Aria and knight are relaxing in Knight’s living room at his penthouse.

They are both emotionally exhausted and mentally drained but Aria couldn't hide the fact that there's something else that's bothering her.

"Do you wanna swim for a bit? Maybe we could drink a little too before we call it a night?" Knight suggested to the Omega who's obviously thinking of a lot of things at the moment.

Aria beams at the suggestion.

"That's a great idea Knight, let me just change and grab my towel. I'll also bring the champagne." Aria says before she stands up to prepare what she needs.

"Aria, weren’t you wearing your coat this morning?" Knight asked when he noticed the missing garment of the younger.

 If it was any other day, he wouldn't be worried but today is different because he knows that Aria’s scent is all over her clothes and he's worried that it might fall into the wrong hands again.

"Oh, yes. I removed it at Cyrus’s place when I was playing with Kiana. I'll just take it some other time." Aria replied.

Knight visibly relaxes when he learns that the missing piece of clothing is at Cyrus’s home. 

He still wanted to make sure,so he fishes out his phone and sends a message to the other pure blood.

ASHBOURNE : IS ARIA’S COAT AT YOUR PLACE? SHE SAID SHE FORGOT IT THERE. JUST WANTED MAKE SURE..JUST IN CASE.

CARTER : YES, SHE LEFT IT AT MY HOME. I'M ON MY WAY TO BRING IT TO HER.

Knight's eyebrow knitted on reading the immediate reply of the younger pure blood. He quickly jabs a reply.

ASHBOURNE : NO NEED TO COME CARTER. WE'LL BE HANGING OUT AT THE POOL. SHE NEEDS TO REST.

CARTER : SHUT UP!, ALL THE MORE REASON TO COME THERE. NO WORRIES, I'M ALREADY ON MY WAY.

Knight looks at his phone with a little sad smile before he looks towards Aria’s door.

 He knows Justin is right, fated mates always found a way back to each other no matter how many miles they are apart from each other. 

He smiled bitterly to himself when he remembered how he met Aria. 

He genuinely likes the omega. 

He may never understand the constant pull that's keeping him from taking care of Aria but tonight he realized that he would never have a chance with Aria because he will always be just her friend.

A few minutes later Aria finally came out of her room wearing her swimsuit under her bathrobe. 

It is cold outside since the snow started to fall two days ago but the ambiance in the building's poolside is warm.

 The Omega knows Knight already went ahead so she just grabs a bottle of champagne and follows him to the poolside.

Aria immediately smiled when he saw the older man sitting by the pool, his feet dangling and playing with the warm water while he looked up at the sky. 

The pool is on the rooftop and half of the area is covered while the other is open so that would allow them to see the beautiful night sky.

"Knight...want something to drink?" Aria asked while skillfully opening the bottle of wine.

 The older turned half of his body to see her before he offers the younger a genuine smile.

 "Whenever you open a bottle of champagne with your bare hands it reminds me that you actually really worked in Harris’s winery. Three years made you an expert with wines huh?" Knight said while waiting for the younger to pour out their drinks.

"At first I never really wanted to learn. I just want to sing at the bar but then I realized I easily got drunk too so I figured, I have to know my way around alcohol." Aria smiled as she offered the older the other flute of champagne.

The two settled at the edge of the pool, their feet kicking the water aimlessly while they let the silence of the night consumed them until knight breaks the silence.

"How was it? I mean...being with them?"

Aria emptied her glass first before she speaks.

"It was too good to be true. I actually didn't know where I found the courage to leave when I finally had the chance to hold her in my arms again. Thank you so much Knight, this.. everything won't be possible without you." Aria says without looking at the older because she suddenly felt like the bubble around them is slowly vanishing. 

It's as if she knew tonight would be the night that will put a line between them and she's so scared to know what will happen to them after.

Knight drowned his glass of champagne before he finally put down his glass so he could hold Aria’s hand. 

The omega wanted to refuse in the beginning but Knight’s soft gaze made her relax.

"Maybe I know how you managed to leave even when your heart wanted you to stay." His voice is so low, it's as if he's afraid that someone might hear what he's about to say.

"Knight...w-what do you mean?" Aria asked, nervously. 

She knows...she knows that deep inside her she knows the reason why she left and she's so scared that Knight really knows it too because that means she has been hurting the older pure blood too.

 "You were scared to hurt me. You were scared that the longer you stay in that house, the stronger your urge to stay because you know deep inside you that you're already home Aria. I am so sorry for letting you feel that way but I want you to know that as much as I want you , I know that there's someone out there who deserves you. Cyrus, he is innocent. Just like you, your mate was a victim of his father’s manipulation and schemes. Ria...Cyrus, he deserves another chance as much as you deserve one too." Knight didn’t know how he managed to say those words clearly.

 He likes Aria, hell he loves her in the short amp of time they have spent together. 

The omega made a permanent space in his heart but that doesn't mean he would hold her there forever when he knows that Aria could finally go back home, with Kiana...in Cyrus’s arms.

"Knight, I'm so sorry..."

"Ssshhh, Aria you don't have to apologize. I loved you even though I knew that you held someone else in your heart. I wanted to take care of you even though I knew someone was looking for you. I love you and I am not sorry for loving you. I just want you to be happy Ria, I just want you to have the life you deserve." Knight uttered, his voice just above a whisper. He's scared that if he speaks  a little louder, he would bust into tears and he doesn't want that.

There are no words to describe how thankful Aria is at that moment so instead of replying to Knight, she throws herself at him. 

She wraps his two arms around the older's neck as she buries her face in the crook of his neck scenting him a bit. 

She hugs him to let him know how thankful she is for having him in her life, for protecting her, for taking care of her and for leading her back to her family.

