​for their pup to be born. It was only when he finally heard his very own daughter's loud cries that he finally froze on his feet and stopped his relentless pacing.

He felt like his heart stopped beating, he could not hear anything aside from the  loud cries of his baby His eyes widened when he finally took a whiff of his daughter's scent in the air.

Cyrus’s favorite scent is his mate's scent but the new scent that infiltrates his nostrils is different and yet it makes his heart flutter wildly. Her scent is a combination of peony with a fresh note of agrums. The scent also gave him a heartwarming aroma of rose & osmanthus. At that moment, Cyrus decided that peonies & roses were now some of his favorite scents too.

"Mr. Carter, your mate is ready to see you now." one of the Beta nurses came outside to fetch him after what seemed like an eternity.

Cyrus turned to look at Aria’s best friends before he followed the nurse who guided him toward his family inside the private room.

Aside from Aria’s friends, Cyrus is alone with his mate now, his parents are abroad.

For a rich and powerful family like theirs, occasions like giving birth aren't really that important.

The older Carter just ordered his assistant to send Aria and Cyrus a huge bouquet of flowers and a basket full of fruits when he learned that they were already in the hospital and ready to welcome their pup.

The pure-blooded alpha tried his best to shake the ugly feeling that slowly crept in his head upon remembering the nonchalance of his father about his firstborn and first grandchild.

Cyrus thought falling in love with Aria the first time he saw her was the best thing that happened in his life. He really thought that him, having found his soulmate was already magical.

But the moment he laid his eyes on the small pup lying beside his mate, he immediately burst into tears again.

"Oh Luna, she is here," Cyrus uttered as he took another step closer to his mate and pup.

"C-Cy...you're here." Aria managed to say upon seeing her alpha who was so focused on their little pup.

The alpha heard his mate for the first time since he entered the room, and it was only then that he saw his mate’s very tired state.

"Oh gosh, I was so focused on her that I didn't realize how exhausted you were. You did well, my moon. You did well delivering our princess." Cyrus uttered before he leaned forward to leave a light peck on her forehead.

"She is so beautiful," Aria uttered as she tried to look down at where her pup was.

"Yes, she is. But my moon please stop moving for a while. You need to rest, love. Don't worry I will take care of her." Cyrus promised as he carefully carried his pup for the very first time.

Aria’s eyes widened when she saw how her mate was holding their pup.

"Oh my Luna, CYRUS! Are you trying to kill me? That's not how you hold a baby!"

Aria even tried to lift herself to try to take the pup from her mate, but she ended up crying out at the pain that suddenly hit her the omega winced when she felt like her stitches slightly opened again.

Cyrus' eyes widened when he smelled his mate's blood and distressed scent too.

"For goodness’ sake Aria! Don't move! You cannot just move the way you want, not unless you want to hurt yourself. And please, don't worry about our princess,  just look at her peacefully sleeping on my hands." Cyrus even leans closer to show his mate that their pup is indeed sleeping peacefully despite her weird position on her daddy's hand. Aria shakes her head but ended up smiling when she realized how his baby is sleeping peacefully.

"How could she be so calm when we are already yelling at each other?" the omega asked her mate, but her eyes were focused only on their pup.

"Maybe she's used to our voices already. She's been living with us for nine months Love. Of course, she already knows our voices." Cyrus grins as he lifts his arm closer to his chest so his pup wIll be on his chest.

Aria smiled fondly while watching his mate with their pup. She still couldn’t believe how everything in her life changed the moment she met Cyrus.

She still remembers how  Cyrus’s parents strongly opposed to them being married but since her mate seemed to really love her, they got married anyway. She still remembers how they both eloped, and searched for a judge to officiate their marriage without their family and friends. She still remembers how Dylan Cyrus’s cousin was the only person who witnessed their wedding because he was coincidentally visiting his friend in the same area.

It was chaotic. Meeting Cyrus was like letting a whirlwind enter your house, thinking that it will just pass by but it ends up taking you away too.

Cyrus is everyone else's dream but for the older alpha, he chose her and for Aria, that is more than enough for her.

"Moon, why are you looking at me like that?" Cyrus asked when he noticed his omega staring at him. 

She contemplates whether to tell him what she was thinking or just to make up random things

"Why? How do I look at you that it bothers you so much?" the omega decided to ask.

Cyrus looks at their pup before he returns his gaze to his mate."You're looking at me as if I'm weird?" Cyrus replied with a tiny pout on his lips that made him look less intimidating.

Aria smiled at her alpha.

