Chapter 56

Chapter 56

Aria's POV

Two weeks after we started holding hands again, Drogo asked me to move back to our quarters.

We were finishing dinner when he brought it up. "I know you're not ready yet. But I wanted to ask anyway. Having you at Rosa's feels wrong. Like we're still broken."

"We are still broken," I pointed out. "Just because we're trying to fix things doesn't mean we're fixed."

"I know. But maybe being in the same space again would help. We could work on this together instead of separately."

"Or we could end up fighting more because we're around each other constantly."

"Maybe. But I'm willing to risk it if you are."

I thought about it. Rosa's spare room had been comfortable enough but it wasn't home. I missed waking up in familiar surroundings. Missed having my own space that actually felt like mine.

"Let me think about it," I told him.

"Take all the time you need."

Three days later I moved back in. Not because I'd forgiven him or because things were suddenly fine. Just because I was tired of being separated and wanted to see if we could actually live together again.

The first night was awkward. We moved around each other carefully, both hyperaware of the other's presence. Drogo offered to sleep on the floor but I told him that was ridiculous.

"We can share a bed without it meaning anything," I stated.

"Can we?"

"We're adults. We'll manage."

We lay on opposite sides of the bed with a clear gap between us. I fell asleep eventually but woke up several times during the night disoriented about where I was.

The second night was slightly better. The third night I actually slept through until morning.

By the end of the first week, we'd fallen into a routine. Waking up at the same time. Getting ready while chatting about the day's plans. Eating breakfast together before heading to our separate responsibilities.

It felt almost normal. Which was both comforting and terrifying.

"Are we doing okay?" Drogo asked one morning. "With this arrangement?"

"I think so. It's easier than I expected."

"Good. Because I like having you here again. Even if we're still figuring things out."

The pack noticed the change immediately. People started treating us like a couple again instead of like two separate individuals who happened to be married.

Cole commented on it during a training session. "You two seem better. More like yourselves."

"We're working on it."

"I can tell. It's good to see."

But not everything was smooth. We still had moments where the old hurt surfaced. Where something would remind me of his betrayal and I'd get cold and distant.

Like the time a messenger arrived from another pack and Drogo started to respond without consulting me first. He caught himself halfway through and stopped.

"Sorry. Let me get Aria before we finalize anything."

The messenger looked confused. "You need your Luna's permission to conduct pack business?"

"I need my partner's input on decisions that affect both of us. Yes."

After the messenger left, Drogo found me in the school.

"I almost did it again," he admitted. "Almost made a decision without you. But I caught myself."

"I noticed."

"Are you angry?"

"No. You stopped yourself. That's progress."

"It shouldn't be progress. It should be automatic by now."

"These things take time. You're trying. That matters."

A month after moving back in, something shifted between us.

We were getting ready for bed when Drogo spoke up. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"Do you think you'll ever fully trust me again? Or is this as good as it gets?"

I sat down on the bed. "I don't know. Some days I think we're getting there. Other days I remember what you did and wonder if I'm being stupid for even trying."

"That's fair."

"But I want to trust you again. I'm trying to get there."

"What would it take? For you to actually trust me completely?"

I thought about it honestly. "Time. Consistency. You continuing to include me in decisions even when it's inconvenient. You proving over and over that you see me as an equal."

"How long?"

"I don't know. Maybe months. Maybe years. Maybe never."

Drogo nodded slowly. "I can live with that uncertainty if you can."

"I don't have much choice. Either I live with the uncertainty or I give up completely."

"And you're not ready to give up?"

"No. Not yet anyway."

He moved closer on the bed. Not touching, just closing the distance slightly. "For what it's worth, I'm not giving up either. Even if it takes years. Even if you never fully trust me again. I'm committed to this."

"Why? Why stay committed to something that might never be what it was?"

"Because I love you. And because what we had before wasn't perfect either. Maybe we can build something better instead of just trying to recreate the past."

I looked at him. Really looked. Saw the exhaustion in his face from months of trying to prove himself. Saw the determination to keep trying anyway.

"Maybe," I agreed quietly.

That night we fell asleep closer together than we had been. Not cuddling, but not maintaining careful distance either.

It felt like progress.

The next morning, Drogo included me in a difficult pack decision about resource allocation. We disagreed on the approach but he actually listened to my concerns and adjusted his plan accordingly.

"This is better," he admitted after we'd finalized the decision together. "Better than what I would have done alone."

"That's the point of partnership. We make each other better."

"I'm sorry it took me so long to understand that."

"I know. But you understand it now. That's what matters."

Two days later, something happened that tested how far we'd actually come.

A messenger arrived from Aldric. He was requesting another meeting to discuss expanding trade agreements.

Drogo immediately came to find me before responding.

"Aldric wants to meet. What do you think?"

"About what specifically?"

"Trade expansion. He didn't give details but he rarely does."

I thought about it. "My instinct is to be suspicious. He always has ulterior motives."

"Agreed. But the current trade agreement has been beneficial. Expanding it might be worth hearing him out."

"As long as we go into it prepared for manipulation."

"Always." Drogo paused. "Do you want to be there for the meeting? Or would that be too uncomfortable?"

The fact that he asked instead of assuming meant everything.

"I'll be there. He's my father and this affects our pack. I should be involved."

"Okay. We'll respond that we're both available to meet next week."

After Drogo left to send the response, I sat down feeling lighter than I had in months.

He'd included me without being prompted. Had asked my opinion and actually listened. Had made me part of the decision from the start instead of as an afterthought.

It was such a small thing. But it mattered more than he probably realized.

Rosa found me at the school later that afternoon.

"You look different," she observed.

"Different how?"

"Happier. Less weighed down."

"Things are better. With Drogo. We're actually working as partners again."

"I'm glad. You both deserve that."

"Do we? After everything that happened?"

"Everyone deserves a chance to fix their mistakes. Drogo's been trying hard. And you've been brave enough to let him try. That takes courage from both of you."

That night Drogo and I talked about the upcoming meeting with Aldric. Planned our approach together. Discussed what we were willing to agree to and what our hard limits were.

It felt good. Natural. Like we were actually on the same team again.

When we finally went to bed, Drogo hesitated before lying down.

"Can I hold you? Or is that still too much?"

I considered it. Holding each other had always been how we slept before everything fell apart.

"You can try. If it feels wrong, I'll tell you."

He wrapped an arm around me carefully. I tensed at first but then slowly relaxed into it.

It felt familiar and strange at the same time. But not wrong.

"Is this okay?" he whispered.

"Yeah. It's okay."

I fell asleep like that. In my husband's arms. In our bed. In our quarters.

Not perfectly healed. Not completely trusting. But trying.