Chapter 23

Owen I went over to where my wife sat knitting. The moment her eyes landed on me, her hands stilled, and her mood visibly soured. “Why are you here?” she asked flatly. I sighed, my son’s words still echoing in my mind. “Okay… I know you’re angry with me. But yes—Aria was indeed my friend.” Olivia looked up, setting her knitting aside. Her gaze sharpened. “But there’s more, isn’t there?” I nodded slowly and sat down across from her, searching for the right words. I didn’t want to hide anything from her anymore. I had grown to love her deeply… but nothing could ever erase the truth about my first love. “Aria taught me how to love,” I began quietly, “and I… taught her what heartbreak was.” I drew in a breath. “Yes—she was my first love.” Olivia swallowed, her expression guarded. “She’s your past, Owen.” “I know, love. I just felt—” “Felt what?” she pressed. “Guilty,” I admitted at last. Her eyes searched mine. “Guilty for what?” I looked away, the weight of the memory pressing hard against my chest. “I know it’s been years, but you deserve to know. The night I marked you… that same night, I was with Aria—moments before. She didn’t know I’d found you as my mate. She only learned the next morning. And since that day, this—today—is the first time I’ve seen her again.” Olivia’s hand flew to her mouth as her eyes widened. “Owen…” she half-screamed. “I can’t even imagine how she must have felt.” Her voice cracked, and I saw the sheen of tears forming. I knew what I’d done to Aria was unforgivable. No one deserved it. She had written me letter after letter, asking why I’d done it. But like a coward, I’d burn them each time after reading—crying alone in the dark. I never gave her closure. Not once. I told myself it was my father’s fault, that I’d been forced into it. But the truth? It was my fault. If Osborne could stand against me for the woman he loved, then I, had been weak—too weak—to stand against my own father. And yet… Olivia had turned out to be the best wife and mother I could have ever hoped for, both to me and our son. But I would carry this guilt to my grave. Maybe it was the Moon goddess’s way of punishing me—that my son would fall in love with Aria’s daughter. "That night?" she asked softly, her eyes searching mine. I nodded, a heaviness settling in my chest. She glanced away for a moment, as though replaying the memory in her head, before speaking again. "How could I forget? That night… you looked so different. Miserable. I remember thinking, is this the same man I met that morning? The one who looked so put-together, so untouchable?" Her voice trembled slightly. "But there you were—disheveled, distant. And later, when you marked me, and when we finally wedded… you didn’t touch me. Not until I begged you." Her words faded into the quiet between us. I could only manage a whisper. "I am so sorry." Because the truth was, I hadn’t just hurt one woman… I’d hurt two. Olivia had been just as trapped as I was. We hadn’t chosen each other—our fathers had. They wanted an alliance, the kind that would strengthen both packs. In our world, it wasn’t uncommon for such arrangements to be made. She was the Beta’s daughter from a powerful neighboring pack, a perfect political match. I still remember the first time she saw me—how her eyes lit up, how she smiled like I was the only man in the world. And all I felt was irritation. Not because she wasn’t beautiful… but because I already loved someone else. But under the cold watch of the Moon goddess, I claimed her anyway. I marked her. The alliance was sealed, our packs stronger than ever. The very next day, the official announcement was made. The day after that, our mating ceremony took place. I stood at the altar like a statue, rigid and lifeless, hating myself with every heartbeat. She smiled at me with hope in her eyes, and I despised it—not her, but the circumstances that chained us both. None of it had been her fault. And in a way, it hadn’t been mine either. It was the will of our parents. And now… now I can’t believe I had almost condemned my own son to the same fate. "I noticed the way you looked at her," she scoffed. "Like you’d just found a lost puppy. Do you regret it? Marking me?" My head snapped toward her. "Not one bit. I don’t regret marking you… or starting our family." She gave a small nod, but her eyes stayed sharp. "Then why did you react like that when we saw her today?" I frowned, closing my eyes as a pained laugh escaped me. "Because… some things never die. Some emotions never die. And the body—" I exhaled, almost bitterly—"the body remembers." She pushed back her chair and stormed out, leaving me alone in the heavy silence. Did I feel anything for Aria when I saw her again? No. But was I glad I did? Yes. The moment Aina mentioned the name Wilfred, my mind had gone to that bastard I’d found Aria got married to. And when I saw my future daughter in law for the first time… I saw her. My first love. Aria’s eyes stared back at me from a face I’d never seen, and then I asked her her mother's name and she confirmed it. And when her scent had filled the room that day—familiar yet younger, carrying the same pull as her mother’s. Just like Aria’s, it could drive a man mad. And in that moment, I knew without a doubt whose child she was. All night I laughed at myself. Bitter, hollow laughter. Isn’t it funny? I reached out through the mind link. Come back. Her reply was instant, sharp as a blade. Fuck off. The sting hit harder than I expected, but I couldn’t blame her. I’d hurt her with what I said, but I didn’t want to hide anything from her. ‘I love you, not her, I told her’. My voice in her mind was desperate, raw. Her answer came cold. ‘Get out of my head. I need to think’. And so I did, retreating, leaving her to the silence she’d asked for—though it felt like I’d just been shut out of more than her mind.