Aiden’s POV

My eyes burned red. My whole body went cold.

That can’t be what I think it is.

"Alina... was that a mark on your neck?" I asked, forcing my voice to stay calm even though my hands were already shaking.

"It’s none of your business," she said and turned away to cover herself.

I followed her, grabbed her wrist, and pulled her back toward me. I needed to see it clearly. When my eyes landed on the fresh mark, they widened. My grip loosened slowly, like all the strength was draining out of me.

"He didn’t mark you... did he?" I searched her eyes, anger rising hot in my chest. "Answer me!" I growled, the sound raw and loud.

"Aiden, it’s nothing, okay? It’s just... nothing. You shouldn’t overreact like this," she said.

I let out a bitter scoff. "What did you just say? I shouldn’t overreact?" My voice grew louder, shaking with rage. "Alina, are you fucking kidding me? Did he mark you or not? This isn’t just any mark!"

I grabbed her hands tightly, squeezing without thinking. "Alina, answer me."

"Aiden, listen... you’re hurting me," she said, pain clear in her voice.

But I couldn’t let go. Not yet.

"Aiden!" She growled and shoved me hard.

The force sent me flying across the room. My back slammed into the floor. Pain shot through me, but the shock was worse. I stared at her, confused, as I slowly pushed myself up.

"Alina... you just pushed me." My voice came out weak. "This is only possible if... you’ve gotten your wolf?"

She didn’t deny it.

"Yes... you have. I knew something felt different, but I never thought..." I stood there, chest heaving. "How? How is that possible? Why didn’t you fucking tell me?" Annoyance and hurt mixed in my tone.

"You aren’t getting it, Aiden," she said. "We don’t have a relationship. I only came here for my son."

My heart twisted. "We do have a relationship. He isn’t your only mate and you know that—"

"You stopped being my mate the moment we got divorced," she snapped, annoyance thick in her voice.

"But it didn’t break." My voice cracked. "As crazy as it sounds, the bond never broke. And you know it." I took a step closer, desperate. "He marked you... it’s only fair if I mark you too."

"Don’t come close to me, Aiden," she warned, tears filling her eyes. She grabbed a pair of scissors from the table and held them against her own neck. "Or I will stab myself. I mean it. Don’t come close."

I froze mid-step. My heart pounded so hard it hurt.

"You’re going to kill yourself... because I also want to be bonded to you for life?" Pain leaked into every word. My eyes stung. "What does he have that I don’t, Alina? Tell me."

She looked straight at me, tears slipping down her cheeks.

"He loves me."

That single line hit me like a knife in the chest. I stood there, broken, staring at the woman I would do anything for... while she pointed scissors at her own throat to get away from me.

"No, he doesn’t. He really doesn’t," I said, my voice thick with desperation. The words felt weak even to my own ears.

"Leave my room, Aiden. I don’t want to deal with this." Tears rolled down her cheeks. "Can’t you see you’re fucking draining me? It has always been like this with you. You never cared about me. Not once. All you want is your own satisfaction. You want to own me with no real commitment. You want me as a second wife..." Her voice broke. "How lowly do you think of me?"

"Alina, I..."

"Leave!" she growled. Power filled the room, heavy and strong, pressing against my chest.

I swallowed hard. "Okay."

I took one last look at her — standing there with tears in her eyes and scissors still pressed to her neck — then turned and walked out. My legs felt heavy as I made my way to my room. The moment the door shut behind me, I started pacing. I pushed my hair back roughly, breathing fast.

"He marked her," I muttered. "He fucking marked her." Anger burned through me, but underneath it was a deep, sharp pain in my chest. "I can’t let this slide. I can’t fucking let this slide." A low growl escaped my throat. "Why? Why did you let him?"

The door opened.

"Aiden, what are you doing?" Emily asked softly as she stepped inside.

"Emily, not now. I’m not in the mood," I said without looking at her.

"Of course you’re not in the mood. Because it’s me." Her voice trembled. "You know, I really thought... never mind."

I felt my control slipping. "Emily, please leave me alone."

She didn’t move. "Aiden, you really are the worst husband. You had an accident and you didn’t even notice."

I finally turned to her, confused. "What accident? When?"

"Don’t act like you care, because you don’t," she said, hurt clear in her eyes.

"Emily, I had no idea. I’m sorry. What happened? When did this accident happen?" I asked, trying to focus on her.

She stared at me for a long second, then dropped the words like a bomb.

"It doesn’t matter. Because now I just found out... I’m pregnant."

My eyes widened in shock.

"Yes. Pregnant. And you’re going to be a father for the second time."

I stared at Emily, my mouth dry. The words hung in the air like smoke I couldn’t clear.

"Pregnant?" My voice came out hoarse.

She nodded, hands resting on her stomach even though it was still flat. Her eyes searched mine, hoping for something—joy, care, anything. But all I felt was a heavy weight dropping deeper into my chest.

Another baby. My child.

For a second, something soft tried to break through the storm inside me. But then Alina’s face flashed in my mind—tears running down her cheeks, scissors pressed to her neck, that fresh mark on her skin. My mark should be there. Not his.

I ran a hand over my face, breathing hard. "Emily... I... fuck." The words wouldn’t come right. I stepped closer but stopped halfway, unsure. "Are you okay? After the accident... were you hurt badly?"

She let out a bitter laugh, wiping her eyes quickly. "Now you ask. After I told you I’m carrying your child, now you ask if I’m okay." Her voice cracked. "I was alone, Aiden. Bleeding on the side of the road and you weren’t even here."

Guilt twisted sharp in my gut. I wanted to say sorry again, to pull her into my arms like I should. But my mind kept drifting back to Alina’s room. To the way she looked at me with pure exhaustion. Like I was the heaviest burden in her life.

"I’m sorry," I whispered. The words tasted empty. "I’ve been... distracted. There’s a lot going on."

Emily’s shoulders dropped. She looked so small standing there. "Distracted by Alina again, right?" Fresh tears filled her eyes. "Even now, when I tell you we’re having another baby, your mind is still on her."

I didn’t answer. I couldn’t lie