POV: Aria Wolfe

---

Meeting Dominic again was like unearthing a wound she had convinced herself was already healing.

Ever since the council assigned her Lysander’s case, Aria’s world had tilted. Nothing felt stable anymore. Her thoughts were no longer her own. Dominic’s voice echoed in her memories. His scent—smoke and pine—lingered like a ghost in the courtroom. His presence gnawed at her composure.

Even now, inside the safety of her home, her mind kept circling back to that electric brush of their hands.

Her wolf stirred beneath her skin, restless and aching.

No, she told herself. I won’t let this undo me.

A soft knock on the door interrupted her spiraling thoughts.

“Hello, ma,” Sandra, the weekend cleaner, said gently as she stepped into the room.

“Oh! Sandra, you’re done already?” Aria asked, glancing around at her now-spotless living room.

“Yes, ma,” Sandra replied, hoisting her cleaning bag.

Aria picked up her phone and tapped quickly. “I’ve transferred twenty dollars to you. Thank you for coming as always.”

Sandra beamed. “Thank you so much, ma. I’ll see you next weekend.”

“Take care,” Aria said, walking her to the door and shutting it softly after her.

She leaned against the door and let out a long sigh, pressing her hand to her forehead.

It’s still early Saturday morning. Why am I this tired?

The stress of the last few days had taken a toll on her body. Her usual mental clarity was blurred. Her sleep had been fragmented. Her emotions scattered.

To distract herself, she curled up on the velvet couch, phone in hand, and began scrolling through social media. Wedding dresses. Happy couples. Proposal reels.

She paused on a stunning white mermaid gown edged in lace and pearls.

“One day... it’ll be my turn,” she whispered with a soft smile. But even as she said it, a shadow passed over her face.

Would it really? Could it?

Her mate—the one the Moon Goddess chose for her—had rejected her.

And now, he was back.

---

Her stomach grumbled, cutting through her thoughts.

“Ugh, I’m famished,” she muttered, rising to her feet.

She made her way to the kitchen, where Sandra had left neatly covered dishes in ceramic bowls. The scent of jollof rice, grilled fish, and spicy goat pepper soup filled the air.

“Mmm… this smells divine.”

Sandra wasn’t just a cleaner. She was a trained chef who had worked under some of the city’s finest but had to leave the industry due to finances. Now, she provided private cooking and cleaning for high-end clients—Aria among them.

Aria dished out a plate and took a bite.

“Mmm… tastes amazing. As usual.”

For a few precious moments, she allowed herself to relax—just her, the food, and silence.

After eating, she reclined in the plush armchair by the window. The sunlight streamed in, soft and golden, but her body felt heavy.

“I need a proper nap,” she said aloud, stretching her arms.

She climbed the stairs, changed into something more comfortable, and slipped beneath the covers.

Her phone buzzed once on the nightstand but she ignored it.

She drifted off within minutes.

---

A Few Hours Later

Aria stirred awake, blinking against the late afternoon light filtering through the curtains.

She sat up slowly, pressing a palm against her chest.

Her wolf had been howling in her dream. For him.

“Still?” she whispered, frustrated.

It had been days since their bond reactivated. She thought she could suppress it. She thought she was stronger than her instincts.

But the ache in her chest betrayed her.

She dragged herself downstairs, hoping food would ease the discomfort.

As she opened the fridge, her eyes glanced at the edge of the kitchen counter—where she had left the council file on Lysander’s case.

She paused.

Focus on the case, she told herself. Not Dominic. Not the past.

She picked up the thick file and laid it on the dining table, flipping it open. Page after page, she reread everything. Statements. Time logs. Runes. Council authorizations.

Until something caught her eye.

On the edge of a seemingly ordinary council memo, she noticed an odd shimmer. A faint silver marking barely visible under the kitchen’s light.

She squinted and angled the paper toward the window.

Her heart skipped.

There—etched just beneath the corner fold—was a concealed rune. A sealing rune. Council-grade.

Aria’s stomach turned.

“Why would they hide a rune on a public document?” she whispered.

Runes like that were only used to conceal evidence... or manipulate the clarity of magical records.

Her fingers trembled slightly as she held the paper closer. This wasn’t just standard council paperwork. Someone had gone to great lengths to alter, hide, or encrypt something.

Evidence tampering. From the inside.

And if this rune was planted after the incident, it meant someone high up didn’t want the truth revealed.

Aria stood quickly, blood rushing in her ears.

This wasn’t just a simple murder case.

It was a setup.

And worse—if Dominic was involved at the prosecution level, he might already know.

She stared at the glowing rune and whispered to herself:

“What the hell have I gotten myself into?”

From deep within, her wolf growled—not in fear, but in warning.