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Chißter 37 A Fragile Trace
Chapter 37: A Fragile Truce
Chapter 37: A Fragile Truce
(Freya’s POV)
“So,” Aaron said. “You really think we should keep this from her?”
“We shouldn’t keep it from her,” I corrected. “We should wait until it’s necessary. Why cause her unnecessary anxiety? Let her recover as much as possible before we tell her the surgery might be moved up”
He closed the folder and placed it on the seat between us, tapping a finger against its edge. “She has the right to know.”
“And what would telling her right now achieve?” I shot back, keeping my voice even. “She trusts us to make decisions that are best for her. What would be the point in making her lose sleep over something that may not even be a finalized decision yet?”
His wolf eyes flashed briefly. He opened his mouth, likely to argue, but something held him back. Maybe it was the steadiness in my voice. Maybe it was the logic in my words. Or maybe, it was the fact this wasn’t about him for once. It was about her.
“She’s important to you,” he said quietly. It wasn’t a question. It was an observation, almost like he was trying to piece something together.
“Of course she is,” I answered simply. “She’s family.”
That seemed to settle something in him. His shoulders relaxed slightly, the light in his golden eyes dimming to something calmer. For the first time in days, the tension between us eased.
But peace with Aaron was fleeting. As soon as the discussion about his grandmother was over, the silence returned. Cold. Heavy. Unbearable.
Thomas kept glancing at us nervously through the rearview mirror. I could see the confusion written across his face. He didn’t understand our dynamic, and honestly, who could? We had spent the better part of fifteen minutes working together like a normal mated pair, only to sink back into a wall of icy distance.
By the time the car stopped in front of the pack house, I’d had enough. I stepped out quickly, not waiting for Aaron. My heels clicked against the stone, each step sharp and purposeful. The pack staff milling around the house stopped to bow slightly as I passed, but I barely noticed them.
Behind me, Aaron’s steps were slower, more deliberate. He was always measured, always controlled. It was part of who he was. But I didn’t need to turn back to know his gaze was fixed on me, assessing, as it always
did.
As I walked up the steps and disappeared into the house, the faint whispers of the pack reached my ears. Even with my heightened hearing, it didn’t take much effort to catch their words.
They don’t even look at each other,” one Beta muttered. “How much longer do you think until the mate bond’s
severed?”
“Don’t be an i***t, replied another voice, hushed but firm. “True mates don’t break that easily. It’s just a bad phase.”
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Chibur 3 A Fragle Trace
I clenched my fists at my sides. Of course they were talking. They always talked. A mated Alpha and Luna at odds wasn’t just gossip–it was a spectacle. Something for everyone to analyze and dissect.
Taking a deep breath, I fixed my eyes on the hallway ahead. I wouldn’t give them the satisfaction of reacting. Let them think what they wanted. It didn’t matter.
When I reached our shared quarters, I closed the door behind me and leaned back against it, exhaling slowly. The noise faded away, leaving only my thoughts and Bella’s restless growls
Everything felt calmer now–or at least quieter. But the knot of unease in my stomach didn’t loosen,
I crossed the room and sank onto the edge of the bed, my thoughts drifting to Elder Katherine. As much as hated the tension with Aaron, none of that mattered compared to her surgery.
My gaze fell to my hands resting in my lap. I traced the faint lines along my skin, thinking about the choices I’d made. About Aaron. About Caroline. About us. What had I expected when I agreed to this arrangement? That it would be easy? That feelings wouldn’t get involved?
No, I reminded myself firmly. This wasn’t a love story. It never had been. Our mating was transactional. Practical. He’d made that clear from the beginning, and I’d accepted it.
But the pregnancy… that was different. That wasn’t part of the deal. And if he had truly told Caroline about it before speaking to me….
I bit the inside of my cheek, my fingers curling into my palm. No. Now wasn’t the time to think about that. For now, I needed to keep Bella calm. For Elder Katherine’s sake, we needed to maintain some semblance of
peace.
Bella growled softly in agreement but retreated to the back of my mind, uneasy but compliant. I lay back on the sofa, a book in my hand, and let sleep pull me under.
(Aaron’s POV)
When I pushed open the door to our quarters, I saw her. She was curled on the sofa, her body half–hidden by a throw blanket. The book in her hand had slipped loosely to her side as her chest rose and fell in the slow rhythm of sleep
My steps faltered for a moment. Something about seeing her like this, so peaceful, did things to me I didn’t fully understand. Logan stirred inside me, his restless energy more curious now than annoyed.
For once, there was no coldness in her expression. No guarded tone. No sharp words. Just quiet, unspoken vulnerability
Her eyelids fluttered open briefly, revealing those violet eyes that had always caught me off guard. But her gaze didn’t linger on mine. It shifted quickly, her walls snapping back into place as if she’d remembered who I
was.
“Finished in the bathroom?” I asked, my voice steady.
She nodded once and mumbled, “Yes,” before rolling onto her back, the blanket pulled snug around her legs. Logan huffed at the one–word reply, but I said nothing more, disappearing toward the bathroom.
When I came out, the faint light of the reading lamp caught my attention. Freya was now on the bed, her back propped against the headboard, but the book remained closed in her hands. She was asleep again, her
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Chapte 37 A Fale Trucr
features softened by the calm of unconsciousness.
I stopped in the doorway, staring quietly. I told myself it wasn’t on purpose, but my gaze was drawn to her The way the faintest shadow of a smile seemed to play on her lips, even as she slept. The way her lashes curled against her pale cheeks, motionless yet captivating
Logan stirred again, his golden energy rippling slightly through my chest. He liked this. He liked seeing her
like this.
I stepped closer. The room was quiet enough for me to hear the steady rhythm of her breathing, the occasional flutter of her heartbeat.
Standing beside the bed, I let my gaze trace the gentle curve of her face, the stubborn jut of her chin. It drew me in, and before I realized what I was doing, my hand reached out on its own accord.
My fingers barely brushed against her brow–the faintest touch–before I grazed the edge of her eyelid. For a moment, I forgot where I was. Forgot why this particular woman, my mate, constantly vexed and intrigued
me
But then she stirred.
Her soft exhale startled me back to my senses, and I jerked my hand away as though I’d been caught stealing something. I cursed myself silently, taking a hasty step back just as those violet orbs blinked open.
(Freya’s POV)
I woke to find Aaron standing unusually close, his expression caught somewhere between surprise and guilt. My grogginess faded instantly as my eyes narrowed at him.
“What are you doing?” My voice was husky with sleep but edged with suspicion.
His features smoothed into an unreadable mask, as they often did when he didn’t want to be caught off guard. “Just checking to see if you were asleep.”
I stared at him for a moment, unsure if I believed him. But what other reason could there be? Shaking my head, I instinctively touched the closed book on my lap
“I’m tired,” I said, my tone neutral again. It wasn’t a lie. I was exhausted–both physically and emotionally. As I closed the book and placed it on the nearby nightstand, Aaron’s golden eyes followed the motion. His gaze lingered on me longer than usual, unspoken questions brewing within them.
“Are you still…” he began, his voice trailing off. But I cut him off before the sentence could take shape.
“We should call a truce,” I said suddenly
He blinked, his face unreadable. “A truce?”
“Yes.” There was no hesitation in my tone now. “What do
you think?”
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His brow arched slightly, his interest clearly piqued. “And what exactly does that mean?”
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Chapter 38: A Fragile Truce
