Aiden's POV Raelynn's beautiful eyes were locked right on me. I took a step forward and gently lifted her chin. "That's right. I like you. And I don't want you to be with him." I finally said it out loud. At first, I thought whatever I felt for Raelynn was vague and fleeting, barely even real. But when I saw her with someone else, all kinds of emotions exploded inside me. Jealousy. Frustration. Confusion. It had been a long time since I'd felt something this complicated. That was when I knew for sure. I liked her. Raelynn blinked, but she didn’t snap back at me like usual. "And you?" I pressed. "What do you feel about me?" I wasn’t going to let her dodge it. I had to know. Her expression shifted. It wasn’t quite happiness—maybe something deeper. I knew she was trying to figure it out. Or confirm it. I was willing to wait. Wait for her answer. Raelynn finally opened her mouth to speak, just as a beam of light flashed over us. "You two! No yelling in the hallway. Get back to your rooms." Her face flushed bright red. She shoved me away and bolted. "Edward," I asked my wolf, "does that count as a yes?" "I don’t know. But I do know one thing—I like her too." "If I’m being honest, I hope she’s my destined mate."I watched Raelynn run off and made a silent wish in my heart. Taylor's POV I hadn’t expected that going out to look for Aiden would lead to this. Seeing Raelynn get together with Andrix had made me so happy I could barely hide it. But now? Watching her and Aiden flirt and confess in the hallway? Panic instantly gripped me. If Raelynn really broke up with Andrix, then those two would end up together. I couldn’t let that happen. No way. I pulled out my phone, found Andrix’s number, and called him. I asked him to meet me. He sent me a location. I immediately grabbed a cab—it was a bar. Andrix was sitting alone in a dark corner, casually sipping a drink. He looked like he was in a good mood. I walked right up. “Andrix, I came to talk to you about something.” He raised an eyebrow. “What’s that?” I clenched my jaw. “I want to work with you.” Andrix chuckled and gave me a long look. “Work together on what?” “Do you know Aiden likes Raelynn?” He didn’t react. I frowned and pushed on. “More importantly, Raelynn likes him back. If they end up together, that’s bad for both of us.” I was making a gamble. A gamble that Andrix had his own reasons for wanting Raelynn. “She’s my girlfriend. I’m not too worried,” he said, still smiling, clearly uninterested in teaming up. “But I just overheard her talking about transferring hospitals and breaking up with you. Are you sure you can hold onto her?” That got him. His face changed. “You heard all that?” Seeing his reaction, I pressed further. “I think you should consider teaming up. That way, we both get what we want.” Andrix went quiet, his eyes sharp as he stared at me. I held his gaze. I wanted Aiden. He wanted Raelynn. If we worked together, we could both win. Finally, Andrix smiled. “In that case… to a successful partnership.” He held out his hand. I smiled and shook it. Raelynn's POV The next morning, I was still reeling from Aiden’s confession when an unexpected visitor showed up in my hospital room. The moment I saw her, I felt on edge. She looked a little like Taylor, only older. “Who are you?” “I’m Taylor’s mother. My name is Yulia.” She was dressed to the nines, clearly someone used to luxury—and her tone was just as arrogant. “So… what brings you here?” I asked cautiously. I had no idea what the luna of Midnight Pack wanted from me, but her attitude wasn’t giving me any good vibes. A woman who could raise someone like Taylor probably wasn’t any easier to deal with. “I came here for Taylor,” she said. “I know she made some mistakes before. She’s hurt you emotionally. But all of it was because she loves Aiden so much. You see, Eclipse Pack and Midnight Pack go way back. The two of them grew up together. Everyone’s always hoped they’d end up mates. But ever since you showed up, Aiden’s attention hasn’t been on Taylor anymore, and so…” She didn’t need to say more. If I still didn’t get it, I’d have to be playing dumb. “So what you’re trying to say is, you want me to walk away from Aiden so your daughter can be with him?” I cut straight to the point. Yulia smiled faintly. “I knew you were a smart woman, Ms. Raelynn. But of course, I’d never let you walk away empty-handed. How about this—you name your price. Whatever it is, my family will pay it. Just leave Aiden.”