“Breakfast is ready,” Selene said. “And Cole, I think Aren needs you for something.”

Cole nodded once, “I will be there.” He replied, then left one last look with Aria before walking away.

Aria let her breath out slowly. The tension, in her shoulders started to go only after he left.

***

Breakfast was not really a meal for Aria that day. The food tasted very good but she couldn’t focus on it. It was like her senses were working too well. Every little sound was really loud. Every smell was really strong. She was very aware of her body and the room, around her. She was also very aware of the space that Cole took up even when he was not there.

By afternoon, it became unbearable.

She paced her room, breath shallow, skin warmer to the touch than before. The bond pulsed now; not demanding yet, but persistent.

“I don’t like this,” Aria whispered to her wolf.

“It’s not trying to break you,” Maya growled .gently. “It’s trying to connect.”

“I don’t want to connect. I don’t want to need him.”

“You already do,” Maya replied.

“Shut up, that’s not true.” Aria snapped before a knock sounded at the door.

“Come in,” Aria said thinking it was Wren. She had asked for her because she had many questions and Wren said she could ask her about anything.

Cole entered alone. He took one look at her and stopped. He could read the discomfort written all over her.

“Are you okay?” He wanted to go closer but Aria worried that she might lose it completely if he came any closer so she yelled.

“Get out!” She didn’t want him closer, or else her body would get hotter. She had expected it’d be Wren, not him.

Cole stopped in his steps after she yelled. He swallowed, contemplating whether to help her against her will or leave like she was asking.

“You should sit. I’ll run a cold bath for you, it should help.”

“I asked you to stay away,” Aria fidgeted. It was stronger now that he stood in the room with her.

“I am,” He kept his distance but still found his way to the bathroom. He quickly prepared a cold bath with some rose petals present in the bathroom before returning to the room.

Aria was still shaking. His wolf went closer so Maya let out a low, warning growl.

“Ravik!” Cole had stopped his wolf who didn’t back down after Maya’s warning.

“I think you should try the cold bath,” Maya suggested to Aria who was starting to forget where she stood.

Aria started to take off her clothes in default so Cole looked away, surprised that she’d do that. She walked to the bathroom and dipped herself into the bath, savouring the immediate relief of her body becoming less warm.

Cole didn’t hear her heavy breathing anymore so he went to the bathroom to see if she was alright. He met all of her body immersed beneath the roses, including her head. He panicked and went to the bath, putting his arms in and bringing her head above water.

Aria opened her eyes to meet a half-worried, half-fazed face above hers. His shirt dropped off water from the bath.

“Are you trying to kill yourself?” He asked, but Aria didn’t answer. She just focused on breathing, knowing she couldn’t even attempt killing herself; she still had to leave the walls of Ironwood.

Wren walked into the bathroom searching for Aria after being summoned but immediately looked away, thinking she walked in on something intimate.

“So sorry, I didn’t know you were in here with her, Alpha. She called for me and I…”

“Come here,” Cole invited her, interrupting her and surprising her at the same time. Her face turned pink. Was he inviting her to join them in…?

“Come hold her head up, she’s not feeling too well right now.” He added and Wren nodded vigorously. It definitely was not what she thought. She chuckled nervously and went and did as she was told.

“Please stay with her till she feels better, and come let me know after you leave her.”

“Yes, Alpha.” Wren nodded.

***

Wren stood next to Aria’s bed, confirming she was asleep before leaving to inform Cole. As soon as she left, Aria got out of bed.

“Maya, are you ready?” She asked her wolf. She was going to escape tonight; she couldn’t bear another day or night of what had happened earlier. So far, she knew her urges only became unbearable when she was around Cole, and she knew if she was around him longer, the only way to cease the urges was to mate with Cole, and she didn’t want that so she had to leave.

“Are you sure we should do this? I remember him saying he’d surely catch us if we tried leaving again.”

“He was just trying to keep us grounded. He’s surely asleep by now, that’s what I went out to check last night. He goes to bed at around this time. I’ve also checked through everything. There’s less security in the west wing of the courtyard, and they don’t know who I am yet, so I can act like one of the servants and leave.”

“Okay,” Maya agreed. “But where do we go when we leave? We don’t know anyone outside the borders.”

“Maybe, but when have we ever worried about that, we’ll find our way around, we just have to leave first.”

“I don’t know, Aria…” Her wolf was being sceptical.

“Okay, fine. We can go to the human side. We’ll blend in just fine. I’m sure neither Cole nor my father will be able to find us there. And I heard they have no border so we should be safe there.”

“Are you sure? Who did you hear that from?”

“Someone?” Aria shrugged then sighed. “It’s torture, Maya. I can’t keep staying here.”

“Alright alright. Once we are outside the Ironwood territory, you transform and I’ll take over, we can move faster that way.”

***

Wren had reported to Cole that Aria was asleep and feeling better now so he went to Aria’s room to see for himself before he could go to bed.

He knocked gently for the third time and didn’t get a response so he wanted to turn around and leave, assuming she was sleeping, but his instinct asked him to check and confirm. Cole opened her door quietly and peeked in, he saw her figure under the blanket and closed the door, only to meet Aren in the hallway.