Aria’s POV
The morning mist still clung to the mountains as I pulled into the training facility’s parking lot. My hands trembled slightly. Six years of professional fighting had taught me the importance of a perfect poker face. But when I spotted a familiar figure waiting by the entrance, my carefully constructed mask nearly cracked.
Emma hadn’t changed much in six years – same honey–blonde hair expertly styled even at this early hour, same designer workout clothes, same carefully crafted expression of innocence that had fooled me for so many years. But I knew better now. I’d learned the hard way that the sweetest smiles often hid the sharpest teeth.
Taking a deep breath, I stepped out of my car, the door closing behind me with a decisive click. The cool Montana air carried the scent of pine and early autumn, but I couldn’t appreciate it. Not with the hollow emptiness where Cassandra, my wolf, should be. The absence felt like a phantom limb, particularly acute whenever I encountered others from my old life – a constant reminder of what Bella and Emma had taken from me.
Emma’s voice carried across the parking lot like nails on a chalkboard, deliberately pitched to draw maximum attention. “Aria! Oh my goddess, it’s been so long!” Her tone dripped with false sweetness as she sashayed toward me, each step a calculated performance. “I’ve missed you so much!”
Several young wolves training nearby stopped their morning exercises, not even trying to hide their interest in this little drama. I caught fragments of their whispered conversation – ‘former alpha’s daughter” and “can’t even shift anymore” – but kept my face neutral. Emma’s smile widened as she closed the distance between us, her expensive perfume hitting me like a physical assault.
“Everyone’s been talking about your… situation,” she continued, her voice carrying just the right note of practiced concern. Her hand reached out as if to touch my arm, but I stepped back sharply. “A former alpha’s daughter, reduced to teaching in human form. It must be so… humiliating. Especially with your son to think about.”
The mention of Lucas made something snap inside me. Six years of buried rage bubbled up in my chest, hot and violent. Memories flashed through my mind in rapid succession – the drugged water at breakfast, the hotel room’s suffocating darkness, Emma’s mocking laughter in the parking lot as my world fell apart.
“Don’t you dare,‘ I growled, my voice barely recognizable. “Don’t you dare mention my son.”
Emma’s eyes widened in feigned innocence. “Oh, did I hit a nerve? I’m just concerned about the poor child. Growing up without a father, with a mother who can’t even-
My body moved before my brain could catch up, years of muscle memory taking over. The world slowed down to crystal clarity as I executed the throw – my right foot pivoting, hands gripping her expensive workout top, using her own forward momentum to send her flying. The move was lightning–fast, a perfect demonstration of the techniques I’d spent years perfecting in human fighting rings.
Emma hit the ground hard, her designer outfit collecting dust as she sprawled gracelessly on the pavement. The sound of her impact echoed across the suddenly silent parking lot.
“Not so concerned now, are you?” I stood over her, my voice deadly quiet. “Want to talk more about that night at Mountain View Resort? About how you and Bella set me up? About watching your best friend‘ be drugged and-”
“What the hell is going on here?”
The deep voice cut through the tension like a thunderclap. My heart stuttered as Ethan strode toward us, his alpha presence rolling across the parking lot in waves that made even the watching wolves take involuntary steps back. Emma immediately scrambled to her feet, tears already welling in her eyes as she rushed to his side.
“Ethan!” She clutched his arm, her voice breaking in a masterful display of distress. “I just wanted to welcome her back! To apologize for everything that happened!” A perfectly timed sob escaped her. “I’ve felt so guilty all these years, and when I tried to make things right, she… she attacked me!”
I watched her performance with cold clarity, noting how her fingers dug into Ethan’s arm, how she pressed herself against him just so. Emma had always been skilled at playing the victim, at twisting situations to her advantage. But something was different this time – I could see real fear beneath her act, especially when she glanced between Ethan and me.
“Is this true?” Ethan’s forest–green eyes fixed on me, his expression unreadable. For a moment, I almost lost my composure, almost blurted out everything right there.
I met his intense gaze steadily. “She came here to provoke me,” I said, my voice clear and firm. “Making snide comments about my abilities as an instructor and my son. I simply gave her a lesson in respect.”
“That’s not true!” Emma’s grip on Ethan’s arm tightened as she pressed closer to him. “I just wanted to welcome her back! She’s the one who attacked me without provocation!”
“Enough.” Ethan’s voice carried the weight of his alpha authority. His forest–green eyes fixed on me with disapproval. “Regardless of what was said, physical violence against another pack member is unacceptable. You will apologize to Emma.”
A bitter laugh escaped me. “Apologize? For defending myself and my son’s honor?”
“Aria.” The way he said my name sent an involuntary shiver down my spine. “As the facility’s administrator, I can’t allow this behavior from an instructor.”
Emma’s lips curved into a triumphant smile behind Ethan’s back. “I accept your apology, Aria,” she said sweetly. “I know it must be… difficult… adjusting to life without your wolf powers.”
My hands clenched into fists at my sides. “I won’t apologize for standing up to bullies,” I said firmly.
If you want an apology, you’ll have to fire me.”
