CH 3 - Aria
1713 Words
ARIA POV
I woke up alone.
At first, it didn’t register as wrong. Jasper was an early riser sometimes, especially when work weighed on him. I lay still for a few seconds, eyes half closed, listening.
The house was too quiet.
No shower running. No footsteps upstairs. No clatter of mugs from the kitchen. Even the twins’ room was silent, which meant they were still asleep.
Jasper’s side of the bed was cold.
Not rumpled. Not recently vacated. Cold in the way it gets when no one has touched it for hours.
Something in my chest tightened.
I sat up slowly, the sheet slipping down my legs, and looked at the clock. Just past seven. He should have been back by now, even if he’d had a restless night.
Kara stirred uneasily.
'He didn’t come back,' she murmured in my head, low and alert.
'I know,' I replied silently.
I got out of bed, pulled on my robe, and walked downstairs.
Jasper was asleep on the sofa.
Still wearing yesterday’s clothes. Jacket folded on the armrest like someone had tried to be respectful. One shoe on, one kicked off. He looked exhausted, slumped awkwardly, like he’d passed out wherever he landed.
For half a second, my first instinct was concern. And I had to recall all of yesterday's emotions to stop myself from digging a hand into his messy curls.
Then I saw her.
Chloe stood in MY kitchen like she’d always belonged there. The f*****g nerve.
Barefoot. Comfortable. One of MY mugs cradled in her hands, the one with "best mommy" written in pink glitter letters. She moved between the counter and the stove without hesitation, opening drawers, reaching for utensils. She didn’t look around like a guest. She didn’t ask.
She already knew.
My teeth clenched so hard my jaw hurt.
This was my house.
My kitchen.
My life.
And she was already occupying it. Claiming everything that was undeniably mine until yesterday.
Kara stirred sharply inside me, irritated and alert 'We could handle her in 5 seconds top'
'I know, but then what?'
I stepped forward, my foot brushing the edge of the rug.
Jasper startled awake.
He blinked a few times, disoriented, then looked up at me. Relief crossed his face. “Aria. You’re up.”
“Yes,” I said. “And I'm not the only one up apparently.” I muttered under my breath, pretty sure his wolf caught it though 'cause his gaze faltered a bit.
He stood, stretching stiffly, then walked toward me. I stayed still, waiting. Habit. Six years of habit.
He leaned down and kissed my cheek.
Just my cheek.
Not my mouth. Not slow. Not familiar. Just a quick peck, like we were polite acquaintances.
My stomach dropped so hard it felt like I’d missed a step.
Yesterday morning, he’d kissed me properly. Long. Lazy. Hands warm against my back. Yesterday morning, he’d pulled me close like he didn’t want to let go. Yesterday morning he dragged me back into our bed, tossed me on his shoulder and claimed my body three times.
Today, I was something he acknowledged quickly and moved past.
Kara recoiled hard.
Before I could respond, Chloe turned around.
Her eyes went straight to Jasper’s lips where they’d just brushed my skin.
Her face fell.
Not subtly. Not naturally. Dramatically. Fake.
Her shoulders slumped. Her mouth trembled. Her eyes filled fast, like she’d practiced this reaction.
“Oh,” she whispered.
Jasper froze.
I felt it the second he pulled away from me. His body angled back, distance snapping into place like a reflex.
“Chloe,” he said, voice tight.
She shook her head quickly. “No, it’s fine. I shouldn’t— I didn’t mean—”
She turned away, clutching the mug tighter, like she needed it to stay upright.
And just like that, the focus shifted.
Jasper stepped toward her without thinking. Took the mug from her hands, set it aside, then picked up another one already waiting on the counter.
She had made it for him.
“I made it the way you like,” she said softly.
He took it.
Didn’t even glance at me.
Something hot and ugly twisted in my chest. Not heartbreak. Not yet.
Anger.
Pure, sharp, immediate.
Kara growled, pacing hard, and I was really pondering if we should blow our cover and just teach that skank to keep her hands, dramas and fake boobs away from my family.
I crossed my arms, nails biting into my skin.
“Did you sleep well?” I asked Jasper.
He flinched, like he’d forgotten I could speak.
“Not really,” he said. “I didn’t want to wake you.”
That wasn’t true. Or at least, not the whole truth.
Chloe cleared her throat quietly. “I can go upstairs if you want. I didn’t mean to intrude.”
