ARIA’S POV:

I wasn’t sure what woke me first—the soft creak of the door or the sudden shuffle of footsteps inside the room.

My eyes fluttered open, blinking against the pale morning light that peeked through the curtains. For a second, I forgot where I was. Then the events of last night came crashing back—the bed, the woman, Liam’s eyes on me, the moans, the heat, the humiliation.

I sat up with a start, my heart pounding. I wasn’t alone.

Three women stood in the room, very close to the door. Young, pretty, and dressed in soft, pale grey gowns. They looked calm, and graceful.

One of them stepped forward and gave me a polite smile. “Good morning, my Lady. We’re your maids. We’ve come to get you ready.”

Ready for?

Before I could protest, they were already moving—laying out clothes, bringing warm towels, and opening the wardrobe like they’d been doing this for years. My body was sore from sleeping curled up on the edge of the bed, and my mind still felt foggy, but I let them work.

They helped me wash, braided part of my hair into a soft crown, and dressed me in a silky dark green dress that hugged my body too closely for comfort.

I stared at my reflection in the mirror, unfamiliar and out of place. I looked like a Luna. Or a prisoner dressed like one.

“He’s waiting in the dining hall,” one of the maids said.

My stomach turned. Of course, he was.

The walk through the halls was long and awkward. The rogue castle or whatever this place was felt cold and wild, like it had been carved from the forest itself. The walls whispered with wind or memory, I couldn’t tell. They were rogues—what was I expecting? As we passed, a few guards and servants glanced my way.

And then came the whispers.

That’s her? The Crescent Alpha’s daughter?”

“Hope she’s stronger than the last one…”

“Poor girl lost her mind before the moon even changed…

The last one? This was the second time. Who the hell was the last one?

I turned but they were gone in a flash. The question gnawing my throat but I swallowed hard, pretending not to care.

When we reached the dining hall, I stopped.

Liam was already seated at the head of the long table, cutting into breakfast like he hadn’t haunted my every thought since last night.

“Morning, little wolf,” he said without looking up.

I walked to the other end of the table and sat as far away as possible. My plate was piled high with food—fruit, eggs, even a cinnamon bun, but my appetite was gone.

“You didn’t sleep?” he asked casually, sipping from his cup.

I didn’t answer.

He leaned back, smirking. “Still thinking about the show? Or are you just mad you weren’t the star?”

I gripped the edge of the table, willing myself to stay calm.

“Don’t worry,” he added with a lazy shrug. “There’s always tonight.”

I clenched my teeth, pushing a strawberry around on my plate.

He chuckled under his breath, clearly enjoying the discomfort radiating off me. I didn’t give him the satisfaction of a response. I just kept my head down and ate a few bites, dry toast and a sip of juice, mostly.

After what felt like hours, breakfast ended.

Without another word, I walked out and returned to the room they’d dressed me in. It felt colder than before, emptier somehow. The silence in there stretched for what felt like forever.

I paced. Sat. Stood again. My body was restless, my thoughts loud. I was bored out of mind and I knew I couldn’t sit on the bed all day.

Eventually, I couldn’t take it anymore.

I slipped out of the room, walking down the hallway alone this time. The castle seemed even larger now, with twists and unfamiliar doors that all looked the same. I wasn’t sure where I was going—I just let my feet lead.

As I turned a corner, a soft sound caught my attention.

Moaning.

I paused.

It was low at first, but unmistakable.

I glanced at the door to my left. It was slightly ajar. The sound was coming from there.

“No,” I muttered to myself and took a step forward, intending to walk right past it.

But something made me stop.

Curiosity? Stupidity? I didn’t know. Maybe I just wanted to see which man was making a woman cry out that loud.

I peeked through the crack.

And there he was.

Liam.

Bent over a desk. Behind a different woman. Moving hard and fast, hands gripping her hips like, her lips parted in a loud moan.

It was raw. Animalistic. There was no teasing or slow build like before. It was pure dominance.

And the worst part?

He looked good doing it.

I hated that.

And then… he looked at me.

His eyes locked with mine through the tiny space in the door.

I gasped and stepped back.

His expression didn’t change.

I ran.

****

I didn’t wait to see what he’d do. My heart thundered as I sprinted down the hallway, breath quick and sharp. Doors blurred past me. I had no idea where I was going, and panic clouded every step.

I turned left, then right, and suddenly stumbled into open air.

It was a garden.

Thank the Goddess.

I bent over, hands on my knees, trying to catch my breath. My face burned, my chest heaving. The breeze did little to cool me down.

I had just seen him….

No. I didn’t want to think about it.

A maid passed nearby, carrying a tray of flowers.

“Please,” I said, stopping her. “Can I get a glass of juice?”

She nodded and hurried off.

I sat on the stone bench near a row of lavender bushes and let my head fall back, eyes closed. The sun was warm on my skin, but I still felt cold inside.

“He’s disgusting,” I muttered to myself. “Filthy… heartless…”

But I didn’t believe it completely.

The part that scared me most?

Wasn’t just how cruel he was.

It was how a part of me still reacted.

I took a deep breath, trying to calm the storm inside me.

Then I froze.

From across the garden, just beyond a hedge of roses, someone stepped into view.

Tall, broad-shouldered, familiar.

My breath caught.

I blinked once. Twice.

No. It couldn’t be.

But it was.

My lips parted in disbelief.

“Tom?” I whispered.