Chapter 58

Serena’s POV

A soft kiss landed on my forehead, lingering for just a second too long.

I froze.

“What about that?” he asked, his voice low, rough with something unfamiliar.

“Alpha Aeson…” I whispered.

His gaze darkened. “Why are you still being formal with me?”

I swallowed. “You’re my Alpha.”

His jaw tensed slightly. “Address me as Aeson.”

“No. Alpha Aeson.”

His brow twitched, and I recognized that look—he was about to do something reckless.

I instinctively pressed myself closer to the door just as he leaned in again.

“Will you stop addressing me as that… or should I kiss the ‘Alpha’ off your lips?”

His voice was a quiet challenge, and his stare… it told me he wasn’t joking.

I shook my head. “No.” Then I turned away, staring firmly out the window.

A low chuckle rumbled from him as he leaned back and started the car. “Alright. Can you have dinner with me?”

I exhaled sharply. “Sorry. No.”

His fingers drummed against the steering wheel. “Are you trying to avoid me?”

I turned to face him fully this time, meeting his gaze head-on. “No. But I don’t want you to be in a fix.”

His smirk faded. “What do you mean by that?”

I took a breath. “You should stop being close with me, Aeson. You’re definitely not going to choose me over your chosen mate, Aurora. So just reject me.”

The moment the words left my lips, his entire demeanor shifted.

His grip on the wheel tightened. Silence pressed in, not empty but loaded with everything we weren’t saying.

The soft hum of the car’s engine was the only sound filling the space, but even that felt distant, drowned by the weight of what I had just said.

Aeson didn’t move. His fingers, once lazily drumming against the steering wheel, had stilled, his knuckles tightening just enough to turn them pale.

I swallowed, bracing myself.

Then, he let out a low, humorless chuckle. “Reject you?” His voice was quiet, but the sharpness in it cut through the air. He finally turned his head, his piercing gaze locking onto mine. “Is that what you really want, Serena?”

I opened my mouth, but nothing came out.

His eyes didn’t waver. “You think it’s that simple?”

I looked away, staring at my own reflection in the dark window. “It should be.” My voice barely carried, but I knew he heard me.

“It’s not.”

My fingers curled into my lap. “It will be, once you say the words.”

Aeson scoffed, shifting in his seat. “You really don’t get it, do you?” His voice had an edge now, frustration lacing every syllable. “Do you think I did all of that back there just for fun?”

I turned back to him. “You’re an Alpha, Aeson. People admire you. They expect you to—”

“To what? Pretend you don’t exist?”

His words hit harder than I expected. My lips parted, but he leaned in before I could respond, closing the distance between us.

“Do you want to be forgotten, Serena?” His voice was lower now, intense. “Do you really believe I would go through all this effort for someone I don’t care about?”

My heart pounded. “Aurora is your chosen mate.”

His jaw tightened. “That’s what they decided for me.”

I shook my head. “That doesn’t change anything.”

A muscle in his jaw twitched. He let out a slow breath before speaking, his voice measured. “You don’t get to decide for me, Serena.”

I looked at him, my resolve cracking under the weight of his gaze. “And what about her?”

His lips pressed into a thin line. And then, in a tone so quiet it almost sounded like a confession, he murmured, “What if I don’t care?”

His words echoed in my mind, but I pushed them away, forcing myself to steady my breathing. His silence was unnerving, the weight of his gaze lingering even as I spoke.

"You couldn't care less about Aurora," I finally said, my voice softer than I intended. "Because no matter how much you deny it, your fate is already intertwined with hers—regardless of me being your fated mate, Aeson."

His grip on the wheel tightened, but he didn’t speak.

"Serena..." he began, but I cut in, my heart hammering.

"You've done a lot for me as it is, and I can't even begin to repay you for that," I swallowed, tasting hesitation on my tongue. "But what I can do is make sure you're not jeopardized because of a bond we share."

Aeson exhaled sharply, his fingers flexing before settling into a white-knuckled grip.

I hesitated, then continued. "I know you won’t put your reputation and your pack at stake just to push Aurora aside to claim me."

That did it.

He turned his head then, just slightly, but enough for me to catch the flicker in his expression—like a storm gathering behind his eyes. Something unreadable, something restrained.

The look he gave me said it all.

I was right.

Without a word, he turned back to the road, his jaw locked, his focus sharp.

I exhaled, tension bleeding from my shoulders. Had I gone too far? Said too much?

Minutes passed in silence until Aeson pulled up in front of my house. The glow of the porch light illuminated the car’s interior, casting soft shadows on his sharp features.

I turned to him, attempting a small smile. "Thanks for the ride."

He didn’t respond.

That was my cue to leave.

I reached for the door handle, but before I could step out, his hand shot out, wrapping firmly around my wrist.

A sharp gasp left my lips as he pulled me back, his grip unyielding yet careful, as though holding something fragile. My heart lurched at the intensity in his stare.

Then, his voice dropped, low and demanding. "Did Caiden touch you?"

The weight of his words pressed down on me. He wasn’t asking out of casual curiosity. He asked severely.

I swallowed hard, willing my voice to stay steady. "What… what do you mean?"

Aeson’s eyes narrowed as if he was scanning inside of me, his grip tightening slightly before he loosened it. His gaze pinned me in place, unreadable yet sharp, like he was peeling back every layer of my thoughts.

Then, with a voice low and cutting, he asked, "Did Caiden taste you, Serena?"