Chapter 241
Chapter 241
Sarah’s POV
The silence in the car was deafening as we drove away from the boutique.
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Elena kept glancing at me with questions burning in her eyes, while Aria had fallen unusually quiet in the backseat, her small fingers fidgeting with the hem of her dress.
“Elena,” I finally broke the silence, my voice barely above a whisper. “Would you mind if we stopped somewhere private to talk? I owe you an explanation.”
Elena nodded, her expression a mixture of concern and curiosity. “My apartment isn’t far from here,” she offered. “We can have some privacy there.”
Twenty minutes later, Aria was contentedly watching cartoons in Elena’s living room while Elena and I sat at her kitchen table, steaming mugs of tea between us.
I wrapped my fingers around the warm ceramic, drawing comfort from its heat as I gathered my thoughts.
“I haven’t been entirely honest with you,” I began, meeting her gaze directly. “About who I am… and about Aria’s father.”
Elena’s expression remained open, non–judgmental. It gave me the courage to continue.
“I’m not human, Elena. I’m a she–wolf.” The admission felt both terrifying and liberating.
“When I first came to the that pack, I was desperate and afraid.
I was being hunted by my enemies, carrying a child, and without my wolf. I needed to hide, to protect Aria. Claiming to be human seemed the safest option.”
Elena’s eyes widened slightly, but she didn’t interrupt.
“Aria’s father…” I took a deep breath, my heart pounding against my ribs. “Her father is Alexander Blackwood.”
The mug in Elena’s hands clattered against the table. “The Alpha? But you told me-”
“I know what I told you,” I said quietly. “About a one–night stand with a man who didn’t want responsibilities.
That wasn’t true. Alexander and I… we had something real. Something powerful.” My throat tightened with emotion. “But circumstances tore us apart.
“What circumstances?” Elena asked, her voice gentle but probing.
I stared down at my tea, watching the steam rise in delicate spirals. How much could I safely reveal? The truth was too dangerous, too complicated to share in its entirety.
“One of Alexander’s former… admirers–my enemies,” I said carefully, choosing my words.
“She became obsessed, dangerous. She threatened to kill me, to kill anyone Alexander cared about. I was pregnant with Aria when the threats escalated to actual attempts on my life.”
Elena gasped softly, her hand reaching across the table to cover mine.
“I ran to protect our baby,” I continued, the half–truth bitter on my tongue. “I changed my identity, cut all ties with the pack world. I couldn’t risk leading her to us.” (1
I didn’t mention Natalia by name. I didn’t explain how she’d manipulated Foster, how she’d orchestrated my downfall. Some secrets were still too painful, too complicated to share.
“Does Alexander know about Aria?” Elena asked, her eyes darting toward the living room where my daughter sat engrossed in her cartoon.
I shook my head, guilt washing over me. “No. And he can’t know, not yet.”
“But why? Surely he would protect you both-”
“Alexander had an accident,” I interrupted, my voice breaking slightly. “He lost his memories of me, of us. And now…” I swallowed hard. “Now there are complications. Isabella, for one.”
Elena’s expression shifted to understanding. “The woman at the boutique.”
I nodded. “She was his fiancée once. She suspects something between Alexander and me, but she doesn’t know about Aria. And I need to keep it that way.”
The weight of my secrets pressed down on me, making it hard to breathe. Elena reached across the table and squeezed my hand.
“Sarah… or whatever your real name is,” she said gently, “I understand why you hid this. I won’t betray your
trust.”
Relief washed over me. “Thank you. And it’s Summer… Summer Winster. That much is true.”
Elena nodded, but then bit her lip nervously. “There’s something you should know, though. David, my fiancé… he’s invited Alpha Blackwood to our wedding.”
My blood ran cold. “What?”
“They have business connections,” Elena explained apologetically. “David admires him greatly. The invitation was sent weeks ago.”
I forced myself to take a deep breath, to control the panic rising within me. “It’s okay,” I said, more to convince myself than her. “I’ll figure something out. Maybe… maybe Aria can stay with a sitter that day.”
“I’m so sorry,” Elena said earnestly. “If I’d known…”
“You couldn’t have known,” I reassured her. “This isn’t your fault.”
After our heart–to–heart, I thanked Elena for her understanding and gathered Aria to head back to our hotel. The drive was quiet, my mind whirling with new complications and contingency plans.
I needed to contact Nate, needed to prepare for the possibility of encountering Alexander at the wedding. “Mommy?” Aria’s small voice broke through my thoughts as we entered our hotel room. “Can I ask you
Chapter 241
something?”
