When Julian’s biological mother, Esther, was still in college, she had been pushed into a blind date. One careless night led to a pregnancy, and Julian ca into the world that way. Back then, she was only about ten years older than Lewis.
For a brief mont, a thought slipped into my mind.
Had Lewis loved Esther?
The idea startled , but I dismissed it just as quickly. It sounded foolish.
A flower was just a flower. On the day of my funeral, Lewis had placed a single rose on my grave too. That didn’t an anything. I was overthinking it.
Still, curiosity crept in.
"Were Lewis and Esther close?" I asked.
Julian’s expression shifted. His voice dropped. "Lewis’s leg... was injured because of my mom."
Before I could ask more, he opened the car door, picked up a bouquet of daisies, and walked toward the grave.
I stayed behind and watched through the window.
Lewis sat quietly in his chair, Julian standing beside him. The mountain wind howled around them, sharp and cold. Their lips moved, but no sound reached . Whatever they were saying stayed between them and the dead.
I hadn’t known Esther well, but I rembered her warmth. She always smiled gently and baked the best pastries. When I was young, I wanted seconds but never dared to ask. I was just a guest, after all. Her face had blurred over ti, but her kindness hadn’t. She had been the kind of woman who made you feel safe without trying.
Lewis eventually turned and noticed . He looked surprised.
Snow mixed with rain, biting against the skin. He frowned when he saw .
"Why are you here?"
"I heard from Julian you ca, so I thought I’d stop by," I said honestly.
He reached for my hand. The mont his fingers touched mine, his brows knit together.
"You’re freezing. Go ho. I still need to stay a bit longer."
I nodded. "Okay."
After all, we weren’t truly bonded in the way others expected. He didn’t owe explanations.
I rode back in Julian’s car. Only then did I notice a bouquet of white hydrangeas resting quietly on the seat beside .
When Julian got in, he shut the door firmly, sealing out the storm. Through the window, I saw Theo wheel Lewis away. Sothing twisted in my chest uneasy, complicated.
Breaking the silence, I turned to Julian.
"You said earlier Lewis was injured because of your mother. What did you an?"
He glanced at . "Do you really want to know?"
I nodded.
Suddenly, he leaned forward. His hands pressed against the door on either side of , trapping in place. The move was reckless especially with the driver just ahead. I was his aunt now.
My heart jumped.
"Julian, what are you doing?" I asked, my voice unsteady.
His breath was warm, close. He lifted my chin and studied my face, eyes dark and unreadable.
"Look at yourself, Aunt Riley," he said softly. "You look exactly like Elena. Especially your eyes. Do you know how much that’s ssed with ?"
The truth hit hard.
Riley’s eyes weren’t like mine at all.
When Julian looked at , he wasn’t seeing Riley.
He was seeing Elena.
Everything made sense his moods, his distance, the tension he carried like a wound that never closed. And now, this mont.
"I don’t know what you’re talking about," I said quietly.
Julian reached forward and raised the partition.
The driver disappeared from view.
And suddenly, we were alone.
A cold curve touched Julian’s lips. It wasn’t a smile. It was sharp, bitter.
"Still acting clueless?" he said. "Do you really think I can’t see through you? That banquet everything about it. You and Lewis planned it together. Don’t insult by denying it."
My chest tightened. "Didn’t you say it yourself?" I shot back. "That as long as it wasn’t Camilla, it didn’t matter who you mated with?"
His jaw clenched. The air around him shifted, heavy and restless.
"That was anger talking," he said darkly. "I didn’t an it."
His fingers brushed my cheek. Light. Careful. Like he was afraid I’d vanish if he touched too hard. His hand trembled, and his voice dropped, rough with sothing raw.
"The only person I ever chose," he said, "was my mate. Elena." The na tasted like poison on his tongue. "And you Riley you forced to turn my back on her. So tell this. Why should I bind myself to soone I feel nothing for, while you walk around untouched, like none of this ever mattered?"
I shoved at his chest. "Julian, stop it. I’m your aunt now."
He laughed. Low. Empty.
"That title ans nothing," he said. "Do you really think Lewis would punish ? For my mother’s sake, he wouldn’t dare."
His eyes darkened, sothing fierce flashing beneath them.
"Don’t pretend you’re innocent," he went on. "I didn’t chase you. You ca into my territory wearing her face. You look just like Elena. That’s not sothing I asked for. So don’t act like I’m the one breaking rules."
He leaned closer. Too close. His presence pressed against , suffocating. My heart slamd hard against my ribs. I turned my face away.
And then I slapped him.
The sound cracked through the car like a gunshot.
"You’ve lost your mind!" I yelled, my hands shaking. "How dare you say things like that to ? If Dad hears about this, you’ll regret it!"
Julian didn’t move.
His cheek reddened, but his eyes stayed calm. Almost amused.
"If I say you tempted ," he said slowly, "who do you think Grandpa will believe? His precious heir... or the woman who only gained status by binding herself to the Alpha?"
My blood ran cold.
He leaned in again, voice low and cruel.
"If I can’t claim you," he said, "then Lewis won’t either."
Sothing twisted in my stomach. The way he looked at it wasn’t desire anymore. It was control. Possession.
This wasn’t the Julian I knew.
The man from before had been cold, selfish, distant but human. This version of him was driven by sothing darker, sothing that didn’t know when to stop.
"Julian," I said carefully, forcing my voice steady, "what about Elena? Have you forgotten what she suffered? How she died? Do you really think this is what she would’ve wanted?"
For a mont, just one, his face cracked.
His grip tightened on my arm. His eyes flickered, pain flashing through them like a dying fla.
Then he looked at again really looked.
And it was clear he wasn’t seeing .
His fingers slid slowly along my neck. His voice broke.
"You ca back," he whispered. "Elena... you ca back to ."
Fear surged through . "No. Julian, listen to . I’m not her. Wake up. Let go."
But he was already gone.
His expression hardened, bitterness flooding back in. "No. You’re not her," he said. "My Elena was gentle. Strong. Not a scher like you. But don’t think you can run from ."
His next words made my skin crawl.
"You and Lewis haven’t sealed anything yet, have you?" he said softly. "Then maybe I’ll be the one to teach you what it really ans to belong."
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