Chapter 49 049

Chapter 49 049
Chapter 48

Aria's POV
The argument started over something small.

Drogo had made a decision about expanding the school without consulting me. He'd approved construction of a third building and hired two new teachers while I was visiting the outer settlements.

I found out when I returned and saw workers already breaking ground.

"You didn't think to wait until I got back?" I confronted him in our quarters that evening.

"It needed to happen quickly. The Clearwater Pack wanted to send students next month and we're already at capacity."

"So you just decided without me?"

"I made an administrative decision. That's what Alphas do."

The words hit wrong. "Administrative decision? The school was my idea. I've been running it since the beginning."

"And I'm grateful for that. But ultimately I'm responsible for everything that happens in Shadow Peak. Including the school."

I stared at him. "So what, I'm just the Luna who had a nice idea and now you're taking over?"

"That's not what I said."

"It's what you meant though. You made a major decision about something I built without even asking my opinion."

Drogo's jaw tightened. "I didn't think I needed permission to approve expansion of a Shadow Peak project."

"Permission? I'm your wife, not some pack member requesting approval. We're supposed to be partners."

"We are partners. But I'm still the Alpha. Some decisions I have to make without committee."

"Committee?" My voice rose. "Is that what you think I am? A committee?"

"Aria, you're twisting my words."

"No, I'm hearing them clearly for the first time." I grabbed my cloak. "I need air."

I left before he could respond. Walked through the fortress without really seeing where I was going. Ended up at the school building, now dark and empty for the night.

Beth found me sitting on the steps.

"Heard you and Drogo had words," she mentioned quietly, sitting beside me.

"News travels fast."

"You were shouting loud enough that half the fortress heard. What happened?"

I explained about the construction decision. About feeling dismissed and sidelined.

Beth listened without interrupting. When I finished, she was quiet for a moment.

"Can I be honest?" she finally asked.

"Please."

"You're both right. And both wrong."

"That's not helpful."

"Hear me out. Drogo should have consulted you. The school is your project and making major decisions without you was dismissive. But you're also treating this like he betrayed you when really he just made a practical decision poorly."

"It's not about the decision. It's about what it represents."

"Which is?"

"That he still sees himself as the Alpha and me as the Luna. Not equals. Not real partners."

Beth considered that. "Has he done other things that make you feel that way?"

I thought about it. "Small things. Like last month when he negotiated with Aldric without telling me first. Or when he changed the patrol schedule without asking if it would interfere with school activities."

"Did you tell him those things bothered you?"

"I mentioned them."

"Mentioned or actually told him clearly that you felt excluded?"

I didn't answer because I knew what she was getting at.

"Aria, you survived leaving your father's pack and building a life here. You fought in battles and killed an Alpha. You're not exactly timid. But with Drogo, sometimes I think you hold back. Don't say what you really mean because you're afraid of conflict."

"We have enough conflict without me adding to it."

"That's exactly the problem. You're avoiding necessary conflict. The kind that happens in healthy relationships when people need to work things out."

She was right and I hated it.

"So what do I do?"

"Go back. Tell him exactly how you feel. Not in anger, but clearly. Let him know what you need from him as a partner."

I sat there for another hour before heading back to our quarters. Drogo was still awake, sitting at the desk reviewing reports. He looked up when I entered.

"I thought you might not come back tonight," he admitted.

"I considered it."

We looked at each other across the room. The space between us felt larger than it should.

"I'm sorry," Drogo started. "You were right. I should have waited to discuss the expansion with you."

"Why didn't you?"

He was quiet for a moment. "Honest answer? I didn't think it was necessary. The decision seemed straightforward and I thought you'd be pleased we were growing."

"That's the problem though. You didn't think it was necessary to include me. Like my input was optional."

"That wasn't my intention."

"I know. But that's how it felt." I sat down across from him. "We need to talk about this. Really talk, not just apologize and move on."

Drogo set aside the reports. "Alright. Talk."

"When we got married, you told me we were partners. Equals. But sometimes I don't feel like an equal. I feel like the Luna who's expected to support the Alpha's decisions, not make them with you."

"That's not how I see you."

"Maybe not consciously. But your actions suggest otherwise. You make decisions that affect things I'm responsible for without consulting me. You negotiate with other Alphas without my input even when it impacts me directly. You treat me like someone you need to inform, not someone you need to collaborate with."

Drogo looked uncomfortable. "I've been an Alpha my whole adult life. I'm used to making decisions independently. It's not about you specifically."

"I know. But I need you to change that. At least when it comes to decisions that affect both of us or things I'm directly involved in."

"What does that look like practically?"

"It means before you approve major changes to the school, you talk to me. Before you negotiate with Aldric about anything involving me or our relationship, you include me. Before you make decisions that impact my responsibilities, you consult me first."

"Even if it slows things down?"

"Even then. I'd rather make slower, collaborative decisions than fast, unilateral ones that make me feel like a subordinate."

Drogo nodded slowly. "You're right. I have been treating you like someone I need to inform instead of someone I need to work with. That's not acceptable."

"It's a pattern from how you were raised. Alphas are taught to lead alone. But that's not the kind of marriage I want."

"It's not the kind I want either." He reached across the table and took my hand. "I love you. I respect you. But clearly I'm not showing that in my actions. Help me do better."

"Stop making decisions about shared responsibilities without me. Ask my opinion before finalizing things. Trust that including me will make us stronger, not weaker."

"I can do that. But you need to help me too."

"How?"

"Tell me when I'm doing it. Don't just mention it in passing. Make me stop and actually address it. Because clearly I'm not noticing when I slip into old patterns."

"Deal."

We talked for another hour. About specific situations where we'd failed to communicate. About what partnership actually meant in practice. About how to handle disagreements without one of us feeling dismissed.

It wasn't a perfect resolution. We both knew this would be an ongoing challenge. But it felt like progress.

Later, lying in bed, Drogo pulled me close.

"I meant what I said earlier. I do see you as my equal. My partner. But I need to do better at showing it."

"And I need to do better at speaking up when I feel sidelined instead of letting it build up."

"We're both works in progress."

"Good thing we have time to figure it out."

He kissed my forehead. "I approved the third building without you. What would you have done differently?"

"I would have waited until we had more teachers confirmed. Building without adequate staff means we'll have space we can't use."

"That's a good point. One I didn't consider."

"See? This is why you need to consult me."

"Noted. From now on, major school decisions are joint decisions."

"Not just school decisions. Any major decision that affects both of us."

"Agreed."

We fell asleep like that, holding each other. The argument hadn't been fun, but it felt necessary. Like we'd addressed something that needed addressing before it became a bigger problem.

The next morning, Drogo made a point of discussing the construction timeline with me. Asked my opinion on hiring decisions. Included me in a message he was drafting to another Alpha.

Small things. But they mattered.

Beth noticed the change too. "You two work it out?"

"We're working on it. Turns out healthy relationships require actual communication."

"Revolutionary concept."

"Shut up."

She grinned. "I'm proud of you though. For actually addressing it instead of just accepting how things were."

"I'm learning. Slowly."

The construction continued. But this time I was involved in every decision. It made the process slower but also better. We caught issues we would have missed. Made improvements we wouldn't have thought of individually.

Partnership wasn't easy. It required constant effort and communication. Butit was worth it.

Because at the end of the day, I didn't just want to be Drogo's Luna.

I wanted to be his equal in every way that mattered.

And we were finally figuring out how to make that real.