Chapter

11

Leila had been pampered her entire life by her Alpha father-people spoke to her in reverent tones, never raising their voices, let alone shouting at her.

Blind with rage, she lunged forward, perfectly manicured nails aimed at Lucas's face like talons!

Lucas deflected her attack effortlessly, shoving her backward until she stumbled and collapsed to the floor in an undignified heap.

"Guards," he called, voice ice-cold, "remove Miss Blackwood from the pack. Immediately."

"YOU BASTARD!" Leila's shrieks ricocheted off the marble floors.

The massive oak doors slammed shut, silencing her hysteria mid-scream.

The day of Aria's funeral arrived beneath a weeping sky-gentle rain that seemed to mourn alongside the gathered crowd.

Lucas carried her urn with trembling hands, his movements painfully deliberate as he placed it into the marble crypt. Every moment felt surreal, as if he were trapped in some horrific dream he couldn't escape. This couldn't be happening-he couldn't be burying the mate he had only just realized he loved.

As the final stone was placed, the collective sobs behind him crescendoed. Aria had been genuinely beloved. Her radiance had touched countless lives. Her parents, shattered by unimaginable grief, had retreated to the Northern Alpine Pack, unable to face the ceremony that would make their daughter's absence permanent.

But everyone else who had known Aria-from childhood friends to pack members, even the barista who had served her daily coffee-had come to pay their respects. Their grief mingled with the rain, creating a symphony of sorrow that seemed to emanate from the

earth itself.

Lucas knelt before her tombstone, a broken Alpha rendered statue-like in his grief. His fingers repeatedly traced the inscription he had insisted upon: "Luna Aria Collins Thornwood, Beloved

Mate."

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Chapter 11

Luna. The title she should have held in life, not just in death.

"Aria..." Her name caught in his throat, tears falling before he could form another word. Every memory of her smile, her laugh, the way she'd dance around their kitchen on Sunday mornings-all of it crashed over him in waves of regret so powerful they physically hurt.

He remained kneeling long after everyone had gone, the rain soaking through his expensive suit, his body shivering violently though he felt nothing.

That night, having refused to leave her graveside until physically carried away by his guards, Lucas collapsed with a dangerous fever.

In his delirium, Aria came to him.

The nightmare replayed that fateful night, but with one crucial difference-this time, he hadn't left

her behind. In this version, he had recognized the danger, had grabbed her hand and pulled the blindfold from her eyes.

"Run!" he shouted, gripping her fingers so tightly he feared he might hurt her, but unable to loosen

his hold. "The whole place is going to blow!"

The heat was suffocating, smoke burning their lungs as they navigated through the labyrinthine

hallways. Each step felt like salvation-he was saving her this time. He wouldn't fail her again.

Just as the exit door appeared ahead, freedom visible through its glass panel, Aria suddenly stopped.

No matter how he pulled, she remained rooted in place.

In the dream, the fire had already reached the gasoline containers, their metal sides bulging

ominously.

"Please!" he begged, terror making his voice crack. "We have to go NOW!" Instead of responding, Aria looked at him with such profound sadness that his heart constricted.

Slowly, deliberately, she peeled his fingers from her wrist, one by one. "You can't save me, Lucas," she said softly. "You're the one who killed me." With those words hanging between them, she turned and walked deliberately back into the heart of

the inferno.

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"ARIA, NO!"

A blinding explosion engulfed her, erasing her from existence in a violent flash of light and heat.

"ARIA!"

Lucas bolted upright in bed, gasping for air, his body drenched in cold sweat despite the fever ravaging his system. The dream had felt so real-for those few precious moments, she had been alive again, within his reach.

He fumbled for his phone on the nightstand-a pathetic ritual he couldn't break, checking for messages from a number that would never text again. Before he could unlock the screen, his bedroom door burst open, his guardian's face ashen with panic: "Alpha! There's an emergency at Luna Collins's crypt!" No one could have predicted Leila's complete psychological break-sneaking into the cemetery with bribed groundskeepers, disinterring Aria's urn, and threatening to scatter her remains.

