Carrying the Alpha’s Pup, Cast AsideChapter 1
Aria’s POV
By the time I ended the call, the muffled sounds that had leaked from the Alpha’s office—ragged breathing, the scrape of furniture, a rhythm I wished I could forget—had finally gone quiet.
My hands felt numb as I turned away and walked back toward the council meeting room. The stone floors felt colder than usual beneath my shoes. I forced myself into a chair, spreading the reports in front of me as if work alone could anchor me. I spoke softly with my assistant, giving instructions I barely registered, all while a wave of sickness rolled through my stomach. The pup stirred uneasily inside me, as though it sensed my distress.
I had no idea how much time slipped by before the heavy office door creaked open.
Ronan emerged first, his presence filling the hallway the way an Alpha’s always did—commanding, unavoidable. Delilah followed a step behind him, her head lowered just enough to look modest.
He’d swapped into a clean suit jacket, but he hadn’t bothered changing his shirt. Near his collar, faint but unmistakable, was the ghost of a lipstick mark. My gaze lingered there despite myself, my chest tightening.
Delilah, meanwhile, had clearly taken time to fix her appearance. Her makeup was flawless again, yet the warmth coloring her cheeks betrayed what no powder could hide.
I rose, intending to leave without a word. I didn’t have the strength for this.
But Delilah drifted toward me before I could escape, her smile bright and harmless, as if we were old friends meeting by chance.
“Aria, right?” she said lightly. “I didn’t expect to see you here. Today’s my first day at the pack offices—what a funny coincidence.”
I kept my expression blank, saying nothing.
She stepped closer, both hands wrapped around a glass of steaming water. Then, just as she reached me, her foot slid forward. Her body tipped toward mine.
“Oh!” she cried.
The glass shattered loudly against the floor. I managed to dodge aside at the last second, but she crumpled dramatically against the edge of the table, clinging to it as if her strength had abandoned her.
Her voice wavered, thin and trembling. “Did I offend you somehow? Why would you push me like that?”
The performance was so transparent it almost insulted my intelligence. I stared at her in silence, too tired to argue.
But Ronan was already there.