Chapter 18: Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Carol’s POV

I practically jump out of my skin at the sound of Aiden’s voice. I whip around to face him and clutch a hand to my chest. “Aiden, you scared the daylights out of me!” I stutter. Aiden is leaning against the doorway to the bedroom, his arms folded over his chest. It’s too dark to make out his exact expression.

“Imagine how scared I felt when I saw you weren’t in bed beside me?” Aiden responds quietly. I look down at myself, guilt suddenly washing over me. I don’t know how to respond, so Aiden continues.

Do you want to leave?” He says softly. “If you don’t want to come, you don’t have to. Really. I’ll tell them any excuse in the world.” His voice falters slightly. “I don’t want to scare you off, Carol.”

“No, Aiden, 1 – 1 let out a sigh at my own behavior. “I don’t want to leave. I’m sorry. I don’t know why I tried to sneak out. I just —” I search for the words for a long moment.“. I’m scared. I can’t sleep.”

“I

Aiden steps into the soft light of the entryway. His expression is filled with as much guilt as I feel.

“I’m sorry,” he says, “I didn’t want all this to happen. If I had my way, you’d never have to deal with this nonsense. But my family…” he looks away with a conflicted expression.

they’re powerful. I don’t know what strings they’d pull if I didn’t get their damned ‘approval. He practically spits the word. I close the distance between us and wrap my arms around him.

“Don’t apologize,” I murmur, rubbing his back. “This isn’t your fault. I really do want to make a good impression. I’m just nervous, that’s all.”

Aiden surprises me by sweeping me up into his arms, making me let out a small squeak. His expression is deeply

compassionate.

“Here. Let’s talk. Do you mind if we have this conversation in the bedroom?”

I shake my head, too stunned by his strength to speak. He carries me back to the bedroom and puts me down. We face each other as we both lay on the bed.

“How are you feeling after earlier?” Aiden asks, I let out a long sigh. There’s no reason to hide my feelings from him, I remind myself. He deserves to know.

I expected that there can be discrimination against humans, but.. I don’t think I realized how much, I confess, “Zack my ex is an omega. He was always a bit snide about humans, and when we broke up made us out to be some sort of lowly beasts. Even with all that, I’m getting the impression it’s even worse among Alphas.”

Aiden rolls onto his back with a deep sigh. “You’re right,” he admits. “It’s quite old–fashioned. “Society likes to pretend that everything is completely equal nowadays, but it’s really not. Werewolves are given an unfair amount of power, and Alphas especially so.”

It makes a cruel sort of sense, unfortunately. Werewolves are physically enhanced in comparison to humans. On top of that, their societal structure is rigid, and they operate within defined units. Alphas being at the top of that hierarchy means they’re the creme of the crop when it comes to societal power.

“So Alphas feel like humans are the lowest of the low,” I muse. Aiden nods.

“Unfortunately, that’s how many feel. That’s also why Alphas tend to keep their packs so separate from normal human society. I knew only a handful of humans before I split off from my pack on my own.”

I turn toward Aiden sharply. “Really?”

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Chapter 19

“Really,” he says grimly. “My family is… protective, to say the least. They’re very sheltered from the outside world.”

I hum. “And what about Katrina’s family? She acted like she’s never seen a human in her life,” I huff with something between amusement and irritation. Aiden grimaces..

“Something like that. He tucks a hand underneath his head to support it. “Katrina is… an interesting case. She isn’t normally that severe. I’ve never seen her act like that, and I’m not sure why she had such an outburst. Granted, it’s been a while since we’ve talked.”

I smile dryly. I know why she had an outburst, I think. Katrina’s case is not only one of discrimination, but of jealousy,

“I think she just wants her crush’s attention.” I tease Aiden. Aiden groans to himself.

“God, I hope not,” he mutters. “I don’t think it’s a crush, for what it’s worth. It’s more like a sense of entitlement.”

I tilt my head curiously. “Entitlement? What do you mean?”

“Well…” Aiden trails off. I can tell he’s debating whether or not to continue this train of thought. “Katrina and I are family friends, like I mentioned before. Our personal relationship was fine. Nothing special, really. Still, we were friendly enough that our parents thought it was a perfect opportunity for networking”

My eyes go wide. “No. You don’t mean…”

Aiden laughs awkwardly. “Yeah. We’re not fated mates, obviously, so nothing was set in stone. Our parents definitely wanted us to get marned despite that.”

I shake my head with confusion. “I’m lost. I thought werewolves were all about their mate bonds? Aren’t they sacred?”

“Yes,” Aiden agreed, “it’s strange. Times are changing, but not for the better. Our families decided that we were a suitable match in terms of family and wealth, so they were more than willing to overlook the mate–bond thing.”

It dawns on me that some werewolves must think that practical matches are better than something arranged by the Moon Goddess. Judging by the way Katrina spoke about it, her family likely sees mate–bonds as frivolous. But that still begs the question_

“Why did you say no?” I ask. “I’m guessing that’s what happened. I don’t get the impression Katrina was the one to cut things off.”

Aiden lays on his back with his hands knitted behind his head. He has a pensive expression on his face.

“My parents aren’t fated mates,” he says. “Worse yet, they didn’t even really know each other prior to getting married. They showed up at the altar, said the words, signed the contract and ruined their lives.”

I feel a pang of sympathy for Aiden. My eyes squeeze shut. “I’m… Sorry. We don’t have to talk about this,” I say softly. Aiden shakes his head.

“No, no, it’s okay. I’ve accepted it.” He pauses for a long moment. “It wasn’t good, of course. They weren’t even amicable with one another. They fought constantly. If it weren’t for the fact they had children, I wouldn’t have believed they’d ever even touched one another. Today they’re nothing more than business partners with the same last

name.”

My heart aches at the thought. My mind wanders to imagine the life that Aiden has lived up until this moment. His history seems so completely alien in comparison to mine. I imagine what it must have been like growing up with parents

like that. I think about how hard it must have been for Aiden to finally break away from his family. My mind continues to wander as Aiden explains more and more.

I’m so caught up in my thoughts that I don’t notice as I begin to drift off. I hear the sound of shifting on the bed and

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Chupter 19

feel a blanket rest over top of my body. A gentle kiss is pressed to my forehead.

“And that’s why I’m so glad I found you,” I hear Aiden’s voice murmur. It’s the last thing I hear before I sink into a deep slumber.

My dreams are dark and strange tonight. I feel as though I’m being dragged from place to place, not having a moment to rest before I’m whisked away by another unseen force. I feel an intense sense of vertigo that I can’t quell.

My head pounds as I try to make sense of what’s happening to me. Only the sound of an elderly woman’s voice – one that is now familiar cuts through the chaotic din.

“It’s growing. It’s growing. It’s growing. You must prepare yourself.”

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