Aria's pov
By the time I had collected myself, I was already sprinting half way across the school field. My average legs took me as far as they could.
Jaxon, whom my speed was no match for, was hot on my tail. Yelling, calling after me to stop running.
But I couldn't stop, not after what I had just witnessed.
"Aria! Stop!"
His voice cut through the wind like a blade, but I didn't slow down.
My heart was thundering in my chest, drowning out logic, reason, everything.
Then suddenly, strong arms wrapped around me from behind. I yelped. Our bodies tumbled across the field, grass blurring past my eyes.
He grunted as we rolled.
Before I could react, his body twisted under mine. I landed on him, his chest absorbing the full impact.
I also heard a sharp crack and a hiss from him, there was even blood as I looked down.
His hand had hit a broken fence post. The rusty edge of the iron rod sliced deep into his palm.
"Oh my God, Jaxon!" I cried out, reaching for his hand.
But then right before my eyes the wound sealed itself. The blood, cut, completely gone.
"No....no, what.....what are you?"
He didn't flinch. "We need to talk."
"What are you?" I stood and backed up. "You healed.....like some kind of freakin'-"
"Werewolf."
I stared at him. "Is this a joke?"
He pushed himself up from the grass. "No."
My voice trembled. "When you said 'mate'... did you mean like soulmate or.....or.....what exactly?"
"Yes."
He looked at me, eyes firm. "You're my mate. My bonded half."
I laughed bitterly. "You're my stepbrother, Jaxon. That's....That's not even just weird, that's wrong."
"We're not blood. And I didn't choose this, Aria. It's how the bond works. The Moon Goddess chose."
"You sound insane."
He stepped forward. "Please. Just listen-"
"No!" I stepped back, shaking my head. "You're a werewolf and we're, we live in the same damn house!"
His jaw tightened. "I know. But I also know what I felt when I saw you. What you felt too. That wasn't nothing."
I opened my mouth, but no words came out.
Because deep down....I had felt something. When he started watching me, he sniffed me.
I rubbed my arms, the wind suddenly colder than before. We stood there, quiet, the grass swaying around us like it knew something we didn't.
"I need to go home," I said, finally. "I... I don't know what this is. But I can't deal with it right now."
"I'll walk you back," Jaxon said quietly.
I didn't argue. My legs were still trembling.
We moved slowly. No words between us for a while. Just the silence of a bond I didn't ask for.
"Is your dad.... like you?" I asked, glancing at him.
He nodded. "He is Alpha. The entire pack is his bloodline."
I blinked. "So everyone in your.....family is a werewolf?"
"Yes."
I swallowed hard. "My mom never told me anything about this. She married into a family of wolves and.....never said anything to me?"
Jaxon hesitated, his voice softer now. "That's because she doesn't know the truth."
I stopped walking. "You're saying my mom married into this pack, your pack, and had no idea?"
He met my eyes. "She thinks my dad is just a strict businessman with land out in the woods. He is careful about what he shows people. Especially humans."
My mind raced. My mom. Oblivious. Married to a monster, or something close to one. Living in a house built over secrets.
"I have to tell her," I muttered.
"No," Jaxon said firmly. "You can't."
I turned to him. "Why not? She deserves to know. What if she's in danger?"
"You don't understand," he said, stepping closer. "I can't even tell my dad about you."
"What?"
He looked away, jaw clenched. "If he finds out you're my mate... he'll interfere. He might tell me to stand down. My father doesn't always consider what I want, only what benefits the pack."
"But I'm human," I said. "Wouldn't that make me a liability anyway?"
Jaxon didn't answer at first.
Then he looked at me, something unreadable in his eyes. "It's more complicated than that. If you were to reject me.... it wouldn't just be painful, Aria. For me, it could destroy everything."
The weight of his words hung in the air, but I didn't know what to do with it. I was still trying to understand how my life had gone from routine to supernatural chaos in under an hour.
"I need time," I said. "And space."
"You can have both," he said softly, stepping back. "But I won't stop protecting you from these rogue idiots."
Jaxon walked a little ahead now, gaze scanning the empty path that led toward the school gate.
"Why did they want to hurt me?" I asked quietly.
He stopped, looking over his shoulder. "The guys in the classroom.....they're rogues. Banished from their packs. Outsiders with no allegiance."
"Rogues?" I echoed, confused.
He turned to face me fully. "Werewolves who don't follow the law. Most of them were kicked out for being dangerous or unstable. Some run in gangs. They do what they want. They don't care about the order or the balance."
"And you?" I asked. "You're like.....their cop?"
His lips twitched in a humorless smile. "Something like that. I keep them in check. I've had run-ins with a few. Word got out I had a mate. A human mate. They see you as a way to get to me."
I felt a sharp twist in my gut. "So I'm just... leverage?"
"To them, yes." His eyes softened. "But I won't let them use you, Aria. I swear on everything I have, I'll protect you."
I didn't say anything. I didn't trust my voice.
"And I'll never drag you into that world," he added.
I nodded slowly. "I just want to go home. Shower. Eat something, and then think."
He reached out gently, his hand brushing my elbow. "I'll take you home. But first....I need to show you something."
I blinked. "Now?"
"It's important."