Free Web NovelChapter 109: Chapter 109
Aria’s POV
The cold air outside the hospital smelled of disinfectant and rain-soaked pavement, but Lana’s tiny scent cut through everything and steadied my pulse. I held her close as I stepped out, grateful that she was safe, grateful that I still had her heartbeat brushing against my own.
By the time I reached my apartment building, the hallway lights flickered faintly, and that’s when I saw it.
Lana’s stroller.
It had been Florence’s gift. It was clean and perfectly placed... right in front of my door.
I froze.
I’d left it behind at the park when the ambulance arrived. I’d been so focused on Lana that everything else had slipped from my mind.
But how did it get here? Who brought it?
Why?
My wolf rose uneasily beneath my skin, fur prickling along the back of my spine.
A soft sound came from the next door, Florence’s door.
She poked her head out, her brown eyes widening. “Aria! You’re back. I heard you got hurt in the park. Are you alright?”
Her scent was warm and harmless. The genuine concern in her eyes made some of the tension drain from my shoulders.
“I’m fine,” I assured her, flashing a smile. “I sustained just a little scratch.”
She exhaled in relief. “Good. I was worried. You know how I get.”
Yeah... overly anxious but sweet as sugar. She’d found this apartment for us, bought the stroller, and practically treated Lana as if she were her own granddaughter. My chest warmed at the thought.
Before I could respond, a voice sounded from inside my apartment.
It was deep, smooth and familiar.
“Your things are all sorted inside. Are you leaving?”
My heart skipped.
No way. How was he here? How did he know to come here?
I looked up and sure enough, standing right inside my doorway like he belonged there, was Alpha Rowland. freewēbnoveℓ.com
Alpha Rowland. The man whose presence always unsettled my instincts in ways I couldn’t explain. The man who had protected Lana and I without even thinking.
“What are you doing here?” I blurted, shock cutting through my composure.
Florence perked up beside me, clearly relieved. “Oh, so you two know each other!”
She gave him a nervous glance. I didn’t blame her. Alpha Rowland didn’t wear fancy clothes, no flashy watch, no arrogance, but he had a level of confidence that made lesser wolves straighten their backs without realizing it.
I sighed and shook my head, giving Florence a reassuring smile. “He’s the one who took Lana and me to the hospital.”
Her shoulders relaxed instantly. “Oh! That makes sense. I’ll leave you two to it.”
She practically fled the hallway, clearly still intimidated.
I turned to Alpha Rowland the moment she disappeared. “I appreciate you taking us to the hospital, I really do. But showing up unannounced? That’s... crossing a line.”
I placed Lana gently into the stroller, my maternal instincts calming once she was nestled safely. Then I folded my arms and faced him head-on.
Alpha Rowland only shrugged, flashing a crooked smile. “I brought the stroller back.”
I stared at him.
That was bold, even for him.
He must’ve read the disbelief on my face, because he added in a low, rumbling voice, “Sorry about that.”
I blinked at him. Alpha Rowland? Apologizing? That was... unexpected.
He winked. “I didn’t really have a choice.”
I lifted an eyebrow. “No choice? Why do you say so?”
He smirked, as if he’d been waiting for me to ask, then reached down and picked up the small blanket draped over Lana’s tummy.
I frowned but didn’t stop Alpha Rowland, mostly because my wolf was prowling behind my ribs, curious despite her distrust. I wanted to see what he was trying to prove.
“Take a smell,” he said, lifting Lana’s blanket toward my nose.
I stared at him, warily, but then the scent hit me. My stomach dropped, my wolf recoiled with a low internal snarl.
Alpha Rowland’s eyes sharpened instantly. “You caught this on the way from the park, didn’t you?”
My hand curled into a fist at my side. freewebnøvel.coɱ
Yes, I remembered that scent from earlier.
The moment I collided with that man. The way he bolted. The faint trace of something foul clinging to him—a scent I had dismissed.
That guy...My eyes widened, the realization slamming into me.
Alpha Rowland saw it all flicker across my face. “What’re you thinking?”
Our gazes locked, mine tight with fear, his burning with urgency.
“I smelled this on someone who bumped into me,” I said, my voice hardening. “In the park.”
Alpha Rowland nodded grimly. “That makes sense. You and Lana were probably smeared with something then.”
“Something?” A coil of unease twisted in my gut. My wolf bristled, pacing.
He slung the tainted blanket over his arm and replaced it with a clean one over Lana, shielding her.
“I got the dog checked.” His tone was calm, but his eyes were anything but that. “There’s a hallucinogenic compound on this blanket. It drives animals into frenzy.”
A cold shiver slid down my spine.
So that was it.
The dog hadn’t gone wild for no reason.
Someone had deliberately orchestrated today’s attack just as I suspected.
The question is...who?
