Chapter 3
1357 Words
** Aria’s POV **
I turn back, ready to tell Thorne to drop the act, but the back door opens then, Lucas’ angelic face peering out as Thorne drags Sierra from the car.
Sierra drops to her knees in front of me with a splash. “Aria, please don’t let them send me away,” she pleads.
Lucas rushes to her side, taking her arm and attempting to help her up.
“Mum, stop this!” he demands, his face twisting with accusation as he looks up at me. “Why did you tell Grandma to send her away?”
The accusation slices through my heart like a knife. Of course he would blame me.
I look down at Sierra as she kneels in the mud, sobbing. She is an excellent actor, her pitiful little act making her look like a delicate little victim as she puts on a whole charade to further turn my son against me.
“Lucas, don’t speak to your mother like that. You know she would never speak ill of anyone,” Thorne says softly, looking at me with fake concern.
The way he lies so smoothly sickens me. How could I have been so fooled for so long?
“Why did Grandma fire Sierra if Mum didn’t tell her? It had to be her,” Lucas cries as he pulls harder on Sierra’s arm. “Sierra, get up! You’re getting all dirty!”
I watch as Lucas fusses over Sierra’s damp clothes while he completely ignores me, his own mother — soaked to the bone and shivering in the cold rain.
A smug smirk flashes over Sierra’s face as she catches my eye before she masks it with another theatrical sniffle. “Lucas, don’t worry about me. I’ll kneel here forever if it means the Luna lets me stay with you.”
I force down my rage and keep my voice calm as I look at my son. “Sweetheart, remember what I taught you about accusing people without proof?”
Lucas pouts, pushing out his bottom lip. “Then tell Grandma to let Sierra stay, then I’ll believe you.”
Of course he’s blame me for this. Even his dad loves perfect Sierra. I can’t believe my own flesh and blood is trying to manipulate me like this for her. I have to take some of the blame, though. I’ve spoilt him rotten and let him walk all over me for too long.
“Lucas,” Thorne cuts in, his tone stern. “As pack elder, Grandma’s decisions are final; you know this isn’t something your Mum can control.”
Lucas’ eyes light up with an idea then. “Take me to Grandma. I will beg her.”
He pulls Sierra towards the luxury car and, with a dramatic sigh; she follows my son into the back seat.
My heart twists again as I watch them together. My son and my mate’s mistress, like mother and son. That cuts me deeper than what I’d seen on the security cameras this morning. No matter how much I repeat to myself that I’ll be gone soon, that I won’t have to keep letting them hurt me this way, I can’t stop the stabbing pain that pierces my chest with their every interaction.
Thorne takes my hand gently, snapping me back to reality. His voice is deceptively tender. “Don’t dwell on Lucas’ words. This nonsense isn’t worth another thought. Once my mother dismisses Sierra, everything will return to normal. I promise.”
Return to normal?
I stare at him, barely breathing as I fight to keep my composure.
“Come, my mother is waiting for us. You’re soaked through and need to change before you catch a chill. Mum will have dry clothes and warm tea for you.”
I glance back towards my mum’s grave. We had chosen this place for her because Thorne’s mum, Sandra, had insisted on keeping her dearest friend close. They’d been inseparable growing up, and it seemed a fitting place to keep her. After Mum’s funeral, Sandra had taken me in. I had loved her like a second mother, but now Thorne’s betrayal feels like it’s tarnished that relationship too.
The thought fills me with disgust, and I yank my hand from Thorne’s. “I’ll drive my own car.”
I turn away, fighting back the tears as I march towards my own car. The thought of occupying the same space as Sierra and Thorne right now makes me feel physically sick. Thorne follows me with the umbrella, continuing his charade of a dutiful and compassionate mate.
I speed off, watching as he becomes a speck in my rearview mirror.
When I arrive at the Wolfe family manor, Sandra rushes out to greet me, sweeping me into a tight protective hug.
“Aria, dear, you’re drenched!” She fusses. “Where is Thorne? Why isn’t he with you?”
“He’s following,” I answer, almost robotically, because I’m not sure how to act around her. I don’t know what to feel or whom I can trust.
Old warnings from my father flash through my mind. His last words to me through the mind link as he bled out alone. ‘Trust no one, Aria. They will test you, push you to your limits, but you can’t break. Don’t let them see what you are.’
Sandra ushers me inside, instructing her staff to prepare a warm bath and hot tea. She guides me upstairs and hands me a change of clothes.
“You need a hot soak and dry clothes to chase away this chill,” she says with a worried smile.
Her motherly concern makes my eyes burn with unshed tears. If she found out about Thorne’s betrayal, I’m sure she would be just as upset as I am. I won’t be the one to break her heart; she doesn’t deserve this pain.
Steam curls around me, fogging the mirror and blurring the edges of the world until it’s just me, the water, and the aching hollow in my chest. I sink lower, letting the heat soak into my frozen skin, willing it to melt away the images that swirl in my mind on repeat. Lucas’ accusing glare, Sierra’s crocodile tears, Thorne’s gentle lies. The bathwater feels almost like an embrace, but it can’t reach the places that hurt the most. Every time I close my eyes, I see my father’s face, hear his warning again and again: trust no one. For the first time, I understand he wasn’t just speaking of enemies. He was preparing me for betrayal from those I considered family.
After my bath and now in warm, dry clothes, I find Sandra waiting for me in the lounge with a fresh pot of tea.
“Come, sit,” she gestures to the armchair opposite her.
“Is Thorne not here yet?” I ask, moving towards the chair.
“No, I’m sure he’s trying to deal with the issue before they arrive.”
“Oh?” I raise a brow at her in question.
“My sweet girl, you don’t have to suffer alone. I know everything. I told your mum I’d love you as my own, and I do. No one hurts you under my watch. I’ll set this right, no matter what,” she says, her voice tender and her eyes full of protective love.
Her words shatter the fragile hold I had on my emotions, unleashing a torrent of tears I’ve held back all day.
I’d always assumed that no matter how much she loves me, Thorne would always remain her blue-eyed boy, her golden child. Even if she learned of his betrayal, I expected her to fly into a rage, to be devastated and grieve bitterly — but ultimately she would still side with her son, because that’s what mothers do, and that’s what’s best for the pack.
Never in my wildest dreams did I expect Sandra to stand firmly in my corner.
Overwhelmed, I whisper my decision through trembling lips, “Sandra, I want to sever the ma…”
The door crashes open, cutting me off.
- Writer
