Chapter 15

Lucas's POV

The howl cut through the night like a blade, sharp and full of desperation. My heart stuttered in my chest, and my wolf surged forward with a force that threatened to break free. 

Aria. 

The sound of her name filled my mind like an unrelenting echo. It was her, I was sure of it. My senses went into overdrive, my every muscle straining with the need to reach her, to find her, before it was too late. 

I didn't waste another second. 

My feet pounded against the ground, my body moving faster than it ever had before. The air was thick with tension, the forest silent except for the beating of my heart and the rhythmic crash of my breath. 

The scent of her was faint at first, lost in the wind, but as I pushed further into the woods, it grew stronger, more distinct. The faint trace of jasmine, of her—nothing in this world could distract me from it. 

I followed it, blindly, heart racing, the need to protect her overwhelming every logical thought. 

The sound of footsteps reached my ears just as I rounded a bend, and I immediately dropped to the ground, crouching low to the earth. My senses flared, and I saw her. Aria. 

She was standing there, facing Finn. 

My pulse spiked. 

Finn. 

He hadn't come alone. I could feel it. His presence was like a shadow over her, his aura dark and suffocating, and yet… there was something in her eyes that told me she was still fighting. Still *fighting* for herself, despite everything he had done to her. 

I moved quickly, staying in the shadows, not wanting to alert him to my presence just yet. I needed a plan—needed to think clearly. If I approached too soon, if I let Finn sense me before I was ready, I could lose her again. 

But watching her… 

Watching the way Finn leaned in close, the way his hand wrapped around her wrist with possessive force, sent a deep, visceral anger coursing through me. My wolf howled in fury. 

*Not again,* I thought. *I won't let him take her again.* 

I pushed forward, my steps silent but sure. The moment I felt close enough, I let out a growl low in my throat, one that vibrated through the trees and the earth beneath our feet. The sound was primal, an animalistic challenge that only Finn could understand. 

His head whipped around, his face twisting into something dark. 

"Lucas," he sneered, his eyes flickering with malice. "I was wondering when you'd show up." 

Aria looked over at me, her eyes wide with a mixture of fear and relief. My heart twisted at the sight of her, but I couldn't let my guard down. Not now. Not while Finn was still here. 

I stepped forward, my eyes locked on Finn's. "Let her go, Finn." My voice was cold, full of menace, and the very air around us seemed to tremble with the weight of it. 

Finn smirked, his grip on Aria tightening, but I saw the flicker of hesitation in his eyes. For a moment, he looked almost… human. Almost… afraid. 

"You think you can stop me?" he asked, his tone dripping with amusement. "You've already lost her once. What makes you think you'll be able to win her back now?" 

"Because she's mine," I growled, every word carrying the weight of a truth I was only just beginning to understand. 

His eyes flickered with something sharp, something dangerous. "You're wrong," he spat. "She's never been yours, Lucas. She belongs with me." 

Aria's voice broke through the tension, soft but firm. "I don't belong to either of you." 

Finn's face twisted with fury at the sound of her words, and before I could react, he yanked her toward him, pulling her closer, as though he could *claim* her right then and there. 

I saw red. My wolf wanted to tear him apart, wanted to rip into the man who had been toying with her, with us, for far too long. 

But I held back, just long enough to catch the flash of fear in Aria's eyes. The pain and confusion that still lingered there, no matter how much she tried to hide it. 

I knew what she needed. I knew what would help her see the truth. 

With a single, swift movement, I lunged at Finn, knocking him to the ground. The force of the impact sent him sprawling, but I didn't waste any time. My hands wrapped around his throat, and I lifted him off the ground, my claws digging into his skin. 

"You're done," I said, my voice low and lethal. "This ends now." 

Finn's eyes widened, panic flashing across his face for the first time in years. His hand clawed at mine, but my grip only tightened. 

"Lucas," Aria called, her voice strained. "Stop. Please." 

I froze. The sound of her voice, so desperate yet full of a strength I hadn't expected, pierced through the fog of rage clouding my mind. 

I slowly loosened my grip, tossing Finn to the side like he was nothing more than an insect. He scrambled to his feet, his eyes burning with fury, but I could see the fear there now. 

I turned to Aria, my heart thudding as I took a step toward her. 

"Aria," I said, my voice softening, the anger draining from my body. "Are you okay?" 

Her eyes searched mine, still unsure, still full of confusion and fear, but there was a spark of something more—something that made my heart leap in my chest. 

"I'm fine," she whispered, but there was no mistaking the shakiness in her voice. 

Finn let out a bitter laugh from behind me, pulling me out of my moment with her. "You think she's going to choose you, Lucas?" 

I turned to face him, my wolf already snarling in my chest. "She already has." 

Finn took a step back, his hands held up in mock surrender. "For now," he said, his voice dripping with malice. "But you know as well as I do, Lucas, that nothing lasts forever." 

With that, he turned and disappeared into the trees, his presence vanishing as quickly as it had come. 

I didn't take my eyes off the spot where he had disappeared, my muscles tense, ready for anything. 

But there was only silence. 

I exhaled slowly, finally allowing myself to breathe again. 

"Let's go home," I said, turning back to Aria. 

She nodded, her expression a mixture of exhaustion and uncertainty. But there was something in her eyes that told me she was

n't giving up. Not on me. Not on us. 

And for the first time in days, I felt a glimmer of hope.