Tempted By My Ex's Brother-in-Law (Aria and Grayson) novel Chapter 180

hapter 180

Aria’s POV

Grayson wants to see me.

My heart hammered so fast it made me feel sick.

“So, shall we, Lady Aria?” the Red Stone soldier asked.

For a second, I wanted to turn and run.

To hide so I wouldn’t have to face him.

But I used all my strength to fight that urge and nodded stiffly. “…Fine. Let’s go.”

The soldier escorted me through the crowd as the rest of my family shot me shocked, hateful looks. Maeve looked especially jealous, like she wanted to tear me to pieces.

But I didn’t have the energy to care about their reactions.

All my focus was on the upcoming meeting with Grayson.

He wanted to see me, but what did he want to say?

Talk about our past? Congratulate me on shedding my old identity and becoming a Lady? None of those sounded like him. I couldn’t figure out what we had left to say to each other.

And I wasn’t sure how to act around him. I still hated him for abandoning me when I was most desperate. But it wasn’t like I could get revenge. Even as a noble, he was still far too powerful for me.

Damn it. Why did we have to meet? This whole thing made no fucking sense. I should just tell the soldier I didn’t want to see his Alpha…

“Lady Aria, we’re here,” the soldier said.

I snapped back to reality and found us standing in front of a closed door.

The soldier looked at me, indicating I could go in.

Fuck.

It seemed there was no turning back now.

I took a deep breath, my mind completely blank. All my mental preparation seemed useless.

Cursing inwardly, I turned the knob and pushed the door open.

The two people inside turned to look at me simultaneously.

There was Grayson and… Alpha Thalira.

“Ah, Aria, you’re here,” Alpha Thalira said, perfectly casual.

I stared at her, my brain struggling to catch up. “…What are you doing here?”

She frowned at me. “What the hell do you think I’m doing here? This is my office. Did two days of confinement fuck up your brains?”

I froze, then my face flushed bright red.

I’d been so wrapped up in my nerves about seeing Grayson alone that I hadn’t paid attention to where I was going.

“So… it was you who wanted to see me?” I asked.

“Yes, who else? Alpha Grayson’s soldier was kind enough to run the errand for me,” she said, nodding toward the empty seat in front of her. “Now sit. We have something to discuss.”

I walked over stiffly and sat on the couch.

Grayson sat directly across from me. His posture was relaxed and elegant, a stark contrast to my rigid one.

It seemed like I was the only one feeling tense.

I bit my lip, annoyed at myself.

“Now. I reckon I don’t need to introduce you two,” Alpha Thalira said after a round of looking between us.

Grayson had his hands folded on his knees, his handsome face expressionless. I glanced at him and saw he wasn’t even looking at me, which sparked a wave of irritation.

“We’re not really that familiar,” I said bluntly.

Alpha Thalira narrowed her eyes at me. “Come on now, Aria. The whole world knows your history.”

“Who hasn’t dated a few jerks when they were young? That doesn’t mean we’re close,” I said coldly.

Alpha Thalira frowned at me. Finally, Grayson spoke, a hint of impatience in his voice. “Alpha Thalira, I came here to discuss business, not gossip. So why did you call her here anyway? Or does she now have the clearance to attend these confidential meetings now?”

My anger flared higher. I shot to my feet, gritting my teeth. “If Alpha Grayson doesn’t want me here, I’ll see myself out.”

God! I felt so stupid for fussing over our reunion.

He was such a jerk just like before… No, he was even worse now.

“SIT!” Alpha Thalira growled at me. “Is he your Alpha, or am I? If there’s one person in this room you should obey, it’s me, not him!”

I clenched my fists, fighting the urge to bolt, and stiffly sat back down.

Alpha Thalira let out a breath. “Alpha Grayson is here to discuss a long–term partnership. If we reach an agreement, Red Stone and Frostpine will form an alliance lasting decades. It would greatly benefit both packs. This is an extremely important decision, and both sides need to consider it carefully… So, until the deal is finalized, Alpha Grayson will be staying with our pack for an extended period.”

“WHAT?!” I jumped up, shouting.

