Chapter 23

Aria's POV

Driving back to the Pack house, Reid didn’t say much. He seemed to be thinking about what I said.

After about ten minutes, he finally spoke. “Do you know why I hate Hybrids?”

Shaking my head, I looked over at him. Reid was staring out the window. “No, I don't know," I said.

Reid thought for a few moments before speaking again.

“I wasn't an only child. I had an older brother: his name was Alexander. He was 4 years older than

me, and he was meant to take over the Pack when my father died. He never got the chance, though.

When I was fourteen, my father took me away on Pack business with him. My mother and older

brother stayed behind. Alexander was meant to go, but I begged my father to take me instead. We

were gone for three days when my father got called through the Pack link saying the Pack house

was under attack. We shifted and ran all the way home. My father screamed in agony every time he

felt a Pack members link break, but he didn't stop running because he knew his Pack needed him.

When we arrived at the Pack house...” Reid went quiet, trying to find the words to express what

haunts him.

“When we reached the Pack house, Pack members bodies were strewn across the place. Men,

women, even the children that didn't have a chance to get to the bunkers. All ripped to pieces, their

blood staining the soil where they lay. My brother was fighting for his life and the Packs, but we

were outnumbered. My father screamed, clutching his chest. It was the most agonised scream I had

ever heard. I felt like my chest was being crushed. I will never forget the feeling of my mother’s link

breaking. My brother dropped to the ground feeling it too, feeling my father's heartbreak through

the Pack link. I ran towards my brother to help when a man put his hand through his chest, ripping

his heart out right in front of me. I killed the man, ripping him limb from limb. The last image of my

brother has haunted my dreams ever since...” Reid's hand clenched into tight fists white-knuckled he

continued.

"When my father managed to get to his feet, he became crazed at the loss of his mate, my mother.

The loss of my brother was the last straw. He slaughtered every single one of them. We lost half the

pack that day. My father wiped out the entire other Pack, every single person. He didn't care if they

were involved or not, he went after them anyway. They were a rival Pack, my father had a dispute

with them a few weeks before. They waited for my father to leave so they could attack, and they

enlisted the help of the Hybrids. I hate them for what they did, not just the fact that they killed my

family but for what they did to my mother. The Hybrids ripped her to pieces. It took us hours to find

her entire body.

“My father went on a rampage and killed every Hybrid in the city with my help. I promised him I

would kill every Hybrid I came across, promised to keep the Pack safe. A few years after, when I was

sixteen, my father took his own life. My father couldn't handle the pain of losing his mate. I found

him hanging from the ceiling in my office. Losing a mate will send a wolf crazy or make them bitter

and angry. My father went crazy and killed himself, leaving the Pack to me. That's why I hate

Hybrids. It doesn’t matter if they weren't involved. I have seen what they can do, I know the

destruction they are capable of.”

I sat silently listening to everything he said, letting it sink in. He didn’t look at me or add anything

else. Reid just sat there gazing out the window trapped in his memories. Reaching over, I grabbed

his hand. Reid ripped his hand out of my grip, and a growl escaped his lips, making me flinch and

pull my hand back. We had pulled up outside the Pack house. Opening the door, Reid walked inside,

slamming the car door behind him, leaving me sitting in the car. I felt terrible not because he

rejected me but because he had his own secrets, his own pain. A pain I couldn't take from him.

Feeling through the bond, I could feel how hard he struggles with himself being around me, but at

the same time, I could feel how much he rejects those feelings, pushing them aside for me. I felt

guilty. I know I didn't kill his family, but that didn't make me feel any less guilty knowing that my

kind were the ones to cause his heartbreak and knowing I was also making him break the promise

he made to his father.

After a few minutes lost in my own thoughts, Zane came over, opening the door. He waited for me

to get out. “Let him calm down. He doesn’t mean to push you away.”

“I know,” I said, hopping out of the car. Zane looked at me, worriedly. “I'm fine, Zane. Reid is the one

that needs you, not me.” Zane nodded his head, following his Alpha.

Walking into the Pack house, I find Lily, who is in the kitchen talking to Wendy excitedly about the

upcoming celebrations. Looking at Lily, it made me think of what Reid said about losing a mate.

How it sends a wolf crazy. Alpha David lost his mate, my mother. I could, for the first time,

understand what he went through. I know if something were to happen to Reid, it would kill me. The

mate bond was that strong, it would be like losing a piece of your soul. How was David able to live

with it? I couldn't forgive all the horrid things he had done, how he rejected Lily, but for the first

time, 1 did understand it. He blamed her even though she didn't deserve that blame.

For the first time since my mother died, I felt sorry for him, but sorry doesn’t erase what he has

done. Sorry doesn't make me think any better of him. I just hope one day Lily could have a father

figure in her life that adores her. But if not, she always has me. I will always make sure she knows

that above everything. That her happiness will always be more important than everything else that

life throws at us. But to keep her safe I will have to try to speak to her father. They may never build a

relationship like I used to hope they would when she was baby, but I also didn't want to risk Reid's

Pack, our Pack, if we were to go to war.

