Chapter 8: Secrets and Suspicions
Chapter 8: Secrets and Suspicions.
(Freya’s POV)
I froze the moment I saw Aaron leaning against the doorframe, his golden eyes glued to the empty cup in my hand. His sharp gaze flicked between me and the sink where the healing herbs swirled away, leaving nothing but the faint scent of the bitter remedy. My chest tightened, every nerve in my body shrieking with tension.
Raising the empty bowl slightly, I forced my voice steady, “Didn’t you see everything?”
Aaron’s jaw clenched, his eyes narrowing. His posture radiated an icy control that only made his presence more suffocating. “You poured it out.” His words weren’t a question.
“I already told you I wouldn’t drink it,” I replied, meeting his glare head–on. My fingers gripped the bowl tighter, tension building with every second his eyes stayed on me.
His wolf, Logan, stirred behind his gaze, his golden eyes flashing faintly. “That’s not the point,” Aaron said coldly, stepping into the bathroom. The small space felt cramped with the weight of his Alpha dominance.” Why even refuse something that will help?”
My lips pressed into a firm line. I could hear the unspoken accusation in his tone, but even without his words, my guilt churned in my stomach. Protecting my unborn cub was all that mattered, but I couldn’t let him see
through me.
“I don’t need it,” I said firmly, brushing past him despite the tension crackling between us. My shoulder barely avoided his chest, his imposing figure too large to completely ignore. “The herbs are too bitter to drink. That’s
all.”
His arm shot up, blocking the door as I tried to leave. I swallowed hard, glaring up at him.
“You’re lying, Freya,” Aaron said, his eyes narrowing to slits. His voice was low but sharp, slicing th…gh the air like a blade. “Is there something you’re hiding?”
My heart skipped, panic clawing at me from the inside. Bella growled low in my mind, but I silenced her, steeling my expression. “What could I possibly be hiding?” I countered, my voice calm even though my body burned with fever and stress.
Aaron’s eyes raked over me, his Alpha instincts clearly sensing something was off. His wolf pushed through the mate bond, probing, but I slammed my mental walls up as tightly as I could.
“Then why did you stand in the rain outside the Blue Moon Club?” Aaron pressed, his jaw tightening as he stared me down. “Was that intentional?”
The accusation stung worse than I expected, sparking something sharp inside me. Bella snarled, trying to defend me even as I clenched my fists to stay composed.
“No,” I shot back, my voice rising slightly. “Why would I stand in the rain on purpose? I was doing what you
asked!”
His eyes narrowed further, doubt swirling in them. Every muscle in his body seemed to tense, his hands curling into fists at his sides. “You were asked to bring an umbrella. That’s all. Why didn’t you leave when you realized I hadn’t called for you?”
1/4
III O
<
Chapter & Secrets and Su
I flinched at his tone, which was more cold then curious, like he was placing together a puzzadors w solved. He had no idea what I’d endured that night–or who had been watching me from above asifiwers
some joke.
“I waited because I thought you needed me” I said softly, averting my gaze. My voice falt small, but my resolve remained firm. “Then I realized you didn’t. So I left. End of stor
Aaron’s wolf responded to my words, a flicker of unease twisting in his eyes. He stepped doser, kis tower frame making me feel impossibly small. “You didn’t answer my question. Why refuse the docto? Why refuse
the herbs?”
“Because I don’t need them,” I snapped, frustration seeping through my voice. My grip on the cow sightened until my knuckles burned. “What else do you want me to say, Aaron? I just don’t want them
He stared at me in silence for what felt like an eternity, his golden eyes searching mine as if trying to uneart
the secrets I’d buried deep.
Just then, a knock shattered the thick tension in the air. Amanda Wilson, the pack staff membe, tere into the doorway with a tray of food. Her eyes flicked nervously between us, sending the storm brewing in the
room.
“Luna, your breakfast,” she murmured uncertainly, setting the tray on the bedside table.
Taking a deep breath, I seized the opportunity to escape. “Thank you, Amanda,” I said, my voice tight. I brushed past Aaron, clutching the empty bowl to my chest, and sat down by the bedside.
