Free Web NovelChapter 288: Chapter 288
Nathan’s POV
My eyes were unfocused, vision swimming in the dim light. The alcohol clung to my senses like fog, thick and suffocating. I could barely sit up; every movement sent the room spinning. My wolf lay curled somewhere inside me, groggy from the liquor, claws hesitant to surface.
But through it all... I saw her.
Or thought I did.
"Aria..." Her name slipped from my lips, raw and broken. My mouth felt dry, like I’d swallowed sand. The figure standing at the foot of the bed wore white...soft, fluttering with the breeze through the cracked window. Just like Aria always did when she haunted my dreams.
My heart stuttered, just once, like it couldn’t decide whether to beat or break.
Is this a dream?
Moon, spirits, ancestors... if it is, don’t let me wake up.
A soft whisper leaned into my ear. "Nathan..."
That voice...for some reason, it didn’t stir anything within me. Something was wrong. Something felt off. My wolf twitched uneasily, stirring, its nose lifting for a scent. Alcohol dulled me, it muddied everything, but I caught it...it wasn’t Aria’s scent.
Still... I wanted it to be her. Goddess, I wanted it to be my Aria.
The voice cut through the haze. "Nathan, I’m Aria. You can do whatever you want with me."
Her tone dripped with sweetness and seduction. Like she was trying to be Aria and hoping I wouldn’t notice.
My gaze tried to focus, to see her. My fingers twitched.
"Do... whatever I want?" the words stumbled out of me, slurred.
"Yes. Of course," she purred.
Finally, I moved. My hand shot out, faster than I thought I could manage, my claws threatening to slip beneath my skin. I grabbed her wrist...hard.
"Aria," I breathed, trying to anchor her ghost with my grip. "Give me another chance... please?"
She went still. Silence swallowed the room. I didn’t care. I couldn’t.
"Bring Lana back to Hemsworth Villa," I whispered, my eyes heavy and my heart bare. "I’ll do my best to protect you, both of you."
My wolf pushed forward at the words, whining, tail tucked. Our pup...Our mate.
She pulled at her dress, baring her shoulder like an offering. "Nathan...you can have me all to yourself" she said, her voice soft, trembling and desperate.
Something in me snapped. My wolf surged, sickened.
In an instant, I shoved her away,
"You’re not Aria." My voice was gravel, fractured at the edges. "Who are you..."
Her scent hit me with full-force then. It was Sophia.
She tried again anyway. "Nathan, I am Aria. I’ve come back to you."
"Sophia."
Her name came out in a low growl, and the temperature dropped. Frost crept along my veins. Even drunk, even broken, I could recognize the ache in my bones that belonged to one woman only.
She flinched. My heart thundered in my chest, out of rhythm, out of control. My wolf paced frantically within me.
Just then the door slammed open.
BAM... freewёbnoνel.com
Aria’s POV
Rowland’s boot slammed into the door, splintering wood with a thunderous crack. The scent of dust and panic rushed out to meet us.
I stood beside him, my arms crossed, my brow furrowed.
Sophia gasped as soon as she saw us, her eyes widening as she realized she’d been outplayed.
"Aria?!" she hissed. "What the hell do you think you’re doing?!"
Hearing my name, the world seemed to pause.
"Aria..."
Nathan’s voice reached me.
My heart stuttered. I turned, and there he was, no longer a vague memory across a table, but flesh and blood. His eyes were clouded, yes, but there was clarity behind them.
He stood, stumbling toward me.
"Aria." His voice cracked. He reached for me.
I froze, just long enough for Rowland to step between us, his hand clamping on Nathan’s shoulder. The air shifted; a low growl escaped Nathan.
Rowland arched a brow, glancing between us.
"Is he really drunk? Doesn’t look that way to me."
I tore my gaze from Nathan, barely. "He’s drunk enough to be foolish," I muttered. Drunk enough to be deceived by a woman. My wolf snarled at the thought.
Sophia stormed toward us, her heels clicking like weapons.
"Why are you here? I booked this place exclusively! How did you even get in?!"
Her scent was sour with a mix of fear and desperation. She reeked of false bravado.
I looked her dead in the eyes.
"Are you aware what you’re doing is illegal?"
Her pulse spiked. She forced a laugh, brittle and thin.
"Aria, stay out of this. You’re about to get divorced. You’re nothing to Nathan now. You have no say with me or Nathan. Just walk away."
My lips curled into a smile, cold and sharp.
"Making you uncomfortable is the entire point."
Her eyes flared, rage sparking, but her wolf stood no chance against mine. My wolf prowled behind my eyes; causing Sophia to stumble back a step.
Rowland leaned closer to me, amused. "This is better than TV."
I ignored him.
Sophia snatched the room phone. "Front desk! Get these people out! They have no right to be here!"
Nathan strained against Rowland’s hold, his muscles tense, a faint growl rumbling from him. Even in his drunk state, his wolf was making an effort to steady him.
The front desk replied, voice crisp:
"Apologies, Ms. Darvin. Given the identities of these individuals... we must comply with their requests."
Click. The call ended abruptly.
Sophia stared at the receiver, speechless.
I clapped once, slow.
"So," I said, tilting my head, "will you leave on your own, or should I have someone escort you?"