When Lucas arrived, the scene before him was something from a nightmare. Leila stood in the rain, mascara streaming down her face, clutching Aria's urn like a trophy.

Fighting through his fever-induced weakness, Lucas approached her slowly. "Put it down, Leila,” he commanded, his voice deadly quiet.

His controlled tone only seemed to further unravel her fragile sanity. She threw her head back in manic laughter.

"Fuck you!" she screeched, holding the urn tighter. "This worthless bitch stole everything from me! First my ceremonial dancer position, now my Alpha mate! Even in death, she gets to be Luna

Thornwood while I'm left with NOTHING!"

Lucas froze at her next words.

"I should have killed her years ago instead of just framing her for challenging me! Would have saved us all this trouble!"

The confession sliced through him-the original "crime" that had justified three years of torment had been fabricated. He had destroyed Aria for nothing. Pure rage gave him a surge of strength despite his illness. He lunged forward, desperate to protect the only physical reminder of Aria he had left.

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Chapter 11

His fever-weakened body betrayed him-as his fingers nearly reached the urn, his legs buckled

beneath him.

Time seemed to slow as he collapsed forward. Leila, startled by his sudden movement, stumbled backward, losing her grip on the urn.

The delicate ceramic container tumbled through the air in what felt like slow motion before shattering against the marble floor with a sound that seemed to echoChapter 11

Leila had been pampered her entire life by her Alpha father-people spoke to her in reverent tones, never raising their voices, let alone shouting at her.

Blind with rage, she lunged forward, perfectly manicured nails aimed at Lucas's face like talons!

Lucas deflected her attack effortlessly, shoving her backward until she stumbled and collapsed to the floor in an undignified heap.

"Guards," he called, voice ice-cold, "remove Miss Blackwood from the pack. Immediately."

"YOU BASTARD!" Leila's shrieks ricocheted off the marble floors. The massive oak doors slammed shut, silencing her hysteria mid-scream. The day of Aria's funeral arrived beneath a weeping sky-gentle rain that seemed to mourn alongside the gathered crowd.

Lucas carried her urn with trembling hands, his movements painfully deliberate as he placed it into the marble crypt. Every moment felt surreal, as if he were trapped

in some horrific dream he couldn't escape. This couldn't be happening-he couldn't be burying the mate he had only just realized he loved.

As the final stone was placed, the collective sobs behind him crescendoed. Aria had been genuinely beloved. Her radiance had touched countless lives.

Her parents, shattered by unimaginable grief, had retreated to the Northern Alpine Pack, unable to face the ceremony that would make their daughter's absence permanent.

But everyone else who had known Aria-from childhood friends to pack members, even the barista who had served her daily coffee-had come to pay their respects. Their grief mingled with the rain, creating a symphony of sorrow that seemed to emanate from the

earth itself.

Lucas knelt before her tombstone, a broken Alpha rendered statue-like in his grief. His fingers repeatedly traced the inscription he had insisted upon: "Luna Aria Collins Thornwood, Beloved

Mate."

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Chapter 11

have held in life, not just in

tears falling before he could form another word. Every memory of her smile, her laugh, the way she'd dance around their

everyone had gone, the rain soaking through his expensive suit, his

leave her graveside until

guards, Lucas collapsed with a dangerous

delirium, Aria came to

nightmare replayed that fateful night,

he hadn't left

behind. In this version, he had recognized the danger, had grabbed her hand

he feared he might hurt her, but

whole place is going to

smoke burning their lungs

the labyrinthine

was saving her this

her again.

door appeared ahead, freedom

Aria suddenly stopped.

he pulled, she

the fire had already reached

sides bulging

ominously.

go NOW!" Instead of responding, Aria looked at him with such profound sadness

heart constricted.

me, Lucas," she said softly. "You're the one who killed me." With those words hanging between them, she turned and walked deliberately back into the

the inferno.

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Chapter 11

"ARIA, NO!"

her, erasing her from existence in

light and heat.

