Chapter 58

**ADAM**

I keep telling myself that this is her battle, but in reality, if I could avoid sending her to that cell alone, I would. I'd rather fight all her battles for her and lock her up in a cotton cocoon, but that's not possible in the world we live in... Unfortunately.

Her attitude shows us all just how much stronger she is than she appears. Losing our child has changed her... for good.

"I'm sorry." Riley whines.

"For what? For attacking my mate, for luring me into a trap with my other mate, for wanting to declare war by sabotaging the blood delivery, for killing my father or for poisoning me and causing the death of my baby?" Her tone is icy and her voice doesn't waver. She's a fucking warrior an I'm so proud of her.

"Your baby? I didn't know that. I swear to you..." Riley implores her, tugging at her bonds which makes Cassius straighten up.

Aria snorts and laughs humorlessly. "Because that would have changed anything maybe?" She asks him in a voice full of disgust.

Riley lowers her head for a few seconds and when she raises it again she has a devilish smile on her lips. "At least there'll be one less monster on this planet." At her words, the three of us growl. I clench my fists and look at Aria, who remains stoic in the face of Riley, but I can feel all her anger through our bond.

"True. When I walk out of this room, there will be one less indeed." Aria replies confidently. She gets up and walks around Riley's chair. "When did you start hating me?"

"Since Gavin." She answers her after a few seconds of silence.

"Seriously?!" She asks incredulously.

Riely growls. "He was only interested in you. With him you would have had a secure future, but no... he wasn't good enough for Princess Aria. Then there was Austin. He wasn't good enough for you either... he wasn't enough for you." She knows full well that we're here listening to them, and she's saying these words on purpose. She's trying to divide us. I look at Austin and he nods. He knows very well that this is not true.

"If one of us can't be satisfied with what we have... it's you." She sighs. "Poor David. You found him, but that didn't appease your jealousy. Maybe I should introduce him to someone, get him to reject you and..."

"Shut the fuck up!" She replies through gritted teeth.

"Oh I've struck a chord it seems." She tells her amused. "I mean, seriously I feel sorry for him. But he'll soon be rid of you." Riley snorts. "Wow, you really think you have a chance of getting out of here unscathed?"

"I know you. You're weak, Aria." She answered with a smirk.

Aria raises her fist and punches her in the face. Riley's face turns to the side and blood comes out of her nose. "This is to prove you wrong." She punches her again, on the other cheek this time. "That's for insinuating that Austin wouldn't be enough for me." She hits her left knee with her foot. "That's for attacking the palace." She continues to hit her, listing all the things she's done. Her face is bloody, dripping onto her clothes, and both her knees are dislocated. She pulls her hair back and spits in her face. She stands behind her, her face red with the blood of her former friend. "And this is for my baby." She tells her before wringing her neck. Riley's body collapses inert on the chair. Aria looks up at us and I'm struck by her magnificence. She was already perfect, but she's created one hell of a warrior.

**ARIA**

Ever since I killed Riley with my bare hands, everyone around me has been walking on eggshells. They've killed a whole bunch of people in cold blood, and they look at me cautiously when I do it when all I've done is get even. After all she's done to us, I could have done it. She deserved even more than what I did to her.

Adam and Austin are whispering in the corridor as I leave the room to get my breakfast.
They stop talking when they notice me. "Since when do you stop talking in my presence?"

I pass them without waiting for an answer and start down the stairs, my two mates following behind me.

"I'm going to have to leave today. The Riley problem is solved, but we still have work to do." Adam tells me. "I don't know what you want to do, if you'd rather stay or go."

"We should talk about it after breakfast, in my office." Austin adds.

It's not a subject I want to talk about on an empty stomach. We're going to have to split up again, and I'm going to have to choose one of them again. I can't help but wonder how we would have organized ourselves with a baby in tow. The day I have one, I don't want it to be shuffled from one home to another, I want it to grow up in a stable family. We do have a lot to talk about.

During breakfast, Cassius and Leila informed me that they were leaving at the same time as Adam, and I learned that David had been placed in solitary confinement following Riley's death. It may be selfish of me, but I hadn't thought about the impact her death might have on him.
Austin is obviously touched by his friend's fate, certainly due to what happened to his father when his mother died. I can't imagine how he must feel, I'd die if I lost Austin or Adam. I try to put off our little meeting in Austin's office, but to no avail. This discussion is necessary, but I don't know where I want to go.