Chapter 6
Aeris had barely slept.
She had spent the night pacing her apartment, staring at the cracked ceiling as if it would give her the answers she desperately needed. But there were none. No solutions, no escape.
No matter how much she denied it, how much she fought it, one truth remained—Rheon Draven was her mate.
She had felt it the moment he touched her, the way the bond hummed beneath her skin like an untamed current, demanding to be acknowledged. And she had nearly caved. She had nearly let herself believe that this was something she could have.
But reality was cruel, and she wasn’t some naïve little girl.
Being his mate meant becoming part of his world. It meant stepping into the pack that had shunned her kind, that would never accept her as one of their own. It meant standing beside a man who carried more weight than she had ever known, who would be forced to choose between his people and her.
And she already knew which one he would choose.
Aeris let out a slow breath, running a hand through her tangled hair. She needed to be smart. She needed to be rational.
She needed to forget about him.
A sharp knock at her door shattered the fragile quiet.
She froze. No one ever came to her place unannounced. No one.
Another knock. Louder this time.
“Aeris.”
Her stomach twisted. Rheon.
She stared at the door, every part of her screaming to ignore him. But her traitorous feet carried her forward, and before she could stop herself, her fingers curled around the doorknob.
She pulled it open.
And there he stood.
Tall, imposing, the scent of the forest clinging to him like a second skin. His amber eyes locked onto hers, sharp and unrelenting.
She swallowed. “What do you want?”
“Let’s talk.”
“There’s nothing to talk about,” she said, forcing her voice to stay steady.
Rheon exhaled through his nose. “You’re running.”
Her jaw clenched. “I’m surviving.”
“Aeris—”
“I’m not one of your pack members, Rheon,” she snapped, her voice cutting through the still morning air. “You don’t get to tell me what to do.”
His expression remained unreadable, but something flickered behind his eyes. “You think I want to control you?”
She lifted her chin. “That’s what Alphas do, isn’t it?”
Rheon’s lips pressed into a thin line. He took a step forward, and despite herself, she didn’t back away.
“I have never tried to control you,” he said, voice quiet but firm. “But I won’t let you push me away, either.”
Her pulse pounded. Damn him.
He was making this so much harder than it needed to be.
“I don’t belong in your world,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
Rheon’s jaw ticked. “You belong with me.”
Aeris sucked in a sharp breath.
He said it like it was the simplest thing in the world. Like it was inevitable.
She hated that a part of her wanted to believe him.
But she couldn’t.
She wouldn’t.
Before she could respond, another voice shattered the moment.
“Well, isn’t this touching?”
Aeris’s blood ran cold.
She knew that voice.
Slowly, she turned her head, her stomach twisting into knots.
Loyd Rock.
The man leaned against the rusted railing of the staircase, his smirk sharp enough to cut. His dark eyes gleamed with something vicious, something hungry.
Aeris forced herself to remain still. “What do you want?”
Loyd’s smirk widened. “I think you already know.”
Rheon moved before she could blink.
One second, he was beside her. The next, he was in front of her, his body a solid wall of muscle and fury. His voice was low, deadly.
“You have five seconds to walk away.”
Loyd chuckled, unfazed. “Oh, come on, Draven. No need to be so hostile.” His gaze flickered to Aeris, his smile turning cold. “I just came to talk.”
Rheon’s muscles coiled. “You lost that right when you made her a target.”
Loyd sighed, shaking his head as if Rheon were the unreasonable one. “You really don’t know what you’re getting yourself into, do you?”
Aeris’s stomach twisted.
This wasn’t good.
Loyd was playing a game, one she didn’t understand yet. And Rheon was walking right into it.
She stepped forward before things could spiral out of control. “Loyd, leave.”
He glanced at her, amusement flickering across his face. “Why? Are you scared?”
Aeris didn’t blink. “No. I just don’t have time for your bullshit.”
