Free Web NovelChapter 59: Chapter 59
Aria’s POV
When I arrived at the staff dormitory to pick up Lana, the tension in my body eased. The moment I stepped inside, warmth washed over me.
Kara had done wonderfully with my pub. Lana sat happily among the women on break, sporting a pink hairpin perched on her soft wispy hair. My sweet little pup looked impossibly adorable, and the women were gathered around her, cooing and teasing, their smiles bright.
My heart softened instantly. My wolf stirred gently, pleased with the sight.
"Aria, you’re back?" Kara spotted me first.
She scooped Lana from another woman’s arms and handed her over. Lana lit up the moment she saw me, her chubby arms reaching, her scent comforting me in ways nothing else ever could.
"My sweetheart," I whispered, hugging her close. She nuzzled the side of my neck, and my wolf practically purred.
"Lana’s such a sweetheart. Everyone’s smitten with her," Kara said, chuckling as she patted Lana’s tiny hand.
"Thank you all so much," I said, bowing deeper than I probably needed to—but gratitude swelled so big inside my chest I felt like I might burst.
The women waved their hands frantically."Oh, come on now, Aria! Don’t be so formal. We’re not strangers!"
Not strangers. For someone who’d been pushed out of her own blood family, that meant more than they knew.
Kara grew quiet, her gaze lingering on me, sharp enough that I felt seen in a way I wasn’t sure I liked, yet maybe needed.
The dormitory was only a short walk from the road where cabs could stop. After saying our goodbyes, I readjusted Lana on my hip and prepared to head out. Kara fell into step beside us.
The three of us walked down the quiet, clean street. Leaves rustled softly in the breeze, and I inhaled deeply.
"You might think I’m overstepping," Kara began.
I stiffened slightly, pausing mid-step, my senses sharpening just in case."What is it?"
She glanced at me, her eyes warm but probing."I don’t know what happened on your trip, Aria, but..."
She reached out and patted my shoulder gently, grounding me."You’re Lana’s mom now. In tough times, you can always think of this precious little one."
Kara’s perceptiveness caught me completely off guard.
I lowered my eyes and nodded firmly."Don’t worry. I’m not a kid anymore."
My voice sounded steady, but inside, my wolf tucked her tail uneasily. Being strong was a choice... one I kept having to remake.
Kara didn’t press. She simply walked us the rest of the way and stood by the car, watching as we pulled off. I turned to the window, watching her figure grow smaller, a quiet warmth settling in my chest. I hadn’t expected kindness today. Definitely not understanding.
This trip was supposed to be about honoring Grandma. Instead, it had twisted into a tug-of-war over the inheritance and even dragged Nathan back into my orbit.
Just thinking about him made my jaw tighten.
His voice from earlier echoed through my mind, low and laced with a dominance that rubbed my wolf and me the wrong way.
"Aria, I’ll make you behave." freewёbnoνel.com
Just remembering it made something cold slither down my spine. My wolf bared her teeth at the memory, but fear still crept beneath my skin. I hugged Lana tighter, inhaling her soft, milky scent. She was my anchor.
My marriage to Nathan was nothing but a thin, fraying thread. One tug, and it would snap. But until it did... I wasn’t free, not truly.
"Please drive faster," I murmured to the driver, clenching my fists in my lap. My wolf paced restlessly in the back of my mind.
When we finally arrived Peter’s home, I knocked at the door. Peter opened it, and his face lit up like sunlight cracking through clouds.
"Aria, you guys are back?"
I blinked, taking in the sight of him. Gone was the polished, put-together Peter I’d seen before I left. Instead, he stood in casual loungewear, hair in a messy golden tumble, like a flustered retriever caught in the middle of a nap.
His eyes flicked down as he caught my stare, and his face flushed.
He ruffled his hair and tugged at the hem of his shirt, flustered."Uh... I didn’t expect you back so soon."
And judging by the way embarrassment rolled off his scent, he was probably mentally kicking himself.
My anxious mood cracked, then melted a little. I couldn’t help it, I laughed softly.
"You look lively, Very real," I teased gently.
And just like that, his ears reddened. If his hair hadn’t fallen forward before, it would’ve been even more obvious. Cute, really.
He cleared his throat."Let me grab your suitcase." That was a quick escape.
I didn’t protest. He clearly needed something to do before he combusted from embarrassment.
I handed him the handle."Thank you."
He flashed a lopsided grin."No trouble at all." fгeewebnovёl.com
I settled onto the sofa with Lana. My wolf relaxed the moment Lana curled against me. But my eyes drifted to the table where the divorce papers should’ve been.
It was empty.
Did I remember the wrong spot?
I frowned, scanning the room. There was nothing.
When Peter came back from stowing the luggage, I asked,"Peter, have you seen the divorce papers I left on the table?"
