Sold to Bastard Alpha after My Divorce! novel Chapter 12

Chapter 12: Chapter 12

Aria’s POV

The cool breeze brushed against my skin as I lingered there, arms wrapped tightly around myself.

Maybe letting Kael drop me off so far from home wasn’t the smartest choice. Now I had nowhere to go but back to my mother’s house.

The road stretched empty before me. Only the distant chirping of crickets drifted through the silence.

My footsteps echoed with each step, heels clicking rhythmically against the concrete as I made my way toward my destination.

This neighborhood had never been safe. But honestly, when had it ever been?

My mind kept drifting back to the car. To his face. To those black-gold eyes that had come so close to mine.

He’d almost kissed me.

Almost.

And then he’d just... driven away. Left me standing on the curb like an idiot in a borrowed dress.

I hugged myself tighter. The navy silk was too thin for night air. Too expensive for these streets. Too pretty for someone like me.

What was I even doing?

Hours ago, I’d been Finn Nightfang’s wife. An Omega bound by mate marks and marriage vows. Trapped. Suffocating. But stable.

Now?

Now I was walking alone. Freshly divorced. Newly bonded to the most dangerous Alpha in Meridian. And completely, utterly lost.

The streetlights flickered overhead. Half of them didn’t work. Shadows pooled between the buildings like spilled ink.

I picked up my pace.

My mother’s house was only a few more blocks. Just a few more minutes of walking. I could make it.

A sound behind me. Footsteps. Not mine.

I didn’t turn around. Just walked faster.

The footsteps matched my speed.

My heart started pounding. Artemis stirred in my mind, suddenly alert.

*Something’s wrong.*

I knew. I could feel it. 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

When I turned the final corner, fear flooded my stomach. I froze instantly.

Three figures emerged from the darkness. They moved with calculated ease, forming a circle around me.

My heart slammed against my ribs. My mouth went dry as sand.

Instinctively, my hands flew up. My pulse raced so violently I thought it might explode from my chest.

"Little lady?" one of them asked. His gaze roamed over me with unsettling hunger. "Not a good idea to be out here alone at night, yeah?"

He was tall. Broad. His eyes glinted yellow in the dim light. Wolf eyes.

Another one tilted his head, eyes sharpening. "Never seen this one around," he said to his companions.

"She’s hot," the third one grunted. His lips twisted into a smile that made my skin crawl.

I took a step back. Hit something solid. The first guy had moved behind me without making a sound.

Trapped.

Then he turned. Jerked his head at the others. They melted back into the shadows like they’d never been there at all.

I stayed frozen. Rigid. Barely breathing.

Only when their footsteps faded completely did my body unlock. The trembling hit me all at once. Violent. Uncontrollable.

I stumbled to the nearest wall. Pressed my palms flat against the cold brick. Focused on breathing.

In. Out. In. Out.

My legs shook so badly I nearly collapsed.

I pushed off the wall. Forced my legs to move. One step. Then another.

The adrenaline slowly drained away, leaving exhaustion in its wake. Every muscle ached. My feet screamed in these stupid heels. The beautiful dress suddenly felt like a costume. A disguise. Something I’d borrowed but could never truly own.

I thought about Kael.

Thanks for his Alpha scent.

The familiar shape of my mother’s house materialized ahead. Peeling paint. Crooked shutters. The front porch light flickered weakly, threatening to die at any moment.

I climbed the creaky steps. The door was unlocked. It always was. Not because my mother trusted the neighborhood, but because she couldn’t be bothered to fix the broken lock.

My phone buzzed in my bag.

I pulled it out with numb fingers. Stared at the screen.

A text from Finn:

*Lilith has Family Fun Day at school tomorrow. She needs you there. The kindergarten. 2 PM.*

Fuck off.