Chapter 5

Grace

I stand at the counter, methodically kneading dough for a batch of cinnamon rolls. The repetitive motion usually soothes me, but today, my mind is awhirl with worries I can’t seem to squash.

Aiden has been distant lately, often lost in thought. He’s still attentive, still showers me with affection, but a shadow lingers in his eyes that wasn’t there before. A tension in his shoulders never quite eases, even when we’re tangled together in the warmth of his bed.

I tell myself it’s just stress from Victor’s unwelcome presence. Aiden is just being protective, on guard against a potential threat. But a nagging voice in the back of my mind whispers it’s more.

Secrets . The word hangs heavily in my thoughts, taunting me. What isn’t he telling me?

I try to push the doubts aside, focusing on the task at hand. But even as I shape the dough into neat coils, my mind wanders to the feel of Aiden’s hands on my body—the way his touch ignites a fire in my blood, the way his eyes glow gold with desire when he looks at me.

The memory sends a shiver down my spine, and I find myself craving his presence, his touch, with an intensity that steals my breath. I ache to complete our bond, to fully claim him as my mate in every sense of the word.

Lost in my daydreams, I almost miss the sound of voices outside the open kitchen window. But the mention of Aiden’s name snaps me back to reality, and I inch closer, straining to listen.

“You need to leave, Aiden,” a smooth, cultured voice carries on the breeze. Victor . “Your presence here puts everyone at risk, especially that sweet little mate of yours.”

My hackles rise at the mention of me, at the condescension dripping from Victor’s tone. I bite my lip to keep from growling, knowing Aiden wouldn’t want me to reveal myself.

“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” Aiden snarls, his voice low and dangerous.

“Don’t I?” Victor counters, a smug lilt to his words. Asshole . “Does she know about what happened with your old pack? About the lives lost because of your actions?”

My heart stutters in my chest. Lives lost? What is he talking about? I know Aiden has a past, parts of his history he’s not proud of. But this… this sounds serious. Far more grave than I’d imagined.

“That’s none of your business,” Aiden growls, his voice tight with barely restrained fury. “My past is just that—the past. It has nothing to do with my life here with Grace.”

Victor laughs, the sound cold and mocking. “Oh, but it does, old friend. You think you can just run away from what you’ve done? That you can start fresh, play house with your pretty little human? You’re deluding yourself.”

“I’m warning you, Victor,” Aiden’s voice is a low rumble, more beast than man. “Leave now while you still can. Because if you threaten my mate, if you so much as breathe in her direction… I will tear you apart.”

A tense pause follows, the air crackling with the promise of violence. When Victor speaks again, his tone is dripping with false sincerity.

“No need for dramatics, Aiden. I’m just looking out for you, for old times’ sake. But by all means, carry on with your little charade. We both know it’s only a matter of time before the truth comes out. Before she sees you for the monster you really are.”

I hear the crunch of footsteps fading into the distance as Victor walks away. For a moment, silence reigns. Then I hear a snarl, low and vicious, followed by the sound of flesh impacting wood. I flinch, realizing Aiden must have punched something, likely the tree beside the bakery.

I’m left standing in the kitchen, my hands shaking, the forgotten cinnamon rolls rising on the counter. My mind is reeling, a thousand questions burning on my tongue.

I go through the motions of the day in a daze, my mind spinning with worst-case scenarios. By the time I close up the bakery, my nerves are stretched taut, ready to snap.

Aiden is waiting for me on the porch, as he always is. But instead of the warm comfort his presence usually brings, I feel a knot of dread tightening in my stomach.

“Hey, sunshine,” he greets me, pulling me in for a kiss. But I turn my face at the last moment, his lips grazing my cheek instead. He pulls back, confusion and hurt flickering in his eyes. “Grace? What’s wrong?”

I take a deep breath, steeling myself. “What aren’t you telling me, Aiden?”

He blinks, taken aback by my bluntness. “What do you mean?”

I cross my arms over my chest in a defensive posture. “I heard you and Victor talking earlier. He said… he said lives were lost because of you. Because of something that happened with your old pack.”

Aiden’s face drains of color, his expression shuttering. “Grace, I…”

“Don’t lie to me.” I cut him off, my voice trembling. “Please, Aiden. I need the truth.”

