Her Chosen Mate

Part 11

Her wolf had been restless all morning, pacing back and forth, hackles raised and on edge. Aria had assumed she was just as anxious to see Aiden again as Aria was. Maybe she was eager to show him how much Aria had improved in his absence.

The entrance of the arena opened before her and she made it outside, feeling a deep sense of ease wash over her. It was so much easier to breathe, to think, when she wasn't surrounded by the heady scent of bloodlust.

The sun climbed higher and higher into the sky, the clear blue almost shimmering above her. They hadn't seen weather this beautiful in weeks. Of course, the weather would be perfect the day Aiden chose to return.

She wondered what he would look like, if his dark eyes had changed, or the way his mouth tilted when he tried to hide his smile. Would he recognize her? Would he-

Her nose scrunched suddenly, a faint, familiar scent lingering and tugging at her attention. Her wolf raised her snout in response, ears up and interested. Glancing around, she looked for the source of the refreshing scent pulling at her wolf. There was a roar of a sports car announcing itself before she even spotted the sleek black car pull up.

The tinted windows hid the occupants, leaving their identity a mystery while Aria admired the car. She wasn't well-versed in cars at all, but she knew this one was special. The rims glittered silver in the midday sunlight, offset by the shiny metallic black, and the shockingly slim tires around them.

It sat low on the ground, leaving almost no space between the gravel and the bottom of the car. If Aria were a different wolf, she might have whistled in appreciation.

Instead, the wind was punched out of her lungs when the door swung open and Aiden stepped out.

Her nostrils were filled with that refreshing scent that had called her out of the arena, and it blurred her vision for a moment while she fought for her senses to clear.

She watched as he froze mid-step, his hand on the door of the car like he was about to close it when something interrupted him. Aria knew. She knew exactly what had interrupted him.

He turned his head, their wide eyes locking, and Aria's wolf howled in recognition.

Aria couldn't believe it. After years apart, after trying desperately to bury her crush and ignore her feelings for Aiden...

He was Aria's true mate all along.