"I was just thinking about how lucky I am to have you as my mate. You and our pup...you are the best things that happened to me, Cyrus." Aria poured her heart out.

Cyrus smiled only to frown again when he saw the tears in his omega's eyes.

"If we are the best things that ever happened to you, then why are you crying my moon?" the alpha moved his pup to his other arm so he could wipe away the tears on his omega's face.

"Those are not sad tears, you silly alpha. They're tears of happiness," She replied before she lifted her hand to reach the tiny hands of their pup.

"I promise that I will take care of you and our pup, our Kiana." Aria finally says the beautiful name she wanted to give her pup.

Cyrus smiled back at his mate upon hearing the name of their pup for the very first time.

"Kiana, yeah...our Kiana will be loved by us always and forever."

"Yes Cyrus, forever, always..." Aria replied before she finally succumbed to sleep due to fatuge 

Cyrus smiled at his pretty mate when he realized that she wasn’t able to complete her words.

"Forever Aria, forever," he whispered before leaving a kiss on his omega's lips.

Aria had never been a fan of wearing hoodies. She liked cute dresses or button-up shirts better but when she was changing her outfit for her flight back, she knew that wearing hoodies even when it was summer was a must for her to hide her face just in case someone recognized her.

The omega who used to sing at one of Harris’s bars in New Zealand checks the time on her watch again before she finally calls a taxi as she tries to hide her face with her hoodie. It was 10 a.m. already and the address written on her phone was about an hour away from the airport. Aria put her luggage at the back of the cab before he settled inside. She also gave the driver the complete address before she leaned back and checked her phone.

Since she is an orphan and has no family in the US, Harris gave her the number of his trusted friend, Knight Ashbourne. At first, she was hesitant to accept the offer again because he'd been helping her for the past three years but when he informed her that Knight was an alpha who had high respect for Omegas, she relented. 

She accepted the phone number since Harris already told her that he already informed his friend about her arrival.

Aria decided to dial the number for the first time. a man on the other side answered on its third ring.

"Hello?" 

"H-hello. Is this Mr Knight Ashbourne?" Aria asked hesitantly when she heard the deep and authoritative voice from the other line.

"Yes. Is this Aria Thomson?" the man asked with a little excitement.

She knitted her eyebrows when she noticed. "Yes, this is Aria... hmm,    I'm Harris’s friend." she tried to hide her confusion.

"Oh, it's nice to finally hear from you, Miss Aria. I'm sorry but this is Justin, Justin Steele. Mr. Ashbourne is in the middle of a meeting. He informed me about your arrival today. Are you at the airport already? Shall I call a driver to pick you up and--" 

"Wait! No! I mean, hold on a second Mr. Steele. You said Mr. Knight is in the meeting?"

Aria asked, a little confused because as far as she could remember, Harris told her that he didn’t have a business but he could help her once she was back in New York.

"Yes, Miss Thomson. Mr Ashbourne is in the meeting but he is aware that you're arriving today. So please tell me where to pick you up so I can instruct the driver to--" Micheal is interrupted.

"I'm sorry Justin but can I just call you again later? I just have to deal with something."

Aria made up an excuse so she could hang up from the call.

"Sure Miss Thomson but please call us immediately if you need help with anything." He said again before finally ended the call.

Aria sighed as she looks out the window. She noticed how the city Looked busier compared to the last time she was there.  She also noticed the beautiful buildings that were towering along the streets.

"Mr. Driver can you please pull over." Aria suddenly asked the taxi driver to stop the car in front of a chicken restaurant.

The taxi driver seems confused at first because it was  clearly not the address she gave him but she explained that she needed to meet someone else there first so the old taxi driver just dropped her off. When she was standing outside the restaurant,is only then when she finally realizes that she really was back. He went inside and ordered a bucket of fried chicken & a can of soda.

The truth is, she had no one to meet there.she just wanted to breathe and think of the things she really wanted to do now that she was back. First on her list is to visit her baby. She wanted to pay respect to her daughter but she knew it was risky to go to the private cemetery of the Carter,s so she just made a mental note to buy a bouquet of roses that she could scatter on the River later.

The Omega's heart suddenly throbs in pain again upon remembering her angel. She doesn't cry anymore, she doesn't sob like a baby too whenever she remembers Kiana.

But her heart never failed to remind her that she lost a piece of herself. Her fading mating mark is also a huge reminder every day of how broken she is.

She knows that her marriage to her mate was dissolved 3 years ago but the mating mark on her neck was still visible even though it was slowly fading through the years that she's been away from her mate. Aria almost jumps off her seat when the waiter serves her food. She was lost in her deep thoughts that she didn't even notice how much time passed by. She looked at the chicken and forced herself to smile.

