He lunged toward the fire, trying to pull the album out, but the flames were too strong. He hissed as the heat seared his hands, the skin reddening instantly. Despite the pain, he stomped on the remains, trying to extinguish the blaze that consumed our past.
“You’re insane!” he shouted, turning on me, his amber eyes glowing with fury. “Do you even realize what you’ve done? Years of memories, gone! Why, Aria? Why would you do this?”
I met his gaze, my wolf rising within me. “Because memories don’t mean anything if the promises tied to them are broken. You wanted to give me 9,999 reasons to choose you, but you let Selena take over before we even reached the end.”
His jaw clenched, his wolf flickering in his expression. “You don’t understand. Selena—”
“Selena,” I interrupted, my voice steady. “Has claimed what you’ve allowed her to. You think I don’t see what she’s doing? The photo in the group chat, the comments, the way she clings to you—it’s all calculated. And you let it happen.”
He took a step closer, his voice softening. “Ellie, it’s not what you think. She’s part of the pack, and as Alpha, I have a responsibility to—”
“Don’t.” I raised a hand to stop him. “Don’t insult me by pretending this is just about pack business. You made your choice, Nicho. Now, I’m making mine.”
Aria’s POV
The ash still smoldered faintly at my feet as Nicho’ anger melted into what looked like regret. His eyes, so familiar yet distant, dimmed under the fading moonlight. He adjusted his shirt collar, trying to regain the calm aura of an Alpha, but I wasn’t fooled. His erratic heartbeats betrayed him, it kept pounding so fast.
I brushed the soot from my hands and stood, meeting his gaze. My voice was steady, devoid of any warmth. “It’s fine. I saw bugs crawling in the album, maybe cockroaches, so I burned it.”
Nicho’ brows furrowed as he stepped closer, his wolf stirring just beneath his skin. “You burned it? That was ten years’ worth of memories! How could you—” His words faltered as he realized he was growling.
I held my ground, raising an eyebrow. “Are you done?”
The sheer indifference in my tone seemed to hit him harder than any insult. He exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair. “I’m sorry. I overreacted,” he said, his voice softer now. “But that album meant a lot to us. Why didn’t you wait for me?”