Chapter 120 120

Chapter 120 120
Lyka’s POV

I bit down anxiously on my lower lip the moment my eyes landed on Aiden standing in front of my room. My heart skipped slightly at the sight of him, unease immediately creeping beneath my skin as several possibilities rushed through my mind at once.
Did something happen?
Was there another attack?
Or worse… had he somehow found out about everything?
The dim lantern light spilling across the hallway cast faint shadows against his face, making it difficult to read his expression completely. But despite my growing nervousness, Aiden simply stood there calmly, his usual composed demeanor intact.
“Are you back?” he asked softly, a small smile appearing on his face.
Relief loosened the tight knot in my chest slightly.
At least he didn’t look angry.
I quickly walked toward him, though confusion still lingered heavily inside me.
“What are you doing here?” I asked, but the moment the question left my mouth, I internally cursed myself.
Obviously, he didn’t come to stare at my door for fun.
Aiden chuckled quietly, almost as if he noticed my awkwardness.
“I came because I wanted to ask you something,” he replied calmly.
The moment he said that, my stomach tightened again.
I already had a feeling I knew what he wanted to discuss.
Derrick. The truth. The lies I had hidden from everyone.
“Let’s go inside first,” I suggested quickly before he could continue speaking. “We can talk there.”
The hallway suddenly felt too exposed for my liking. With everything happening around the pack lately, I had already become overly cautious. At this point, I wouldn’t even be surprised if someone was lurking nearby listening to every conversation.
Aiden nodded without questioning me further.
We both stepped into the room quietly, and the moment the door shut behind us, I began mentally preparing excuses and half-truths inside my head.
“Aiden, I’m sorry…” I started immediately, guilt already rising in my throat.
But before I could finish, he interrupted me completely.
“You and Derrick looked good together.”
I blinked in confusion.
My ears perked instantly, certain I must have heard him wrongly.
“What?” I asked stupidly.
Aiden smiled faintly at my reaction before leaning casually against the chair near the window.
“You looked happy,” he clarified.
For a few seconds, I simply stared at him blankly.
Was he seriously talking about Derrick and me right now?
“Wait,” I said slowly. “You mean you’re not angry that I hid the truth from you?”
Honestly, after everything, I expected disappointment at the very least.
But surprisingly, Aiden shook his head calmly.
“No,” he answered simply. “I’m not angry.”
The sincerity in his voice caught me off guard.
“There are some things people choose to keep private,” he continued. “I understand that better than most.”
Then he paused briefly before adding quietly—
“Just like how I found my mate.”
I nodded absentmindedly at first, still processing his understanding response.
But then his last sentence fully registered inside my brain.
My eyes widened instantly.
“What?!” I practically shrieked. “You found your mate?”
Aiden nodded calmly again, though something unreadable flickered briefly across his face.
I immediately covered my mouth in shock.
“That’s huge news!” I exclaimed while staring at him excitedly. “Who is she? Do I know her? Is she from the pack?”
The questions spilled out rapidly before I could stop myself.
But instead of reacting enthusiastically, Aiden simply shook his head slowly.
“No,” he answered quietly. “And I doubt you’ll ever get to know her.”
Confusion crossed my face immediately.
“What do you mean?”
A faint sigh escaped him.
“Because I rejected her.”
Silence crashed heavily into the room.
For a moment, I genuinely wondered whether I had heard him wrongly again.
“You… what?” I asked blankly.
Aiden looked away briefly.
“I rejected the bond.”
My jaw nearly dropped to the floor.
What kind of insanity was that?
Rejecting your mate immediately after finding them?
Was he actually serious?
“But why?” I asked in complete disbelief. “Why would you do something like that?”
Aiden exhaled heavily before finally beginning his explanation.
As he spoke, the atmosphere around us shifted slowly, becoming quieter and more emotional than I expected.
And the more I listened…