Aria’s POV
The days blurred together.
Wake up. Get dressed. Go to work. Handle Alpha affairs. Deliver docunts. Go ho. Repeat.
Every single morning, I braced myself. Every single morning, I expected the worst.
Today would be the day. Today he’d show up. Today everything would fall apart.
But it never happened.
Monday ca and went. Director Black handed a stack of territorial dispute summaries. I organized them, delivered them to the empty CEO office, and left.
No Kael.
The office was still empty. The moonlight flowers were still there, fresh as ever.
Wednesday brought a flood of correspondence. Letters from allied packs. Requests for etings. Trade negotiations. I sorted through all of it, drafted preliminary responses for approval, and made the delivery.
Empty. Again.
Soone else was taking the docunts after I left them. Soone who actually interacted with him directly.
I started to relax. Just a little.
Maybe Cassius had been right. Maybe the Alpha really did avoid this place. Maybe he had better things to do than sit in an office all day.
Maybe I was actually safe.
The thought was almost too good to believe.
---
Friday was more of the sa.
Docunts. Organization. Delivery.
The empty office. The silent desk. The moonlight flowers that never seed to wilt.
I placed the council briefing on the desk at exactly 5:47 PM. Thirteen minutes ahead of the deadline. My best ti yet.
The office was quiet. Peaceful, almost.
I let myself look around. Really look.
Nothing had changed since my first visit. The desk was still bare. The bookshelves still empty. Everything still pristine and untouched.
Except for the flowers.
My eyes lingered on them longer than they should have. Those delicate white petals. That soft, familiar scent.
Why moonlight flowers?
Why THESE flowers?
I shook my head. Forced myself to turn away.
Not my business. None of this was my business.
I walked out of the office. Closed the door behind . Made my way to the elevator.
Tomorrow was Saturday. No work. No Alpha affairs. No docunts to deliver. It’s one more day before Sophie left. The thought made my chest ache.
The walk ho took twenty minutes.
My building appeared around the corner. Small. Old. The kind of place that looked better in twilight than in broad daylight.
I climbed the stairs to my floor. I reached my door. Paused with my key in hand.
Voices.
Coming from inside my apartnt.
High-pitched. Joyful. Unmistakably my daughter.
"Again! Again!"
And Sophie’s voice, slightly out of breath: "Okay, okay! One more ti! But then we’re taking a break because Auntie Sophie’s arms are about to fall off!"
More giggling. The sound of small feet thumping against the floor.
I smiled.
The tension in my shoulders lted away. The knots in my stomach loosened. For the first ti all day, I felt like I could breathe.
I pushed open the door.
The living room was chaos.
Pillows everywhere. Blankets draped over furniture like makeshift tents. Lina’s toys scattered across every available surface.
And in the middle of it all, Sophie.
She had Lina lifted over her head, spinning in slow circles while my daughter shrieked with delight.
"Mommy!"
Sophie stopped spinning. Set Lina down carefully.
My daughter launched herself at . A tiny missile of energy and enthusiasm.
"You’re ho! You’re ho! Auntie Sophie and I built a CASTLE!"
"I see that." I scooped her up. Held her tight. Breathed in that sweet baby shampoo sll. "It’s very impressive."
"It has a DUNGEON!" Lina pointed at sothing under the coffee table. "For the bad guys!"
"Every castle needs a dungeon."
"That’s what Auntie Sophie said!"
Sophie collapsed onto the couch. Dramatic. Exhausted.
"Your child," she announced, "is a MACHINE. Does she ever stop? Does she ever just... sit? Quietly? For like five minutes?"
"Not usually."
"I didn’t think so." Sophie threw an arm over her face. "I’m dead. Tell my family I loved them."
Lina wiggled out of my arms. Ran to Sophie. Climbed onto the couch.
"You’re not dead! You’re pretending!"
"I’m not pretending. I’m actually dying. Your energy killed ."
"No!" Lina bounced on the cushion beside her. "Get up! We have to finish the castle! The princess needs to be rescued!"
"The princess can rescue herself." Sophie peeked out from under her arm. "Princesses are very capable. They don’t need anyone’s help."
"But the DRAGON—"
"Dragons are misunderstood. Maybe the princess and the dragon are actually friends."
Lina’s face scrunched up. Processing this new information.
"Can they be friends?"
"They can be whatever they want." Sophie sat up. Pulled Lina onto her lap. "That’s the best thing about playing pretend. You make the rules."
