His warriors followed him immediately, leaving Marcus collapsed on the floor.
The moment Caleb disappeared down the hallway, Aria rushed to her brother’s side.
---
Outside the building, Caleb stood rigid beneath the pale evening moon.
Every instinct within him screamed for him to turn around—to run back upstairs, tear down the door, and drag Aria back into his arms.
His wolf howled furiously inside his mind.
The distance between them felt wrong.
Unnatural.
Life without her had become unbearable.
The Alpha mansion that once felt alive now stood silent and hollow. Aria had been the one who filled its halls with warmth. Her scent had lingered in every room.
Without it, the place felt like a tomb.
And now everything was gone.
The hatred he had seen in her eyes earlier made one thing painfully clear.
He had already lost her.
Deep down Caleb knew that no matter what he did, winning back her love might be impossible.
But that didn’t mean he was willing to let her go.
He was selfish enough to admit that.
If forcing her to return was the only option left…
Then so be it.
He would break her resistance first.
Then he would mend the damage afterward.
Caleb trusted his sister completely.
To him, Clara was the victim.