Chapter 42

Alaria

The path crunched softly beneath my feet as we walked side by side, not quite close enough to touch, but close enough to feel the warmth of his presence. I hated how aware I was of it. Of him. Of everything that we were going through, and of this whole situation.

Yes, fair to say, I didn’t like any of it.

The moonlight filtered through the trees above, casting shadows that danced along the garden walls. It was quiet here. Peaceful in a way I hadn’t felt in days, maybe weeks. I should have said no. I should have walked away the moment he asked me to join him. But something in his voice… it wasn’t the Alpha. It wasn’t the man who had made me bleed, the man who had shattered everything once.

It was Liam.

And that, somehow, was worse.

We didn’t speak at first. Just walked. The garden was laced with wildflowers that I hadn’t noticed before, and the air smelled faintly of lavender and pine. I folded my arms across my chest, hugging myself