Chapter 330
330
Aria’s POV
Maeryn.
༣D
+10 Free Coins
I blinked, heart skipping a beat. She stood there, silent and composed as always, yet there was a sharpness in her eyes that immediately set my nerves on edge.
“Professor…” I whispered, disbelief coloring my tone. “What are you—”
Her gaze didn’t soften. Instead, it pierced me, sharp and calculating. “Aria,” she said quietly, her voice steady, almost casual, “your behavior has raised suspicions. Alpha Aedric is watching you. He has sent others to observe your movements.”
I froze, my pulse hammering in my ears. Aedric. My Alpha. Watching me.
“You… you knew?” I asked, my throat tight.
Maeryn gave a faint nod. “I detected the surveillance. Quietly, I’ve been masking your traces, covering your tracks. But you cannot remain in the underground chamber for much longer. He’s already beginning to notice discrepancies. You must move him.”
I glanced at the heavy wooden door, then back at Maeryn, panic and frustration twisting inside me. Lucien was supposed to be safe here–no one came down here. This was my carefully chosen refuge.
But Maeryn’s eyes didn’t waver. “It is no longer safe,” she said. “You must find a more secure location. Quickly.”
Then my eyes drifted to the man inside—the reason for my agitation. Lucien. He had risen slightly when he heard Maeryn, and his golden eyes widened in disbelief.
“Professor?” he breathed, astonished. “I… I didn’t expect… you…”
I blinked at the exchange, my mind racing. They knew each other. They had history. The shock on Lucien’s face mirrored the one I felt in my chest. I had never
1/3
8:03 Tue , Sep 9
330
seen him look so exposed, so… human.
:
83
+10 Free Cons
Lucien’s gaze flicked between Maeryn and me, suspicion and curiosity written across every line of his face. “You…” he began, voice tight, almost hesitant. “You’re my professor. But… I have so many questions…”
Maeryn’s lips curved faintly. “Not now, Lucien. There is no time for questions. Aria must relocate you, or Aedric will discover your presence, and then all of this—” She gestured toward me and the chamber, “-will be undone.”
My stomach twisted. Aedric had been subtly suspicious, but I had hoped the underground storage would hold. Now it seemed even that wasn’t enough.
I bit my lip, considering options. The chamber was secure–but too visible in the long run, and the risk of discovery was growing by the hour.
Maeryn looked at me, then at Lucien again, and shook her head. Her expression conveyed everything without words: caution, warning, and finality.
“Your bedroom,” she said finally, her voice quiet but firm. “It is the most secure place you could choose. No one would dare enter the room of a White Wolf warrior, not without good reason. That will keep him safe.”
I felt my jaw tighten. My bedroom. My private sanctuary. A stranger—an Alpha of another pack, no less–hidden in there? The very idea made my wolf bristle. It was not something I wanted, not something I could allow lightly.
I looked at Lucien, who met my gaze with a silent trust that sent a jolt of responsibility straight through me. He had survived so much already, and I had saved him. If I refused now, all my efforts would be in vain.
Four days until the full moon. Four days to keep him alive, hidden, and strong enough to face what would come. I could not afford to falter.
I exhaled, forcing my hesitation down, and pointed at him. My voice was steady, clipped, betraying none of the turmoil inside me. “You. Follow me.”
Lucien’s golden eyes flicked to me, then to the corridor beyond, and he nodded once. There was no hesitation, only quiet acknowledgment. The trust in his gaze
2/3
8:03 Tue, Sep 9
330
គ (83)
+10 Free Coins
tightened something inside me, a mixture of tension and reluctant responsibility.
I led him through the corridors, every shadow scanned, every step measured. The corridors of the pack were never truly empty, and even a single careless guard could undo everything. Yet Lucien moved silently beside me, careful and still, like a predator accustomed to the night.
When we finally reached my bedroom, the door felt heavier than usual in my hands. I opened it slowly, eyes scanning for threats, for any indication that we had been followed. Nothing. Safe–for now.
I gestured to the far corner, where a small cot and blankets were already laid out. “Here,” I said. “Stay here. Do not leave this room. Do not test me. Any misstep, and you will regret it.”