"Come on Aria, at least let this fried chicken welcome you back," she mumbled to herself before she took a bite of the tasty fried chicken.

Meanwhile, In Cyrus’s office, Evan is trying his best to convince the assemblyman/ senator’s secretary to let him in. Because he saw Aria at the airport a while ago, he knows he could use it as a chance to get closer to the most sought bachelor in the city.

"I’m serious Tia, can’t you just let me in? I have something important thing to tell Mr. Carter." Evan tried again but Tia just gave him a look because the secretary has been trained. She knew even the dirtiest attempt of her boss's admirer to get close to her boss and she's very good at keeping them away from her boss during working hours.

"Come on Evan, when are you gonna stop wasting my time? Please leave unless you have an appointment with Mr. Carter. I have a lot of things to---"

"Aria Carter! just tell Mr. Carter that--" Evan wasn't able to finish his sentence when Tia shut him up with her fingers.

"D-did you just say A-Aria Carter's name? Do you have any idea what you're putting yourself into if someone close to your boss hears you saying that name?" she whispered at the male whose eyes now widened because of her finger on his lips.

"I saw her," Evan said after pushing the secretary's hand away from his lips.

"You know that this will cost you your head right?" She warned him again but Evan remained unfazed as he fished out his phone from his pocket.

"Here! I have proof!" Evan opened the gallery on his phone and showed her the picture he had taken a while ago. 

The picture was very clear because he took it when Aria was not wearing her hood up on her head. so her face was not hidden.

 Tia swallowed the invincible lump in her throat before she guided Evan into Cyrus’s office.

"Mr. Carter, I'm sorry to interrupt but this is code Blue," Tia said when she noticed that it was just Dylan inside with Cyrus.

Dylan and Cyrus both froze in their seats upon hearing the secretary. Code Blue is only used for Kiana, and more often than not Kiana’s nanny would call Cyrus immediately on his private number instead of going through his secretary so the pure blood alpha was confused.

"Did you forget what the codes are Tia? what they are for?  I guess you have to take a refresher course."

Cyrus tried to lighten the mood in his office until he spotted a shy male behind his secretary.

"NO sir, I am so much aware of what the codes are for. I'm here with Evan from our Marketing department. He has something to show you." Tia said before letting Evan come into the office to Cyrus who was now staring straight at them with a blank face. Dylan was also curious.

"What brings you here Mr. Owen?" Cyrus asked when he spotted the name on the male’s ID.

"Good afternoon sir, my name is Evan and I'm from.."

" Why are you wasting Mr. Carter’s time with your introduction? Tell us why you are here." Dylan interrupted him. He has no patience for wolves who want nothing but Cyrus’s attention.

"Oh… Uhm, here sir. I saw Ms Aria at the---" Evan was unable to finish his sentence when he felt a strong hand gripping his neck making him drop his phone

“Do you know who it is that bears that name? Do you even know what would happen to you once I know you are lying?" Cyrus gritted his teeth.

"Y-yes sir...b-but I h-have the e-evidence, ekk...ahhh, o-on my phone." Evan was barely breathing because of the hand on his neck.

"Cyrus!" Dylan finally stepped in to stop his cousin from killing the poor guy.

"Are you sure you saw her?" Cyrus asked again, eyes amber red. 

"I'm positive Mr. Carter, I spotted her leaving the airport this morning."

Cyrus Carter's body stiffened at the news. It had been three years since he last laid eyes on HER, yet the mention of her name still stirred up the same tumultuous emotions within him. Aria Thompson still had the power to make his heart race and ache, but this time, it was not with happiness...... it was filled with rage and determination.

"Prepare the car. I'm getting remarried today, and this time, I'll ensure she does not escape me!…… us " he declared, his gaze fixed on the photograph of his mate from the broken screen of the phone he picked up from the floor.

Evan starts to cough when the alpha finally releases his hold on his neck.

"How will you find her?" Dylan asked while sending a message to Cyrus’s driver.

The pure blood alpha's head snapped towards his secretary's direction.

"Tia, call the airport and let them check the CCTV. Tell them to find me  the omega who's wearing a black hoodie in the middle of summer. I'm sure they would  locate her easily.. her hair... it's golden brown." Cyrus ordered his secretary before throwing the phone back to Evan.

"Send the pictures you took to Tia and make sure you delete them from your phone if you still want to keep your job and peace. Now get out and make sure no one knows about this." Cyrus warned

The male nodded and hurriedly got out of the office.