Loyd tilted his head, studying her. Then, without another word, he straightened and stepped back.
“Fine,” he said. “I’ll leave.”
But as he turned to go, his voice dropped, just low enough for her to hear.
“This isn’t over, little hybrid.”
Aeris forced herself to remain still, to keep her expression blank as he disappeared down the street.
But inside?
Inside, she was screaming.
Stone Hollow Packhouse – Later That Night
Rheon paced the length of his office, his wolf restless beneath his skin.
Loyd Rock was a problem.
A serious problem.
The fact that he had been waiting for Aeris meant only one thing—he had plans for her. And that wasn’t something Rheon could ignore.
A sharp knock on the door pulled him from his thoughts.
“Come in,” he said, already knowing who it was.
The door opened, and Ray Lockwell stepped inside.
Rheon’s Beta crossed his arms. “We have a problem.”
Rheon exhaled. “I know.”
Ray’s expression darkened. “Loyd isn’t just after Aeris. He’s working with someone from inside our pack.”
Rheon’s body went rigid. “Who?”
Ray hesitated. “We’re still figuring that out.”
Rheon’s hands clenched into fists. He didn’t like uncertainty. And he especially didn’t like knowing that there was a traitor in his ranks.
His wolf growled, demanding blood, demanding retribution.
“Find them,” he said, his voice dangerously calm. “And when you do—bring them to me.”
Ray nodded. “Understood.”
As his Beta left, Rheon turned to the window, his thoughts drifting back to Aeris.
She was in danger.
And whether she liked it or not—he wasn’t going to let her face it alone.
Aeris sat at the edge of her bed, her fingers digging into the thin mattress as she fought to steady her breathing. Her heart was still pounding from the encounter with Loyd Rock, the weight of his parting words pressing down on her chest like a stone.
This isn’t over, little hybrid.
She had known it was a mistake to get involved with Rheon, even in the smallest of ways. The moment he’d entered her life, the fragile world she had built for herself had begun to crumble. Loyd had always been a distant threat, a shadow lurking at the edges of her existence. But now? Now he was staring her right in the face, and she had nowhere left to hide.
Aeris swallowed, closing her eyes for a brief moment.
Running had always been her first instinct, her only defense. But something in her gut told her that this time, it wouldn’t be so easy. Loyd wasn’t going to let her disappear. And Rheon—damn him—wasn’t going to let her push him away.
A knock at the door made her jolt upright.
Her pulse spiked, a flicker of fear flashing through her before she forced herself to breathe. It’s fine. It’s not him. It’s not Loyd. She moved toward the door slowly, hesitating for a second before cracking it open.
Flora stood on the other side, arms crossed over her chest, concern etched into her face.
"Are you going to let me in, or are we doing this thing where you pretend you're fine when you’re obviously not?" Flora asked, arching a brow.
Aeris let out a slow breath before stepping aside. "I don’t need a lecture."
Flora walked in, eyeing the small, cluttered space before flopping onto the bed. "Good, because I wasn’t planning on giving you one." She paused, then added, "Well, not a long one, anyway."
Aeris shut the door and turned to face her. "I can handle myself."
Flora scoffed. "Sure. That’s why I just heard from the bartender at the Black Wolf Pub that you were cornered outside your apartment by a very dangerous Alpha, and your very protective mate had to step in before things got messy."
Aeris flinched. Word travels fast.
She folded her arms. "Rheon isn’t my mate."
Flora gave her a flat look. "Uh-huh. And I’m secretly a princess from the Moon Kingdom. Try again."
Aeris clenched her jaw. "It doesn’t matter. I can’t be with him. I won’t."
Flora sighed. "Aeris, you can pretend all you want, but you and I both know that rejecting a mate bond isn’t that simple. Even if you never say the words, it’s there. It’s always going to be there. And running away isn’t going to make it disappear."
Aeris looked away, her chest tightening. "I don’t have a choice."
