Free Web NovelChapter 85: Chapter 85
Aria’s POV
My wolf growled low in my chest, a warning I couldn’t ignore. I ducked my head, trying to hide from his line of sight, keeping Lana tucked tight against me.
Then my gaze shifted, and my chest tightened.
Peter was also here.
Why was he here... in the same place as Nathan?
A chill ran down my spine. My wolf bristled. Something was unfolding that I couldn’t predict.
I hugged Lana tighter, her warmth grounding me, even as panic clawed at the edges of my mind.
And then my eyes darted to Peter’s face. His cheeks flushed a deep crimson. His hands reached repeatedly for glass after glass.
This is outrageous. He couldn’t drink. His allergy wasn’t mild, it could have killed him.
A surge of dread twisted through me, claws sinking deep. My gaze flicked to Nathan. His expression was stone, his eyes glacial, every inch a predator assessing prey. For a moment, he glanced at Peter, his gaze cold, detached and unreadable.
My heart sank. Why?
My arms tightening around Lana, I could feel her tiny hand stretch to wave, then curl instinctively around my neck. My wolf nudged me to focus, to act. Protect the pup and stay alert.
I was here for the file, not for drama, not for games. I pushed back the anger and confusion coiling in my chest, scanning the restaurant with sharp, vigilant eyes. No one was suspicious. My wolf growled softly in frustration. This didn’t feel right. Was it a cruel prank?, maybe.
Then the chaos arrived: a waiter with his tray teetering, stumbled into me. Liquid splashed across my face. My hands shot up instinctively, wiping at my skin, tasting the strange sweetness before I could even stop it.
Lana was fine. Relief bloomed within me, mingling with the tension knotting my stomach. I forced my head down, wishing the minor commotion would remain unnoticed.
I tugged at my collar. Something felt... off. My throat burned, dry and tight. My gaze snapped back to the waiter—but he was gone, completely vanished.
A seed of realization sank in, sharp as claws. He must have been planted. I was someone’s target. fɾēewebnσveℓ.com
My instinct screamed danger. My wolf prowled my veins, my muscles coiled, senses flaring. My vision wavered. The world tilted and my consciousness threatened to slip.
Clutching Lana closer, I staggered to the nearest empty seat, letting myself collapse into it. My wolf prowled restlessly inside me, growling low in warning.
Nathan’s POV
After my meeting with Carson, I approached Peter’s table, my expression dark. Upon seeing me so close, Peter flinched.
"You’re here for her, aren’t you?" he asked.
I didn’t understand what he meant but I sneered, the edge in my voice as sharp as my wolf’s claws. "Peter, if not for her, do you really think I’d waste my time talking to you?"
He bit his lip, his vision unfocused.
"It’s precisely because of the kindness she showed me that I must be here," he said, trying to steady his words even though he could barely steady himself.
Kindness? Aria showing him kindness twisted something unpleasant inside my chest. My wolf bristled, hackles rising.
I lowered myself in the seat in front of him, irritation and fury mixing together in a way I didn’t like. "Talk. What is it?"
He slid a document across the table.
I frowned, my patience thinning rapidly. My wolf paced inside me, restless. The moment I opened my mouth to tell him off, he suddenly stood, a little too fast for his drunken condition.
"You will regret this," he slurred before stumbling off.
Regret?
I wasn’t sure there was anything to regret.
But the way he’d said it... my wolf growled low in my chest.
Collins glanced after him, concerned he might fall. I didn’t care, I only cared about the cryptic warning that still hung in the air like poison.
I scooped the document up. It was old.
I flipped it open. My eyes scanned lazily at first, then narrowed before it sharpened, becoming lethal.
By the time I reached the end of the document, my fingertips trembled.
I flipped to the last page, my heart thudding painfully.
"What the hell..." My throat constricted. A cold shock crawled across my skin, like icy claws dragging down my spine.
"Alpha Nathan?" Collins’s voice cut in, cautious, concern etching his face.
I swallowed back the wave of emotions, snapping the document shut. "Keep this safe."
My tone left no room for hesitation. Collins stiffened and accepted it with both hands.
Peter hadn’t fully left—he stood outside the hotel entrance, staring at me.
The moment he saw my expression change, he turned and disappeared into the night. fгeewёbnoѵel.cσm
You’ll regret this.
His words echoed once more in my mind.
I immediately ordered Collins to go and look for Aria. Few seconds later, Collins returned, motioning for me to follow.
My heart dropped when I saw her.
