Mute

Aria’s POV

As I slowly blinked my eyes open, I found myself in a room that seemed straight out of a fairytale.

I woke up in a room that felt like it belonged to royalty. The walls were decorated with ornate tapestries, and the furniture looked expensive. A grand canopy bed took up most of the space, draped with luxurious fabrics. I’d never slept in such a lavish room before; the only time I’d been in such a place was when I cleaned as a maid in the Alpha’s castle at the LightShadow pack.

Despite the grandeur of the room, my head was throbbing with pain, and the memory of the events leading up to my unconsciousness flooded back to me in a jumbled rush. I touched my neck gingerly, my fingers brushing against the tender skin where stitches held together the wound.

This wasn’t a dream-it was all too real. Someone had taken me away and tended to me. But who? And why?Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

With a surge of panic, I pushed myself up from the bed, my heart racing in my chest. I stumbled toward the window, throwing open the curtains to reveal the soft light of morning streaming in. My breath caught in my throat as I realized where I was-I was back in the LightShadow pack.

Before I could fully process the implications of my return, the door swung open, and the pack doctor entered the room, flanked by two nurses. Relief flooded through me at the sight of familiar faces, but my mind was still racing from the shock and so many questions.

“It’s good to see you up, Aria,” the doctor said, his voice warm with concern.

I struggled to find my voice, my hands shaking as I signed, ‘What am I doing here?’

The doctor exchanged a knowing glance with the nurses before replying, “You were brought here last night. It seems Alpha Caspian himself found you unconscious in the woods and brought you back to the pack.”

The realization hit me like a ton of bricks, and I sank back onto the bed, overwhelmed by the flood of emotions coursing through me. I had been rescued by Alpha Caspian?

Lying on the soft bed in the unfamiliar room, I struggled to make sense of the whirlwind of events that had brought me here. How had Caspian managed to save me and bring me back to his pack? The very thought of returning to the place I had tried so

hard to escape filled me with a sense of dread. But as I mulled over my options, I knew that facing the unknown was better than succumbing to death.

The memory of the innocent couple who had shown me kindness haunted me, their faces etched into my mind as a painful reminder of the injustice that had befallen them. Their murderers still roamed free, and the thought of their continued freedom ignited a fire of determination within me. I couldn’t allow their deaths to go unpunished, not when I knew the truth of what had transpired.

Despite my reckless plea for Alpha Brent to end my life, the sight of bloodshed and violence had shaken me to the core. I realized now that I wasn’t ready to die-not yet. My wolf and I deserved better than to meet such a fate, especially when we were innocent of the crimes we were accused of

As I pondered these thoughts, the doctor’s voice broke through the haze of my mind. “I’m going to tend to your wounds now,” he said gently, his words a soothing balm to my troubled soul.

Nodding in acknowledgment, I watched as he approached, his movements calm and deliberate. With gentle hands, he examined the claw bruises on my throat, his touch sending a jolt of pain through my body. Despite the discomfort, I remained still, trusting in his expertise to heal me.

Once he had finished, the doctor handed me a vial of medication and a glass of water. Without hesitation, I swallowed the pills, the cool liquid washing away the bitter taste of fear that lingered in my mouth. As the drugs took effect, a sense of relief washed over me, easing the tension that had coiled in my muscles.

As the doctor left the room, leaving me alone with my thoughts, I found myself torn between two confusing desires.

Part of me longed to sink back into the comforting embrace of sleep, to escape the harsh reality of my surroundings and the emotions seeping into me.

But another part of me hesitated, reluctant to surrender to the unconsciousness that threatened to engulf me once more.

I shifted uneasily on the bed, my gaze lingering on the ornate tapestries that were designed on the walls. Despite the beauty of my surroundings, I couldn’t shake the feeling of discomfort that ate at my insides.

The LightShadow pack was not my home, and every fiber of my being rebelled against the idea of returning to a place where I had been hurt, both physically and emotionally.

My thoughts drifted to Caspian, the man who had saved me yet whose actions had also

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brought me to this moment of uncertainty.

Hatred brewed within me, a bitter reminder of the betrayal I had suffered at his hands. How could I forgive him for what he had done, for the pair he had caused me and my wolf? It didn’t matter if he had saved me from Brent. I didn’t feel any sense of gratitude towards him when I saw him as my worse enemy.

With a frustrated sigh, I pushed myself upright, the urge to remain awake overriding my desire for rest.

I couldn’t afford to let my guard down, not when I was surrounded by strangers in a place that felt anything but safe.

Closing my eyes, I focused on the steady rhythm of my breathing, willing myself to find the strength to face whatever lay ahead.

As the minutes ticked by, I remained vigilant, my senses heightened and alert for any sign of danger. The room seemed to close in around me, as I’d suffocating me with as silence.

And one thing was for sure, I wouldn’t stay in the LightShadow pack no matter what

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