Chapter 182 182

Chapter 182 182
Arielle's POV

I looked at Aeson, my heart pounding, my mind reeling from my mother's accusations. "Don't doubt me, Arielle," he said, his voice steady, his eyes locking onto mine. "I didn't even know your father was comatose until recently."

My mother growled. “Drop the act, Aeson! You caused the attack! You put my husband in that coma!"

"Stop it!"

A familiar voice cut through the tension like a blade. Father. We turned to see him standing before his car, his hand resting on the door. He looked pale but determined, his eyes fixed on my mother. I hadn't even realized he had come. It seemed like he had followed her, intent on stopping her from making a scene.

He reached us, his gaze landing on me, taking in the red mark on my cheek. His expression softened, and he gave me an apologetic look, his eyes silently asking for forgiveness on my mother's behalf. I could only nod, my throat too tight to speak.

"Hades," my mother said, her voice sharp. "You should be resting."

"I don't need to, Serena," he said, his voice firm. "How could I stay back knowing you would come here to upset Arielle over nothing?"

"Over nothing?" My mother's voice rose, her hand gesturing wildly toward Aeson. "Hades, he has her in his webs! He wants to use her to get to us!"

My father looked at Aeson, his expression unreadable. Then he shook his head and turned back to my mother. "You're misunderstanding this, Serena. It's not him. He wasn't behind the attack back then."

My mother's face went pale. "What?"

"Yes." My father nodded slowly. "I also thought it was him, but it's not him."

Jace appeared from the side of the packhouse, his steps hurried. He stopped before us, bowing briefly to Aeson. "I have to clear your name, Alpha."

Aeson's jaw tightened. "Jace, don't—"

"No." Jace shook his head, his voice firm. "I'm sorry, but they need to know. For this huge misunderstanding to be cleared." He turned to my mother, his gaze steady. "I got the Elixir of Renewal. It was solely for Aeson, but he gave it up—the only potion that could preserve his life in a fatal crisis that might come up in the future—just to save Hades. And he didn't want either of you to know, so I made it anonymous."

My parents stared at him, their faces frozen in disbelief. The silence stretched, thick and heavy.

Aeson stepped forward, his voice low, filled with sincerity. "I'm sorry about how things were with us in the past. But I want to put it behind us." He paused, his gaze moving between my parents. "I love Arielle, and I'll do right by her. Give me a chance. Please."

My parents looked at each other, a silent conversation passing between them. My mother's expression softened, just a fraction. My father let out a long breath, his shoulders dropping.

"I think we have a lot to talk about," my father said, his voice quiet. "But maybe not here. Not like this."

My mother nodded, her hand reaching out to touch my father's arm. "Yes. We'll talk."

I felt a surge of relief, the tension in my chest loosening just a little. Aeson reached for my hand, his fingers intertwining with mine.

"Thank you," I whispered, my voice barely audible. "Both of you."

\---

A month later

The woods were alive with the sounds of rustling leaves and distant birdsong. Aeson and I circled each other, our breaths misting in the cool morning air. He moved with fluid grace, his eyes locked on mine, a playful smirk tugging at his lips.

"Come on, little wolf," he taunted, his voice low. "Show me what you've got."

I lunged, aiming for his side, but he sidestepped effortlessly, his hand catching my wrist. I twisted, breaking free, and swung my leg toward his knees. He jumped back, laughing.

"Almost," he said, his eyes glinting.

I growled in frustration, feinting left before striking right. He caught my fist, pulling me forward until I stumbled against his chest. Before I could react, he spun me around, his arm locking around my waist.

"Got you," he murmured against my ear.

I struggled, but his grip was firm. "That's cheating."

He laughed, releasing me and turning me to face him. "It's called strategy."

I rolled my eyes, but a smile tugged at my lips. He leaned in, capturing my mouth in a kiss that was both fierce and tender. I melted into him, my hands fisting in his shirt.

When we broke apart, we were both laughing, trying to catch our breath. I leaned against him, my forehead resting on his chest.

"I can't believe I'm still here," I said softly. "Living this life with you."

He pressed a kiss to my hair. "Where else would you be?"

I shook my head, a small smile on my face. "It's just... a month ago, everything was a mess. My mother wasn't speaking to me, you were still the grumpy Alpha I couldn't stand..." I paused, laughing. "And now look at us."

He pulled back, his eyes softening. "I'd do it all over again. Every difficult moment. Just to have you here."

He noticed the wound on my arm—a shallow cut I'd sustained during our sparring. His expression shifted, his playful demeanor replaced by concern.

"You're hurt," he said, his voice low.

"It's a little wound," I said, pulling my arm back. "It'll heal."

"Shush," he said, taking my hand. "I'll tend to it. Come."

"Aeson—"

He didn't give me a chance to argue. He scooped me into his arms, cradling me against his chest as he carried me back to the house. I wrapped my arms around his neck, my heart swelling with affection.

He laid me gently on the couch and retrieved a small jar of ointment. His touch was tender as he applied it to the wound, his fingers gentle on my skin.

I watched him, my mind drifting back to the past month. So much had changed. So much had fallen into place.

"Lately, I heard Logan left the city," I said, my voice soft.

He shrugged, his focus still on my arm. "Oh."

"You did it, right?"

He looked up at me, his expression unreadable. "He's lucky. I wanted to kill him for everything he did to you. He had to run to escape me, and his father couldn't save him."

I shook my head, a small laugh escaping me. "You're awful."

"Awful," he repeated, a smirk tugging at his lips. "I prefer devoted."

I laughed, leaning forward to press a kiss to his cheek. "Things are happening so fast," I whispered. "And they're too good."

He frowned, pulling back to look at me. "You want it to stop? You want to return to drooling and having wet dreams about me?"

I gasped, my cheeks flushing. "Drooling at you?"

He grinned, his eyes glinting. "Yeah. I still recall how you drooled at me when I was on the balcony that other day."

"So you noticed me," I said, my voice a mix of surprise and embarrassment.

"Of course I did." He leaned in, his voice dropping to a low murmur. "But I was too proud to act like I cared."

I hissed, shoving him playfully. "I never had wet dreams."

"Lie," he said, his voice a low chuckle. "Lie. You're dripping now. I can tell."

"No, no—"

"Then let's find out.”

He kissed me, his lips capturing mine in a kiss that stole my breath. He lifted me, his arms wrapping around me as he carried me toward the stairs.

"Stop," I gasped between kisses. "Let me go, Aeson."

He didn't stop. He carried me up the stairs, his lips never leaving mine, and I clung to him, my heart soaring.

I couldn't believe things had turned out right after those early months of discord between us. But here we were, together, and it felt like everything was exactly as it should be. Like it was destined to be.

I couldn't wait for what the future holds for us.