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“Huh, I can’t imagine why,” I say, smirking. I indicate to the food and coffee on the table. “Are you feeling hungry? I have no idea what you prefer for breakfast…”
Aria chuckles softly, her smirk widening as she walks closer to the table. "This looks amazing," she says, her voice laced with a hint of gratitude.
I pull out a chair for her, and she eases herself down. I can't help but feel a mix of guilt and satisfaction. The wolf in me swells with pride that I’ve marked my mate.
Aria takes a sip of coffee, her eyes widening in surprise. "Hmm, not bad. I guess you were right about needing the energy boost," she remarks, a playful glint in her eyes.
I take a seat across from her, watching as she digs into the plate of eggs and sausage. A comfortable silence settles between us, broken only by the clinking of cutlery against plates. Despite the weight of the unresolved issues hanging over us, there's a sense of ease and familiarity in this shared moment.
I relish it. Treasure it.
After a few bites, Aria looks up at me, her expression softening. "Thank you for this," she says sincerely. "For taking care of me, even after everything that happened. I know we have a lot to talk about and sort through, but for now, this...this feels good."
I nod, glad she’s sharing the sentiment, even as I acknowledge this moment was stolen. “About Holly…”
Aria looks away. “You explained it wasn’t what it seemed.”
I reach out to clasp her hand. “It wasn’t. I was there because Holly knows something.” My hand tightens around Aria’s. “Do you ever get the feeling that she’s hiding from something?”
“What do you mean?” she asks, putting down her fork to focus on me.
“I tried to meet up with Holly because I needed to gauge what exactly caused her to run in the first place. But things didn't end too well that night because some thugs attacked.”
“The alleyway,” Aria finishes.
I nod. “Meeting up with her yesterday was another attempt at getting her to explain a few things. But she stopped midway and kissed me, even though I told her I wouldn’t do it. She did it anyway, I think because she was scared.”
“Scared?”
“She wasn't expecting you to be coming up. But she was terrified of whomever it might be.”
A thoughtful glance crosses Aria’s face. “It checks out,” she says. “I saw her the other day, accompanied by some thugs. There was a dangerous-looking one who I think was a shifter and a guy in a black mask.”
I feel my blood rush backward. “Thugs?”
“Yeah,” Aria says, drawing her hand away as a shudder ripples through. “One had red eyes.”
My mind flashes back to the hotel room in the bordello, the bodies at the morgue. All the red staining the walls. I scramble to keep myself calm only to find it far more difficult than it seems.
Not when a single realization just turned my world inside out.
Bane.
Bane has seen Aria.
With a deep breath and a glance at her worried expression, I manage to keep myself under control. I’m not calm by any means, but I refuse to give way to the raging fear and fury. At least long enough to take notice of the other things she mentioned.
There was a guy with a black mask. New information I haven't heard. “Was there anything else you noticed?”
“Not much,” she responds, picking up her knife and fork and focusing on cutting up a sausage. “But if Holly was with them, then I’m sure it’s significant.”
I nod, deciding not to push things. Aria’s been through enough without needing to be drawn into the darkness hovering at the periphery. And it seems Holly has something to hide. She may be connected to Night Fang in a far deeper way than I realized. It’s just the lead I needed.
We remain quiet throughout breakfast, slipping back into the wholesome sort of quiet from before. Throughout it all, I’m careful not to show any worry on my face, but the creeping in my heart still remains, lodged like a splinter. What is Bane planning? And how close am I to stopping him?
I can only hope I’m close. Close enough to grab him by the throat and rip it out before he can do anything. I can handle Bane, but Aria can’t.
Not that she’ll have to.
