"Aria…"
The Alpha repeated the name slowly, like it didn't belong in his world anymore.
Like it should have stayed buried.
Dead.
Just like her.
"You're speaking nonsense," he said sharply, turning away again.
"There is no way she's alive."
His voice was firm.
Final.
But his mind… betrayed him.
Because deep down
He remembered.
Two Months Ago…
"Alpha, I think this might sound ridiculous…"
The Beta stood before him then, just like now.
"…but I sensed something."
The Alpha didn't even look up from where he sat.
"Speak."
"A powerful Alpha scent," the Beta continued. "Similar to yours… but different."
That made him pause.
Slightly.
"Explain."
"I felt it on my way to the mission," the Beta said. "And again on my way back."
Silence.
"And?" the Alpha asked coldly.
The Beta hesitated.
"…the only person I could think of…"
The Alpha's eyes lifted slowly.
"…was Aria."
That was the moment everything snapped.
"Will you shut the hell up?" the Alpha's voice thundered through the room.
The Beta lowered his head instantly.
"There is no way she's alive," the Alpha continued, his aura flaring dangerously.
"I sent my most trusted warriors after her."
His fists clenched.
"They confirmed her death."
His voice dropped lower.
"They showed me proof."
Blood.
Torn fabric.
Her scent fading into nothing.
He had seen it.
He had believed it.
Because he needed to.
Because anything else would mean
Failure.
Present Time
"And yet," the Beta said carefully, pulling him back to reality, "I sensed it again."
The Alpha's body stiffened slightly.
"In the city this time."
Silence.
Heavy.
Oppressive.
"I went there myself," the Alpha said finally.
The Beta looked up.
"And?"
The Alpha's eyes darkened.
"It's real."
The word came out low.
Controlled.
But filled with something dangerous.
"She's alive."
The wind howled louder, as if reacting to his words.
"And the child?" the Beta asked.
The Alpha didn't respond immediately.
But when he did…
His voice was colder than ever.
"That child…"
He paused.
"…is mine."