“No,” Jasper said immediately. Too fast. “It’s fine. You’re fine.”
You’re fine.
The words sat heavy in the air.
I watched Chloe’s lips press together, just enough to suggest she was holding something back. A smile, maybe. Satisfaction. b***h.
Jasper finally turned to me properly.
“Aria,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck. “I was thinking… the kids need an explanation.”
I looked at him.
“They deserve to know who Chloe is,” he continued.
My pulse spiked. He was right. He was right they deserved to know who the f**k this woman was, but so did I, didn't I? Because until now he didn't have the decency of sit down with me, explain this mess to me. f**k he even barely spoke to me !
“And when were you planning to explain it to me?” I asked.
He blinked.
That was when it hit him.
His eyes widened, panic rushing in too late.
“Oh— Aria, I— I should’ve explained sooner. I didn’t mean to—”
Didn’t mean to what?
Erase me?
“I forgot,” he added, weakly. “Everything happened so fast. Last night, Ella… Chloe showing up… it’s a lot.”
For him.
Not for me.
“I’m overwhelmed,” he said quietly, like that explained anything.
Before he could finish, he kept talking. Like he always did when he felt cornered.
“I thought we could take them out today. Get some fresh air. Do something normal. A picnic, maybe.”
A picnic.
“We?” I asked. Sure he was not implying what I thought he was right? WE meant me and him, right? He wouldn't drag our kids blindfolded on a date with the woman that abandoned them, without me. He wouldn't , right?
He hesitated just long enough to make it worse.
“Chloe and me,” he said "I think it will be better if you'll wait here, home, to let them bond with their mother"
The words hit me like a slap.
I stared at him.
“I am their mother.”
“Yes,” he said, relief flickering across his face like I’d finally caught up. “Yes honey you are, but they need to meet their other mom too.”
Mom.
My chest burned. Not metaphorically. It actually hurt to breathe.
I waited for him to realize what he’d just said. To correct himself. To include me.
He didn’t.
Kara snarled loud enough it echoed in my skull.
I swallowed, slow and deliberate.
“I’m not feeling well anyway,” I said. “Have fun.”
His brow furrowed. “Are you sure you're not mad?”
“Yes.” I was sure. I was not mad. Mad couldn't describe what was now eating me alive.
I turned toward the door, I needed air, I needed to go straight into rogue territory, strip naked and let Kira on the loose.
“Owen is allergic to nuts,” I said in the doorway, without looking back. “Even traces. Ella can’t have dairy first thing in the morning.”
Chloe nodded quickly. “Of course. I know.”
I grabbed my coat and left before my mouth betrayed me.
The cold air outside burned my lungs. I walked fast, not caring where I was going, just needing distance.
Kara was fully awake by the time I crossed the tree line.
Not frantic. Not furious. Just… present. Heavy in my bones.
I didn’t remember how long I ran.
Long enough to burn the ache out of my muscles. Long enough for Kara to take over, tearing through the underbrush, hunting without restraint. Rabbits. Too many to count. More than she needed. More than she wanted.
By the time I shifted back, there was nothing left inside me. No anger. No jealousy. No hatred sharp enough to hurt.
Just emptiness.
I pulled my clothes back on with numb fingers and walked home slower than I’d left, my legs heavy, my mind quiet in a way that scared me more than rage ever had.
The house was empty when I got back.
Too empty.
No voices. No laughter. No sound of the twins arguing over something trivial. The air felt stale, untouched.
He really did go with my kids to a picnic with that woman without me.
I stood in the entryway for a moment, keys still in my hand, staring at nothing.
That was when my phone rang.
I didn’t look at the screen at first.
I already knew.
The number was burned into my memory from years of being pack-adjacent without ever belonging. The hospital. The pack’s hospital.
My chest tightened.
I answered.
“Aria,” the voice on the other end said, strained, professional, urgent. “This is Crescent Moon Medical. We need you to come in immediately.”
The emptiness vanished.
“What happened?” I asked.
There was a pause. Too long.
“It’s Owen,” she said. “He’s having a severe allergic reaction. He’s stable right now, but—”
I didn’t hear the rest.
My hand was already shaking as I grabbed my keys again, heart slamming so hard it hurt.
“How?” I asked, my voice sounding distant even to me.
“We’re still assessing,” she replied carefully. “But he ingested something he shouldn’t have.”
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