Aria
Without letting anyone know-not Suzy, Benson, Emilia, or anyone else-I left to live with my aunt. She had told her pack that her niece's mate had died, and she had come to grieve the loss. Everyone believed her without question.
I began staying there quietly, moving through their world like a shadow. People thought my mate was gone forever. At times, it made me laugh quietly to myself-Owen was dead to me now, at least in my heart. I could live without him haunting my thoughts.
As the months passed, my pregnancy slowly became visible. I wasn't shy about it because here, in this new pack, I was unknown. My aunt took care of me tenderly, guiding me through each stage, while my parents came to visit occasionally. Before long, my stomach was round and heavy with the growing life inside