“Sit down! Is this how a Lady behaves?” Alpha Thalira scolded.

My mind was reeling.

Grayson staying here?!

But that’s impossible. He can’t. I just escaped my old life, ready to start over, and now he’s back haunting me all over again.

“But why does he have to stay here? Doesn’t he have his own place?” I gritted out.

Alpha Thalira shot me an annoyed look, as if scolding my rudeness. Grayson spoke up impatiently, “This is a matter between our two packs. We can decide. So why is she even here?”

“The reason, Alpha Grayson, is that Frostpine Pack can’t afford any more scandals,” Alpha Thalira said coldly. “You should know our customs–this pack’s royalty must remain celibate before marriage. Yet what happened with Aria? Every living soul on the planet knew she was your mistress. No royal in this pack’s history has ever flouted that rule so blatantly.”

My fingers twisted together, nails digging into my skin.

Yes, no sex before marriage.

That’s how my mother raised me.

I never understood it back then, and neither did the people around me. In this day and age, holding onto that idea seemed so stupid and unnecessary. I’d been mocked for it in school and at work. In fact, it was one reason Jace dumped me.

But now I understood.

Because I’m royalty. It’s an ancient custom.

“I tried to follow that rule. But unfortunately, my resolve was broken, thanks to Alpha Grayson,” I said icily, glaring at him.

I still hadn’t forgotten how he half–seduced, half–coerced me into having sex with him after I tried to run away. It’s no exaggeration to say he used sex to bind me to him back then. So fucking cunning.

Grayson let out a soft scoff, still not looking at me. “It’s a stupid custom anyway.”

“Stupid or not, it’s our custom.”

Alpha Thalira’s gaze sharpened. “I can overlook your past. But now that Aria is back home, she must follow

our rules. That’s why I need to speak to you both at once–Alpha Grayson will be here for a long time. During that period, there can be no more rumors, no more inappropriate contact between you two. You both need to keep your distance from each other. Can you do that?”

Grayson pressed his lips together. “Aria isn’t in high school anymore. Is it necessary to control her like this?”

“All my children were raised this way. So was I, by my mother. I will manage her this way until she finds her match and starts her own family,” Alpha Thalira said firmly.

…My own family?

The thought made me dizzy for a moment.

In fact, that’s all I ever wanted before. Whether dating Jace or later with Grayson, I had always been craving a stable marriage so badly.

But that idea felt so distant now.

“And I believe I won’t have to manage Aria for too long,” Alpha Thalira glanced at me with a slight smile on her lips. “She’s a Lady now, and a beautiful, powerful one. Soon, suitable young men will flock here to ask for her hand. She’ll find the one.”

Grayson’s face darkened instantly. The temperature in the room seemed to drop.

I shifted uncomfortably in my seat.

Discussing my future marriage prospects in front of Grayson was so awkward.

“So?” Alpha Thalira pressed. “Can I count on you two to stay away from each other? Aria also needs a clean, simple life if she’s to start looking for a husband.”

Grayson’s handsome face remained cold, offering no reply. I answered quickly, “Of course.”

They both looked at me. Alpha Thalira raised an eyebrow; Grayson’s gray eyes turned stormy.

I continued, “Everyone knows Alpha Grayson is remarrying his ex–wife soon. I’m sure he won’t bother with me again.”

“Very well, then,” Alpha Thalira smiled pleasantly. “In that case, Alpha Grayson, why don’t you go rest? We’ll discuss the partnership details over dinner later.”

“Of course,” Grayson replied, somewhat coolly.

Even though I hadn’t been dismissed, I jumped up and strode out of the room before Grayson could.

All the nervousness and anxiety I’d felt about our reunion was gone, replaced by pure annoyance.

Seriously, I didn’t even know why I’d been so tense over this jerk.

Heavy footsteps sounded behind me.

Before I could reach the elevator, a large hand grabbed my wrist. A powerful force yanked me back, slamming me against the wall.

He pressed close, looking down at me.

The intense emotion blazing in his eyes was impossible to hide now.

“Where do you think you’re going?” he demanded darkly.