Nathan’s POV

I saw confusion flicker across Collins’ features. He swallowed it and nodded, then left.

And I was alone once again.

I stared out the window, my eyes catching on the roiling clouds, dark and swollen with rain.

Aria will be there at the funeral. That was why I wanted to attend as well. I couldn’t miss this opportunity to see her.

Aria, my ex-mate.

Her name throbbed like a wound that never healed. I remembered the divorce papers, the clean slash of her signature.

She wanted nothing more to do with me.

I realized I had snapped my pen, the metal crushed between my fingers. Ink bloomed like bruises across the page.

Aria, I thought, my fingers curling into fists.

Is your heart truly so cold? She might not want anything to do with me anymore, but I will keep fighting, I would do everything in my power to win her back. She had loved me once, she can love me again.

Lightning split the sky. Thunder followed like a war drum.

The storm raged, but it was nothing compared to the one inside me.

Aria’s POV

Two days passed in a blur of dread and anticipation. It was finally the day of the supposed funeral.

I stood before the mirror in my room, fastening the clasp of a magenta dress that I wore. The fabric hugged my frame, sleeveless and sharp, a statement as much as an outfit.

My wolf stirred beneath my skin, restless. Today, we were like a wolf walking into the lion’s cage.

I leaned in, applying lipstick to match the dress. The colour was bold, brazen and dangerous. A reminder that I am no longer the woman who once trembled. I am the wolf who learned to bare her teeth.

News reports crackled from my phone beside me, each headline more absurd than the last. Patrick’s voice filled the room, dripping with false penitence.

"With this funeral, I hope to dispel the rumors... I take responsibility for the misunderstandings. I’ve confessed my infidelity to Mrs. Darvin, my wife, and received her forgiveness..."

A low laugh slid from my throat, dark and humorless. My wolf echoed it inside me like a growl.

Liar.

It amazed me, truly, how a man could craft entire worlds from lies and carry them like trophies. Now he was staging a funeral to bury the truth. The sham he built for Clarence was almost impressive.

"He’s clever," I murmured to my reflection. My wolf flicked her ears.

Clever doesn’t mean safe.

"True."

I wanted to see what game he was playing. What move he’d attempt next. And I wanted to be there when it all crumbled.

A knock snapped me from my thoughts. My wolf bristled, scenting the air before I even turned. 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

It was Rowland.

I grabbed my purse and pulled open the door. He leaned against the frame like he owned the oxygen around him. He wore a red leather biker jacket, his hair slicked back, sunglasses perched on his nose.

He slipped off his glasses, his eyes brightening when they landed on me. His gaze swept down, and up, in a lingering manner. My wolf puffed her fur, not sure whether to bite him or nudge him.

His grin widened. He spun dramatically, posing.

"How do I look?"

I cracked a smile, careful not to smudge my lipstick. "Fabulous."

He jingled rhinestone-covered car keys like some flashy magician. "Come on, I’ll take you to the funeral."

His tone made it sound like we were going clubbing and not walking straight into the eye of a storm. Somehow, it made the tension easier to breathe.

We stepped out together. "Think they’ll let us in like this?" I asked, my eyebrow arched.

He snorted, lifting his chin. "Is there anywhere in Asterfell that is off-limits to me?"

Confidence radiated off him like heat. My wolf huffed. He was a cocky fox.

"That’s not a no." I teased.

"Let’s go" I grabbed his necklace chain and tugging him out of the building.

For a second, our steps fell into rhythm, like some invisible thread had bound us together. My wolf went quiet, watching.

My hair brushed my cheek as we walked, the crisp air smelling faintly of dawn and danger. Rowland moved beside me not too close, but close enough that I could feel the warmth of him, the steady tempo of his breathing. The way my perfume curled around him like smoke.

Outside, the morning wind slapped us, clearing the fog of whatever strange moment had formed.

"I’ll get it," he said quickly, stepping ahead to open the car door before I could.

That earnestness made my wolf tilt her head.

I eyed him, curiously. He awkwardly looked away, rubbing his nose.

The passenger door shut behind me with a soft thud. Rowland’s heartbeat quickened just enough for my wolf to notice, as he slid behind the wheel. My wolf flicked her ears, curious.

A small invitation card rested where I’d almost sat. I picked it up, the paper cool beneath my fingers. It was Clarence’s funeral invitation.

"Interesting." My voice came out low, edged with something feral.

"What is this doing here?"