Aria’s POV

Reporters immediately perked up, hungry.

"Ms. Aria, you father mentioned this is your retaliation are you admitting to that? Was this all to destroy the Darvin family?"

My chest tightened.

"No," I said. "I was raised by my grandmother. The Darvin family treated me and Sophia differently, yes, but I’m not so petty that I’d waste my life on childhood wounds. And I wouldn’t invite this chaos on myself. Why would I burn my own future just to scratch at the past?"

My wolf paced inside me. Truth tastes like steel; lies taste like ash. I could almost taste theirs on my tongue.

"And let’s be clear, Clarence is not dead."

There was silence. .

A bolder reporter stepped forward, his voice quivering. "But Patrick has surveillance of her dead body in the morgue. Witnesses. Ten years’ worth...people can lie, but footage...?"

I shrugged, casually but my wolf prowled, every instinct razor sharp. "That puzzles me too. But give me a few days. I’ll give you answers you can’t ignore."

A ripple passed through the room. I could read the mix of disbelief and anticipation on everyone’s face.

The moment my words settled over the crowd, the air shifted. My wolf uncoiled within me, her presence like a second heartbeat.

Then a familiar voice rumbled through the space like distant thunder.

"Then... we’ll await your explanation, Miss Aria." Nathan said. Everyone bowed their heads, their voices trembling.

"The public portion of the funeral is over. The rest is closed to the media."

Nathan’s Alpha tone swept across the atmosphere like a cold wind, and the journalists folded instantly. Not a single camera dared linger after he swept his gaze over them. His aura overwhelmed everyone present.

Within moments, the once-crowded lawn emptied. Only high-ranking wolves remained. I blinked.

If not for Nathan, who could clear a field of predators and vultures so easily?

A hum of power coiled in my gut. He was a man of authority and dominion. He stood at the top of Asterfell’s food chain. I hope to reach that height someday.

Feeling a warm arm around me, I realized I was nestled in Rowland’s arms. Then a cool voice cut through from behind us..

"Everyone’s gone. Remaining this close is inappropriate for a man and woman."

It was Jonathan. His tone dripped with judgment, as cold and precise as frost on glass.

Rowland tightened his hold around me on instinct, his lips curving into a feral grin. The challenge in his eyes was unmistakable.

"What an archaic idea. Are you from the Dark Ages?"

Williams snorted in amusement. "He is mixed-blood."

Rowland shot him a look. Seriously?

I caught the flash of embarrassment on Jonathan’s face; the scent of it mingled with his pride.

"Regardless," Jonathan muttered, attempting to reclaim control, "even with the press gone, you’re far too forward with Ms. Aria."

Rowland scoffed, the sound low and dangerous. His arm remained around me. It was as though He was staking a claim without speaking the words. My heart thudded.

"Rowland." I said.

He exhaled sharply, his jaw flexing before he reluctantly released me. As soon as the warmth left my spine, the air felt colder.

"I’m fine," I said, turning to the others who were watching me, my voice steady.

"With me around, how could you not be?" Rowland huffed. He looked away, disgruntled, his jaw tight.

I slipped a hand into my bag, pulling out the USB he had given me.

Amelia’s eyes locked onto it. "What’s that?"

"A thread," I said simply. "Maybe the one that unravels everything."

I held it toward Chloe. "Help me dig into this. And I’ll help you track down the missing volumes of The Symphony of Prosperity."

Her eyes gleamed like a pup given her first hunt. She snatched the USB with a grin. "Deal."

Just then, I felt pairs of heavy eyes on me.

I looked up.

Nathan still stood where he’d been, rooted like an ancient tree. His amber gaze found mine.

For a breath, the world stilled.

Nathan’s POV

Aria looked... devastating.

Even with the ruin of the funeral still hanging in the air, she stood there, her cheeks flushed like roses blooming against snow. The crimson dress clung to her like it had been painted on, the color was so vivid it made my wolf stir with a low growl of longing.

My gaze locked on her like a starving creature watching prey from the shadows. Her scent coiled through my senses. It intoxicated me, made my claws itch beneath my skin. I wanted to move toward her, to shift, to snarl at the men near her side.

Her eyes met mine and everything in me stilled.

Then she tore her gaze away and walked towards

Collins.

She approached him, not me.

"Please thank your boss for me," she murmured.

My wolf whimpered, a raw sound scraping against my ribs. Why didn’t she come to thank me herself? Was she really avoiding having any form of contact with me?

She smoothed her hair and turned away. Her footsteps never faltered. She didn’t look back. Before her time in prison, she adored me so much she would have waited... tried to read my gaze... asked what haunted me.

Now? She just walked away.

I stood frozen, my breath shallow as I watched her leave with everyone that was there because of her. My vision tinted gold. It took everything in me not to shift and chase after her.

Collins approached.

"Alpha Nathan, Ms. Aria thanks you."

Ms. Aria. The title sliced cleanly through my chest. No longer Luna Aria but Ms. Aria.

I lowered my lashes, hiding the storm in my eyes.

Collins’s sigh brushed the air. I could smell his pity, it was bitter and sharp.

"Sir... what should we do with the Darvin family?" he asked.

During the earlier chaos, the Darvin family had been conspicuously absent, held at bay by my orders.

"Release them," I commanded. My voice came out frigid, stripped of anything resembling emotion.

Collins nodded and left. I didn’t move.

I glanced at the now-empty stage, replaying the memory of Rowland swaggering up there, grabbing the mic like he owned the world. Humiliating Patrick right in front of her. Standing beside Aria as though he was her protector.

Why did my nephew of all people, decide to pursue the same woman I love?