Sixty two

Sixty two
Carden's P.O.V.

The forest was quiet, the only sound being the soft rustle of leaves as the wind moved through the trees. The early morning mist still hung in the air, and the quiet was a welcome contrast to the constant tension that filled the pack house lately. I had come here for some space, to get away from the weight of everything that had been pressing down on me for weeks.

But when I saw Aria stepping into the clearing, her eyes already locking onto mine, I knew that peace wouldn’t last long.

We stood there for a moment, the space between us filled with unspoken words and unresolved emotions. The tension between us had been building for too long, and it was becoming harder to ignore, harder to bury beneath everything else.

“Carden,” Aria said, her voice soft, yet full of meaning.

I nodded, my throat tightening. “Aria.”

She took a deep breath, stepping closer, her eyes never leaving mine. “We need to talk. I think we’ve been avoiding this long enough.”

I clenched my jaw, already knowing where this conversation was headed. But she was right. We couldn’t keep pretending like there wasn’t something pulling us together, something unresolved and raw. It wasn’t just going to go away on its own.

“Yeah,” I said finally, my voice rough. “We do.”

There was a moment of silence as we stood there, both of us trying to find the right words. The weight of everything we weren’t saying hung in the air, thick and heavy.

“I don’t want to keep pretending,” Aria said, her voice quiet but firm. “Not with you, not with myself. This thing between us—it’s still there, Carden. It hasn’t gone away.”

Her words hit me hard because they were the exact thoughts that had been running through my mind for weeks. I hadn’t been able to shake the feelings I had for her, no matter how much I tried. And it was getting harder and harder to be around her without feeling like I was betraying Raven—and Warren, too.

“I know,” I admitted, my voice barely above a whisper. “But what are we supposed to do? We can’t just... act on this, Aria. Not when we’re with other people. Not with everything else going on.”

She let out a frustrated breath, running a hand through her hair. “I’m not saying we should ignore everyone else. But I also can’t keep pretending like there’s nothing between us.”

My heart twisted at her words, the truth of them sinking deep. I took a step closer, reaching out to gently touch her arm, needing to feel that connection between us, even if it was fleeting.

“I know,” I said softly, my voice filled with the weight of everything I was feeling. “I feel it too, Aria. I’ve never stopped feeling it.”

Her eyes met mine, and I could see the conflict in them—the same conflict I felt. There was a pull between us, something strong and undeniable. But at the same time, there was the reality of our lives, the reality of Warren and Raven.

“But what does that mean for us?” Aria asked, her voice trembling slightly. “Do we just ignore it? Push it down again?”

I shook my head, my grip tightening on her arm. “We can’t keep pushing it down, but we can’t act on it either. Not like this. It wouldn’t be right.”

Her eyes filled with unshed tears, and she nodded, understanding. “So what do we do? How do we move forward?”

I exhaled slowly, trying to find the right words. “We focus on the pack. On everything going on with Kane. We don’t let this... this thing between us distract us from what we need to do. We owe that to Raven and Warren, and to ourselves.”

Aria looked down, her brow furrowed in thought. I could see the pain in her expression, the frustration. But I also knew she understood. There was too much at stake right now. If we let ourselves fall into this, if we let these feelings take over, it could hurt everyone around us.

“You’re right,” she said softly, finally meeting my eyes again. “We can’t let this mess things up for everyone else. Not right now.”

The relief I felt at her words was mixed with a deep sadness. Part of me had wanted her to fight against it, to push for us to be together. But the rational part of me—the part that cared about Warren and Raven, and about the future of the pack—knew that this was the only way.

“We’ll figure this out,” I said, my voice steady. “But not now. Not until the time is right.”

Aria nodded, taking a step back as if to put some distance between us, both physically and emotionally. “When the time is right,” she repeated, her voice filled with a mixture of hope and resignation.

For a moment, we stood in silence, the weight of the decision we had just made settling over us. I knew this wasn’t the end of whatever was between us, but it was a pause—a necessary one.

“Thank you,” Aria said softly. “For being honest with me. I know this isn’t easy.”

I gave her a small, sad smile. “It’s not. But we’ll get through it. We always do.”

She nodded, her eyes filled with understanding. “I should go,” she said quietly. “Before anyone starts wondering where I am.”

“Yeah,” I said, my chest tightening as she turned to leave. “Take care, Aria.”

She paused for a moment, her back to me, before glancing over her shoulder. “You too, Carden.”

And with that, she disappeared into the trees, leaving me standing alone in the clearing. The silence was deafening, but for the first time in weeks, I felt a strange sense of clarity.

We had made a decision. It wasn’t what I wanted, but it was the right thing to do. We couldn’t let our feelings ruin everything else. Not now. Not when there was so much at stake.

I stood there for a few more minutes, letting the weight of the conversation sink in. The ache in my chest hadn’t gone away, but at least now there was a plan—a way forward.

Aria and I would wait. We would put our feelings aside, focus on the pack, and deal with everything else later.

For now, that was the only way.

\---

As I made my way back to the pack house, I couldn’t help but think about what the future might hold. When would the time be right? Would it ever be? Or were we just fooling ourselves, thinking that there would be a perfect moment where everything fell into place?

I wasn’t sure. But for now, I had to believe that there would be a time when Aria and I could face this—together. Without hurting Warren, without hurting Raven.

For now, I would focus on what needed to be done. Kane was still out there, and he was the real threat. My feelings for Aria, my confusion about the future—none of that could get in the way of protecting the pack.

As much as it hurt to push her away, I had to stay focused. I had to keep my priorities straight.

But deep down, I knew this wasn’t over. Not by a long shot.

\---

That night, as I lay in bed, my mind replayed the conversation with Aria over and over. The way she had looked at me, the way her voice had trembled when she talked about not being able to keep pretending—it all haunted me.

But I had to be strong. For her, for me, for the pack.

For now, we would wait.

But part of me wondered if waiting would make things easier, or if it would only make the ache between us grow stronger.

Only time would tell.