Chapter 5: Christmas Moon Market

‎The snow sparkled like powdered stars when Aria stepped outside, breath curling in front of her lips. The pack house buzzed with early winter excitement, the kind that came only once a year, when the Christmas Moon Market finally opened.

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‎Lanterns hung from branches like floating pearls. Ribbons of silver frost draped over the walkways. Children ran through the snow, carrying tiny moon charms carved by the omega artisans.

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‎It felt magical.

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‎But Aria couldn't ignore the faint cold in her chest. The leftover ache from avoiding Rowan for days. She'd made it her mission to dodge him. Different hallways, different meals, different times. Her stomach twisted whenever she remembered what she overheard.

‎

‎“She's becoming a problem."

‎

‎It still stung.

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‎“Ariaaa!" Liana burst out of the estate doors in a flurry of strawberry-red jacket and dramatic eyeliner. “Finally. I was about to come drag you."

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‎Aria smiled weakly. “I'm here, aren't I?"

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‎Liana linked their arms. “Good. Because today is sacred. Christmas Moon Market is the best thing this frozen pack has to offer."

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‎They stepped under the archway into the market, and warm magic wrapped around her like a blanket, faint tingles, incense, charms, and simmering spices. Moon-themed stalls lined in a trail, carved ornaments, glowing snowstones, enchanted scarves that warmed at touch.

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‎Aria reached for a winter bonding charm shaped like braided ice. It gleamed too brightly to be normal.

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‎“Ooh," Liana leaned in. “Careful. Those react to attraction."

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‎Aria snatched her hand back instantly.

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‎Liana snorted. “Wow. Guilty much?"

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‎Before Aria could answer, a ripple of energy ran down her spine. She froze.

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‎That feeling. Watching. Unmistakable.

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‎Her eyes lifted, slowly, unwillingly, until she found him.

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‎Rowan stood at the edge of the crows, half-shadowed under a frost-dusted arch. Broad shoulders, winter-black coat, hair dusted by snowflake, like silver ash. He wasn't with them. And he wasn't even pretending to be.

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‎But he was watching her.

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‎And only her.

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‎Their eyes locked across the busy market street. The noise blurred, as voices faded. For a moment, she couldn't feel her gloves, or the scarf, or her breath.

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‎Just him.

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‎Her heartbeat throbbed.

‎He didn't look away.

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‎Not even when Liana waved aggressively at him, mouthing; Stop staring like a serial killer, Dad.

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‎Rowan didn't blink.

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‎“Let's move," Liana said brightly, tugging Aria toward a stall of floating ice lanterns. “Ignore him, he's weird like that."

‎

‎Ignore him.

‎As if that had ever been easy.

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‎Omega witches chanted softly over the lanterns, pressing palms to frozen glass until the lights glowed with shimmering symbols.

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‎“Pick one," Liana said, nudging her. “They say your lantern glows brighter when someone thinks about you."

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‎" Liana, stop,” Aria laughed lightly.

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‎" I'm just saying.” She shrugged eyeing the lanterns on display.

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‎Aria chose a small lantern etched with silver flecks, lifting it carefully.

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‎But the back of her neck prickled again.

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‎She turned, and Rowan was gone.

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‎A chill ran through her.

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‎" Aria? You okay?” Liana asked.

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‎" Yeah,” Aria whispered. " Just cold.”

‎

‎They moved to the next stalls, but Aria couldn't shake the feeling of something threading through the crowd, between lanterns. Footsteps too quiet to belong to pack wolves.

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She heard a whistle.

Then, a click.

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She paused, her heartbeat slowing.

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‎Boom!

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The lantern beside her exploded.

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‎Glass bursts outward in a shower of blue fire. She screamed tumbling back…

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‎But something large and warm slammed into her first.

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‎Rowan.

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‎He wrapped his entire body around hers, one arm banded across her waist, the other shielding her head. A low, animalistic growl vibrated through his chest, deep, primal, and threatening.

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‎Every muscle in him was locked in steel, his jacket covered in snow as he held her still, buried against him.

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‎“Are you hurt?" His voice was rough.

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‎“N-No." Her hands were against his chest without even remembering when they moved there.

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‎He didn't let go even as people rushed towards them. Liana's shocked voice cut through the chaos. “Dad! Aria, what happened?"

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‎Rowan finally pulled back, only an inch, but his hands stayed on Aria's waist far longer than necessary.

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‎His eyes were feral.

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‎He crouched to examine the shattered remains. The glass wasn't cracked. It was cut. A clean internal detonation symbol, deliberately etched within the lantern. His jaw tightened, breath hissing out.

‎“This wasn't an accident," he muttered.

‎

‎Liana blinked. “What does that mean?"

‎

‎Rowan didn't answer her. He answered Aria.

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‎“It was targeted."

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‎Aria swallowed hard. “At… me?

‎

‎He didn't blink. " Stay close.”

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‎" That's not—”

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‎" Aria.”

‎Her name, low and dark, left no room for argument. “Do not leave my sight."

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‎Liana frowned. “Dad, you're scaring her."

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‎Rowan didn't care, his gaze was locked solely on Aria, possessive and visibly disassembling the crowd in his head.

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‎He stepped too close, “I said…”

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‎" Rowan.” Aria pulled back gently, trembling slightly. " I'm fine.”

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‎His nostrils flared. She wasn't sure he believed that.

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‎But the market resumed slowly, and Rowan eventually forced himself to back away, though his eyes followed her every move like a silent wolf tracking its prey.

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‎For the rest of the evening, Aria felt him watching her in every turn and flicker of movement behind her.

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‎Like he was the only thing standing between her and…

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‎Something else.

‎

‎

‎

‎****

‎

‎

‎Later that night at the house, Aria lay awake, staring at the ceiling, fingers tracing patterns on the blanket.

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‎She should have been tired and asleep, but she wasn't.

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‎Rowan's grip around her waist still burned like a brand. It was all she could think about.

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‎How his growl still echoed in her head, her skin tingled where he'd held her too tightly, breath ghosting her ear as if he'd almost kissed her again.

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‎He hated how she reacted to them all.

‎Hated how her heart seemed to leap at the mere sight of him.

‎Hated the guilt. The desire.

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‎She hated herself for wanting…

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‎A scratch.

‎Soft. Slow. Wrong.

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‎Her eyes snapped open.

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‎Something dragged against her windowpane. A long deliberate clawing sound

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‎Her breath stilled.

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‎She sat up, her heartbeat climbing up her throat. “Not again…”

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‎Another scratch. A muffled thud. Then a low rumbling hungry growl.

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‎Aria staggered back, hand gripping the bedpost. “Rowan…”

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‎A shadow passed across her window.

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‎And then—

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‎A deeper snarl ripped through the night. But not from the intruder.

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‎From outside.

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‎She crept forward, palms sweating, and pulled the curtain back.

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‎Rowan stood in the snow, barefoot, shirtless, breath steaming around him, muscles coiled like a predator in mid-shift.

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‎His eyes glowed an unnatural silver, fixed on something in the treeline.

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‎He didn't look at her window. Didn't look at the house.

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‎He stood facing the forest like he was tracking something only he could sense.

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‎Something that had been hunting her.

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‎His lips peeled back in a silent snarl.

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‎And then she heard him growl a single word under his breath, barely audible through the glass.

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‎“... half-blood."

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‎Aria's eye widened in shock.

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‎Half-blood?

‎What half-blood?

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‎But before she could breathe, Rowan vanished into the trees like a shadow.

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‎Leaving her staring into the darkness.