"ARIA!"

in cold sweat despite the fever ravaging his system. The dream had

number that would never text again. Before he could unlock the screen, his bedroom door burst open, his guardian's face ashen with panic: "Alpha! There's an emergency at Luna Collins's crypt!"

before him was something from a nightmare. Leila stood in the rain, mascara streaming down her

trophy.

his fever-induced weakness, Lucas approached her slowly. "Put it down, Leila," he commanded, his voice deadly

only seemed to further unravel her fragile sanity.

back in

you!" she screeched, holding the urn tighter. "This worthless bitch stole everything from me! First my ceremonial dancer position,

in death, she gets to be Luna Thornwood while

froze at her

her years ago instead of just

saved us

for nothing. Pure rage gave

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99

5.0% Chapter 11

body betrayed him-as his fingers nearly reached

legs buckled

beneath him.

forward. Leila, startled by his sudden movement, stumbled backward, losing her grip

container tumbled through the air

a sound that seemed

the last physical trace of her existence. Lucas stared in mute horror,

coughed up blood.

"Aria..."

on his lips was both prayer and apology-too late for either

southern territory buzzed with

the Northern territory,

life.

of Lucas's breakdown reached her-his violent revenge

"remains," his collapse at her memorial-she simply offered an enigmatic smile and

The she-wolf who had loved Lucas

that fire, exactly as

planned.

entered the sitting room, carrying a steaming cup of

"Time for your

liquid in one determined gulp. Seeing

candied ginger. “Just a bit longer. Two more weeks of treatment

legs will be fully healed, and you can audition for the Alpine

she gently brushed a

Aria's face.

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Chapter 11

down at her legs, considering the price of her freedom. She had escaped the fire that night through careful planning, but hadn't anticipated the additional gasoline containers that someone had

abandoned building.

unexpected explosions had caught her off guard as she fled, a falling beam pinning

always comes at a price. Her legs were healing, her future bright with new possibilities. She had escaped the beautiful

past life and stepped into a painful but honest new

time in years, she was truly

☐ to)

16:39

through Lucas's very soul.

ashes across the wet floor, the rain

nothingness, washing away the last physical trace of her existence. Lucas stared

coughed up blood.

"Aria..."

was both prayer and apology-too late for

southern territory buzzed with

as the Northern territory, where Aria quietly followed the news

life.

breakdown reached her-his violent

collapse at her memorial-she simply offered an enigmatic smile and

the past. The she-wolf who had

that fire, exactly as

planned.

carrying a steaming cup of

"Time for your

liquid in one determined gulp. Seeing her daughter's

more weeks of treatment and we're done." "Then your legs will be fully healed, and you can audition for the Alpine Dance Company

mother's eyes softened with pride as she gently brushed a strand of

Aria's face.

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E 101

Chapter 11

at her legs, considering the price of her

had escaped the fire that night through careful planning, but

11

father-people spoke to her

rage, she lunged forward, perfectly manicured

face like talons!

attack effortlessly, shoving her backward until she stumbled and collapsed

ice-cold, "remove Miss

ricocheted off the marble floors. The massive oak doors slammed shut, silencing

Aria's funeral arrived beneath a weeping

alongside the

deliberate as he placed it into the marble crypt.

couldn't be happening-he couldn't be burying the mate he

final stone was placed, the collective sobs behind him crescendoed. Aria had been genuinely beloved. Her radiance had touched countless lives. Her parents, shattered by unimaginable grief,

that would make their daughter's absence

known Aria-from childhood friends to pack members, even the barista who had

mingled with the rain, creating a symphony of sorrow that seemed to emanate from

tombstone, a broken Alpha rendered statue-like in

traced the inscription he had insisted

Collins Thornwood, Beloved

Mate."

16.39

99 Deadly

48%

Chapter 11

The title she should have held in life, not just in death. "Aria..." Her name

way she'd dance around their kitchen on Sunday mornings-all of it crashed over him in waves of

kneeling long after everyone had gone, the rain soaking through his expensive suit, his body shivering violently though he felt nothing. That night, having refused to leave her

Lucas collapsed with a dangerous

delirium, Aria came

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