Chapter 58: Chapter 58 : You will loose your mind

Alina’s POV

Leo smiled up at me as I cradled him in my arms. His first tooth had finally broken through, a tiny white pearl against his pink gums, and my heart swelled so full I thought it might burst. My baby was growing. The last faint scars on his soft skin had faded away completely, leaving him perfect, whole. He reached out with chubby fingers, tangled them in my hair, and gave a playful tug, pulling my face closer to his.

"Ouch, you’re hurting Mama," I whispered, laughing softly.

His grin widened, bright and mischievous, and he slowly loosened his grip, patting my cheek as if to say sorry. Just then, the maid arrived with his bottle. I took it from her, settled into the rocking chair, and watched his eyelids grow heavy as he drank. When he finally drifted off, I gently laid him back in his cradle, brushing a kiss across his forehead.

"Stay with my son," I told the maid, voice low. "Never leave his side."

She nodded. I slipped out of the nursery and started down the hallway, automatically tugging my turtleneck higher to hide the mark still blooming at the base of my throat.

"Alina."

I froze. Aiden stood a few steps away, his expression carefully calm.

"I... I want to talk to you."

My pulse jumped. "What do you want to talk about?" 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

"It’s about—" He stopped mid-sentence, nostrils flaring as he sniffed the air. "Where is that smell coming from?"

My heart slammed against my ribs. If Lucian could scent me, then Aiden probably could too. I didn’t want him catching even a trace. I forced my shoulders to slump, keeping my face soft and tired, the picture of a wolf who had lost everything.

"What’s the problem?" I asked quickly, blinking up at him with wide, innocent eyes. "Are you okay?"

"It’s nothing." He shook his head, though his gaze lingered on me a second too long. "I wanted to know if you’d like your business back. I lost my mind the last time... ruined what you built. It wasn’t fair. So, do you want it?"

"No," I said bluntly.

Shock flashed across his face.

"Alina, I promise I won’t destroy your shop again. You don’t have to worry—"

"It’s not that, Aiden." I met his eyes, letting my voice stay quiet and steady. "I just don’t enjoy baking anymore. All I want now is to be close to Leo. That’s what matters to me."

I watched the words land. Pain flickered deep in his gaze—raw, unguarded for a moment. His jaw tightened, and his shoulders seemed to drop under an invisible weight.

"I guess... if that’s what you want," he said finally, voice rough, "I have to respect it."

I offered him a small, faint smile.

"Is that all you wanted to say?"

"I suppose." He turned away, but after two steps he stopped. "Wait."

I halted.

"Thank you... for the breakfast."

I didn’t answer. I simply walked on, the hallway stretching long and quiet behind me, my heart still beating too fast.

"My pleasure," I replied with a faint smile, then turned and walked away.

The moment I reached my room, the smile dropped. I closed the door behind me and started pacing, my bare feet silent on the cold floor. Pacing wouldn’t solve anything. I needed a way out. I needed something—anything—I could use against them. Aiden’s confession of love changed nothing. He still had to pay for the humiliation he put me through. And the way Sammy hated him... that told me Aiden was far worse than I even imagined.

"You can’t hurt him," my wolf whispered inside me, her voice laced with worry. "We are bonded to him. He is mated to us. You can’t hurt him."

"No," I snapped back, annoyance sharpening my tone. "We are not mated to him. He doesn’t deserve us. End of story."

I stopped in front of the window, staring out without really seeing. An escape plan. I needed one fast. If Lucian and my brother showed up here, it would be a bloodbath.

His room. The one he had given me when I first came back. There might be something useful there.

I slipped down the hallway and eased his door open. The moment I stepped inside, a smirk tugged at my lips. All the pictures of Emily that used to hang on these walls were gone. Every single one.

I moved quickly to the drawer and rifled through it. Just papers—documents, letters, nothing that made any sense. Frustration coiled tighter in my chest.

"What are you doing in here?"

My heart slammed against my ribs. I spun around.

Emily stood in the doorway, eyes blazing with irritation. "What the hell are you doing here, Alina?"

I lifted my chin. "I should be asking you that question. Why are you here?"

