ARIA’S POV:
I sat in silence on the only bench in the garden in my wedding dress.
‘Violetta’s barging should not be bothering this much.
It’s a contract.
The drama from his past does not affect me.
It shouldn’t concern me.’
That was the logical thing to think.
It was my truth, but my wolf was tearing me apart from the inside and my heart ached in a way that was physical.
“Do you mind if I join?” I heard a voice that was now very familiar to me.
The sight of him was beginning to feel like a breath of fresh air.
“Sir Logan,”
”No.
No.
We discussed this,”
I smiled faintly.
“Logan,” I called.
My cheeks were flustered.
“More like it.” He took the space on the cement bench beside me.
“All of a sudden the contract feels like more work than it should be, huh?” His words drove a violent shock through my bloodstream.
“He told you it was a contract?” I probed.
I knew the emphasis that Draven placed on the contract’s secrecy.
The fewer people knew, the more authentic it looked.
“I have known Draven all my life. If he was bold enough to replace Helen, I would know,” Logan responded.
I took a deep breath.
I wasn’t in a competition with Helen and I saw how broken he was the previous day.
“You know I keep wondering at what point my life got this terrible,” I sighed.
Logan adjusted, drawing a little closer to me and then placing his hand over the top of the bench so it covered my shoulder.
“He had it all.
Everything.
He had it all and he had one job,”
”Your father?” he probed, widening my eyes in shock.
“After my mother died, he hated me.” I explained, “Hated me and gambled away all our lives.” Tears were forming quickly at the base and edge of my eyes.
“I went straight to doing jobs I never thought I would, just to survive and even take care of him.” My voice cracked.
“He…” I immediately paused.
I knew that any further explanation would lead to tears and apparently, so did Logan.
He waited a few seconds before speaking.
“What would you rather be doing?” he paused.
There was a brief moment of eye contact.
“If you were not here, what would you be doing?” I thought for a minute.
Having lost all of my comfort at an early age, I never got the chance to think of anything else other than survival.
“This may come off as crazy to you…”
”Try me,” his interest alone was satisfying.
“If I could do one thing that really did not need me to think about surviving, it would be fencing.” Diffidence washed over me as I admitted it.
I noticed him fighting very hard not to erupt in laughter.
His curved lips said it all.
“Go on. Make fun of me.” I urged.
Logan”I’m not trying to,” he quickly adjusted.
“Common. I can see your lips struggling not to tear.” I rolled my eyes.
I wasn’t upset, just shy.
“No.
I do support that.” He sounded more serious, “matter of fact, it was one of the training we had to undergo in Alpha school and I happened to be among the top members of my class.” His tone got more serious.
“I could give you training, if you would be interested.
I lit up with excitement at his offer, but I struggled not to get over stimulated.
“You’re playing with me.”
”I am not.” He assured me.
“You do have one year as Luna and don’t have to worry about survival. It looks like you’d need a hobby, and who knows, you could entertain us in the rings when you are tired of being Luna.” The latter part of his statement was mockery.
I punched his chest and we both laughed.
I took a deep breath and rubbed my hands over each other. This chapter was copied from g.com without permission.
“Are you serious?” believing my luck was difficult, but Logan’s nod was convincing.
“Thank you so much,” overstimulated, I threw my arms around his neck.
His hand, which had been over my shoulder the entire time curved behind my back and patted me.
“Aria!” I heard a strong call from behind the bench.
Logan and I quickly turned around.
The owner of the voice needed no introduction.
I immediately got off the bench.
I froze on the spot, seeing half of the hall with Draven.
I felt a need to say something in my defence—to explain what was going on here, but I had absolutely no words.
“Draven,” Logan stepped forward, but Draven was still, coming close was obviously a bad idea.
The crowd behind him did not spit a single sound.
Draven was like a bomb everyone was waiting to explode and until he did, no one knew if they were a survivor or what parts they were leaving with.
“Come with me,” when he finally broke the silence minutes later, he walked to me and pulled me by the hand into the wedding hall, from which we proceeded to his room.
I heard the crowd whispering, all in anticipation of what was going to happen.
No one needed to be told that the party was over.
The guests we had returned to in the hall had probably caught the tension wave from outside and the party inside had equally frozen.
Draven took pretty big steps.
I took two steps in a big wedding dress to meet up with one of his friends.
It cut the time we needed to get to the room in half.
We arrived and I expected a full wash down.
I anticipated Draven bringing down the world on me, but instead, he was quiet, pacing around the room.
Five minutes passed and I was seated at the edge of the bed, still waiting for all hell to be let loose.
Ten minutes went by and his pacing was making me dizzy.
“Are you going to say something?”