"Thank you so much Knight. Thank you so much." Aria whispered while nuzzling her nose in Knight’s neck, a gesture for wolves to show how they adore and respect the other.

Knight smiled into their hug as he wrapped his arms around her waist. 

They are sitting by the edge of the pool under the moonlight while reassuring each other that they are still friends despite drawing the line between them. 

Knight is hurt, but for an unknown reason he is at peace and content while holding Aria in his arms. 

He sighs before finally pulling away from her but not completely letting her go.

 Knight was still holding Aria’s shoulders when he felt a presence join them.

The older pure blooded alpha knew Cyrus was close to them but because he knows he may never get the chance to do this again the moment Cyrus takes Aria with him, he still leans closer and closes the gap between him and the omega.

Cyrus gasped at the entrance of the poolside when he saw Knight leaning closer to Aria. 

His wolf growled when he saw the elder left a peck on Aria’s forehead but he managed to stop it when he saw Aria wrap her arms around Knight too.

Cyrus was about to lash out at the two because he couldn't handle his jealousy anymore when Knight suddenly speaks.

"It looks like we have a visitor."

Call Cyrus the pettiest among the petty wolves but at that moment all he wanted was to rip Knight’s head off when he saw the older alpha wearing a smug expression on his face when their eyes met.

"Who's---Oh Luna! Cyrus!" Aria screamed the moment she saw Cyrus lunge at Knight with a punch to the face.

Knight knew Cyrus had every right to get mad at him but he still fights back. 

The two pure blooded alphas  throw punches at each other, kicking each other in every chance they get until a sudden burst of a very sweet scent fills the room. They both halted their squabbling, their eyes turned red as they saw Aria writhing on the ground.

Knight’s eyes widened when he realized what was happening. 

Aria had been wearing a scent blocker and it's been 24 hours since she stopped wearing one. 

Every wolf in the realm knows that whoever uses the scent blocker will immediately go into their heat or rut the moment it wears off.

Knight figures that Cyrus’s strong scent was also a factor that triggered the Omega' heat.

"H-help...it hurts." Aria whimpered as she curled in on herself on the ground.

As much as Knight wanted to run and help the omega he knows that he cannot move from his spot. He should not move or else, he'll definitely die in Cyrus’s hands.

"Ashbourne..."

"I swear to Luna Carter! What are you doing?" Knight yelled at the younger wolf who remained frozen.

"I can't!" Cyrus replied, strained as if he is trying his best not to breathe but Knight knows better. 

Cyrus is trying to stop himself from jumping his omega.

"I can't help her, Cyrus! your wolf's gonna shred me into pieces even before I can even think of laying a finger on her. Now fucking  do something because your mate needs your  help!" Knight yelled at the younger alpha who seemed to finally snap out of his trance when he heard that Aria, his mate, needed his help.

Aria on the other hand is panting heavily. She can feel the pain growing from her stomach down to her groin.

 She isn't oblivious of the things happening to her but she’s scared. 

She doesn't know if Cyrus would want to take care of her when they haven't even spoken yet. 

The omega is starting to over think in tears when she finally feels someone lifting her from the floor.

The familiar delicious scent of her pure blood alpha mate filled her nostrils and Cyrus is just so thankful that Cyrus is here.

"C-Rys..." she calls out his name as he starts to nuzzle along the perfectly chiseled jaw of ger mate.

"I'm here Ria. I got you baby." Cyrus replies as he continues to walk towards the elevator while still carrying his mate in his arms.

*^*^*^*^^*^~~~~~~~~~~~~~*^*^*^*^*^**

Cyrus does not even know how he managed to take Aria home, their home. 

He doesn't even know why he brought Aria to their old house. It has been three years since they abandoned it and let only Felicia clean it once in a while but here he was punching the code code to the door before they finally get inside.

The interior of the house is still the same. 

Cyrus could not bare touch anything in their home ever since Aria left because he always knew in his heart a time would  come when they would return.

But never in Cyrus’s wildest imagination would think he would bring home his mate while she's on heat and now that he finally put down his mate on their soft couch, he suddenly doesn't know what to do next.

"C-Cyrus, it hurts." Aria whimpers again, this time she is grinding her hips on his thighs.

Cyrus gulps. He has been waiting to see Aria again, to touch her, kiss her, feel her underneath him but he never thought the day would come this soon especially since they haven't spoken to each other yet. 

He wants to make sure that Aria knows that she is still the one he wants. He wants his omega to know that he's never been in any relationship ever since she left.

 He just wants to tell her first that he wants her back but here he is trapped in the omega's arms and legs.

"I swear to Luna  Cyrus, if you aren’t going to do anything why didn’t you just leave me back at the penthouse and maybe Knight would--" 

Aria wasn't able to finish her sentence because Cyrus smashed his lips to her. 

The pure blooded alpha has been controlling himself because he did not want the omega to think that he's taking advantage of her but the moment she mentioned another alpha’s name, he finally snapped.

Cyrus’s wolf wants to devour his mate whole. He wants her only for himself and he'll make sure that Aria would never think of another alpha ever again so Cyrus starts to kiss her.

When he ended the kiss, the two stared at each other until Aria unconsciously licked her lips with her tongue. 

She saw her mate's eyes follow the movement of her tongue on her lip until they ended up looking at each other again. 

The tension in the air is so thick and palpable it's not a surprise as the mates finally move at the same time, this time Cyrus grabs Aria’s neck and smashes their lips once again.

 The omega moans in contentment when she tastes her mate's lips on hers. She parts her lips to invite him in.

"Fuck, I miss you baby." Cyrus whispered as he continued to devour the omega’s mouth like his life depended on it.

 Aria’s lips are red and puffy. They look so sinful as they glisten with their shared saliva, Cyrus could not stop kissing her.

"Cyr...please" Aria starts to plead she wants something to be done.