on, anyone loitering in front of my packhouse gets arrested.”

“Yes, Alpha.”

The soldiers surged into the reporters, shoving them back and scattering them like frightened birds. Grayson turned on his heel and strode past the elders into the packhouse without a second nce.

I clenched my bfists/bb, /bhesitated, then forced myself to follow.

He moved fast. It took all I had to catch up with him in a long, empty hallway. “Grayson! Wait!”

He spun around, his gray eyes zing with fury.

What the hell did he have to be angry about? Shouldn’t I be the one losing it?

“What do you mean, ‘especially not your daughter‘?b” /bThe words slipped out before I could stop them.

I couldn’t hold it back. bIf /bI didn’t ask, it would kill me.

His eyes narrowed, and he didn’t answer right away. My anger bgrew /bstrongerb. /bbI /bstepped closer, my bvoice /blow

b20:31 /bThub, /bbOct /bb2 /b

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“Fine, I can live with the fact you might never want to get married. I knew what I was walking into. But bwhat /bthe hell does especially not your daughter mean? Are you telling me even if you did want to marry, it wouldn’t

be me?!”

His face was stone. No regret, no apology. “I thought you understood what I meant.”

“No. I don’t!” I snapped.

“You’re not fit to be my Luna, Aria. If anything, everything that’s happenedtely further proves it.

My mind went nk.

For the second time in less than an hour, I couldn’t even process what I was hearing.

Finally, after what felt like forever, I found my voice. “Not fit? What’s that supposed to mean? Because I’m not from some fancy Alpha bloodline? Because I didn’t graduate from a perfect school? Because I wasn’t born as ba /b/divdy? You knew all that before you ever touched me!”

“That’s not it,” he snapped.

“Then what? Because of my mother-”

“Yes. Exactly because of your mother.” His presence hit me like a wall of steel as he stepped closer. “Today she gave the whole world something to gossip about. I can’t allow someone like her to be a part my family. I won’t let Red Stone Pack be humiliated because of her.”

I stared at him, numb. “You never cared about what people thought before. What changed this time?”

“I didn’t care what other people thought before because I had total control over my pack. But that changed the second your mother showed up.” His voice dropped, sharp with rage. “How many times have you defied me for her? She’s a danger I can’t touch–only because she’s your mother.”

“Precisely because she’s my mom. Any human being with a shred of human emotion wouldn’t stand by while their mother’s tortured! Why’s that so hard for you to understand?!”

“No she’s more than your mom. She’s a selfish, maniptive, calcting person. And you–Aria–you’re naive, emotional, and ignorant of other people’s malice. You’re like the perfect prey to her type.

My world copsed right there.

“Well, so you’re saying that I’m naive, emotional, and ignorant. So I don’t get to be your Luna?” My throat tightened, tears burning in my eyes. “Well, that exins why you were so eager to marry I. She’s so damn sophisticated and smart. You two are like the perfect couple. Too bad it didn’t work out the first time.b” /b

His jaw locked. “This has nothing to do with I. Don’t drag her into this.”

“No, this has everything to do with her!” My voice broke into a scream. “With her, you were passionate, reckless, out of control. You offered her that wedding ring without hesitation. And with me? Suddenly bthere /bare rules. All kinds of things to think about. Conditions. Excuses. Grayson…you…

b11 /b

b20:31 /bbThu/bb, /bbOct /bb2 /b

My voice broke. After ba /bsmall pause, I choked:

“…maybe you just don’t love me at all.”

“SHUT UP!”

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He roared, seizing my wrist so hard my bones ached. “I’d give my life for you. And you still question my love? Do you even have a heart, Aria Collinsb?/bb” /b

“But I don’t want your life!” I shouted back, shaking, choking on tears. “I just want a promise. One promise that what we have will go somewhere someday. That’s all I need to know you love me.”

His grip tightened. Then loosened, slowly, painfully.

I felt the hesitation in him, but not confusion. He already knew what’s he going to do. He just wasn’t sure whether or not to tell me the truth.

“…Sorry, Aria. I can’t give you that promise,” said him eventually.

And just like that, everything shattered.

I broke. I sobbed and wailed. And I pounded my fists against his chest, kicking at him.

He didn’t fight back. He just scooped me up and carried me like I was nothing but a thrashing child, locking me in his arms. He marched down the hall until he reached my room. I hadn’t stayed in this room since we began sleeping together.

He kicked the door shut behind him and set me on the bed. “You should stay here. Calm down.”

I hurled a ss at him. “I don’t need to fucking calm down. I need you to let me go!”

He tilted his head. The ss missed him by an inch. He exhaled hard, trying to control his temper. This was probably the first time in his life anyone had ever thrown something at him.

“I don’t understand, Aria,” he said in a restrained voice. “I may never marry, which means you’ll be the only woman I’ll ever have. So why does it matter so much who carries the Luna title?”

He didn’t get it. He grew up in darkness, in a twisted world where family meant nothing. Of course he didn’t understand how desperately I wanted one of my own.

I want a husband. And I want children someday. I want to love and spoil my kids, so they’d never have to go through what I experienced in my childhood.

But that’s too much to ask of him.

“… You lied to me.” My voice cracked. “You made me believe we had a future. But we don’t.”

His teeth clenched. “And you lied to me as well. You made me believe love was enough for usb. /bBut now you keep wanting more.”

Tears streamed hot down my face. Maybe he was right. Maybe I had be greedy. When we first met, I

couldn’t even believe he’d look at me. And now I dared to dream of being his wife.

“I don’t think you should appear in public for a while,” he said coldly. “Which means you won’t attend I’s trial.”

My head snapped up. I red at him in shock. “You’re not letting me go? That’s my only chance bat /bjustice. And you are taking that away from me?!”

“Calm down,” he snapped. “The trial is the biggest spectacle of the year. Nobles, elders, reporters from all over the world are all going to be there. If you show up like this, they’ll tear you apart. I’m only protecting you.”

“No. You’re protecting I.” My voice shook. “I can feel it. If I don’t go, she’ll walk free. And that’s what you want, isn’t it? You never believed she was guilty anyway.”

with you. He inhaled sharply, like he was holding himself back. “You’re not yourself right now. I won’t argue Just stay here. Wait for me toe back. My men will get answers from your mother. Malik will cure you. And then… everything will be fine.”

Will it? I doubted it.

I watched his back as he left the room, and I swore to myself-

Even if he forbids me from going to Spike Hill Pack, I’ll go anyway.

He hates being controlled. Well, so do I.

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