Chapter 13 The Question
Chapter 13— Aria’s POV
The Question
The sound of the heavy front door opening made the room go still.
I looked up, heart hammering, as Aiden stepped inside. The air seemed to tighten around him. Even from a distance, his presence filled the room like a storm rolling in. My chest throbbed painfully. I wanted to shrink into the floor, to disappear completely—but I couldn’t move.
Mina, of course, was the first to react. She hurried forward, her face lighting up with a triumphant smile, and threw herself into his arms.
“Alpha! I—” she began, her voice trembling with what she hoped was emotion, but maybe it was more excitement than feeling.
But Aiden didn’t hug her back. His arms stayed stiff at his sides. His expression was unreadable, cold but sharp, like a blade hovering in the air.
“I am not here for you, Mina,” he said firmly. His voice cut across the room, stopping everyone in their tracks.
Mina froze, her eyes wide, her fake confidence faltering for a split second. Then she straightened, smoothing her dress, forcing the smile back on her face as if nothing had happened.
All around me, the room seemed to hold its breath. Every pair of eyes turned toward me, watching, waiting, judging. And my stomach turned into a tight knot of nerves and fear.
Aiden’s gaze finally found me. It landed there like fire, burning through my skin. My legs threatened to give way beneath me, but I forced myself to stand straight, to not look like I was trembling.
“Aria,” he said quietly, almost gently, though there was an edge beneath his tone that made it impossible to relax, “have you thought about it?”
I swallowed hard, nodding slowly. My lips felt dry, and the room seemed to shrink around me. My brothers exchanged glances, their expressions cautious, but alert. They had been so focused on Mina all this time—her tears, her shouting, her fake charm—they hadn’t noticed the storm swirling inside me, the decision I had carried silently for days.
The tension was almost suffocating. My heart beat so loudly in my chest that I thought they would all hear it. I could feel the weight of their eyes, the weight of expectation.
Finally, one of my brothers stepped forward. His voice was calm but carried the firmness that only a leader of a pack could have.
“Aria… what is your decision?” he asked.
I took a deep, shuddering breath. My throat felt raw, my hands trembling slightly at my sides. The words I was about to speak were not just a decision—they were a declaration, one that could change everything in this room, perhaps in all our lives.
“My decision,” I began, my voice low but steady, “is based on Mina’s choice.”
The room went silent. Everyone’s eyes widened. Confusion painted their faces.
“Mina’s choice?” one of my brothers finally asked, his brow furrowed. “What do you mean by that?”
I swallowed again, feeling the lump in my throat press painfully against my jaw. Every heartbeat screamed with fear and courage all at once. I looked directly at Mina. She stiffened, her eyes flashing with suspicion, anger, and something else I couldn’t quite name.
I stepped a little closer, my hands gripping each other tightly, trying to keep them from shaking. My voice was soft, but it carried the weight of every emotion I had buried inside me these past weeks.
“Mina,” I said carefully, almost whispering, “do you want me to stay here… and claim your parents’ love, your brothers’ love… everything that belongs to this family?”
Her eyes widened further, and a sharp intake of breath escaped her lips.
“Or…” I continued, my heart pounding so hard I thought it would burst, “…do you want me to leave… and give it all to your fiancée, so that you can have them to yourself?”
The room froze.
I could feel every eye on me, every breath held. My mother’s hand flew to her mouth. My father’s expression was hard to read—proud, shocked, confused all at once. My brothers’ jaws clenched. Even Aiden, standing there like a storm in human form, froze mid-step, his eyes locked on me.
Mina’s face went pale, her lips parting, and then she pressed her hand to her chest as if to steady her racing heartbeat. Her mind was spinning. I could see it in her eyes—the anger, the disbelief, the fear, and the tiny flicker of vulnerability she rarely allowed anyone to see.
The silence stretched on. No one moved. No one spoke. It was as if the world itself had paused, waiting for her answer, waiting for my fate to be sealed.
I felt my hands trembling now, but I didn’t dare move them. I didn’t dare look away. I had spoken the truth, and now the weight of it pressed down on everyone in the room.
The air was thick with tension, almost suffocating. I could hear my own heartbeat pounding in my ears, loud and relentless. I could feel the raw anticipation, the unspoken threats, the hopes, and fears of everyone gathered here.
For the first time in a long while, I realized the power of words. How simple words, spoken at the right moment, could change everything… or nothing at all.
I held my gaze on Mina, my chest rising and falling rapidly. And I waited.
I waited for the response that would decide not only my path but the course of everyone’s lives in this room.