"You don’t get to ask me that," she hissed. "This is my husband’s room."

"Husband," I echoed, drawing the word out slowly. "Ohhh, I forgot about that."

Her face flushed with anger. I could see it burning under her skin.

"I came here to find my wedding ring," I added sweetly, watching the words strike her like a slap.

Emily’s hands clenched into fists. "Your wedding ring? Are you kidding me, Alina? You clearly want trouble, and I will give it to you."

"Really?" I smiled, tilting my head. "You’re the same person who swore you’d have me packing in three days. Yet here I am. Still here. So tell me, Emily... what exactly can you do to me?"

Her jaw tightened. "I won’t deal with this. Get out of here. I am the only one with the right to be in here." Her voice rose, trembling with fury. "What’s your problem? Isn’t Lucian enough for you? Now you’re after my husband too?"

A jagged laugh escaped me before I could stop it.

"Lucian and Aiden..." I let the names roll off my tongue, slow and deliberate. "Hmm. Interesting. Wouldn’t it be nice to have two powerful men by my side? Lucian, the beast in my bed... and Aiden, the pack’s Alpha." I took a small step closer, savoring the fire blazing in her eyes. "Sounds perfect, doesn’t it?"

I watched her unravel, her face twisting with pure rage, and felt a dark satisfaction bloom in my chest.

I would keep taunting her until she completely lost her mind.

Emily’s eyes flashed with raw fury, her whole body trembling as she took a step forward. Her hands curled into tight fists at her sides, nails digging into her palms so hard I could see the white of her knuckles.

"You disgusting little whore," she spat, voice shaking. "You think you can just walk in here and take what’s mine? After everything?"

I didn’t flinch. Instead, I let my smirk deepen, tilting my head as if genuinely amused. The anger pouring off her fed something dark and hungry inside me. Good. Let her burn.

"Take what’s yours?" I echoed softly, letting my fingers trail along the edge of Aiden’s desk. "Funny. I don’t remember seeing your name on any of this. And yet... here you are, still fighting for scraps of his attention."

She lunged forward, grabbing my arm hard enough to bruise. "Get. Out."

I yanked my arm free, refusing to show even a flicker of pain. "Careful, Emily. You’re starting to sound desperate. Does it keep you up at night? Knowing he still looks at me the way he used to look at you?"

Her breathing grew ragged. For a second, I thought she might actually hit me. Part of me hoped she would—it would give me an excuse, something to use later.

"You have Lucian," she hissed, voice cracking with venom. "That monster in your bed. Isn’t that enough? Why do you have to ruin everything I have left?"

I laughed again, low and jagged, stepping even closer until I could see the unshed tears of rage glittering in her eyes.

"Because watching you lose everything is the only thing that feels good anymore." My voice dropped to a whisper. "Aiden may be bonded to me, but you... you’re just the placeholder he settled for. And we both know it."

Emily’s face twisted, a broken sound escaping her throat—half-sob, half-growl. She looked like she was seconds away from shifting or shattering completely.

Before she could respond, heavy footsteps echoed down the hallway. My stomach tightened. Aiden.

I quickly smoothed my expression into one of wide-eyed innocence and took a small step back, just as his tall frame filled the doorway.

"What the hell is going on here?" His voice was sharp, eyes darting between us.

Emily whirled on him, chest heaving. "Your precious Alina was snooping through your room! She—"

"I was looking for my wedding ring," I cut in softly, lowering my gaze like a wounded lamb. "I didn’t mean to cause any trouble. I’m sorry if I upset her."

Aiden’s expression softened. "You were looking for your wedding ring?"

I nodded, offering him a small, grateful smile.

Emily’s voice sliced through the air like a whip. "You aren’t married anymore—so what do you need it for? And why on earth would the ring be in here?"

"It’s here," Aiden said quietly. "I kept it for her."

Emily recoiled as if he’d slapped her. "You did what?" Her voice cracked with disbelief and rising fury, her face flushing a deep, ugly red.

I couldn’t stop the smirk that curved my lips. I tried to hide it by biting the inside of my cheek, but the satisfaction bloomed hot in my chest. Let her feel every bit of this.