Chapter 160 No Witnesses
The room slowly emptied after the ceremony.
Not all at once.
In quiet waves.
The elders left first, their expressions measured but no longer questioning. The pack followed, voices low, respectful, contained.
By the time Kane and Aria stepped out, the hall had already begun to settle back into something calmer.
They walked side by side.
Not speaking at first.
Kane broke the silence.
“You are quiet,” he said.
Aria glanced at him.
“So are you,” she replied.
“I am thinking,” he said.
“About the council,” she asked.
Kane shook his head.
“No.”
That made her look at him again.
“Then what,” she asked.
Kane’s gaze shifted briefly to her.
“You,” he said.
Aria’s lips curved faintly.
“That sounds like a problem,” she said.
“It is not,” Kane replied.
“It sounds like one.”
“It is not,” he repeated.
That earned a soft breath from her, almost a laugh.
“Alright,” she said. “I will let that pass.”
They fell into a quieter rhythm after that, their steps aligned without effort.
By the time they reached the penthouse, the air between them had shifted.
The door closed behind them with a soft click.
For the first time since the ceremony, there were no eyes on them.
No council.
No pack.
No expectations pressing in.
Aria exhaled slowly as she stepped further inside, her fingers brushing lightly against the back of a chair before she turned.
“It feels different,” she said.
Kane watched her.
“It is,” he replied.
She tilted her head slightly.
“Because of the ceremony,” she asked.
Kane shook his head once.
“Because it is recognized,” he said.
Aria studied him for a moment.
“That matters,” she said.
“It does,” Kane replied.
She nodded once.
“Good,” she said quietly.
A brief silence followed.
Then Kane spoke again.
“There is one thing we have not decided,” he said.
Aria raised a brow.
“And what is that,” she asked.
“Our honeymoon,” he said.
She let out a soft breath, something close to a laugh.
“Now you want to think about that,” she said.
“Yes,” Kane replied.
Aria turned fully toward him.
“You are impossible,” she said.
“I am consistent,” he answered.
“That is another word for impossible.”
Kane did not argue.
“Where would you go,” she asked.
Kane stepped closer.
“Somewhere no one knows us,” he said. “No council. No interruptions.”
Aria crossed her arms loosely.
“That sounds peaceful,” she said.
“It is,” Kane replied.
She studied him for a moment.
“Somewhere quiet,” she said. “Just us.”
“Yes,” Kane said.
Aria nodded slowly.
“I would like that,” she admitted.
Kane held her gaze.
“Then we go,” he said.
Aria shook her head gently.
“No,” she said.
Kane’s expression shifted slightly.
“Explain,” he said.
Aria met his gaze without hesitation.
“We finish this first,” she said. “Devon. Victoria. The challenge.”
Kane did not interrupt.
“We do not leave in the middle of that,” she added.
Kane stepped closer.
“You want to delay it,” he said.
“I want to earn it,” Aria replied.
The words settled between them.
Kane watched her carefully.
Then he nodded once.
“Agreed,” he said.
Aria exhaled softly.
“Good,” she said.
Another pause.
Then Kane spoke again, his voice lower now.
“That does not mean we wait for everything,” he said.
Aria looked at him.
“What does that mean,” she asked.
Kane closed the distance between them.
“It means,” he said, “we are not delaying what already belongs to us.”
Aria’s breath slowed slightly.
“You decide that,” she said.
“I do,” Kane replied.
Her hand moved to his chest, steady.
“And if I disagree,” she asked.
Kane did not hesitate.
“You do not,” he said.
That drew a faint smile from her.
“You are very confident,” she said.
“I am certain,” he corrected.
Aria’s eyes softened.
“Certain men are dangerous,” she said.
Kane’s gaze did not waver.
“I am aware.”
The air between them tightened, not with tension, but with something deeper.
Aria’s voice lowered.
“No one interrupts,” she said.
“No,” Kane replied.
“No council,” she added.
“No council.”
“No expectations.”
“No expectations.”
Aria nodded once.
“Good,” she said.
Kane’s hand tightened slightly at her waist.
Then, quietly, he said it.
“Mrs. Pierce.”
Aria froze.
For just a second.
Her breath caught.
Her eyes lifted to his, searching his face as if to confirm she had heard him correctly.
“Say that again,” she said softly.
Kane did not hesitate.
“Mrs. Pierce.”
A slow, quiet smile spread across her face.
She reached up, her hand resting against his jaw, her touch gentle but certain.
“That is the most beautiful name I have ever heard,” she said.
Kane’s gaze held hers.
“Good,” he replied.
The moment lingered.
Then he pulled her back into him.
The kiss came without hesitation.
Slow.
Deep.
Certain.
Aria responded immediately, her hand sliding against his chest as she stepped closer, fully present in the moment.
When they finally broke apart, her forehead rested lightly against his.
Her voice was soft.
“You will get used to saying that,” she murmured.
Kane’s answer came just as quietly.
“I already have.”
And this time, nothing stood between them.