Free Web NovelChapter 133: Chapter 133
Aria’s POV
Just like that, the wavering sympathy swung in her favor.
Typical of them.
The crowds were members of different packs. They all just wanted to defend whoever showed the strongest emotion.
I inhaled slowly. My wolf stayed calm within me.
This was nothing.
Rowland’s lazy demeanor vanished for a moment. He looked down at me, concern flashing in his eyes...warm, unexpected.
I didn’t blink, I didn’t waver.
I simply watched the chaos unfold, feeling strangely detached.
That seemed to satisfy him. His posture relaxed again.
Sensing the shift in the crowd, Sophia straightened, her eyes brightening with renewed hope.
She even mustered tears.
“Aria,” she whimpered, her voice cracking, “I didn’t want to say this. You’ve hurt me so much...”
I raised a brow....Here it comes.
Sophia suddenly pointed at Rowland. He didn’t react, he barely lifted an eyebrow, unfazed.
“Aria is my sister,” Sophia said piously. “I just don’t want her to return to the path of crime.”
Murmurs spread. My wolf snorted internally. Crime? Really?
Sophia pressed on.
“Everyone knows Aria went to prison for stealing company secrets. Even after all that, Alpha Nathan picked her up himself and never divorced her. They’re still legally married. But she still met another man in public... acting intimate.”
Her words fell like stones into still water.
There was a beat of stunned silence...Then dozens of heads turned sharply toward Rowland.
The whispers were practically audible:
Alpha Nathan’s nephew stole his wife?
Is this real?
This is madness.
Bold... but insane.
Shock radiated through the crowd like a wave.
My wolf growled low in my chest. Sophia had thrown the dirtiest card she could find.
I narrowed my eyes, letting the cold settle into my expression.
“How come I never knew,” I said quietly, “that besides causing trouble, you also have a talent for twisting the truth into rotten lies?”
A ripple passed through the onlookers. My steady, unshaken tone made some hesitate.
Nathan was the richest Alpha in Asterfell.
Young, powerful and handsome.
To them, the idea that I would ever betray him... seemed unbelievable.
Their gazes swung toward Rowland again. He was tall, elegant and effortlessly charismatic.
I could almost hear their whispers:
How lucky is she to be desired by both men?
How is this even possible?
What kind of woman attracts this kind of attention?
The crowd gazed upon me with admiration and awe. My lips twitched despite myself.
“Rowland is Nathan’s nephew,” I said slowly, my voice calm even though my wolf was pacing beneath my skin. “He had just arrived in Asterfell then. As Nathan’s wife, it wouldn’t be unreasonable for me to take care of him a little more, would it?”
A woman quickly nodded. “Yes, Alpha Nathan is so busy. It’s only right that Luna Aria fulfills her responsibilities by taking care of his relatives.”
Sophia’s scent spiked with a mix of anger, jealousy, fear. She stepped forward, shouting, “Nathan has immense power and countless servants! Why would he need you, the Luna of the house, to personally care for his nephew? You’re lying, making up excuses! You two have been together long before you even knew he was Nathan’s nephew!”
Her voice was shrill, almost desperate. She couldn’t stand losing control of the narrative. She needed Nathan’s favor like a pup needed milk.
My wolf bristled, wanting to bare her teeth at the accusation. I forced her down, letting only a flicker of amusement pass through my eyes.
Yes, it was a flimsy excuse. But Sophia had nothing, no proof, no memory she could use against me. And she knew it.
She stood there, red-eyed and trembling, caught in her own trap.
Just as I predicted, she opened her mouth to spew more venom but Nathan rubbed his temples with a deep exhale and signaled to Collins.
“Take her away.”
For a moment, Sophia just blinked in confusion. Then Collins grabbed her wrist.
“What...? Nathan?” she whispered, her voice cracking. “Why aren’t you protecting me?”
She looked betrayed, devastated, staring at him as if he had just ripped her heart out. She expected him to shield her like always. Expected him to defend her even against his own wife. She didn’t know that was his way of doing so.
As Collins pulled her away, she stopped glaring at me and instead turned her resentment on Nathan.
He didn’t even look at her, he turned his back completely and then he walked straight toward me.
Nathan stood in front of me, his presence heavy, his scent filling my nose. My wolf stilled, conflicted and confused.
He lowered his gaze, hiding something in his eyes. “I have something to say. Call Rowland in too.”
I looked up at him, my expression empty but my thoughts far from it. freēwebnovel.com
When Sophia slandered me, you said nothing. I defended myself with two sentences, and you rushed to remove her.
Nathan... just how much do you love her?
How far would you go to protect her from even a shadow of discomfort?
