Aria’s POV
That voice.
I knew that voice.
Every nerve in my body went ice cold. Then burning hot. Then cold again.
"You dare do evil on my territory?"
The words rolled through the alley like thunder. Low. Dangerous. Carrying the weight of absolute authority.
My hands moved on their own. Fumbling. Desperate. Finding the mask that had slipped during the struggle. Yanking it back over my face.
Hide. I had to hide.
The man pinning me to the wall went rigid. His grip loosened.
"A-Alpha Blood Crown?" His voice cracked. Actually cracked. "We didn’t—we weren’t—"
"Get. Off. Her."
Three words. That’s all it took.
The man released me like I was on fire. Stumbled backward. Nearly tripped over his own feet.
I slid down the wall. Legs too weak to hold me. Heart pounding so hard I could hear it in my ears.
Don’t look up. Don’t look up. Don’t look up.
I pressed my face toward the ground. Let my hair fall forward. Made myself as small as possible.
"Sir, please." The driver’s voice was different now. Gone was the predatory confidence. Replaced by something pathetic. Groveling. "This is all a misunderstanding. We were just—we were just trying to invite these lovely ladies for a drink. That’s all."
I could feel him. His presence. That overwhelming aura that made the air itself feel heavier. Three years hadn’t dulled it. If anything, it was stronger now.
"A drink." Kael’s voice was calm. Almost lazy. Like he was discussing the weather. "Is that what you call cornering two women in a dark alley? Grabbing them? Throwing them against walls?"
"We didn’t mean any harm—"
"We’re sorry!" The third man finally spoke. Voice high and desperate. "We’re so sorry, Alpha! It won’t happen again! We swear!"
"You’re right." Kael’s voice dropped even lower. "It won’t."
A rush of movement. A thud. Someone crying out in pain.
I didn’t look up. Kept my face hidden. Kept my body curled against the wall.
"Get out of my sight." The command was absolute. Final. "If I ever see any of you near this district again, you won’t walk away."
Footsteps. Running. Scrambling. The sound of the car doors slamming. Engine revving. Tires screeching against pavement.
Then nothing.
Just the distant hum of the city. The whisper of wind through the alley. And my own ragged breathing.
"Hey!"
Sophie’s voice cut through the fog.
She was beside me suddenly. Hands on my shoulders. Face inches from mine.
"Are you okay? Did they hurt you? Let me see—"
"I’m fine." The words came out hoarse. Barely audible. "I’m fine. Don’t—don’t draw attention."
"Okay." She slipped her arm around my waist. Pulled me to my feet. "Okay. I’ve got you."
I kept my head down. Let my hair curtain my face. The mask helped, but it wasn’t enough. I needed more. Needed to disappear completely.
"Are you two alright?"
His voice. Closer now.
My heart stopped.
Sophie turned. Put herself between me and him.
"Yes! Yes, we’re fine!" Her voice was too bright. Too cheerful. Overcompensating for the terror still clinging to her words. "Thank you so much for helping us. We really appreciate it. You showed up just in time!"
"Those men won’t bother you again."
I risked a glance through the curtain of my hair and the mask.
There he was.
Standing in the dim light of a distant streetlamp. Still in the clothes he’d worn at The Pit. Dark shirt stretched across those broad shoulders. Blood still on his knuckles from the fight.
He looked... tired.
Looks like three years had changed him too.
"Seriously, thank you!" Sophie was still talking. Still covering for me. "We got a little lost and wandered into the wrong area. Totally our fault. Won’t happen again!"
Kael’s head tilted slightly. Looking past Sophie. At me.
"Your friend." His voice was quieter now. "Is she hurt?"
I pressed closer to Sophie. Turned my face away.
"She’s fine!" Sophie stepped to the side, blocking his view completely. "Just scared. You know how it is. Being grabbed by strange men in a dark alley. Really shakes you up."
A pause.
"You’re human." It wasn’t a question.
"Guilty as charged!" Sophie laughed. Too loud. Too nervous. "Just a couple of humans who made some poor life choices tonight. But we’re okay now! Thanks to you!"
"This area isn’t safe for humans." His voice was flat. Matter-of-fact. "Especially at this hour. Do you need an escort to the nearest station?"
No. No. Absolutely not.
I shook my head frantically behind Sophie’s back. She caught the movement.
"No! No, that’s okay!" She started edging backward. Pulling me with her. "We know where we’re going now. It’s not far. Just a few blocks. We’ll be fine!"
Silence.
I could feel his gaze on me. That penetrating stare that used to see right through all my defenses.
But I wasn’t the same person anymore. I had no scent. No wolf. Nothing to mark me as the Omega he’d once known.
Sophie spun around. Grabbed my wrist. Started walking fast.
Too fast.
I stumbled. My heel caught on something. The ground rushed up—
A hand caught my arm.
Strong. Warm. Familiar in a way that made my chest ache.
"Hey..."
I froze.
His grip was gentle. Steadying. He’d moved without making a sound. One second he was behind us, the next he was right there.
Right there.
"...you...?"
That voice. So close. I could feel the heat of his body. Smell the faint traces of sweat and something dark and masculine underneath.
Three years collapsed into nothing.
I was back in his arms again. Back in those moments when he’d held me like I mattered. Like I was precious. Like I was his.
Before he’d destroyed everything.
Sophie’s voice was sharp. Urgent. "We need to go. Now."
The sound broke the spell.
I yanked my arm back. Hard enough that I stumbled again. Sophie caught me this time.
"Sorry!" Sophie was already pulling me away. "She’s just really shaken up. Thanks again for your help!"
We ran.
Our heels clicked frantically against the pavement. Sophie’s grip on my wrist was iron. My hair whipped behind me. The mask stayed on my face.
I didn’t look back.
Couldn’t look back.