"You do have a choice," Flora countered, sitting up straighter. "You just don’t like any of the options."
Aeris turned sharply toward her, frustration bubbling beneath her skin. "You don’t get it, Flora. This isn’t about what I want. Rheon is an Alpha. He has an entire pack relying on him. A pack that will never accept me. Not when I’m—" She stopped herself, biting back the words.
Flora’s expression softened. "Not when you’re a hybrid?"
Aeris swallowed hard, nodding.
Her entire life, she had been treated like an outsider. Even before she and her mother had been exiled, the pack had never truly seen her as one of them. A Lycan without a shift. A warlock without magic. A mistake.
She refused to go through that again.
Flora exhaled, leaning back against the bed. "You know, not all packs are the same. And not all people are as blind as the ones who hurt you before."
Aeris shook her head. "Hope is a dangerous thing, Flora. It makes people think they have a chance when they don’t."
Flora studied her for a long moment. "You don’t trust easily, do you?"
Aeris let out a humorless laugh. "No."
Flora smiled faintly. "Then I guess it’s a good thing Rheon seems determined to prove you wrong."
Aeris's stomach twisted. She didn’t want him to prove her wrong.
Because if he did, she wouldn’t have any excuses left.
Stone Hollow Packhouse – Rheon’s Office
Rheon was staring at a map spread out across his desk, his jaw tight as he traced his fingers along the marked areas.
Loyd had been too close tonight.
Too close to Aeris. Too close to his mate.
The thought sent a fresh wave of possessiveness surging through him, his wolf snarling in protest. He hadn’t wanted to push her, hadn’t wanted to force her into accepting their bond before she was ready. But after tonight, he wasn’t sure he could wait any longer.
Aeris was his. And whether she accepted it or not, that meant protecting her.
The door creaked open, and Ray stepped inside, his expression grim. "We have a problem."
Rheon didn’t look up. "Just one?"
Ray let out a sharp exhale, dropping a thick folder onto the desk. "I did some digging. You’re not going to like this."
Rheon finally met his Beta’s gaze, his muscles coiling at the tension in his voice. "Tell me."
Ray tapped the folder. "Loyd’s interest in Aeris? It’s not random."
Rheon stiffened. "What do you mean?"
Ray’s jaw clenched. "I mean he’s been tracking her for years. Before she even came to Arrow Brooke. Before she ever set foot in our territory."
Rheon’s blood turned ice cold.
His fingers curled into fists. "Why?"
Ray hesitated, then flipped open the folder, revealing a series of documents and photos. "Because of who she is."
Rheon’s eyes scanned the pages, his pulse hammering against his ribs. It was a detailed file on Aeris, filled with information that no ordinary Alpha should have access to. There were notes on her past, her mother’s exile, even her lineage—
His breath caught.
His gaze snapped to Ray. "This—this can’t be right."
Ray’s expression was unreadable. "It is."
Rheon’s mind raced. The pieces were falling into place too fast, too dangerously.
Aeris wasn’t just some random hybrid.
She was something more. Something Loyd had been waiting for.
His hands tightened around the paper. "What the hell does he want from her?"
Ray’s voice was grim.
"He wants to breed her."
A deadly silence filled the room.
Rheon felt his control snap, his wolf surging forward in a violent burst of rage. The idea of anyone touching Aeris—of anyone laying a claim on what was his—
A growl ripped through his chest, deep and lethal.
Ray didn’t flinch. "He thinks she’s the key to something bigger. A hybrid with both Lycan and warlock blood? If she were to produce offspring, there’s no telling what kind of power they’d have."
Rheon’s nails dug into the desk, splintering the wood.
He had known Loyd was dangerous.
But this?
This changed everything.
He had wanted to give Aeris time. He had wanted to let her come to him on her own terms.
But now, time wasn’t a luxury he could afford.
Loyd was coming for her.
And Rheon would kill him before he let that happen.
