Aiden's POV
I paced the length of my office, my boots thudding heavy and rhythmic against the hardwood. My chest felt like it was being squeezed in a vice. We were so close to the three-year mark, but I hadn't expected Alina to be the one to check the calendar. She always smiled. She always moved with a quiet, contented grace. Now, it seemed she was counting down the seconds to be rid of me.
"What's the matter?" Knox's voice broke through my spinning thoughts. I had almost forgotten he was sitting there. "Pack trouble?" He leaned forward, his brow furrowed in genuine concern.
I let out a long, jagged breath and sank into my leather chair. "It's Alina."
"What about her?"
"She wants to break the bond," I said, my voice dropping to a low growl.
Knox threw his hands up, looking bewildered. "So? What's the problem? You both signed the papers for three years. The whole world is expecting the announcement."
"I know!" I snapped, rubbing my aching temples where a pulse was starting to throb. "But I didn't expect her to remind me. I thought she liked it here. I thought…"
"Don't tell me you've actually fallen for her," Knox interrupted, a knowing smirk pulling at his lips.
"No, of course not," I barked. I could feel the heat rising to my collar, stinging my cheeks. "My ego is just bruised, okay?"
Knox let out a loud, mocking laugh. "You should have ended it before she had the chance. Now you're the one sulking in the corner."
"I wasn't ready," I muttered. I turned my chair to stare out the window at the rolling green grounds of the estate. "Everything seemed settled. The pack is stable, I have a healthy son, and—"
"And Emily is waiting," Knox cut in, his voice turning sharp and clinical. "Don't forget the promise you made."
The weight of that name pressed onto my shoulders. I had given Emily my word—we would marry the moment the three years were up. I was a man of my word, and Emily was the woman I had chosen long ago. It wasn't fair to drag out a bond that was headed for a dead end. Alina was a good person; she deserved a man who looked at her and saw a future, not a contract.
"I'll contact the Council," I said, forcing my face into a small, tight mask of a smile. "It's better to end it now."
"Should have done that months ago," Knox said. He paused, his expression shifting into something more serious. "What about the kid? Will you let her see him?"
I stiffened, my spine turning to iron. "I won't keep a mother from her child. I grew up in a house without a mother. I won't let my son suffer the way I did."
Knox sighed and leaned back, crossing his arms. "You know how Emily is, Aiden. She's been waiting in the shadows for three years. She isn't going to want Alina anywhere near this palace once she moves in."
"I will handle Emily," I snapped, irritation bubbling over. I stood abruptly and grabbed my coat. "I need to get ready for the Council meeting."
Knox headed for the door, pausing to give me a wink. "Alright. See you later—single and ready to mingle."
The door clicked shut. I dropped my bag on the desk and let out a heavy, jagged breath. My lungs felt restricted, like the air in the room had turned to lead. This was supposed to be the easy part. Why did it feel like I was choking?
Deep inside, my wolf stirred, a low, restless snarl vibrating in my chest. It was the sound of an instinct I was fighting to ignore.
I forced myself through the rest of the workday and drove home. As I stepped through the front door, the maids bowed, their hushed whispers trailing after me like smoke. I kept my eyes forward, ignoring the gossip, but I froze the moment I reached the living room.
Alina stood with her back to me. Her shoulders were trembling, a slight, rhythmic shudder that she couldn't hide. When she heard the strike of my boots on the floor, she spun around. Her eyes were bloodshot, swimming with a layer of unshed tears.
"What's going on here?" I asked, my voice sounding hollow in the high-ceilinged room.
The woman facing her turned, and my heart skipped a beat. Emily. She wore a bright, porcelain smile that felt jarring against the heavy atmosphere of the house.
"Aiden!" she squeaked. She rushed toward me, throwing her arms around my neck and squeezing tight.
I hugged her back, but my mind was a blur. We had lived through texts and video calls for years; she hadn't said a word about coming here. She pulled back just enough to press a quick, firm kiss to my lips. "You're surprised, aren't you?"
"I am," I managed, forcing my facial muscles into the shape of a smile. "I wasn't expecting…"
Before I could finish, Alina brushed past us. She was a blur of movement, silent as a shadow. I watched her disappear around the corner, feeling a strange, sharp tug in my chest—like a thread being pulled too tight. I cleared my throat and looked back at Emily. "I'm happy to see you."
"I knew you'd love the surprise!" she said, her voice high and bubbly, filling the space Alina had just left.
"Come with me." I led her upstairs to my bedroom. Emily stepped inside and immediately began to pace, her eyes scanning every corner like a general inspecting a battlefield.
"I'm impressed," she said, running a manicured finger over a mahogany shelf. "The room hasn't changed at all. It's exactly how I remember it."
"I never let anyone else in here," I said. The words felt heavy, a reminder of the wall I'd kept between myself and Alina for three years.
Emily walked over and wrapped her arms around my waist. I stood still, waiting for the old spark—the familiar rush of heat that used to flood my veins whenever she was near. But my skin stayed cool. My wolf remained silent, curled up and disinterested. I told myself it was just the lack of a mate-bond, or perhaps the exhaustion of the day. I pulled her in tighter, pressing my chest to hers, desperate to find that spark.
Still nothing.
She stepped back, her gaze locking onto mine. Her face shifted, the bubbly persona dropping away to reveal something hard and cold. "I didn't just come here to surprise you, Aiden. I came to take back what belongs to me."
The air left my lungs. I opened my mouth to speak, but the words felt trapped in my throat. I forced them out anyway. "I'll keep my promise, Emily. We'll marry as soon as the bond breaks. You have my word."
She smiled, the sharpness softening into a look of triumph. I pulled her into another hug, holding her the way I used to. My arms tightened around her, trying to convince myself this was right.
But as I held her, my smile faded. The room felt colder than it had when I was alone. The weight in my chest only grew heavier.
This was what I had waited for. This was the plan.
So why did it feel like I was making the biggest mistake of my life?