What if Aiden is the true one?!

Lucian makes sure his presence in the pack house is felt, asserting his authority, reminding everyone, including Marcus, that he is still there, and he is still the alpha.

But the moment he steps away from all the tension, all the prying eyes, all the burdens pressing down on him, he starts feeling the unsettling feeling creep in again.

By the time he gets to the cottage, everything feels empty.

The cottage is quiet, too quiet. It's the kind of silence that presses against his ears, suffocating, relentless.

He enjoys silence, but not when this silence is reminding him that there is someone missing.

He stands in the doorway for a moment, his fingers tightening around the handle before he pushes it shut behind him.

His throat feels tight, his chest even tighter. The space feels hollow, stripped of something vital.

Maybe he was wrong to let Aiden go.

Maybe it was the worst mistake he could have made.