ZANE’S POV
My feet carried me through the dark streets of the pack territory, with my heart pounding with every step I took toward Mira’s house.
I had been searching for Aria for what felt like an eternity, and now I finally knew where she was, nothing in this word could stop me from reaching her.
The night air was cold against my skin, but I barely felt it because of the burning inside me was too strong to be extinguished by something as simple as the wind.
I replayed every moment I had spent with Aria, the way she looked at me at the bar, the way she felt in my arms, the way she made me feel like I was the only person in the world who mattered.
And then I thought about the coronation, the hollow bond that had snapped into place with Aurora, the way my heart had ached when I saw the pain in Aria’s eyes.
I had never felt anything like this before.
I had never been so consumed by thoughts of a woman that I could not eat, could not sleep, and could not focus on anything else.
Tristan had warned me that this was dangerous, that I was playing with fire, but I did not care.
I would burn the whole world down if it meant I could see her again.
I reached Mira’s house and stopped at the gate, my eyes fixed on the soft glow of light coming through the window.
She was in there.
Aria was just a few feet away from me, and my heart was racing so fast I could barely breathe.
I walked up to the door and raised my hand to knock, but I hesitated.
What if she did not want to see me?
What if she pushed me away again?
What if she blamed me for everything that had happened?
But I pushed the thought aside and knocked.
I had come too far to turn back now.
The door opened, and Mira stood there, her eyes opening wide with shock when she saw me.
Then she immediately dipped her head in a respectful bow, and said, “Alpha Prince, forgive me.
I did not expect to see you here.
How can I help you?”
I kept my voice calm and steady as I replied, “I need to see Aria.
Please.
I know she is here.”
Mira hesitated for a moment, as she glances back at the room with caution.
Then she turned to me back and said softly, “Alpha Prince, I understand, but I must ask, what is it that you want with her?
She had been through so much already.”
I looked at her, my voice firm but not harsh.
“I understand your concern.
But I need to speak with her.
I need to explain myself.
Please, Mira.
Just let me see her, I will not hurt her.
I could never hurt her.”
Mira studied me for a long moment, then nodded her head slowly and said, “She is in the living room, Alpha Prince.
But I hope you understand, I am only letting you in because I believe you care about her.”
I nodded.
“Thank you.”
I walked past her and entered the house, with my heart pounding so hard I could hear it in my own ears.
And then I saw her.
Aria was standing in the middle of the living room, with her hand pressed against her chest like she was trying to calm her own racing heart.
She looked at me with wide eyes, a mixture of shock and something else, something that looked a lot like hope.
“Zane?” Her voice was barely a whisper.
“What are you doing here?”
I stepped closer with my eyes pinned on her face, and whispered, “I had to see you.
I have been searching for you ever since the the coronation.
I could not stop thinking about you, and I could not focus on anything else.”
She shook her head and took a step back.
“You should not be here.
You are bound to my sister. Get faster updates on g.com.
You are her mate.
This is so wrong.
This is dangerous.”
I took another step closer to her, closing the distance between, and whispered, “I do not care about the danger.
I do not care about the bond.
All I care about is you.”
Aria’s breath caught, and I saw the conflict in her eyes.
She wanted to push me away, but she also wanted to believe me.
“Zane, you do not know what you are saying.
You are the Alpha Prince.
You have a duty to the pack.
You cannot just throw that away for someone like me.”
“Someone like you?” I repeated, my voice softening.
“What do you mean by that, dear?”
She looked down, and said with a trembling voice.
“I am nobody, Zane.
I am the forgotten twin.
I am the one nobody chooses.
I am not like Aurora.
I am not beautiful or charming or special.
I am just…”
I reached out and gently lifted her chin, forcing her to look at me.
“Do not finish the sentence.
You are not nobody.
You are everything.
From the moment I saw you at the bar, I knew that there something about you that I could not explain.
And I have been trying to understand it ever since.”
A tear slipped down her cheek, and I wiped it away with my thumb.
“I do not love Aurora,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper.
“When I am with you, everything feels right.
I cannot explain it, Aria.
All I know is that I cannot stop thinking about you.”
She stared at me, her eyes searching mine, and shook her head.
“You cannot mean that.
You are her mate.
The whole pack saw it.”
I took both of her hands in mine and held them tightly, refusing to let her pull away.
“I know what they saw,” I said firmly.
“But I do not love her.
I do not feel anything for her.
I cannot explain what that bond is, but I know it is not real.
Not the way you and I are real.”
Aria shook her head and tried to pull her hands away, but I held on.
“Zane please, you are not thinking clearly, that night we spent together, it was just one night.
It did not mean anything.
I was drunk and heartbroken and you were just….you were just there.
You should not throw away your position as Alpha because of a mistake.”
I felt my heart crack at her words.
it was obvious she was pushing me away, trying to protect me from herself, but I would not let her.
I stepped closer, so close that I could feel the warmth radiating from her body, and I cupped her face in my hands, forcing her to look at me.
“Do not do that,” I said, my voice low and intense.
“Do not stand here and tell me that night meant nothing. This chapter was copied from g.com without permission.
Because I know it meant something.
I know you felt it too.
The way you looked at me, the way you held onto me like I was your only lifeline.
That was not nothing.
That was everything.”
Aria’s eyes sparkled with tears, and her voice broke when she spoke.
“Even if it meant something, Zane.
It does not change anything.
You are bound to Aurora.
You cannot just reject the bond because of one night.
You would lose everything.
Your title, your position, your pack.
I cannot let you do that.
I will not be the reason you destroy your life.”
I shook my head, as my thumb traced gentle circles in her cheek.
“You are not destroying my life, Aria.
You are the only thing that makes sense in it.
I do not care about the title.
I do not care about the position.
If I have to reject the bond with Aurora, I will.
I will do it without hesitation.
Because none of it matters if I do not have you.”
She stared at me, with her lips parting slightly, and I saw the hope flickering in her eyes before she quickly looked away.
“You do not mean that.
You cannot mean that.”
I tilted her face back toward me, and said softly but in a firm voice.
“I have never meant anything more in my life.
I know you are scared.
I know you think you are protecting me by pushing me away.
But I am not going anywhere.
I will fight for you, Aria.
I will fight for us.
Just please, do not push me away.
Give me a chance.”
Aria’s tears spilled over, and she whispered.
“Zane, I—”
Before she could finish, Mira appeared in the door way, her voice sounding liw and urgent.
“Alpha Prince, I am sorry to interrupt, but I saw someone outside.
There is a figure near the gate.
I think you may have been followed.”
I felt my blood run cold.
My hands dropped from Aria’s face, and I turned toward the window, my jaw-tightening as I saw a shadow moving near the gate.
Someone had seen me.
Someone had followed me.
Aria’s face went pale, and she whispered, “What if someone saw you?
What if they tell Aurora?”
Mira stepped forward, and said respectfully, but in a firm voice.
“Alpha Prince, with all due respect, the last thing you need right now is news of an affair spreading through the pack.”
The words hung in the air like a warning, and I felt the weight of them settle on my shoulders.
She was right.
If anyone found out about this, it would destroy everything.