He turned to the driver. “Hold off on the deliveries for now. We’ll use the elevator first.”
Watching him fuss over Selena, I stepped aside to let them pass. Nicho hesitated, his eyes flicking to mine for a brief moment, but when I said nothing, he hurried into the elevator with her.
As the doors slid shut, I caught a fleeting glimpse of their reflection. Selena’s wide-eyed gratitude and Nicho’s protective stance. The image stirred an unwelcome memory—of a younger me, back when Nicho had first marked me as his mate. He’d been just as attentive then, carrying my belongings into his den with a wide grin, calling me “the future Luna of the Shadowclaw Pack.”
Aunt Lyra sighed, her expression tinged with regret. “Are you really okay with this, Aria?”
I turned to her with a tight smile. “I don’t have a choice. If this is where his loyalty lies, then so be it.”
After delivering the supplies to Aunt Lyra, I decided to leave before losing my patience. Yet as I stood outside waiting for the driver, Nicho and Selena were still upstairs, their absence gnawing at me. Out of courtesy to what we once had, I pulled out my phone and sent him a short message.
“When are you heading back?”
The response came almost immediately, though not in the way I’d expected. A voice message.
When I hit play, Selena’s sweet, high-pitched voice filled my ears.
“Aria, Nicho’s helping me fix the wiring in the den. This place hasn’t been lived in for a while, so there’s a lot to sort out. You should head home; don’t let us hold you up.”
I stared at the screen for a moment before closing the chat. I could already feel the pity bubbling in my chest, threatening to spill over, but I swallowed it down.
As I climbed into the waiting car, another message buzzed through.
“By the way, Aria, please don’t take this the wrong way. Nicho’s just helping me out because he feels sorry for me. It’s hard living alone in a new pack.”
The bitterness rose in my throat as her words echoed in my mind. She wanted me to know how closely she relied on him—and how willingly he answered her calls.
I barely noticed when Nicho called moments later. I picked up, his voice sharp with frustration.
“Aria, why were you so cold to Lina earlier? She’s a subordinate, and it’s my duty to ensure she’s safe. Her situation’s temporary until the pack finds her proper accommodation. Isn’t it normal for me to help her?”