POV Drake

The bond has almost disappeared. A month without news of Aria.


My wolf howls, longing for its Luna. I can't eat, can't sleep. Each night, I pace the empty master bedroom, clutching her wedding ring, trying to sense any trace of her presence.

Council members have begun questioning my leadership. An Alpha without his Luna is considered incomplete, especially when the bond still exists but is stretched to near breaking. My wolf has become irritable, easily provoked, almost uncontrollable during the full moon.

Tonight, I find myself drawn to Aria's former guest room. Since she left, I've ordered everyone to leave it untouched. Perhaps a foolish hope, perhaps just denial that she's truly gone.


Opening the door, her scent has already faded. I sit on the bed, running my hand over the pillow she left behind. My wolf whimpers inside me, yearning for its mate.

Somehow, I find myself opening the bedside drawer. It's nearly empty except for a leather-bound notebook I've never seen before.


I open it, immediately recognizing Aria's neat handwriting. It's her journal.

I know I shouldn't read it. It's an invasion of her privacy. But my hands move of their own accord, turning to the first page.

"Today marks one year as Drake's Luna. He gave me a necklace, but I wish he remembered our first meeting at the Northern Border. He seems to have forgotten who I once was."

I continue turning pages, my heart aching with each word. She documented every argument, how I dismissed her suggestions in public, how I let Lilith sit in what should have been the Luna's place.

Then I find the date from a year ago—when Lilith claimed Aria attacked her.

"Something terrible happened today. I felt strange, dizzy. Lilith kept provoking me, my wolf nearly surfaced, and I bit her—but it wasn't intentional. Drake looked at me like I was a monster, wouldn't even let me explain."

The next page reveals more disturbing details:

"I suspect Lilith put something in my drink. Emma admitted seeing her add powder. Lilith deliberately provoked me until I lost control. I wanted Emma to testify, but Lilith threatened her family. Drake refused to hear my explanation, said I was 'making excuses.' I've never felt so alone, not even on the most dangerous battlefields."

My hands tremble. This can't be true. But if it is...

The final page, written just before she left:

"I overheard Drake promising to break our bond and let Lilith raise our child. My heart is dead. I must leave, protect my baby. Perhaps someday Drake will understand the truth. But I can't wait any longer."

I close the journal, feeling sick. I must uncover the truth.

---

The next morning, I summon Emma, the maid who served Aria. She enters visibly nervous, unable to meet my eyes.

"Emma," I say as gently as possible, "I need the truth about the day Lilith was injured. You won't be punished for honesty."

Her eyes widen with fear. "Sir, I... I don't know what you mean."

I show her Aria's journal. "Aria wrote everything down. She mentioned what you saw."

Tears fill Emma's eyes. "Miss Lilith threatened my family in the North District. She has connections there... my sisters..."

"I understand," I say, feeling a wave of guilt. Aria tried to tell me this, and I refused to listen. "I promise to protect you and your family. But I need the truth."

She nods shakily and tells me everything: how Lilith put powder in Aria's tea, how Aria became disoriented but maintained remarkable self-control for someone drugged.

"Miss Lilith kept provoking Luna, saying terrible things, trying to make her angry. When Luna finally snapped and bit her, Miss Lilith looked... satisfied."

Jacob from the kitchen confirms the story, even producing the remaining powder—a rare herb mixture that temporarily makes werewolves lose control of their wolves.

The evidence is conclusive. I convene the council, present all evidence, and announce Lilith's banishment from our territory.

When I finally confront Lilith, her mask completely crumbles.

"Did you think I'd wait forever?" she sneers. "Wait for you to fulfill your promise to my father? He saved your life, and you married that warrior!"

"Your father wanted me to care for you, protect you," I say, shocked. "He never asked me to marry you."

"He should have! We're the perfect match, not you and that crude warrior!"

In that moment, I understand my years of blindness. I let gratitude to Lilith's father blind me to Lilith's manipulation and Aria's pain.

---

A week later, Marcus brings news on a rainy day, his coat still dripping. "She's been spotted in Silver Lake."

I stand immediately, heart racing. "Is she well? The child?"

"Not what you might think," Marcus hesitates. "She's... respected there. She's established a tactical training school. They call her 'Silver Blade' Aria."

I look up, shocked: "That was her title as an elite warrior."

"Yes. Apparently she's reclaimed her warrior identity, and... she's doing well. Three neighboring territories have sent wolves to learn from her."

I remember how many times I belittled her warrior background, thinking it unsuitable for a Luna's elegant image.

"How is she?" I ask softly.

"They say she's powerful. Confident. Her pregnancy shows, but doesn't affect her abilities at all." Marcus pauses. "She's found her place, Drake. Maybe... maybe she doesn't need to come back."

This cuts like a knife. I thought she needed me, would fall apart. Now she's not just surviving, she's thriving.

"Prepare for departure. We leave tomorrow."

"Sir?" Marcus asks, surprised. "If she doesn't want to see you..."

"That's her right," I say. "But I must try."

Marcus nods, turning to leave, but stops at the door. "Sir, about Lilith..."

"What about her?" I ask coldly.

"There are rumors she escaped her escort. She's heading to Silver Lake."

My blood freezes. Lilith knows where Aria is, and she's proven she'll do anything to hurt her.

"We leave tonight," I command. "Prepare immediately."

I must find Aria before Lilith does. Not just to apologize, but to protect her from further harm.

Looking out at the rain, I imagine Aria's new life in Silver Lake. Would she give me a second chance? Do I deserve one?

Regardless, I must try. I owe her that much.

"I'm still going," I decide. "Not to bring her back. But to apologize. To see the real her. The one I never truly saw."