Shadows Of The Pack (Aria and Knox)

Chapter Twenty Five: The Fire of Desire

Knox's eyes burned with frustration as he directed a low growl towards his beta, Ryder.

"Knox, I know you are angry but you have to stop growling at everyone."

Knox growled at him again taking a defensive stance, "I'm not angry." He retorted.

Ryder gave him a look and with his frustration, he fell back into his chair, running a hand through his

tousled hair. "What were they thinking? What if something had happened to her?"

A mischievous smile tugged at the corners of Ryder's lips as he observed Knox's reaction. "There were

five she-wolves involved. Which of them is the 'she'?" he playfully inquired, his voice laced with

amusement.

Knox's glare intensified, his dark eyes fixed on Ryder's face. "You have to stop with your two-sided

sentences. It's really annoying," he grumbled.

Ryder simply shrugged, a nonchalant expression on his face. "I don't know what you mean," he replied,

feigning innocence. Then his tone turned serious as he continued, "What happened out there? And

don't pretend like I didn't see that huge slice on your feet."

"It was from a tree branch and it's healing."

"That doesn't answer my question, Knox."

"It's funny. An outsider would have heard that and thought that our roles were reversed."

"I'm not talking to you as your beta. I'm talking to you as your friend."

With a resigned sigh, Knox stood up. He walked over to a side cabinet in his study, opened it, and

retrieved a bottle of whiskey along with two glasses. Returning to his seat, he poured the amber liquid

into the glasses and handed one to Ryder.

Ryder accepted the glass, his eyes filled with concern as he regarded his Alpha. "Is it that bad?" he

asked, his voice now filled with genuine worry.

Knox brought the glass to his lips, taking a large gulp of the fiery liquid. It burned his throat, but the

temporary distraction was welcomed. "What do you know about the Silvercrest's past?" he finally

asked.

Ryder paused, contemplating the question. "Not much, really," he admitted. "You know we've never

concerned ourselves with the affairs of other packs."

Knox took another sip of whiskey, his mind heavy with the weight of the secrets the history of the pack

held "I think we should have," he said, his voice filled with regret. "A wolf returned to the pack, claiming

to be the Alpha, and it seems Aria and the other wolf aren't actually sisters."

"Seraphina?"

Surprised, Knox regarded his beta with a mix of curiosity and suspicion. "How do you know her name?"

Ryder hesitated for a moment before responding, his expression earnest. "Lydia told me," he admitted,

his gaze unwavering.

Nodding, Knox took another sip of whiskey, allowing the alcohol to momentarily dull the ache he felt

"Okay," he conceded, his voice tinged with resignation. "My wolf got into a fight with Nikolai."

Ryder smiled knowingly, "Is he still alive?"

Knox's lips curled into a wry smile. "Unfortunately, yes," he replied. "But Nikolai has never been a

problem. That's why I didn't take his threat seriously. However, this other wolf—the one that returned to

the pack—there's something about him that gnaws at my wolf."

Ryder's eyes narrowed, his gaze filled with understanding. "You do know that there's someone who can

give you the answers to your questions, right? If only you would stop avoiding her," Ryder suggested.

Knox let out a heavy sigh, his shoulders slumping in defeat. Ryder's words struck a chord within him,

for he knew deep down that avoiding her was no longer a viable option. The turmoil inside him, the

longing to understand the truth and find resolution, had grown too powerful to ignore.

Raising his gaze to meet Ryder's unwavering stare, Knox acknowledged the truth in his beta's words. "I

know," he admitted. Knox sighed. Ryder had no idea how much of the struggle it actually was staying

away from her.

Ryder's expression softened, his eyes filled with empathy. He took a sip from his own glass, allowing

Knox's words to sink in before responding. "I understand but you have to talk to her about it sooner or

later. Figure this out with her, decide if you are going to form the mating bond and one more thing

Knox?"

Knox nodded. "I know Ryder. What else do you want to tell me?"

Ryder fought the laugh he felt coming up, "Shana, Melody, Sophia and Aria are grown ass wolves, you

can't send them to their rooms and ask them to stay there."

Knox smiled, "I know. But it felt really good to do so."

Ryder chuckled, the sound holding a touch of amusement. "Ah, Knox, sometimes you make it so easy

to forget that you are the Alpha," he remarked, a playful glint in his eyes.

As the weight of their conversation settled upon them, Knox moved toward the study door, his hand

resting on the handle. He turned to face Ryder, gratitude and respect shining in his eyes. "Thank you,

Ryder," he said.

Ryder nodded in respect as Knox walked through the door.

****************

Shana paced back and forth in Aria's room, her frustration evident in every step. Her voice laced with

annoyance, she exclaimed, "Who the hell does Knox think he is? Sending us to our rooms like we are

mere pups. Doesn't he realize that I am older than him?"

Aria couldn't help but stifle a laugh, attempting to maintain her composure. "Shana, you have to stop

pacing like that before you wake the actual pups," she said, a hint of amusement in her voice.

Melody joined the conversation, chiming in, "Technically, Knox is older than you. You were seventeen

when Mira put that spell on you. Throughout all those years, you didn't age. You spent only one year

with us before we left the pack, and it's been ten years since then, which means you're twenty-eight. Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

On the other hand, Knox is thirty-seven, making him older than you."

Sophia's eyes widened in surprise as she processed the revelation. "You were asleep for five hundred

years?" she exclaimed, her voice filled with astonishment.

Shana raised her hand dismissively, waving off the significance. "Yeah, yeah," she replied nonchalantly.

