Chapter 103: Should I Cancel the Marking Ceremony?
Chapter 103: Should I Cancel the Marking Ceremony?
(Aria’s POV)
Richard’s face turned ashen as Dominic’s accusation hung in the air. The words had hit their mark with devastating precision.
“You’re lying!” Richard snarled, recovering quickly.
His amber eyes flashed dangerously, so similar to Alexander’s but colder, harder. I could see his wolf’s fur bristling beneath his skin, his Alpha pheromones filling the air around us like a suffocating cloud.
Before I could respond, Richard lunged forward. His hand raised to strike me, claws partially extending.
I flinched instinctively, one arm moving to protect my belly. But the blow never landed.
Dominic moved with blinding speed, his powerful grip tightening around Richard’s wrist mid–strike. The sound of their collision echoed through the suddenly silent lobby.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” Dominic warned.
His silver–gray eyes had turned cold as ice, his voice dropping to a dangerous register that made my wolf cower. The sheer power of his Alpha presence was overwhelming, easily dominating Richard’s considerable
aura.
The older Alpha struggled against Dominic’s grip for a moment before realizing he was outmatched.
“This is a private event,” Richard spat, attempting to salvage his dignity. “You have no right-”
“Richard! That’s enough!”
Elizabeth Reed’s sharp command cut through the tension. She appeared at the edge of our confrontation, her wolf’s scent betraying her distress despite her composed exterior.
She waved her hand dismissively at her mate. “You’re making a scene.”
Richard yanked his arm free from Dominic’s grasp, straightening his jacket with an indignant huff. With a final glare at us, he retreated toward the main ceremony hall.
Elizabeth waited until he was out of earshot before turning to me. Her amber eyes, so similar to Alexander’s, were filled with concern as she took my elbow, guiding me to a more private corner of the venue.
“Aria, what are you doing here?” she asked, her voice low but urgent.
I could smell her wolf’s anxiety, see the way she kept glancing toward the main hall where guests were still
arriving.
“Elizabeth, I—”
“Please,” she interrupted, her voice dropping to a whisper that only my sensitive wolf hearing could detect. “This is Alexander’s day. If you still care for him at all..
The implication in her words struck me like a physical blow. She thought I was here to cause trouble out of lingering feelings for Alexander.
Chapter 103. Should I Can
“I’m not here for Alexander, I sald firmly.
Elizabeth’s expression softened with what looked like pity. “Darling, I understand how difficult this must be The mate bond severance was just today, and these feelings don’t disappear overnight.”
My wolf bristled beneath my skin at her condescension,
“This has nothing to do with Alexander,” I repeated, one hand instinctively moving to my belly where my unborn pup was growing. “This is about Claire and what she did to my mother.”
Elizabeth’s eyes widened slightly, then narrowed with calculation.
“Your mother’s death was tragic, but Claire had nothing to do with it,” she said, her tone taking on an edge rd never heard from her before.
It hit me then – Elizabeth had chosen sides, and it wasn’t mine. Despite everything we’d discussed about Richard’s betrayal and Claire’s manipulations, she’d aligned herself with the she–wolf who was about to become her son’s new mate.
“I see,” I said quietly. “I won’t waste any more of your time.”
I turned to leave, realizing the futility of arguing further. The Elizabeth who had once treated me like a
daughter was gone, replaced by this stranger who prioritized appearances over truth.
I barely made it three steps before a firm grip caught my wrist.
“What are you doing here?”
Alexander’s voice, cold and demanding, stopped me in my tracks. His amber eyes flashed with anger as he
turned me to face him.
“Did you come to beg me to call off the marking ceremony?” he asked, his wolf’s scent betraying his agitation. “Do you regret severing our mate bond?”
A disbelieving laugh escaped my lips. Even now, after everything, his first assumption was that I couldn’t let
him go.
“Not everything is about you, Alexander,” I replied coldly, trying to free my wrist from his grasp.
His grip tightened. This is my marking ceremony. You showing up uninvited makes it about me.”
I glanced around, noting the curious eyes of several pack representatives watching our exchange. This confrontation was exactly what I’d hoped to avoid.
“Let me go,” I said, keeping my voice even despite my rising anger. “I’m leaving.”
“You haven’t answered my question,” he persisted, pulling me closer. “Why are you here?”
I tried to twist free, but his Alpha strength held me firmly. My wolf whimpered anxiously within me, by the confrontation and concerned for our unborn pup.
essed
“Let me go now,” I repeated, injecting as much authority into my voice as I could manage.
Alexander ignored my demand, his grip unwavering as he guided me away from the main hall and into a corridor. His powerful Alpha scent grew stronger with his agitation, filling the enclosed space.
“Then why are you here, Aria?” he pressed, his amber eyes searching my face. “Our mate bond is severed. You have no reason to be at my marking ceremony.”
< Chapter 103 Should Con
“I told you, this isn’t about you,” I insisted, frustrated by his inability to see beyond himself
His nostrils flared as he inhaled deeply. Something in my scent must have caught his attention because his expression shifted from anger to confusion.
“You smell different,” he said, his voice dropping. “Something’s changed.”
My heart raced with sudden panic. Could he detect my pregnancy? My wolf whimpered softly within me at
the thought.
Before Alexander could pursue this dangerous line of questioning, a commanding voice cut through the
tension.
your hand
“Remove from her.”
Dominic stood at the corridor entrance, his silver–gray eyes flashing dangerously. His voice carried the unmistakable command of an Alpha King, making even Alexander’s wolf respond instinctively
Alexander’s grip loosened just enough for me to pull free. I immediately moved toward Dominic, relief washing
ver me as I took his hand. His powerful Alpha presence wrapped around me protectively, a shield against Alexander’s intensity.
“This doesn’t concern you, Blackwood,” Alexander growled, his amber eyes fixed on our joined hands. “Aria is here as my guest,” Dominic replied smoothly. “That makes it my concern.” Alexander’s laugh was harsh and disbelieving. “Your guest? At my marking ceremony?”
“Your father invited representatives from all major Northern packs,” Dominic reminded him. “The Shadow Pack received an invitation. I chose to bring Aria as my plus one.”
Before I could process what was happening, Alexander reached out and grabbed my other hand, yanking me toward him. The sudden movement nearly made me lose my balance.
“She was my mate until this morning,” Alexander declared, his wolf’s scent spiking with possessiveness. “Whatever game you’re playing, Blackwood, it ends now.”
–
I found myself caught between them, one hand gripped by each Alpha. Their wolves‘ senses were heightened in the enclosed space, making the air thick with competing Alpha pheromones.
Dominic’s silver–gray eyes had darkened dangerously, while Alexander’s amber gaze burned with territorial fury. Neither seemed willing to back down, and I was literally the rope in their tug–of–war.
I
My wolf growled anxiously within me, distressed by the conflict and its potential danger to our unborn pup. needed to defuse this situation before it escalated further, but trapped between two powerful Alphas, I found myself momentarily helpless.
A tense standoff formed between the three of us, the air crackling with barely contained aggression.
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