Free Web NovelChapter 12: Chapter 12
Aria’s POV
From the dorm, Lana’s cry echoed, sharp and terrified. The sound tore straight through my chest.
"Let me go!" I hissed, clawing at his wrist.
"Don’t think I don’t know about your record," he sneered into my ear.
I froze. The words hit harder than any blow.
"What... what did you say?"
He laughed, low and cruel. "You heard me. I looked you up. You’ve got a record. You are a filthy convict, pretending to be some saint. An absolute Fake."
My wolf snarled so violently that my whole body shook. "My child is crying. Let me go, or I’ll call the police!"
"Police?" He chuckled, his breath sour against my cheek. "You think I’m scared of that? You want to keep your bastard kid here? Then shut up and record the damn video."
He dragged me toward a storage room. I twisted, kicked, but he was stronger. The door slammed behind us.
Inside, there was a single bed and the stench of mold. My wolf clawed at my chest, begging to be freed, but I couldn’t risk it, not here.
He shoved me into a chair, his shadow stretching over me like a predator’s. The metallic click of a camera echoed in the air.
"Say the lines," he ordered. "Or you don’t leave."
My throat was dry. My hands trembled.
"I can’t read," I said flatly, my voice hollow.
He sneered. "You really wanna mess with me? Think about your kid, Aria. Don’t do something stupid."
That grin, smug and taunting, snapped something in me.
I stared at the paper. The words blurred together, but I forced my mouth to move. "Alpha Nathan... thank you for your kindness..." Each word scraped my throat raw. "For giving me warm clothes and bedding... you’ve provided a safe place... for me and my child... we will never forget your generosity."
Each syllable was a wound. My wolf whimpered, humiliated.
The paper slipped from my hands. My vision tunneled.
When I looked up, Kevin was smiling again. He turned off the camera and stalked toward me. His eyes slid down to the neckline of my coat, his expression darkening.
"Aria," he rasped, "how about you make me happy too, huh?"
That was it.
He reached for me — and I moved first.
A flash of silver in my hand, a twist, a scream. I didn’t even realize I’d grabbed the screwdriver until it was already buried in his neck. Hot blood sprayed across my arm. My wolf howled in triumph, but my body shook uncontrollably.
The door burst open.
"Oh, Mr. Curt! Sorry to barge in," Kara’s voice rang out like she’d planned the timing down to the second. "The baby wouldn’t stop crying, calling for her mom. I didn’t know what else to do, so I brought her here."
Behind her came several of the other women. They were older, hardened, their faces sharp as blades.
Everything froze.
I sat there, trembling, my coat torn, skin exposed. Lana’s faint cry echoed from the hall. The screwdriver clattered from my fingers, stained with blood.
Kevin clutched his neck, his eyes wide with hate and disbelief.
"You think you’re all that?" he spat. "You’re just a worn-out bitch with a bastard—stop pretending to be some saint!"
His words barely registered. I could feel my heartbeat everywhere — in my teeth, in my bones, in the wild drum of my wolf demanding to protect my young. freewēbnoveℓ.com
Kara moved fast, snatching the screwdriver and shoving it aside before pulling me to my feet. She pressed Lana into my arms and stepped in front of me, shoulders squared.
"Aria, you’ve still got your afternoon shift," she said evenly. "Go feed your baby. Can’t you hear her screaming her head off?"
Her voice was sharp, like a warning cloaked in casualness.
Then she turned to Kevin. "Don’t take offense, Mr. Curt. Aria’s just a scarred girl. She’d never dare make a move on you."
The other women joined in, their tones syrupy and deadly all at once. They surrounded him like a pack, closing ranks.
He blustered, red-faced, muttering curses, but he couldn’t touch any of us. Not with so many witnesses. Not with blood still seeping down his collar.
When he finally stormed out, slamming the door, the tension collapsed all at once.
My body trembled violently. Lana whimpered in my arms, and I clutched her so tightly she squeaked.
Kara’s voice softened. "Aria, are you alright? Did he—?"
I couldn’t answer. My throat closed up. I just buried my face in Lana’s tiny shoulder, my tears soaking her blanket.
Nathan...
You vanished from our lives for eighteen months. Why now? Why send help only to destroy what little peace I’ve built?
Lana’s little hand touched my cheek, her eyes round and innocent. "Mm..." she cooed, and something inside me cracked open.
For a fleeting moment, warmth flooded through me. freeweɓnovēl.coɱ
But my wolf’s ears were still perked. Because peace never lasted long.
And trouble had a way of coming all at once..
