ONE HUNDRED AND FIVE

ONE HUNDRED AND FIVE
AIDEN’S POV
I had barely slept a wink after leaving Drake’s office last night. The words I had thrown at him replayed in my mind over and over, but more than that, the image of Isabel’s weary face haunted me.
For once, though, I felt like I had managed to pierce through the wall my brother built around himself. Drake hadn’t agreed, not outright, but I saw it in his eyes, the flicker of hesitation, the unspoken war within him. He might actually reconsider.
So this morning, as I made my way down stairs; I carried something rare in my chest. Hope.
I found her in the garden just outside the east corridor, her figure framed by the soft morning light. She was leaning against the railing, her eyes distant, as though her thoughts had carried her far away.
‘Isabel,’ I called gently.
She turned, and the moment her eyes landed on me, I knew she hadn’t expected to see me so soon. ‘Aiden.’ Her voice was cautious, but warm.
I stepped closer, careful not to rush. ‘I spoke to Drake.’
At once, her body went rigid, her lips parting. ‘Oh really you did….How did it go?...Was he mad at….’ She stuttered.
I raised a hand, trying to calm her. ‘Just calm down and listen. He didn’t give me a straight answer, but I could tell… he’s thinking about it. He might let you see your mother.’
‘Are you sure?’
‘I wouldn’t say I’m sure, but I know he is thinking about it so, let’s just be hopeful’
For a moment, she just stared at me, like she didn’t dare believe it. Then the words sank in, and joy bloomed across her face so brightly it nearly knocked the breath out of me.
‘You mean he might really allow it?’ she whispered.
I nodded, my chest tightening at the sight of her hope. ‘Yes. I think he will.’
She let out a choked laugh, her hands flying to her mouth as her eyes filled with tears. And before I could brace myself, she rushed forward and threw her arms around me.
I froze for a heartbeat, stunned by the sudden press of her body against mine, the softness of her cheek against my chest. Then my arms moved of their own accord, wrapping around her, holding her tightly.
Her scent filled me, sweet and intoxicating, and I felt her heartbeat thrum against mine, fast and frantic, like a rhythm we unconsciously shared. My hand slid up her back, caressing in gentle circles, and I felt her shiver.
She pulled back just slightly, enough for me to see her face. Her smile was radiant, her eyes shimmering with gratitude and something I couldn’t quite name.
‘Thank you,’ she breathed. ‘Aiden, I….thank you so much.’
Those words. That look. The way she held me like I was the only steady thing in her world.
I couldn’t hold it in anymore.
‘Isabel,’ I said, my voice hoarse. ‘I need to tell you something.’
She blinked, her smile faltering a little at the intensity in my tone. ‘What is it?’
I searched her eyes, desperate for the courage I’d been holding back for weeks. ‘I can’t keep pretending anymore. I…I think……I’m in love with you.’
The words tumbled out, raw and unpolished, but truer than anything I had ever said.
She froze, her lips parting in shock, her eyes widening as if I had just shifted the ground beneath her feet.
‘I’m sorry….what?’
‘I know you are Drake supposed mate or whatever’ I rushed on, my chest heaving, ‘But I don’t care.  I have suppressed this emotion for a long time now but I can’t hide it anymore. I have also seen the way he treats you. I have seen your tears, your strength. Isabel, you deserve more. You deserve someone who actually sees you. And that someone…..I want it to be me.’
Her lips trembled, but no sound came out. She looked like she had been struck silent, her chest rising and falling rapidly.
I couldn’t bear it. Couldn’t bear the thought of her slipping through my fingers before she understood the depth of what I felt.
So I did the only thing my body screamed at me to do.
I cupped her face, pulled her toward me, and kissed her.
It wasn’t a gentle kiss. It was desperate, searing, every ounce of longing and restraint I had buried pouring out at once. Her lips were soft and warm beneath mine, and for a heartbeat, she stiffened….surprised. But then she melted, her hands clutching my shirt, her body pressing closer.
The world vanished. There was no Drake, no distraction, no looming shadows. Just her, just us, just the fire that burned brighter the longer our mouths fused together.
I deepened the kiss, one hand sliding into her hair, the other holding her flush against me. She gasped into my mouth, breathless, and the sound nearly undid me.
We didn’t stop until her lungs demanded air. When we broke apart, she was panting, her eyes wide and glassy, her lips swollen from the force of it.
‘Aiden…what….,’ she whispered, her voice shaking.
I pressed my forehead to hers, my own chest heaving. ‘Say something. Please.’
But before she could, a sound cut through the moment….a low, dangerous rumble that froze the blood in my veins.
‘WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?’ Drake thundered, his voice like a storm breaking.
We broke apart as though burned, spinning toward the source of the voice.
Drake stood just a few feet away, his face a mask of rage, his fists clenched at his sides. His eyes burned like molten fire, locked on us, and in that instant, I knew he had seen everything.
The kiss. The closeness. The confession I had poured into every touch.
The Alpha of the pack, the man feared across nations, looked like he was about to kill us both.
And for the first time in years, I didn’t feel fear. I felt defiance.
Because Isabel was still in my arms.