63

63
Aria’s P.O.V.

The forest was quiet again, and for a moment, I let myself breathe deeply, trying to ground myself after the conversation with Carden. It was always so much harder than I expected, talking to him. Seeing him. Being so close, yet so far. The decision we had made was necessary, but it didn’t stop the ache in my chest.

I made my way back to the pack house, hoping the familiar routine would help settle my mind. Carden was right—there was too much at stake right now to let our personal feelings interfere. Kane was still a looming threat, and the traitor in the pack had yet to be found. There was no room for distraction, no room for anything other than protecting the pack.

As I walked through the trees, the sunlight filtering through the branches, I couldn’t help but wonder when—if ever—there would be a right time for Carden and me. It felt like we had been circling each other for so long, pulled together by something neither of us could explain but always kept apart by the reality of our lives.

I shook my head, trying to focus. The pack came first. The mission came first. Everything else would have to wait, no matter how much it hurt.

\---

Back at the pack house, I found Raven sitting on the porch, her legs pulled up to her chest as she stared out at the woods. She looked deep in thought, her usual bright energy dimmed. I hesitated for a moment before approaching her. Despite everything between me and Carden, I still cared about Raven. She had become a friend, and the last thing I wanted was to hurt her.

“Hey,” I said softly as I sat down next to her.

She glanced at me, offering a small smile. “Hey. You okay? You look a little… off.”

I laughed quietly, shaking my head. “I could ask you the same thing.”

Raven sighed, leaning her head against the wooden post behind her. “Yeah. I guess we’re both dealing with our own stuff, huh?”

I nodded, staring out at the trees. “It feels like everything is getting more complicated.”

“That’s an understatement,” she muttered, her tone dry.

We sat in silence for a while, the weight of unspoken words hanging between us. I wanted to tell her everything, to be honest with her about what was going on with Carden. But I couldn’t. Not yet. It wasn’t just about protecting myself—it was about protecting her. And Warren. I didn’t want to make things worse for any of us.

“Do you ever feel like… like there’s something you can’t control?” Raven asked suddenly, her voice soft.

I glanced at her, surprised by the vulnerability in her tone. “Yeah,” I said after a moment. “More often than I’d like to admit.”

She nodded, her gaze distant. “I feel like that a lot lately. Like no matter what I do, things are slipping out of my hands.”

I didn’t know what to say. I could hear the frustration in her voice, and part of me wondered if she was talking about Carden. Was she starting to sense the distance between them? Did she know there was something going on, something unsaid?

But before I could ask, Raven straightened up, pushing her thoughts aside with a determined look on her face. “Anyway,” she said, forcing a smile. “We’ve got enough to worry about without getting lost in our own heads, right? We need to stay focused.”

I nodded, even though I could feel the tension still lingering between us. “Right.”

She stood up, brushing off her pants. “I’ve got to go check in with the warriors about the next patrol shift. You coming?”

“Yeah, I’ll be there in a bit,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady. “Just need a few more minutes.”

Raven gave me a small smile before heading off toward the training grounds, leaving me alone with my thoughts once again. I watched her go, feeling the familiar knot of guilt tighten in my chest. I had to figure out a way to handle this. To navigate this mess without hurting the people I cared about.

\---

Later that evening, I found myself in the training yard, watching the warriors go through their drills. Warren was leading the session, his strong voice cutting through the crisp evening air as he barked instructions. He was a natural leader—calm, focused, always in control. It was one of the things I admired about him, even before everything had changed between us.

I stood at the edge of the yard, my arms crossed over my chest as I watched him. We hadn’t talked much since our decision to stay just friends, but there was still a comfort in his presence. A sense of stability that I needed, even if things would never be the same between us.

Warren caught my eye as he dismissed the warriors, and he made his way over to me, wiping the sweat from his brow with the back of his hand. “You okay?” he asked, his voice laced with concern.

I nodded, offering him a small smile. “Yeah. Just watching you work your magic.”

He chuckled, shaking his head. “It’s just training. Nothing magical about it.”

“Don’t be so modest,” I teased. “You’ve got them running like clockwork.”

Warren smiled, but his eyes were serious as he studied me. “You’ve been quiet today. More than usual.”

I shrugged, trying to play it off. “Just thinking. You know how it is.”

He nodded, but I could tell he wasn’t convinced. “If you need to talk, I’m here. You know that, right?”

I met his gaze, feeling a pang of guilt again. He was always there for me, always so understanding. But I couldn’t keep leaning on him. Not when I was keeping so much from him.

“Thanks, Warren,” I said softly. “I know.”

We stood there in silence for a moment, the unspoken tension between us heavier than ever. I knew he could sense that something was off, but he didn’t push. And for that, I was grateful.

“I should get back,” I said finally, taking a step back. “There’s still a lot to do.”

Warren nodded, his expression soft. “Take care, Aria.”

“You too.”

As I walked away, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was constantly walking a tightrope, trying to balance everything without falling. The weight of my decisions, my feelings for Carden, my loyalty to Warren and Raven—it was all starting to blur together, and I didn’t know how much longer I could keep it up.

\---

That night, I sat in my room, staring at the ceiling as the events of the day replayed in my mind. I kept thinking about Carden, about the decision we had made to step back. It was the right thing to do. I knew that. But it didn’t make the ache in my chest any less painful.

I had thought that putting some distance between us would help, that it would make it easier to focus on the pack and our responsibilities. But all it had done was amplify the feelings I had been trying to ignore. The feelings I had for Carden weren’t going away. They were only growing stronger, and I didn’t know how to handle that.

And then there was Raven. She was trying so hard, fighting to hold on to Carden, even though I could see the cracks starting to form between them. She deserved to know the truth. But how could I tell her without tearing everything apart?

The pack came first. It always had. But this… this was personal. And I wasn’t sure how much longer I could keep pretending that I didn’t care about Carden the way I did.

I sighed, rolling onto my side and closing my eyes, willing myself to sleep. Tomorrow was another day. Another chance to figure out how to move forward without losing myself in the process.

But deep down, I knew that this was far from over. My feelings for Carden weren’t going anywhere, and neither was the guilt that came with them.

For now, all I could do was wait and hope that, somehow, we’d all find our way through this—together.