Chapter 5 Five

Aria's POV

"Just hold on, Aria the baby is coming!" Morgana's voice cut through the pain like a thread of light in the darkness.

My body was trembling violently, soaked in sweat and soaked in agony. Every nerve screamed as if I was being torn open, every contraction dragging me closer to the brink of death.

I screamed again, clenching the sheets, my breath coming in gasps.

And then... the silence broke.

A cry. Loud, strong, beautiful.

A tear slipped down my cheek as Morgana gently lifted the child from between my legs. Her eyes softened. "It's a boy."

She wrapped him with clean cloth and handed him to me. My hands trembled as I took him in my arms. My baby. My Damien.

I kissed his forehead, breath hitching. He was the light after two years of pure darkness.

Morgana watched me in silence for a while, then said, "What are you going to name him?"

"Damien," I whispered.

She nodded.

"You did well. Now rest. I'll prepare something warm for you."

She left the room, and I stared at my son.

It was then the grief hit me again.

Killian wasn't here.

He was supposed to be by my side, holding our child, watching him breathe for the first time. But he wasn't. Because he was bewitched. Because his love wasn't strong enough to fight for me.

A soft knock pulled me from my thoughts. Morgana stood at the door, a cup of warm tea in her hand.

"Drink this," she said.

I took it slowly. "Why are you so kind to me?" I asked.

She gave a small smile. "Because I was once broken too. And someone took me in. Healed me."

I paused, watching her closely. There was something mysterious about her, something... ancient.

"You never told me how you ended up in this place," I said.

She hesitated, then laughed softly. "It's a long story. Let's just say I didn't always live here. I ran too, just like you. From something worse. But that story's for another time."

She never gave details. But her words stayed with me.

For two years, Morgana raised me back to health while I raised Damien into a happy, strong boy. She taught me to be fierce again. To walk tall. To silence my pain and rise. I went from broken to unstoppable.

Now, it was time to re-enter the world.

"I'm going to the city," I told Morgana one morning, strapping Damien to my back.

She gave me a small bag of herbs and money. "There's power in you, Aria. Don't ever let a man take it from you again."

I nodded.

I settled in a new city under a new name. I didn't want to be found, especially not by Killian or anyone from his cursed pack.

Months passed. I took small gigs, learned to blend in, and upgraded my cyber analysis skills. Then, one day, I saw a job posting from a company named Lucian Tech. Elite, secretive, highly secured. And owned by one of the most powerful Alphas in the city.

Alpha Lucian Storm.

I sent in my application. Two interviews later, I was called in for a final stage: meet the CEO.

I wore a simple fitted suit. Classy. Powerful. No distractions.

When I walked into his office, my heart skipped a beat.

He was tall. Controlled. Dangerously handsome. His energy wrapped around the room like a storm. His scent hit me first. My knees wobbled.

Then our eyes met.

He widened.

He stood immediately. His nostrils flared, and then

Mate.!!

I felt it. So did he.

"You felt that?" he asked, voice rough.

I didn't respond. I swallowed hard and placed my documents on his desk.

"I'm here for the interview," I said, tone sharp. "Not to discuss fate."

He chuckled a low, knowing sound. "You're different."

I didn't blink. "Is that a problem?"

"Not at all," he replied. "It's... refreshing."

We talked. Or rather, he asked questions, and I gave sharp, calculated answers. I had learned to protect myself. To never reveal too much. But this man? He had a way of making me forget I had walls at all.

He grilled me technically. Pushed my knowledge to the edge. And I answered each question without breaking a sweat.

When we were done, he leaned back in his chair, clearly impressed.

"You're hired," he said.

I blinked. "Just like that?"

He smirked. "You met every requirement. Besides, I always trust my instincts. And they tell me you'll be more than just an asset to the company."

My stomach twisted.

I couldn't afford a second heartbreak. I had Damien. My world didn't revolve around love anymore.

"I have a child," I said suddenly.

His smile didn't fade. "Then he's lucky to have you as a mother."

I searched his face, waiting for judgment, hesitation, anything. But it never came.

He stood and walked toward me.

"I don't want to scare you," he said. "I know something broke you. But I'm not him."

I didn't answer.

"Come to dinner," he offered.

I was about to decline when his assistant knocked, pushing the door open slightly. "Alpha, we need you in the briefing room. It's urgent about the Nightrun Pack."

Everything inside me froze.

Nightrun.

Lucian's jaw clenched. He looked between me and the door, then back at me. "Come with me. I think you'll want to see this."

*********************

Three men stood in front of a glowing holo-map. Images flickered across the screen, hacked systems, sealed borders, encrypted codes.

"This data breach it's not just some rogue hacker," one of the analysts said. "The breach route came from the Eastern territories... tied to the Nightrun Pack's outer perimeter."

Lucian turned to me. "You have a background in cybersecurity, right?"

I nodded cautiously.

He tapped a few keys and the system pulled up raw encrypted codes.

"Can you crack this?"

I stepped closer. My eyes scanned the data.

No. This wasn't just any encryption. This was Killian's signature. His system. His coding method.

My stomach turned.

I tried to hide the tremble in my fingers. But it was there his name burned into the screen like a ghost from my past.

Lucian saw the shift in my expression. "You know this coding style?"

"I built half of it," I said quietly.

The room went silent.

Lucian's brows lifted. "Explain."

I took a breath. "Killian... he was my mate. I was once his Luna. That system... that's mine. I created it for his pack."

Lucian didn't flinch. "So you're telling me you know how to bring it down?"

I met his gaze, fire in mine. "With my eyes closed."

**********

I walked out of the room with a thousand memories dragging behind me.

Killian. The lies. The betrayal. His mistress. The night he walked away while I was pregnant with his child.

He thought I'd disappear.

That I'd break quietly.

But fate had other plans.

Lucian followed me out. "I need you on this mission. The Nightrun Pack has crossed too many lines. We're going to dismantle them, Aria."

I didn't turn to him right away. Just stared at the skyline through the tall window.

"Why now?" I whispered.

"They've been trafficking supernatural tech to rogue witches. We just confirmed it. Your system is now helping destroy innocent lives."

I turned slowly.

That was it.

My chance.

My first revenge.

"I'll do it," I said. "But I'm not doing this for you."

He nodded once. "Understood."

I took a deep breath.

Then I whispered silently, "Killian... get ready for my return. I'm going to destroy everything you built. Just like you destroyed me." I felt it earlier faint but undeniable.

The Mate bond I once feared, the same kind I ran from after Killian chose another, now burned stronger with Lucian. For the first time, I have the power to strike back at Killian.

The Moon Goddess didn't just save me she gave me a fated mate more powerful than the Alpha who broke me. And standing here now, I know I'm no longer the victim... I'm the storm.

Lucian walked closer, eyes unreadable. "You won't fight alone."

I looked up at him. "Good. Because this time, I'm not coming back broken."

He smirked. "Welcome to war, Aria."