He’s silent for a long moment, his jaw working. When he finally speaks, his voice is heavy with resignation and old pain. “You’re right. There are things I haven’t told you, things I’m not proud of.” He takes a deep breath, as if steeling himself. “It was a challenge for leadership. In our world, when a wolf wants to become alpha, they can issue a challenge to the current leader—a fight to the death or until one wolf submits.”

I listen, my heart in my throat, as he continues.

“I was young, brash. I thought I knew better than our alpha, that I could lead the pack better than he could. I challenged him.” Aiden’s eyes are distant, haunted by memories. “It was a brutal fight. We were evenly matched, and neither of us was willing to back down. The pack… they got caught in the middle. In the chaos, in the violence… lives were lost. Wolves I’d known my whole life, dead because of my arrogance, my pride.”

His voice breaks, and I feel tears stinging my eyes. The pain radiating from him is palpable.

“In the end, I won. But at what cost? I couldn’t lead them, not with that blood on my hands. So, I left, went rogue. I’ve been running ever since.”

Silence falls between us, heavy and suffocating. I’m reeling, trying to reconcile this revelation with the man I thought I knew.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” I whisper, my voice thick with emotion. “Didn’t you trust me?”

Aiden’s eyes snap to mine, anguish etched into every line of his face. “Of course I trust you, Grace. More than anyone. I just… I couldn’t bear for you to look at me the way you are now. With horror, with… with disgust. I thought if you knew, if you saw that darkness in me… you’d run. And I wouldn’t blame you.”

I swallow hard, my throat tight. “I… I don’t know what to say. This is… it’s a lot, Aiden. I need time to process, to think.”

He nods, his expression bleak. “I understand. Take all the time you need. I’ll be here, if… when you’re ready to talk.”

I step back, my heart clenching at the devastation on his face. But I can’t think clearly, not when I’m this close to him. Not when every instinct is screaming at me to comfort him, even as my mind whirls with doubts and fears. “I have to go,” I choke out. “I’m sorry, I just… I need some space.”

With that, I turn and walk away, my vision blurred with tears. I can feel Aiden’s gaze on my back, heavy with sorrow and regret. But I don’t turn around.

The walk to the back stairway of the bakery that leads to my apartment is a blur, my thoughts a tangled mess of confusion and heartache. When I finally let myself into the dark, silent space above the bakery, I catch a glimpse of my reflection in the mirror.

Staring back at me is a woman I hardly recognize. Eyes red-rimmed and puffy, face pale and drawn. But the lost, shattered look in my eyes makes my breath catch.

How did we get here? How did something that felt so right, so destined, become so complicated?

I press my forehead against the cool glass, trying to calm my racing thoughts. But it’s no use. Every time I close my eyes, I see Aiden’s face, etched with pain and regret. I hear Victor’s taunting words, echoing in my mind. “The truth comes out… the monster you really are…”

Is that what Aiden is? A monster, hiding behind a mask of gentleness and charm?

The thought makes my stomach turn, even as my heart rebels against the idea.

No. The Aiden I know, the Aiden I love… he’s not a monster. He’s a man who’s made mistakes, who carries the weight of his past like a physical burden. A man who’s fought every day to be better, to find peace.

But can I look past this revelation? Can I accept the darkness in his history, the blood on his hands? The very thought sends a shiver down my spine.

I don’t know. I just… I don’t know.

With a heavy sigh, I push away from the mirror.

As I get ready for bed, going through the motions of my nightly routine, my mind continues to churn. Snippets of conversations, of moments shared with Aiden, flicker through my thoughts like a disjointed movie.

The way he looked at me the first time he saw me, like I was a miracle he couldn’t quite believe in. The gentleness of his hands, even when passion overtook us. The way he made me feel cherished, adored… safe.

Can I reconcile that Aiden with the one from his story? The brash, arrogant young wolf who challenged his alpha, heedless of the consequences?

I don’t have the answers. All I know is that the trust between us, once so unshakable, now feels as fragile as spun glass. One wrong move, and it could shatter beyond repair.

As I crawl into bed, wrapping myself in blankets that still carry a hint of Aiden’s wild, woodsy scent, a single tear slips down my cheek.

I love him. Moon help me, even now, with the truth laid bare between us… I still love him. But is love enough? Can it bridge the chasm that’s opened up between us, heal the hurt and the uncertainty?

I don’t know. And that, perhaps, is the most frightening thought of all.

With a shuddering breath, I close my eyes, praying for sleep, for oblivion. But I know, even as I drift off, that my dreams will be haunted by piercing green eyes and the shadow of secrets left too long in the dark.