Page 28 of The Alpha's Forbidden Heir

Elias needs guidance and it's the type of guidance I can’t give him. He needs someone who understands what he’s going through, someone who can help him control the parts of himself that are starting to emerge.

And there’s only one person I can think of who might be able to do that.

Bane.

The thought sends a shiver through me, equal parts fear and longing. I haven’t seen him in years, and I haven't allowedmyself to even think about him for too long. But the truth is, I’m out of options.

My father is still not an option. He’d never accept Elias, because he's not human.

But going back to Bane means returning to a man who rejected me. I close my eyes. Tomorrow, I’ll decide.

But tonight, I let myself cry. That is until I hear a knock on the door.

Chapter Nine

Bane

The house is smaller than I expected. A quaint, single-story thing with peeling white paint and flower beds in desperate need of attention. This is where she’s been hiding? For five fucking years? My wolf stirs, restless, pacing in the back of my mind like it can already smell her inside. I step out of the car, every nerve in my body on edge as I approach the front door.

Vincent’s intel better be good. If he’s wrong—if this isn’t her—

No. I can feel it. She’s here.

My hand hovers over the door for a second longer than it should. Just knock, Devereux. But my pulse is a traitor, pounding like a goddamn war drum in my chest. I rap my knuckles against the door, sharp and commanding, and wait.

The sound of movement inside catches my ear—soft footsteps, cautious but deliberate. Then the door opens just a crack, and there she is.

Aria.

My breath catches in my throat.

She’s… different. Her hair is longer, loose waves framing a face that’s sharper, more guarded than I remember. But her eyes—they’re the same. A deep, defiant fire that makes my wolf lunge forward in recognition. My chest tightens, and for a second, I’m frozen, just staring at her.

“Bane.” Her voice is low, almost a whisper, but there’s no mistaking the edge beneath it.

“Aria,” I manage, my voice rough.

Her expression hardens, and before I can say anything else, she moves to slam the door in my face.

“Wait—” I shove the door open with ease, stepping inside before she can stop me.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” She snaps, spinning to face me.

“I should be asking you that,” I shoot back, my voice colder than I intend. “You disappear for five years, and this is where I find you? In some rundown shack in the middle of nowhere?”

“Get out.” She points to the door, her tone sharp. “You have no right to be here.”

“No right?” My laugh is humorless. “You vanish without a trace, Aria. Do you know how many people I had combing the fucking country for you?”

“Why?” she snaps, fire flashing in her eyes. “To do what, Bane? Finish what you started? Or did rejecting our bond not satisfy your need to ruin me?”

I take a step closer, my fists clenching at my sides. “Don’t twist this on me.”

“Twist what?” she scoffs, folding her arms. “That you used me, tossed me aside, and then decided to play the victim? I should’ve known better than to think you were anything other than a heartless bastard.”

“Watch it,” I growl, my wolf bristling at her words.

“Or what?” She takes a step closer, her chin tilted defiantly. “You’ll reject me again? Go ahead, Bane. Tell me how I was just a mistake. You’re good at that.”

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