Chapter 163: Threats.

AARON. The last three weeks have been hell. And I was one stupid wolf. The Luna festival was supposed to be a time of celebration, of coming together as a pack. But tonight, as I paced the length of my room, the festive preparations from outside felt distant and hollow. The air was thick with my own anxiety, and every step I took only seemed to magnify the turmoil inside me. The room was dimly lit by a candle, (my own wish), the shadows on the walls dancing to the rhythm of my restless pacing. The ornate furnishings, once symbols of pride and heritage, now seemed foreign and oppressive. I couldn't focus on the details—the carved wooden bed, the heavy drapes—everything felt like it was closing in on me. It had only been three weeks since I presented Helena to the council of elders and my parents as my mate. I had imagined this moment for so long, the joy of officially claiming her, the happiness of having her by my side. But the reality was nothing like I had envisioned. The day I introduced Helena as my mate was a whirlwind. I stood before the council, my heart pounding with a mix of excitement and dread. I had anticipated resistance. The elders were always strict about tradition, and my decision was anything but conventional. Helena was human to me, and an outsider to them, and that was something they would never easily accept. I thought about coming clean with the truth, letting them know what she actually was, but the danger of that…oh the sweet reckless danger of that would have been impossible to fathom. So, I let it be. Their reaction was immediate and vehement. Their voices rose in indignation, condemning my choice. I felt the weight of their disapproval like a physical blow. It was everything I had feared but hoped to avoid. Their anger was fierce, their words harsh, and the air was charged with hostility. But I had stood my ground. I had fought for Helena, for what we had, despite knowing the risks. Their refusal to accept her was expected, but I was determined. I fought with everything I had, refusing to back down. I pleaded with them, argued, and finally, after what felt like an eternity, they relented. I had been ecstatic, overwhelmed with relief and joy. Helena would finally be recognized as my mate, and we could begin our lives together. I imagined our future, filled with happiness and love, free from the constraints of tradition. I would take her away from here. Far far away. Where we would be ourselves. But fate, it seemed, had other plans. Tonight, the night before our mating ceremony, I was confronted with a nightmare. Dorian, a name that sent shivers down my spine, had appeared. He wasn't just any adversary—he was someone with power, influence, and a vendetta. The sight of him was enough to make my blood run cold. I half expected another agenda when he showed up. But my blood ran even colder when he made his intentions known. It was confusing, yet laid out plain, just as he usually was. Still, I didn't understand it. The details of the threat was chilling. Dorian had made it clear that if I went through with the ceremony, Helena would be in grave danger. His words echoed in my mind, a constant reminder of the stakes involved. 'Get anywhere close to her. She dies. Run away, she dies. Think of even defying me, she dies. Tell her, she dies. I know, Aaron. And don't fucking think I won't come back if you defy me." He whispered, while I stood frozen in the middle of the woods. 'Why?" I asked. Why did he suddenly appear out of nowhere, and threaten to take my happiness? His dark chuckle was still loud in my ears. 'Think of it as payback, brother." My eyes widened at the sentence. Brother? He didn't give me a chance to think, to process, to understand. And he vanished. I stood there, trembling. I wasn't scared because of the threat. I wasn't scared because of the intensity in his voice. Heck I wasn't even scared at the fact that we might have been blood related. I was scared because I knew Dorian. And he always meant what he said. The thought of losing Helena, of having her life torn away from me, was unbearable. Why was this happening? Why did he choose her? And what fucking payback was he talking about? I punched the wall, the pain in my knuckles a sharp contrast to the agony in my chest. The dull thud of my fist hitting the wall seemed to reverberate through my entire being. I needed to think clearly, but the pressure was mounting, making it difficult to see a way out. Who was I supposed to talk to? I had come so far…yet I still felt so far behind. Tomorrow was supposed to be the happiest day of my life, but now it was fraught with impossible choices. The idea of destroying Helena to protect her was a cruel irony that tormented me. How could I possibly reconcile the act of causing her harm with the love I felt for her? I stopped pacing and sank onto the edge of the bed, my head in my hands. The weight of the decision was crushing. I had to protect Helena, but to do so, I might have to destroy everything we had worked for. The thought was suffocating, the emotional strain unbearable. I remembered her soft smile at me, when I told her my plan worked, and the elders agreed. The memories of the past few weeks played out in my mind like a haunting slideshow. I remembered the joy in Helena's eyes when we first discussed our future, the laughter we shared, and the quiet moments when we simply existed together. I remembered her lips…those soft lush lips that made me go crazy over my head. Those memories were bittersweet now, tainted by the looming threat that Dorian represented. Why was this happening to me? I thought about the council's reaction, their anger and resistance, and the way they eventually gave in. I had fought so hard to make Helena mine, to secure our future. And now, all that effort felt like it was slipping away, replaced by the fear of losing her. The weight of responsibility was almost unbearable. The power that Dorian wielded was not something to be taken lightly. His threat was real, and the consequences of ignoring it could be devastating. The choice I faced was not just a personal one; it affected everyone around us, and the ramifications were far-reaching. I knew I had to make a decision, and I had to make it quickly. But the fear of making the wrong choice paralyzed me. The idea of destroying Helena….even if it was to save her, was something I couldn't bear to contemplate. Why was I thinking about it? Yet, every part of me knew that if I refused to act, the consequences could be catastrophic. I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself. The sounds of celebration and joy seemed so distant, almost mocking in their cheerfulness. I glanced at the clock, the hands moving unfailingly towards the moment that would change everything. The hours seemed to drag, each minute stretching into an eternity. The uncertainty was gnawing at me, making it hard to focus on anything other than the looming decision. The reality was that I was caught between two impossible choices: protect Helena by destroying her or risk everything by refusing to comply with Dorian's demands. Neither option was acceptable, and the weight of the decision was crushing. The room felt like it was closing in on me, the shadows growing longer as the night progressed. My thoughts were a tangled mess of fear, love, and desperation. The future I had hoped for, the life I had dreamed of with Helena, seemed to be slipping away with every passing moment. I stood up, my mind racing. I had to find a way to resolve this. Why was Dorian interested in her? Was this the return he was talking about? But as I looked around the room, I realized that the answer wasn't clear, and the path forward was fraught with danger and uncertainty. The night dragged on, and I was left with nothing but the crushing weight of my decision and the echoing uncertainty of the future. Tomorrow would bring the ceremony, but it would also bring the moment of truth—a moment that would define the rest of our lives. This wasn't what I fathomed at all.