3. ARIA

As I settled down to go over the register and accounts that morning, I was assaulted by the red notices. The pit in my stomach grew with every bill.

The numbers on the page seemed to blur together, taunting me with their implications. I was losing the only thing I had left of my mother. She had opened the store after we lost my father and fled our pack..

When I was very young, she filled my nights with stories of where I came from and of a strength I had never been able to tap into. And now, my beloved bookstore was going down like the Titanic.

I could feel my palms sweating as I stared at the documents on the table, the finality of the situation bearing down on me.

How had things spiraled so far out of control? I felt a pang of guilt for allowing things to reach this point.

My thoughts drifted back to the conversation in this very office just two hours ago. A man named Sebastian Thomas had barged in, accompanied by Jake, his presence disrupting the quiet calm of my workspace.

"It"s okay, Jake. Let"s hear what the man has to say," I had said warily, my fatigue evident as I gestured for him to continue.

"Your business can be saved," Sebastian had declared, his tone brimming with confidence. Jake and I exchanged wary glances, my senses on high alert as I leaned forward in my chair, waiting for him to elaborate.

"What do you mean?" I had asked impatiently, my heart pounding in my chest as I braced myself for the worst.

"The Mind"s Paradise will live on in a new way," Sebastian replied with a grin.

I leaned back in my chair, knowing that whatever he was about to say was not going to be pleasant.

"You will receive a generous sum for the land, and my client will also honor this business with a plaque of gratitude in the lobby," Sebastian continued, his voice calm and measured. "He has plans to create something great for the community."

He wanted to tear it down. My safe haven would be transformed into a plaque. I felt a surge of anger rise, my wolf roaring with unbridled rage. It had lain dormant for so long, but now it surged to life, its presence almost tangible.

"What? Am I supposed to be grateful for a plaque?" I demanded, my voice laced with frustration and disbelief.

Sebastian remained unfazed as if he had anticipated my reaction and prepared for it adequately.

"Fortunately, there is a way we can go about it that allows you to retain some interest in the land," he continued.

I listened intently, my heart sinking with each word. "It has come to my client's attention that your business is facing some financial problems," he said matter-of-factly, his words hitting me like a ton of bricks. "And if you don"t come up with $400,000 in a month, the bank will take everything."

My throat went dry as I struggled to process his words. He was right—I was teetering on the brink of financial ruin, and the thought of losing my mother"s legacy was more than I could bear.

"From where I"m standing, I see an option that looks like an investment opportunity," Sebastian resumed, his gaze unwavering."My client wants to offer you a market share in the next business. A good-faith offer to finalize this transaction before the banks get further involved."

His words hung in the air like a dark cloud, casting a shadow over the room. With a sense of finality, I watched as he dropped a document on the table, its contents spelling out the terms of our agreement and the consequences of noncompliance.

"Well, Mr. Sebastian, you can"t expect me to sign this without understanding the terms," I protested. "I"ll need some time to review before I make any decisions."

"Fair enough," Sebastian conceded, reaching into his suit pocket to retrieve a business card. With a curt nod, he handed it to me, his expression unreadable as he prepared to leave.

Jake escorted him out, and I sat there with my head in my hands. What was I going to do?

"Are we going to be alright, Aria?" The voice jolted me back to reality. Jake, my loyal assistant, carried a hint of uncertainty in his voice. He deserved to know what was going on. "Perhaps the bank would be willing to loan us some funds."

"We have something great here, but..." I stopped my explanation as the tears filled my eyes. The truth was, we were in far deeper trouble than a simple bank loan could solve. How could I tell him he was losing his job? And I was the person who caused it.

I managed a weak smile in response, though it did little to ease the knot of anxiety that coiled in my chest. I couldn"t bring myself to burden Jake with the full extent of our predicament. He had been with me through thick and thin. I was holding back the dam of emotions from pouring out just thinking of what I was losing.

"Thank you, Jake. I‘ll figure it out. I should have a plan soon." I murmured, my voice barely audible above the din of my racing thoughts. "But I think I need a moment to collect my thoughts."

Jake nodded, his eyes filled with concern. "Of course, Aria," he replied softly, rising from his seat.

I hesitated for a moment, torn between the desire to be completely honest with him and continuing to deny the certainty of the situation.

"Jake," I finally replied, "will you finish the inventory for me?"

Jake quietly left the room, leaving me alone with my fears and uncertainties. But as daunting as the situation seemed, I refused to let it break me. There had to be a solution.

