Chapter 158 No More Waiting
Kane did not move for a moment after the elder left.
The hallway felt narrower now. Not physically. But in the way every option had just been reduced to one.
Aria watched him carefully.
“You already knew this was coming,” she said.
Kane’s gaze shifted to her.
“I knew it was a possibility,” he replied. “I did not expect them to move this fast.”
Aria folded her arms lightly.
“They are not reacting,” she said. “They are ahead.”
Kane did not argue with that.
“No,” he said. “They are.”
Silence settled between them for a second.
Then Aria spoke again.
“Three days,” she said.
Kane nodded once.
“That is more than enough,” he replied.
Aria studied him.
“You sound very sure,” she said.
Kane held her gaze.
“I am not giving them an advantage,” he said. “Not on this.”
There was no hesitation in his voice.
Aria let out a slow breath.
“Then we do not wait,” she said.
Kane’s expression did not change.
“We were not going to,” he replied.
But there was a difference now.
Before, it had been something they were moving toward.
Now, it was something they had to secure.
Immediately.
Aria’s voice lowered slightly.
“This is not just about us anymore,” she said.
Kane nodded.
“I know,” he said.
She stepped a little closer.
“Then we do it properly,” she said. “Not rushed. Not careless.”
Kane looked at her for a long second.
Then he reached for her hand.
“It will be done right,” he said. “But it will be done now.”
Aria held his gaze.
“Good,” she said.
A quiet shift passed between them.
Not uncertainty.
Not doubt.
Decision.
Kane released her hand and turned.
“Marcus,” he said.
Marcus appeared at the end of the hall almost immediately, like he had been waiting for the call.
“I am here,” he said.
Kane studied him briefly.
“How is she,” Kane asked.
Marcus’s expression softened just slightly.
“She is stable,” he said. “Resting.”
Aria nodded once.
“That is good,” she said.
Marcus’s gaze moved between them.
“What is going on,” he asked.
Kane did not circle it.
“We are getting married,” he said.
Marcus blinked once.
Then he nodded.
“Finally,” he said.
Aria almost smiled.
Kane continued.
“We do it within three days,” he added.
That shifted Marcus’s expression slightly.
“Because of them,” he said.
It was not a question.
“No,” Kane replied. “Because of what it changes.”
Marcus understood that.
“Then we do it right,” he said.
Aria glanced at him.
“That is the plan,” she said.
Marcus nodded once.
“What do you need,” he asked.
Kane’s answer came immediately.
“Everything prepared,” he said. “Ceremony. Witnesses. Council acknowledgment.”
Marcus’s posture straightened.
“I will handle it,” he said.
Kane held his gaze for a second.
“I know,” he replied.
Marcus turned to leave, then paused.
“And Kane,” he added.
Kane looked at him.
Marcus’s expression shifted slightly.
“They are not the only ones planning ahead,” he said.
Kane’s gaze hardened.
“They think they are,” Kane replied.
Marcus gave a slight nod and walked off.
The hallway quieted again.
Aria leaned back lightly against the wall.
“This just became very real,” she said.
Kane looked at her.
“It was always real,” he said.
Aria tilted her head slightly.
“You know what I mean,” she said.
Kane stepped closer.
“Yes,” he said.
There was a brief pause.
Then Aria’s voice softened.
“Are you ready,” she asked.
Kane did not hesitate.
“I was ready the day I chose you,” he said.
The words settled between them.
Simple.
Certain.
Aria held his gaze for a moment longer.
Then she nodded.
“Then let us do it,” she said.
Kane reached for her again, his hand steady as it closed around hers.
“No delays,” he said.
“No delays,” she agreed.
They stood there for a second longer.
Not because they needed time.
But because everything ahead of them had just shifted into place.
Then Kane released her hand.
“We start now,” he said.
Aria pushed off the wall.
“Then I should speak to the elders,” she said. “Make sure there are no technicalities they can use against us.”
Kane nodded.
“Good,” he said.
“I will handle the rest.”
Aria gave a small nod.
“Of course you will,” she said.
There was a quiet confidence in her tone.
Not blind trust.
Earned certainty.
They moved in opposite directions then.
Each with a role.
Each with a purpose.
And no room left for hesitation.
Because somewhere else in the pack house, Maya was recovering from a shift that should not have happened the way it did.
And beyond that, Victoria and Devon were preparing for a challenge they believed they could win.
Kane had no intention of letting either of those things unfold unchecked.
Three days.
That was all they had.
And it was more than enough.