Claire’s POV (Aria’s Mother)
The familiar sound of the wheelchair’s quiet wheels against the polished floors accompanied me as I made my way from Aria’s room, my heart weighed down by a dread I hadn’t felt in years. We were finally back home, and while Magnus and Regan were still with Aria, I couldn’t shake the gnawing fear that she was beginning to remember pieces of her past—memories buried under layers of pain and loss. And with Ory, her wolf, re-emerging after all these years… Moon Goddess, please, not now.
I pressed a small button on the side of the staircase, watching as it transformed into a smooth ramp to allow me access to the lower floor. The whole time, my mind raced with every possible outcome if Aria’s memories continued to return. As I wheeled myself down and the staircase returned to its original state behind me, I knew I couldn’t keep this secret from Magnus any longer. As her mate, he deserved to know the truth.
“Ma’am?” Magnus’s deep voice echoed from the top of the stairs. I turned to see him standing there, his gaze heavy with concern as he descended and joined me.
“Claire,” he said softly, “what’s going on? You look… afraid. And I’ve never seen you like this.”
I glanced back toward the house, the feeling of Aria’s presence haunting me, and nodded for him to follow me outside. The garden was quiet, the air thick with the scent of night-blooming jasmine and dew-laden grass. I knew we’d have the privacy we needed out here.
Once settled on the garden bench, Magnus looked at me with an intensity that only made my hands shake as I prepared to tell him what I’d kept hidden all these years.
“You see, Magnus,” I began, my voice barely a whisper. “This all started seven years ago, when Owen was just five and Aria was only twelve…”