Chapter 53: Chapter 53 Their True Identities
Aria’s POV
My phone buzzed in my hand, Damian’s name flashing across the screen. I froze mid-step in the hallway, my heart doing something complicated in my chest.
"Hello?"
"Aria." His voice came through low and controlled, but I could hear the tension threading underneath. "Are you currently with an older couple?"
I blinked at my phone, confusion rippling through me. How did he—
"Yes, I am. Why do you ask?"
A pause. Then, quiet and deliberate: "Those are my parents."
The words hit me like a physical blow. I actually had to lean against the wall.
"Your—what?"
"My parents. Alpha King Andrew and Luna Queen Elena Blackwood." Another pause, heavier this time. "I’m on my way there now."
The line went dead before I could respond.
I stood there staring at my phone like it might suddenly offer some kind of explanation for what the hell was happening.
My mind was racing, trying to piece together the last few hours—the shopping trip, the wedding gowns, the jewelry, the way they’d looked at me with such warmth and care.
*Oh my God.*
They’d been evaluating me the entire time. Not for some mysterious son’s mate.
For *their son*.
For Damian.
When I finally managed to get my legs working again and returned to the living room, both Alpha Andrew and Luna Elena were sitting on my couch looking deeply, profoundly guilty.
The kind of guilty that said they knew exactly what bombshell had just detonated over the phone.
"Miss Smith—" Luna Elena started, her hands twisting in her lap.
"Aria," I corrected automatically, my voice coming out steadier than I felt. "If we’re going to do this, you should probably call me Aria."
Alpha Andrew cleared his throat, his commanding presence from earlier completely deflated. He looked like a man who’d been caught with his hand in the cookie jar.
"We... may have omitted certain details about our visit today."
"You think?" The words came out sharper than I’d intended, but honestly, I was entitled to a little sharpness right now.
Luna Elena reached for my hand, her grip gentle but insistent. "Sweetheart, please sit down. Let us explain."
I sat. Mostly because my knees were still weak.
"We came here to meet you," she began, her eyes earnest and apologetic. "
"But first, I owe you an apology. When you asked for our names, we only told you our surname was Moore. We didn’t tell you we were Blackwoods. "
"I was worried that if you recognized the Blackwood name, you might have figured out who we were and declined to meet us."
She looked genuinely contrite. "It wasn’t right to deceive you like that."
She took a breath before continuing.
"Damian’s told us about you—not much, mind you, that boy’s tighter than a clam when it comes to his personal life—but enough for us to know you’re important to him."
"Important," I repeated flatly.
Alpha Andrew leaned forward, his expression grave.
"Our son hasn’t shown interest in anyone in over a decade, Miss Smith—Aria. He insists on giving you time, but frankly, we’ve run out of patience."
Luna Elena nodded eagerly. "We’ve been waiting so long for him to find someone. Thirty-one years, dear. Thirty-one years of watching him shut himself off from any possibility of a Bond."
"So you flew eight hours to... what? Ambush me with wedding dresses?"
"Well, when you put it like that, it sounds manipulative," Luna Elena said with a wince. "We prefer to think of it as... proactive preparation."
"We wanted to meet you first," Alpha Andrew added. "See for ourselves what kind of woman had finally caught our son’s attention. And I’ll be honest, Aria—you exceeded every expectation."
The warmth in his voice made something crack in my chest. I’d spent my whole life being measured and found wanting. By the Holts. By Ethan’s Pack."
But these two strangers—these powerful, intimidating wolves who ruled an entire species—looked at me like I hung the damn moon.
"There’s more," Luna Elena said quietly, guilt bleeding back into her expression. "We’ve... already made arrangements."
My stomach dropped. "What kind of arrangements?"
"An engagement ceremony." She said it quickly, like ripping off a bandage.
"Tomorrow night. Eight PM at the Celestine Grand Hotel—it’s the most prestigious venue in the city. Seven-star service, private ballroom, full Pack attendance."
I couldn’t breathe. Literally could not draw air into my lungs.
"You—what?"
"We know it’s sudden," Alpha Andrew said hastily. "Believe me, we know. But once we met you today, once we saw how perfectly you fit with our family, we couldn’t wait any longer."
"The invitations have already been sent," Luna Elena continued, speaking faster now like she was afraid I’d bolt if she gave me time to process.
"To the Blackwood Pack elders, the Council members, several allied Alphas. They’ll receive the announcement within the hour. Along with a formal invitation to attend, though we’re not holding our breath on that one."
Oh God. Oh my God.
" We know we should have discussed it with you first." Alpha Andrew said gently. "But Aria, you have to understand—our son is stubborn as hell when it comes to his own happiness. "
"He wanted to wait until you opened your heart and accepted him before discussing what comes next.If we’d waited for him to work through whatever’s holding him back, we’d be waiting another decade."
Luna Elena squeezed my hand. "We’ve learned to be... strategically aggressive when it comes to Damian’s wellbeing."
My chest tightened. I thought of Damian’s carefully controlled distance, the way he’d held himself back even when every instinct between us screamed to close the gap.
"So you ambushed me instead," I said, but there was less bite in it now.
"We ambushed both of you," Luna Elena corrected with a weak smile.
"Damian doesn’t know about the ceremony either. Well—he didn’t. He probably does now, given that he’s on his way here."
Right. Damian was coming.
Damian, who was about to walk into his parents’ fully orchestrated engagement ambush.
This was going to be a disaster.
Before I could spiral further into panic, my doorbell rang.
My whole body went rigid. I wasn’t ready.
I forced myself to stand, to cross to the entryway, to wrap my fingers around the door handle.
*Breathe, Aria. Just breathe.*
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