Chapter 41

Chapter 41
Aria

The city fell away behind us like a memory. Like a weight I didn't know had settled on me. Ronan was right I hadn't let my wolf run in too long. So focused on what came next.

The moment we crossed into the dense woods beyond the manor, the tension I hadn’t realized I was holding bled from my body. The glamour spell was tucked away, my true scent and magic humming quietly beneath my skin. Soon I would reveal myself, but I couldn't yet.

Ronan shifted first, his wolf bursting forward in a graceful arc of dark fur and raw strength. His eyes, when they met mine, were bright and patient, a silent invitation. The perfect embodiment of have he always treated me.

My own wolf leapt forward, welcoming the shift with a ripple of silver light through my body. The transition was seamless now—no longer pain, no longer a battle of wills. My wolf was me, and I was her. Finally united together in harmony.

Together, we ran.

The world tilted into something sharper, wilder. The scents of damp earth, crushed pine, and sweet blooming nightflowers filled my senses. The ground was soft beneath my paws, each step sinking slightly before springing free. Above us, the moon hung low and full, threading the trees with silver.

I let go.

For the first time since we crossed into the Summit territory, I felt truly free. My wolf reveled in the wind streaming through my fur, the ground blurring beneath my paws. She called to the forest, and the forest answered. The trees leaned in, whispering their welcome. Small animals darted from our path, not in fear—but in reverence. Giving us space to run and explore.

I slowed once we reached a clearing.

The space was perfect—shielded by towering trees, with a bed of soft moss and a pool of moonlight in its center. Ronan’s wolf circled once before lying down, his amber eyes watching me closely, protective but not intrusive. He was letting me know he was there, but he was giving me space.

I paced the edge of the clearing, my paws digging into the moss. Energy coiled in my chest, humming beneath my skin, begging for release. Begging to leave my mark.

I tipped my muzzle to the sky and howled.

It wasn’t a call for help. It wasn’t mourning.

It was a claim.

I was here, I wasn't going anywhere. My family was not gone. We wouldn't be silenced again.

The forest responded. Magic bloomed outward from my paws, stirring the sleeping roots beneath the earth. Tiny blooms—pale blue and silver—unfurled around the clearing. The air thickened with the scent of wildflowers and old magic, rich and heady. I could feel my magic warming the earth, extending beyond our clearing. Extending out further into the forest. Into the city. My magic was enriching the forest around me, but it was also leaving its mark.

My wolf prowled slowly toward the pool of moonlight. I shifted back mid-stride, the magic wrapping around me like a second skin, clothing me in strands of light and woven mist. Barefoot, breathless, I stepped into the glow.

I closed my eyes and let my power breathe. I let myself breathe in the moment. Grounded in nature. In myself.

It wasn’t fire and destruction like my enemies feared. It was creation. Restoration.

But if needed, if forced or cornered I could be both.

I could feel the heartbeat of the land beneath my feet. Ancient. Steady. Forgiving.

Ronan shifted back as well, silent at the edge of the clearing, giving me space but never turning away. His steady presence was an anchor—no pressure, no expectation. Just... faith. In me. In my power. In what we could do together as a kingdom.

I sank to my knees and pressed a hand to the earth. I felt a hum in response.

"Thank you," I whispered to the land, to the goddess, to whatever forces still believed in second chances.

When I rose, the blooms followed, spiralling up my calves like living clothing, like nature was dripping me in its beauty as jewelry.

Ronan stepped forward then, slowly, carefully, as if approaching something sacred. His eyes looked wild, but he appeared calm.

"You've grown stronger," he said, voice rough.

I turned toward him, feeling the wild still clinging to me. I nodded, "The land feeds me. And I feed it. I am learning not to fight it, to embrace it. I thought at first that would be harder to control. But then something Sera said sunk in. I needed to accept everything about me. And lean into that. So by embracing it fully I gained better control, better understanding."

He smiled faintly, his eyes glowing almost golden. "You are one with the land now."

We stood like that for a moment—two warriors, two wolves—bound by more than duty now. By understanding. By choice.

"I missed this," I said softly. "Running free. Just... being."

"So did I." His voice dropped lower. "I missed you."

I glanced away, heart twisting, emotions too tangled to name. I wasn’t ready for more than this. Not yet. But still... it mattered. That he was here. That he saw me, not just as a Queen, but as a person. It was something I was worried I could get lost in. Lost in the weight of ruling. Of being the change that was so desperately needed. But still... the fact that he saw me. truly saw me for me. The whole time. Through my whole journey. It mattered.

"I’m glad you asked me to come tonight," I said. "I needed this."

Ronan just nodded, his wolf stirring in his gaze.

The forest held its breath around us. The stars wheeled overhead. The moon bathing us in her soft light.

Tomorrow, the masks would go back on. Tomorrow, politics and crowns and betrayal would rise again. Tomorrow all would be revealed. Tomorrow I would be the Queen of my people.

But tonight—

Tonight, I was just Aria.

And I was free. And it felt incredible.