Free Web NovelChapter 43: Chapter 43
Nathan’s POV
My mind raced as I tried to piece everything together. The timeline, the child.
When? How could this have happened? My eyes flicked from the baby’s peaceful face to Aria’s, and I couldn’t stop the flood of thoughts that slammed into me like a tidal wave.
This child... when was she conceived? I went down memory lane, we had been intimate together just once, the night before she went to jail.
Could that be when this happened?
I struggled to rein in my emotions. My wolf was pacing restlessly within me. I could barely breathe, my chest rising and falling in shallow, labored gasps as I fought to keep myself together. No, focus, I told myself, but it was like trying to hold back a tidal wave with my bare hands. The emotions were raw and jagged, too much to contain.
Then, the baby moved.
Aria’s peaceful expression faltered. The calm on her face, shattered as her brow furrowed. It was the slightest change, a frown forming like something dark was haunting her in a dream. I immediately held my breath, every fiber of my being on edge, watching her, waiting for whatever came next.
But then, without warning, those wide, curious eyes locked with mine. The baby’s
She was awake, staring at me.
She wasn’t crying, wasn’t fussing. She was simply watching me with silent wonder. Those eyes, they weren’t filled with fear. No, they were filled with Interest and curiosity.
My heart clenched. The world seemed to slow as I watched her, my body frozen. Her gaze held me captive, and for a moment, I didn’t know what to think, what to feel. Everything inside me twisted.
The baby started squirming restlessly in Aria’s arms, and her movement was enough to stir her mother from her sleep. That was when I took flight.
But not without grabbing the divorce papers.
I didn’t know how I got back to the car, but I did.
Collins glanced at me, his eyes flickering to my stormy expression, and I saw the concern in his gaze. "Alpha Nathan, did you see Luna Aria? She... refused to come back with us?" His words were hesitant, uncertain, but I didn’t answer right away.
I didn’t even bother to look back at the empty street, the quiet neighborhood around us.
"Any houses for rent nearby?" I asked abruptly, my voice cold and distant.
Collins blinked in surprise but quickly regained his composure. "This neighborhood’s a bit run-down, mostly rented out to students and interns," he replied.
"Find one," I said, my tone sharper now. "Make sure it has a view of this place."
The command came naturally, like everything else did in this twisted game. My lips pressed into a thin line, my gaze hollow as I stared out into the dark night, lost in thought.
Collins didn’t ask any questions. He never did. He just nodded. "Understood."
I didn’t speak again as he started the car, my fingers rubbing at my temples in exhaustion. My body felt like a statue, locked in place, a mix of fury and confusion churning inside me.
"Let’s go," I muttered, my voice low and tight.
The engine roared to life, and we drove off into the night, the weight of what I had just learned hanging heavily in the air between us.
Aria’s POV
Lana became restless, fussing and squirming in my arms, causing me to wake up. She was hungry.
I fed her and she stayed awake until the early hours of the morning, depriving me of sleep too.
When morning finally broke, sunlight poured in through the window, warm and golden, but it felt too bright. I squinted against the light as it cut through the haze of exhaustion. A knock at the door startled me from my dazed thoughts.
I rubbed my eyes, yawning, the sound thick and ungraceful. I shuffled over to the door, pulling it open.
There stood Peter Clinton, standing in the doorway with his usual bright, easy smile. I couldn’t help but notice the contrast between his energy and mine. The world felt heavy, but his eyes were twinkling with some kind of light. I blinked at him, trying to clear the sleep from my head. freeωebnovēl.c૦m
"Did you sleep okay?" he asked, his voice warm, almost too chipper for how I was feeling.
I yawned again, then quickly covered my mouth, a little embarrassed by the sound. "You look like you’re in a great mood," I said, still trying to shake off the grogginess.
Peter tilted his head, a hint of confusion in his expression. His eyes swept over the room behind me, and I noticed the brief flicker of something strange in his gaze.
"Aria... you didn’t notice anything unusual?" he asked carefully, almost too cautiously.
I blinked, confused. "Like what?"
Peter froze for a second, his eyes darting around the room, the smile slipping from his face for just a moment.
I felt my heart race, the shift in his demeanor pulling at me. What’s going on with him?
"I placed the papers there last night," he muttered, his voice barely audible, like he was speaking more to himself than to me. "Did they fall?"
He went past me into the room, searching the corners of the table for something. His odd reaction caught my attention.
"What’s going on, Peter?" I asked, my voice low and curious, my wolf senses pricking. Something wasn’t right.
