Chapter 40

Chapter 40
Ronan

The manor was old, but sturdy. A relic from a time when the summit city hosted royalty and dignitaries from every corner of the realm. Thick stone walls, hidden courtyards, and ironwood doors made it both defensible and discreet. Perfect for what we needed now.

Aria stood by one of the tall windows, the fading light casting her silhouette in a soft halo. She had shed the glamour spell once inside. The sight of her without it, the true strength and serenity she carried, hit me harder than I expected.

It was beyond that she was beautiful and she was. In the time that he had known her she had really come into herself. She was no longer the scared frail girl who ran into the woods broken and scared. Her skin had a beautiful natural flush to it from her time spent outdoors. Her storm coloured eyes now held a spark, held life in them. Her long black hair hung loose around her, falling to her was it in soft shiny waves. She took his breath away. Some days he couldn't believe she was the same eighteen year old girl. She was now becoming exactly what she was meant to be. A beautiful women. A strong women. Brave, kind, devoted and smart. It was her heart though that drew him in. After everything she still had the biggest softest heart.

She belonged here. At the heart of their world. At the centre of it all.

And yet, part of me feared for her. Feared what would come.

I approached carefully, clearing my throat. "May I?"

She turned, offering a small smile. "Of course."

I crossed the room, feeling the weight of what I needed to say settle heavy in my chest. I had so much I wanted to say, so much I wanted her to know. But how to make the words come out right. I had never been one to be nervous. As Alpha of the rogues, not much could make me falter. But Aria made me nervous, made me feel things I never had.

"I owe you an apology," I said quietly. "Earlier, on the road, I questioned you. Your choices. I..."

She shook her head before I could continue. "Ronan, no. I don't want a court built on fear. I don't want advisors who just agree to everything I say because they're afraid to speak up."

Her voice was steady, kind. Strong. I don't know why I expected any different.

"Your questions, your concerns—they matter. We are walking a knife's edge. Kael… he complicates everything. Politically. Personally. There are so many lives at stake, and I don't pretend to have all the answers. I need to know that you will always question me. That you will always help me see things I may have missed. It is why I chose you Ronan."

I nodded, tension easing slightly. "It's not just politics."

She tilted her head, waiting. Her silver eyes assessing me carefully. But she didn't push. She let me continue at my pace. Gave me time.

I forced the words out before I lost my nerve. "You don't have to settle, Aria. You don't have to choose Kael just because it might make things easier."

Her eyes widened slightly, but she said nothing, letting me continue.

I took a deep breath and continued. "We can build alliances another way. You can choose someone who loves you—who respects you, who treasures you. You deserve that. You are worth so much more than a forced political mating. You deserve everything Aria."

The air between us tightened. I knew she was processing what I had said. I wanted to make sure she knew this. Knew that she had choices. She looked away, out the window again, her voice softer when she finally answered.

"I don't know what the future holds," she said. "Not with Kael. Not with any of this. All I can do is take it day by day, moment by moment. If we're going to change the world, we have to give others a chance to change too. If we are going to push others to trust us, trust this change we want. We need to do the same. We need to rise above and hold our hands out to bring others with us."

I swallowed hard, my wolf restless beneath my skin. I wanted to say more—that I'd seen too many rulers sacrifice themselves for a kingdom that never gave back. That she shouldn't have to carry it alone. That she shouldn't have to wonder if she would ever be loved without condition. That I would always be by her side. That I... I already treasured her. That I couldn't imagine why the goddess had paired her with someone like Kael. Someone who through away the most scared blessing, the most scared bond like it was nothing.

But I didn't. I couldn't. She already carried such a heavy burden, one she didn't even know existed not long ago. And she was carrying it beautifully. I couldn't add to that. I only wanted to help carry that burden for her.

Instead, I offered her a small smile and shifted the conversation. Before I let my feelings slip.

"We found a secure place," I said. "Beyond the manor grounds. It's protected. Secluded."

She turned to me again, her brow furrowed. "For what?"

"For running. For our wolves. It's been too long."

I hesitated, then extended my hand slightly. Trying to hide the tremble of nerves. We had run together during training, but never just to run. Never just in each others company.

"Would you join me?"

For a moment, she looked at my hand like it was something precious. Then she smiled—a real one, small but brilliant—and nodded. The light in her eyes twinkling from within.

"I'd like that." She replied softly.

I smiled back as she placed her hand in mine. I guided her through the corridors grounded in the warmth of her hand in mine.

In the growing twilight, we slipped from the manor—two shadows bound by hope, by loyalty, and by the quiet understanding that whatever came next, we would face it together.