Free Web NovelChapter 110: Chapter 110
Aria’s POV
Last time, I had been drugged.
This time, Lana was nearly bitten.
Whoever was after us wasn’t stopping.
My gaze swept the hallway, my wolf’s instincts flaring. The hair along my arms rose, my senses sharpening.
I’d moved to a new place which was nearly halfway across Asterfell. How were they still finding us?
My heart hammered. My nails dug crescent moons into my palm.
“Don’t be scared,” Alpha Rowland murmured, placing a warm hand on my forehead.
His palm was hot, his fingers trembled slightly. He was trying to calm me, but I could feel the storm churning inside him.
He looked down at Lana, his gaze softening. “Kid...” he muttered under his breath. freewёbnoνel.com
Then, out of nowhere he asked. “Where is her father?”
I exhaled slowly. “I told you—I’m getting divorced soon.”
His head snapped up.
The shift was instant.
His voice turned low and cold, almost a growl. “How could you get divorced? That guy treating you badly?”
The wolf in him flashed, and I blinked in surprise.
Why was he reacting like this?
Still, I kept my voice light. He had helped us, after all. “It’s all in the past now.”
He dropped his gaze, his hair shadowing his eyes, but it couldn’t hide the intensity simmering there. I felt it like a heat signature pressing into my senses.
With his teeth clenched, he muttered something under his breath, something I couldn’t hear, but my wolf heard the grind of frustration.
“What...?” I asked, utterly confused.
He lifted his head, resolution blazing in his eyes.
“Look,” he said, his voice steadying. “You’re about to be divorced. Raising a pup on your own? That’s rough.”
I rubbed my chin thoughtfully. “I’ve been raising Lana alone for a long time. It’s hard, but... she’s my world.”
I glanced at her, brushing a finger along her tiny cheek. My chest swelled with warmth, love and purpose.
Alpha Rowland stared at the both of us.
Something in his eyes softened... then intensified.
“No,” he said firmly. “That won’t work.”
My brows rose. “What do you mean—”
“The kid needs a father.” He didn’t say the rest. He didn’t need to. His eyes told me everything.
They said I’ll do it, they said Choose me, they said I’ll protect you both.
My brain short-circuited.
Then, my wolf scrambled back in shock.
He couldn’t possibly be putting himself forward—
No...no...no...
Before he could say another word, instinct took the wheel. I snatched Lana from the stroller, spun around, and bolted into my room.
Then.
BANG!
I slammed the door shut behind us.
The door remained firmly shut between us, and for a long heartbeat I could feel Alpha Rowland’s presence on the other sidex, his steady breathing, the faint shuffle of his boots, even the tension humming in his wolf.
I didn’t open it.
For the first time since I met him, the arrogant, frustratingly confident wolf was being... ignored.
And what shocked me most was that I sensed no irritation from him.
Only a soft exhale. A dip in his heartbeat.
He must think I’m losing my mind...slamming doors, running like a startled pup.
But Goddess, what else was I supposed to do when a wolf practically announced he wanted to be Lana’s father?
I stared wide-eyed at Lana, who stared right back like she was trying to understand what was going on. My pulse raced; hers stayed steady. Lucky pup.
What on earth did he mean?
What kind of wolf says that to a woman he barely knows?
My fingers brushed my forehead, still warm where he’d touched me. My cheeks burned hotter. Was it the memory of his warmth... or pure embarrassment?
My mind spun through possibilities. Hidden motives? Pack politics? Debt? Manipulation?
I wasn’t exactly a desirable match. I would soon be divorced, I was broke, scarred and even raising a pup alone.
If he was attracted to anything, it had to be my old face before prison, before the sun and hardship etched lines into me, before the new scar sliced across my cheek like a reminder I didn’t need.
The thought made my stomach twist.
My past rose like a cold shadow, bars slamming shut, whispered rumors, the weight of survival. I’d scrubbed floors and swallowed pride just to earn enough to buy milk for Lana. None of that screamed “mate material,” especially not to an alpha.
I bit my lip, resisting the urge to snarl under my breath.
What on earth was wrong with him?
“I’ll check on the golden retriever’s test results. Here’s my number.”
His voice slipped under the door, soft but firm. A moment later, something slid under the crack.
I bent down carefully. It was a silk handkerchief. It looked expensive and soft. There was blue ink numbers written neatly across one corner.
Then his footsteps retreated down the hall, each echo growing fainter. My wolf listened until the last sound disappeared.
Only then did I move.
I crouched, picking up the handkerchief. It smelled like him.
I shoved it into my palm like I could crush the confusion along with it.
Ever since I got out of prison, all I wanted was a quiet life, simple days, Lana’s laughter and no fear.
But trouble kept hunting me, like a predator tracking its mark.
Drugs on blankets, dogs driven mad, strangers bumping me with intent.
Who hated me this much?
Who wanted to rip away the tiny peace Lana and I had left?
Only one person came to mind.