I know Reid would go to war if we needed to keep her safe. I just hope it doesn’t come to that, and

if there is any way to stop it, I promise Lily I will try. After all, as much as I can't stand David, it

doesn't change the fact that he is her father. Lily may want nothing to do with him now, but that

could change when she is older, and if there is a chance they could build a relationship, I will have

to make sure she gets that chance. So, for now, I need to find a way to defuse the situation before it

becomes out of hand.

Walking over to Lily and Wendy, they walked out the back onto the patio area that overlooked the

pool and backyard. Following behind them, the first thing I noticed was heaps of Pack members.

There were about a hundred people in the yard setting up long tables and placing out chairs. There

were men setting up what looked like a DJ station and dance floor. Women were happily chatting

amongst themselves, setting the tables. A large group of teenagers were hanging lights from the

trees and on the huge gazebos. How did they set up all this in the time while we were gone?

Everyone seemed buzzed and excited about the ceremony. I wondered if they would feel so excited

when they discovered they have a Hybrid for a Luna. I suddenly felt inadequate. I was a noone, now

I'm expected to help lead the Pack.

Wendy, noticing me, walks over, wrapping an arm around my shoulders. “This is all for you, Luna,

you and Lily. The Pack members are excited to meet their Luna finally. We never thought Reid was

going to find his mate. He has always been so closed off to everyone until you came into the

picture, so everyone is naturally curious.”

Her words only made me more anxious. Stepping away from her, I made my way back inside.

Deciding to go upstairs, I walked into Reid's room, not really knowing where else I could hide from

everyone. I looked for a linen cupboard, wanting to take a shower, but couldn't find one after a few

minutes. I walked back downstairs to the hallway. Walking past the bedrooms before coming to

Alpha Reid's office, next to it was a cupboard and opening it, I grabbed a towel out. As I was about

to turn to walk back upstairs, I heard talking. “Calm down Alpha, if you go back and kill him, Aria will

never forgive you.”

“I don't fucking care. I hate them, hate them all.” I quickly dropped my head going to walk off back

to the stairs when the floor creaked. Looking through the gap of the door. I made eye contact with

Reid, who was glaring directly at me. His canines protruding, his face was distorted with anger. I

couldn't seem to pull my gaze away from him. His anger was strong, thick, reaching to me through

the bond. I suddenly felt like my blood was boiling, making me feel hot. His anger was burning hot

and unrelenting. Zane stepped into my line of vision, breaking my eye contact. He looked at me,

smiling sadly before closing the door.

Running to the room, I locked the door before walking into the bathroom. His anger scared me. I

felt frightened of what he might do if I pissed him off. I knew he can't kill me without destroying

himself, but that didn't make me fear him any less in this moment. Jumping in the shower, I turned

the taps on, washing my body with the shower gel and a loofa. I washed myself slowly, not wanting

to get out of the shower. My muscles were tense, and I was on edge. After about five minutes, I

heard the door handle to the bedroom break. It dropped to the floor with a soft thud. My heart

skipped a beat, and my stomach dropped when I heard the door handle to the bathroom twist

before opening.

Dread consuming me, I froze. Reid's imposing frame walked in. Watching him, I had the sudden

urge to not turn my back on him. He was still angry. Reid stripped his clothes off before stepping

into the shower and turning on the other showerhead at the other end on the wall. Putting his head

under the hot stream of water, I watched his shoulders relax, and he let out a breath. I quickly

washed my hair before turning my own shower off. Grabbing my towel that was sitting on the sink

basin, I quickly wrapped it tightly around my body. When I looked up, Reid was staring at me, his

jaw clenched and eyes blazing. Rushing out of the bathroom, I quickly closed the door behind me.

Sitting on the bed was a dark aqua coloured dress. The dress was beautiful, it was a mid-thigh off-

shoulder silhouette with a plunging neckline which would show a lot of cleavage. Picking up the

dress, I stared at it. I couldn't remember the last time I wore a dress, maybe when I was a little girl. I

wouldn't usually wear something so revealing. Next to the dress was a blue suit, which must be

what Reid will be wearing. Wrapping the towel tighter, I went to the draw and pulled out some

underwear. The dress wouldn't allow for a bra, so I slipped my panties on, just as the door opened.

Wendy and Christine excitedly stepped in. “You like the dress?” asked Christine excitedly.

“It's gorgeous but don't you think it's a bit revealing?”

“Nonsense, it will look great. Come on, let's get you changed,” said Christine grabbing my hand,

pulling me from the room and down the stairs to her room. Christine was wearing a lilac floor-

length dress. Wendy was wearing a strapless blue mid-length dress that flared out at the bottom.

Both of them looked stunning.