I watched them. My daughter and my best friend. Two of the most important people in my world.
Sothing warm spread through my chest.
This. This was what mattered.
Bedti ca too soon.
Lina fought it, of course. She always did.
"Five more minutes!"
"You said that ten minutes ago."
"I was WRONG. I need five MORE more minutes."
"Nice try, baby." I scooped her up. Carried her toward the bedroom. "Say goodnight to Auntie Sophie."
"Goodnight, Auntie Sophie!" Lina waved over my shoulder. "Don’t let Mr. Whiskers steal your dreams!"
Sophie waved back. "I’ll do my best!"
I tucked Lina into bed. Read her a story. Sang her the lullaby she loved. Watched her eyes get heavy.
"Mommy?"
"Yes, baby?"
"Is Auntie Sophie leaving?"
My chest tightened.
"Tomorrow," I admitted. "She has to go back to her ho."
Lina’s bottom lip trembled.
"I don’t want her to go."
"I know, sweetheart. I don’t either." I brushed the hair from her forehead. "But she’ll visit again. And we can call her whenever we want. She’s not going away forever."
"Promise?"
"Promise."
Lina considered this. Then nodded.
"Okay." She yawned hugely. "Mommy?"
"Yes, baby?"
"I love you."
"I love you too. More than anything."
Her eyes closed. Her breathing evened out.
I sat there for a mont. Just watching her sleep.
My perfect, wonderful, impossible child.
Then I kissed her forehead and slipped out of the room.
---
Sophie was waiting on the couch.
She’d cleaned up the dinner dishes while I was putting Lina to bed. The kitchen was spotless. The living room was almost back to normal.
"She’s out?" Sophie asked.
"Like a light." I collapsed beside her. "That kid has two modes: full speed and completely unconscious."
"She’s amazing." Sophie pulled her legs up onto the couch. Hugged her knees. "Seriously, Aria. You’re raising an incredible human being."
"Half human," I corrected without thinking.
"Whatever. She’s incredible regardless of species classification."
I smiled. But it felt sad sohow.
Because tomorrow Sophie would be gone. And I’d be here. Alone again.
Sophie seed to read my thoughts. She always could.
"Hey." She nudged my shoulder. "What’s with the face?"
"What face?"
"THAT face. The sad face. The ’I’m thinking depressing thoughts but I don’t want to talk about it’ face."
I sighed. Leaned my head back against the couch.
"You’re leaving tomorrow."
"I know."
"I’m going to miss you."
"I know that too."
We sat in silence for a mont. The apartnt was quiet. Just the distant sounds of the city and the soft hum of the refrigerator.
"These past few days," I said slowly, "have been the best I’ve had in a long ti."
Sophie’s hand found mine. Squeezed.
"Even the part where we almost got kidnapped?"
A laugh escaped . "Even that part. Sohow."
"See? Every cloud has a silver lining. Or in our case, every terrifying near-death experience has a bonding opportunity."
I turned to look at her. My best friend. My rock. The person who’d crossed territories just to make sure I was okay.
"I really wish we could just live together forever," I said quietly. "You, , and Lina. No complications. No past. Just us."
Sophie’s expression softened.
" too." She squeezed my hand tighter. "Genuinely. If I could pack up my whole life and move here tomorrow, I would."
"But?"
"But I have responsibilities. Family. Work." She shrugged. "The human world needs too, apparently."
"The human world is lucky to have you."
"Obviously. I’m a DELIGHT."
I rolled my eyes. But I was smiling.
Sophie sat up straighter. That familiar spark returning to her eyes.
"You know what you should do?" She pointed at . "You should wish good luck."
"Good luck with what?"
"Finding a husband, obviously!" She grinned. That bright, ridiculous, infectious grin. "A really hot one. Preferably rich. Definitely a werewolf because apparently, they’re all ridiculously good-looking in this territory."
I stared at her.
"Sophie—"
"I’m SERIOUS!" She threw her hands up. "Have you SEEN the n around here? It’s like everyone got blessed by so kind of hotness deity! Even the random guys on the street are attractive! It’s UNFAIR!"
"You’re impossible."
"I’m PRACTICAL." She crossed her arms. Nodded firmly. "So co on. Give your blessing. Wish luck in my quest for the perfect supernatural spouse!"
"Fine." I wiped my eyes. "Fine! I wish you luck finding a super handso and rich werewolf husband!"
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