"How did we get here?" I muttered to myself, the question lingering like an unspoken accusation. This bookstore had been my mother"s legacy, a labor of love that she had entrusted to me before her untimely passing. Despite my best efforts, it seemed that her dream was slipping through my fingers.

As I mulled things over, my phone rang, jolting me out of my thoughts. The caller ID showed an unknown number.

Bill collector, I thought with a sigh. I reached for my phone, pressing the button to accept the call. "Hello," I greeted, my voice betraying none of the turmoil swirling within me.

"Hey, Aria, it's Ethan." I froze at the sound of his voice. His tone was so casual.

Ethan!

Why was he calling me?

When I saw him at Elinor's parents house last week, I thought that the random dinner was a one-and-done event. But here he was. Why did his voice always make butterflies in my stomach?

"Hi," was all I could manage.

"I was wondering if you"d like to join me for dinner tonight."

I hesitated for a moment, but in the end, curiosity won out over caution. "Sure, Ethan," I replied, forcing a note of nonchalance into my voice. "What time?"

"Let"s say around 5?" he suggested, his voice eager. "I"ll pick you up at 4. The Mind"s Paradise, right?"

"Yeah, I'll be here." I stammered reluctantly, already dreading the inevitable complications that would arise from spending time with him.

As the call ended, I wondered what that could be about. His reappearance in my life felt as sudden as his disappearance from it.

But as I returned my attention to the daunting task of salvaging my failing business, I was bombarded with memories of what once was. His gentle touch, his kind words. The long walks on the beach.

Deep down, a part of me wondered if his sudden attentiveness would leave me empty and cold again. I didn't need this in my life, but I was not going to say no to this second chance. Maybe after all this time he can finally give me a better understanding of what happened all those years ago. Maybe it wasn't a mistake after all?

Sometime later, my gaze shifted to the big ornamental clock on the wall, and I saw that it was almost four. A sense of urgency gripped me. I had been so engrossed in my work that I had lost track of time, and Ethan would be arriving any minute.

As the time ticked by, I couldn"t shake the feeling that my world was crumbling around me. And with Ethan"s dinner invitation, I didn't have the mental capacity to figure everything out. My business was falling apart, and my best friend's brother was walking back into my life.

I could hear a car screech to a halt in the parking lot outside, and my heart skipped a beat as I realized Ethan had arrived. Being a wolf had its perks—I could hear and smell things from far away, giving me a sense of awareness that often bordered on uncanny.

"Hey there; are you ready?" Ethan"s voice floated through the partially open door.

"Just a minute; let me grab my purse," I replied, my voice slightly shaky as I tried to compose myself.

As I circled the table in my office to grab my purse, I stole a glance at Ethan, who had now stepped fully into the room. With one hand casually tucked into his pocket, he looked every bit as breathtaking as ever.

His short, ebony hair, with flecks of copper, glinted in the lights of the bookstore, was perfectly styled, framing his chiseled jawline and accentuating his piercing blue eyes.

His crisp white shirt hugged his well-toned physique, and the subtle scent of his aftershave filled the air, enveloping me in its intoxicating embrace, bringing me back to the day at the beach, but Ethan was no longer a boy, but a man..

For a moment, I forgot about my worries and the impending doom hanging over my business. I forgot the pain and heartache he'd put me through.

All I could focus on was the magnetic presence of Ethan standing before me, his warm smile melting away the stress and anxiety that had followed me all day. All I could think was, what have I gotten myself into…

We strolled outside, and I was pleasantly surprised when Ethan offered to open the car door for me.

"So, what are you hungry for?" Ethan asked as he started the ignition and smoothly maneuvered the car out of the parking lot.

"You invited me." A smile crept across my face. "But since you asked, fish would be delightful." I knew how much he hated fish. Let"s see what he'd say to that.

"Any fish in particular?"

"Surprise me," I said, with a challenge in my eyes as I spoke.

"I know a place," Ethan replied with a playful grin, his eyes twinkling mischievously.

Suddenly, my stomach let out an embarrassingly loud rumble, reminding me that I hadn"t eaten anything since Jake had served me coffee that morning.

I looked over to see him staring at me. "Focus on driving," I scolded, with a growing grin and a blush running over my cheeks.

"Yes ma'am," he joked.

As we rode in comfortable silence, the realization dawned on me that Ethan"s sudden interest would be just that of old friends getting together. I would not allow him to invade my thoughts and let him seduce me into puddy as he had not so long ago.

I was stronger now, and wouldn't let our past be the reason we couldn't still be friends. But with his scent circling me in the car, I couldn"t say for certain if I would have the strength. I needed to tread carefully, or I'd fall back into bed with this man.