When Cyrus was sure it was just him and Dylan in the office, the pure blood alpha couldn’t help but fall on the couch. He suddenly felt so weak, the painful and ugly memories of the past were flashing in his mind.

"Dylan…..s-she's back. Aria is really back." Cyrus uttered as he looked up at his cousin.

"Yeah she is, and that means you will have to pull yourself together and be strong because now is just the beginning Cy. You have a long way to go, remember you can only see the end of it when you're finally the head of this country. You have to make sure you can endure everything from now on or else, you'll lose her...you'll lose them again." Dylan said with a grim voice and hopeful tiny smile.

Cyrus nodded absentmindedly. He knows Dylan is right so he stood up and grabbed his jacket from his chair.

"Call the traffic monitoring team Ian, I'm sure Tia already got something. Make sure they check every car and every bus that leaves the airport. We have to find her. I have to find her first before they get to her."

Cyrus said with determination in his voice.

Meanwhile on the other side of the big city, Knight Ashbourne  just finished his meeting with his political party and was  very pleased to hear the good reports. He was in a really good mood when he met his assistant Justin.

"Mr. Ashbourne, Miss Aria from New Zealand called while you were in the meeting. She said she would call us when--"

"Justin! You mean to tell me Aria already called and you didn't tell me as soon as it happened?" the son of the Prime Minister asked his assistant with wide eyes. 

(note : yes in my frictional World the US has a prime minister)

"Y-yes because you specifically ordered that you are not to be disturbed by--"

"Oh great, it's okay . Justin, please call her back now. Harris would kill me if he ever found out  I wasn't a good host. I promised him that I'll be a good host to his friend." Knight said with a smile as he entered the car.

He attended the meeting in a restaurant in the middle of the city and now he wants nothing but to be back at his penthouse so he could welcome Harris’s friend.

Justin dialed Aria’s number immediately and thankfully, she immediately answered.

"Hello Miss Aria?"

"Mr Steele? I was just about to call you too." Aria said, a little hesitant while watching the traffic officers and police check all the cars on the street as if they were looking for someone who escaped prison.

"Well, I'm glad to hear that Miss Aria. Mr. Knight is with me now and he's just asking where you are so we could send the driver to pick you up." Justin asked politely.

Aria contemplated whether to just tell them she was going to go by herself or to wait for the driver since it seems really difficult to call for a taxi when there are police and traffic enforcers everywhere.

"Actually, I'm here at Palette’s Fried Chicken and I--"

"Wait, did you say Palette’s? In front of the Azure?" Justin asked excitedly because he spotted the restaurant in front of them.

"Yes..I'm inside the restaurant because I just had my lunch." Aria replied, biting her lower lip. She didn’t know why she suddenly felt nervous... Her eyes kept going to the street watching the traffic enforcers and police check private and public cars.

"That's great.. We're coming to pick you up. We're close by." Justin said over the phone while doing an okay sign to his boss who's sitting at the back of the Car.

It only took about 5 minutes to find Aria standing outside the restaurant. They introduced themselves to each other politely. The two walked towards the black luxury minivan where Knight was waiting for them. 

Aria’s eyes widened when she realized that Knight Ashbourne was not  just a businessman but the only heir of the country's Prime Minister.

"Oh Luna!" She  blurted out the moment Knight introduced himself to her .

"I hope you had a relaxing flight Miss Aria Welcome back, I'm Knight and I want you to know that from now on, you have nothing to worry about." He flashes her a killer smile.

Aria is astounded. Knight was just kind just like Harris told her but he is also handsome. She was really surprised to see that the alpha is still unmated.

"H-hi, thank you for welcoming me" She stuttered.

But she couldn’t just help it when the alpha's scent overwhelmed her. It had been quite a while since she has been within a close distance of a pure blood alpha let alone inside the same car.

The driver of the car stopped at one of the  checkpoints but the moment the police recognized the car and who was at the back of the car, they immediately let them pass through without asking questions. 

They didn't even notice the omega who was wearing the black hoodie sitting beside the young pure blood alpha.

"When Harris told me that he'll let me meet his kind friend, he never mentioned that it was the Prime Minister's only Son.I should've just find another place to stay the night instead of bothering you and---"

“Oh no, please you are not a bother to me Miss Aria. I promised Harris to take care of you once you returned so please don't let me break that promise to him."

Knight pulled a puppy dog eyes look that made her smile.

"Thank you so much Knight, you really are very kind." Aria uttered with a tiny blush on her cheeks.

She managed to pass through all the checkpoints on the street not knowing she was the reason they were checking. Someone is searching for her.