Aiden's POV
For a moment, I stayed transfixed to where I was kneeling, my mind racing.
My heart pounded as I watched Beta Liam rush out of the hall, carrying the unconscious Alpha in his arms. The heavy wooden doors slammed shut behind them, leaving me alone in the cavernous space. The silence that followed was deafening, broken only by the sound of my ragged breathing.
I didn't know what to do.
"What the hell have I done?" The thought echoed in my mind, each repetition like a dagger to my heart. Guilt washed over me in waves, threatening to drown me.
"I caused this. My clumsiness, my ignorance - they had led to the Alpha's injury and now her collapse." I mumbled under my breath, my lips and hands trembling.
My grandfather's words, which I had fought so hard to silence, now rang true in my ears.