The Pack's Daughter (Aysel and Magnus) novel Chapter 643

Chapter 643

Aria’s POV

Two days.

Only two more days until the full moon-until Lucien must leave.

I walked out of Professor Maeryn’s cottage with my chest tight, every word she had spoken still pricking at me like thorns beneath the skin. Memories stirring. Secrets buried. Aedric’s suspicions sharpening. The weight of it all pressed down until I felt my wolf pacing restlessly inside me, claws scraping against the walls of my ribs, urging me to run.

The night air was sharp with damp earth and pine, the kind of cold that slid beneath the skin. I inhaled deeply to steady myself-only to freeze.

There.

A trace on the wind.

It wasn’t the smell of the forest, nor the faint smoke of distant hearth fires. It was something sharper. Human, but not just human. The musk of a wolf soldier masking his presence in the dark.

A tail.

My jaw clenched. My wolf bristled.

I didn’t need to turn to know who had sent him. “Aedric I whispered under my breath, low enough that only the wind carried the name.

Of course. He wouldn’t trust me. My erratic behavior, my secrecy these past nights-it had drawn his suspicion. And instead of facing me directly, he had set shadows to follow.

I bit down hard on my tongue, tasting the iron tang of blood. Anger burned in me, but beneath it- something colder. Guilt.

I quickened my steps, boots striking the packed dirt path with sharp, clipped rhythm. My wolf urged me to move faster, to shed my skin and outrun them all. But I couldn’t-not now, not with Lucien hidden in my den.

By the time my door came into view, my heart was hamnering. I reached for the handle, desperate to slip inside before whoever stalked me made themselves known.

“Aria.”

The low voice rumbled behind me, deep and edged with steel.

I stiffened. My hand froze on the handle. For a moment I couldn’t breathe.

Slowly, I turned my head. Aedric stood only a few paces away, tall and broad-shouldered, moonlight glinting off the scar at his jaw. His eyes burned like frostbitten embers, locked on me with the weight of Alpha authority.

I forced my hand off the handle and pulled the door shut behind me, blocking his view inside. My heart was a wild drum in my chest, but I schooled my face into calm.

“Aedric.” I said evenly. You startled me.”

He didn’t answer right away. His nostrils flared, sharp and subtle, as he tested the air around my door. I felt every muscle in my body tighten. Was he scenting Lucien? Could he?

“You’ve kept yourself locked away these last few days, he finally said, voice smooth but coiled. “Are you unwell?”

I’m fine.” I replied too quickly, then steadied my tone. Training’s been exhausting. I needed rest.”

He took a step closer, the pressure of his aura brushing against mine like a blade against skin. “Then perhaps I should come in. Sit with you. Make sure you are truly recovering.”

Finally, with a frustrated snarl, he turned and stalked into the night. The tension in the air eased, but it left me hollow, trembling.

I slammed the door shut, leaning against it as my bread came in ragged gasps. My nails bit into my palms, leaving crescents of blood.

Duty. Loyalty. My Pack.

And then-Lucien. His face. His golden eyes that haunted my dreams. The strange ache of memory I couldn’t shake.

I pressed a hand to my chest, caught between two worlds tearing me apart.

“Aria.

The voice was softer this time, close. Too close.

I spun around.

Lucien stood only a few steps away, shadows clinging to him as though he’d grown out of the night itself. His wounds had mostly healed, the strength in his frame unmistakable even beneath the plain clothes I’d given him. His golden eyes glowed faintly in the dimness, catching every flicker of my turmoil.

“I heard,” he said quietly, his gaze never leaving mine. “You told him your room has never been open to another man. That only your mate may cross that threshold.”

My heart stuttered. “And what of it?”

He tilted his head, studying me with something that male heat rush to my cheeks. Then, with the faintest curl of his lips, he asked,

“Does that mean I need to take responsibility for you?”