Aaron stayed rooted to the spot, his eyes locked on me as I stared at the tray. The warm scent of food wafted up, but the mere thought of eating any of it made my stomach churn. Morning sickness swirled with leftover tension, leaving an ache in the pit of my gut.
I picked up a piece of bread, nibbling at it halfheartedly. Beside me, Aaron’s gaze burned into the side of my head with an intensity that set my nerves alight.
Logan stirred strongly now. Uncertainty flickered over Aaron’s face as though he couldn’t quite figu but what was wrong–or what he was feeling.
But just like that, he turned and walked out. His swift exit left the air heavy and suffocating, but I didn’t stop him. Instead, I placed the bread back on the tray, my appetite gone entirely.
My hand drifted to my stomach, protectively cradling the tiny life growing within me. In Aaron’s absence, the mask I’d held so tightly cracked, just for a moment.
Later, Amanda brought the healing herbs again. Their acrid scent struck me like a brick wall, making my
nausea worse.
“I don’t need these,” I said sharply, cutting her off before she could offer them. “Please, don’t prepare them
anymore.”
Amanda blinked, visibly caught off guard. “…Very well, Luna,” she said hesitantly. She hesitated only a moment before nodding and leaving.
I let out a tired sigh, slumping back against the pillows. My body felt like lead, exhaustion weighing me down. Most likely, Aaron had left to see Caroline by now, heading back to the Redwood Pack territory.
Would this bond of ours be different if I had been the one to save him during the rival pack attack all those
L
O <
Chapter 8 Secrets and Su
years ago? Could Logan’s instincts–and Aaron’s heart–have been mine instead?
The thoughts haunted me as I drifted off to sleep. One glittering tear slid down my cheek as darkness
claimed me.
When I awoke in the middle of the night, the bed beside me seemed to sink slightly. For a fleeting second, my heart fluttered with hope. But my fevered mind quickly pulled me back under.
By the time morning came, I found the bed cold and empty. My hand stretched out to touch Aaron’s side, but there was no warmth. He hadn’t been there.
Amanda arrived not long after, bringing breakfast and yet another bowl of herbs. The scent immediately triggered my pregnancy sickness, and frustration overwhelmed me.
“Why are these here again?” I snapped, my voice sharper than I intended.
Amanda flinched, her usual composure cracking under my outburst. Luna or not, I could see my behavior had
shaken her.
Regret gripped me instantly. “I’m sorry,” I said softly, forcing calm into my voice. “I’m just… not feeling well. Please, Amanda, take them away.”
(Martha Wilson’s POV)
I spent the morning managing the pack house, but Amanda’s pale face caught my attention as she returned from tending to Luna Freya. The untouched bowl of healing herbs in her hands only deepened my concern.
“Amanda,” I called out, my tone firm. “Why hasn’t Luna taken her medicine?”
Amanda hesitated, then reluctantly recounted Freya’s sharp reaction. I saw the uncertainty in her expression and knew exactly what she was thinking.
“Mind your thoughts,” I warned her sharply. “The Luna is under a great deal of stress and illness. She is still your Luna, no matter how she behaves.”
“But… with Caroline Redwood back…” Amanda started, barely able to finish her thought before stiffening. At that moment, the Alpha entered the hall, his shadow casting over all of us.
His golden eyes flicked to the full bowl in Amanda’s hands. His expression darkened. “Isn’t this the medicine she was supposed to take for her fever?”
“Yes, Alpha,” I confirmed without hesitation.
Amanda fidgeted nervously. “I… I thought it was something else…”
Aaron’s sharp gaze cut to her, clearly not buying her flimsy excuse. “Explain that,” he said firmly, his Alpha voice leaving no room for denial.
Amanda stammered, visibly shrinking under his scrutiny. “Well… yesterday… I was cleaning the bathroom…” She paused, hesitant to continue, but his steely stare pushed her forward. “I found a report. It was torn up and soaked from the rain.”
Aaron’s expression sharpened like a blade, his golden eyes flashing wolf–gold. “What kind of report?” “… I couldn’t read it clearly,” Amanda admitted, her voice trembling. “I only saw the words ‘report‘ and ‘clinic‘ The rest was too damaged to make out.”
3/4
£