She turned to Melody, her expression turning into a glare. "No one asked you to calculate it for us. But

thank you, Mel. We really appreciate it," she said, her tone laced with annoyance.

Melody smiled, her eyes gleaming with warmth. "You're welcome, Shana," she replied sincerely.

Shana kissed her teeth, a hint of playfulness in her action. "I didn't actually mean it. You know what?

Never mind. You guys aren't angry at all?" she asked, her frustration fading as curiosity took its place.

Aria shrugged, her voice calm and composed. "We deserve it, don't we? We disobeyed a direct order

from his Alphaliness," she said, using a playful tone to refer to Knox's authority.

Sophia burst into laughter, unable to contain herself. "Don't let him hear you say that," she said

between fits of giggles, picturing Knox's reaction.

"Wait a minute," Melody interjected, capturing everyone's attention. They all turned to her, awaiting her

words. "I just realized I'm not the youngest wolf in our friend group anymore. Sophia is twenty-six, and

Aria is twenty-four."

Surprised, both Sophia and Aria spoke in unison, their voices overlapping. "How did you know how old

I am?" they asked, their curiosity piqued.

Melody giggled, the sound floating through the air with a touch of lightheartedness. "I'll never tell you

my secrets," she teased.

As the second meaning of Melody's words sank in, a tinge of sadness appeared in her eyes. Sensing

her friend's emotions, Shana took a step toward her. "No one is judging you here, Mel," she said gently,

offering comfort. "Besides, we got your mother back. How is she, by the way?"

Melody's smile returned, a glimmer of relief evident on her face. "She's fine," she replied, her voice

filled with gratitude. "The pack healers said she just needs a lot of rest."

Sophia chimed in with a warm smile. "That's good to hear," she said, "And you know, we've all done our

fair share of shitty things. Remember when I attacked Aria when she first arrived?"

"Let's not forget how she kicked your ass."

Sophia blushed in embarrassment, "That one hurt like a bitch."

They all turned to Aria, curiosity in their eyes. Shana couldn't help but ask the burning question, "How

did you do that? Is blasting people something you can control?"

Aria tugged at the necklace around her neck. "No, it just happened," she explained, her voice tinged

with both surprise and uncertainty. "That was the second time it occurred."

"Maybe you need to practice," Sophia suggested."If you can control it, it could become a powerful tool

for self-defense."

Aria nodded, considering the possibility. "Maybe," she replied thoughtfully. "Once I figure out a way to

get this thing off me, I can focus on harnessing my abilities. But, truth be told, I don't blame you, Mel. I

never met my mother but I can imagine that I would do anything just to be with her."

Melody's expression softened, a glimmer of understanding shining in her eyes. She nodded in

appreciation, grateful for the empathy and support from her friends.

Shana, ever the outspoken one, took a step closer to Melody. "No one here is perfect, Mel," she

reassured her, her voice filled with sincerity. "We've all made mistakes and done things we're not proud

of. What matters is that we're here for each other, through thick and thin. Now enough of the pity fest. I

say we march to Knox's study and give him a piece of our minds."

The door to Aria's room flew open, causing them all to turn in surprise.

"I agree with you, Shana," Knox's deep voice resonated through the room. Knox stood in the doorway,

his presence commanding attention. His eyes scanned the group, his gaze firm "Because I would really

love to hear what you want to say."

The room fell silent, anticipation hanging in the air, as they prepared for the exchange that was about

to unfold.

Shana's laughter filled the air, but it carried a nervous undertone. Knox stood at the door, his arms

folded tightly across his chest. His voice resonated with authority as he addressed the group, "I thought

I made myself clear. All of you were supposed to go to your rooms and stay there."

"But Knox..." Shana's words trailed off as she caught sight of his intense glare. Recognizing the weight

of his displeasure, the three she-wolves obediently walked past him with their heads bowed in

submission. Melody, however, paused when she reached Knox. Regret filled her voice as she spoke,

"I'm really sorry, Knox."

Exhaustion etched across his face, Knox sighed, feeling the anger dissipate. "I know," he replied

wearily. "We will discuss this later."

As soon as the door closed behind him, Knox's attention shifted to Aria. His gaze bore into her,

unwavering and focused. Aria met his stare with equal intensity. "I didn't do anything wrong," she

retorted, her voice firm and resolute. "I stayed back in my room, just as you requested, Alpha Knox."

His eyes narrowed, a flicker of frustration passing over his features. "I didn't come here for your

attitude," he responded curtly. "I need to know about the Silvercrest's history."

Aria let out a resigned sigh. "Unfortunately, there isn't much I can tell you. I'm just learning about it

myself." She paused, her grip tightening on her mother's necklace as a surge of pain washed over her.

"My father mentioned that he had a brother, but he was gone. I always assumed he was dead until

Lilian told me he was banished. She hasn't finished telling me the full story of how it happened,

though."

"Tomorrow, we will go to the Moonlight territory. I need answers."

Aria nodded.

As Knox turned toward the door, his wolf stirred within him, growling , pushing him towards her.

He stood there for a minute, fighting an inner battle with his wolf, one which he lost within seconds.

The atmosphere crackled with electric tension. In two swift steps, Knox closed the distance between

himself and Aria. His hands found their way to her waist, pulling her forcefully toward him in a seamless

motion. A growl rumbled from deep within him as his nails dug into her skin.

A gasp escaped Aria's lips while her wolf purred the moment he smashed his lips on hers.