"Good morning, Ms. Voss," her assistant, Marcus, greeted with a warm smile as she entered her corner office.

Aria returned the smile, setting down her briefcase. "Morning, Marcus. What's on the agenda today?"

"You have a conference call with the Paris team at ten, and a meeting with the design department at two to review the new collection," Marcus replied, ever the consummate professional. "Oh, and your eleven o'clock is here."

Aria arched a perfectly groomed brow. "My eleven o'clock? I don't recall having an appointment scheduled."

Before Marcus could respond, the office door opened, and a impeccably dressed man stepped inside. Aria's breath caught in her throat as she met his piercing gaze – those eyes, she could never forget them.

"Ryker," she whispered, her heart pounding.

The Lycan King regarded her coolly, but Aria didn't miss the flicker of surprise in his eyes. "Aria Voss," he rumbled. "I must say, I didn't expect to find you here."

Aria quickly composed herself, straightening her shoulders. "What are you doing here, Ryker?"

"I'm here on business, of course." He gestured to Marcus. "Your assistant didn't inform you? I've requested a collaboration between my company and yours."

Aria shot Marcus a questioning look, but her PA simply shrugged, clearly just as baffled as she was.

Clearing her throat, Aria turned her attention back to Ryker. "Well, in that case, we should discuss the details. Marcus, could you give us the room, please?"

Marcus nodded and excused himself, leaving Aria alone with the man she had once called her mate – the man she had fled from all those years ago.

An uncomfortable silence stretched between them until Ryker finally spoke. "You've done well for yourself, I see."

"I've worked hard to get where I am," Aria replied evenly. "But I'm sure you didn't come here to discuss my career, Ryker."

He gazed at her intently. "No, you're right. I came here for answers, Aria. Why did you run from me? From us?"

Aria's heart clenched at the raw pain in his voice. So many years had passed, but the wounds still felt fresh.

"It's... complicated," she hedged. "There were things you didn't know, things I couldn't tell you at the time."

Ryker's jaw tightened. "Try me."

Taking a steadying breath, Aria launched into her explanation – her parents' deaths, the pack's cruelty, Kieran's abuse... and finally, her pregnancy. As she spoke, she watched a myriad of emotions flicker across Ryker's face – shock, anger, regret.

When she finished, he seemed at a loss for words, his broad shoulders tense.

"Aria... if I had known..." he began, but she held up a hand to stop him.

"It's in the past now," she said firmly. "I've built a good life here, for me and my children."

Ryker's eyes widened at that. "Children? As in more than one?"

A small smile tugged at the corners of Aria's mouth. "Twins, actually. A boy and a girl."

For a moment, Ryker simply stared at her, his expression unreadable. Then, slowly, he moved closer until he was standing directly in front of her.

"Show them to me," he said, his voice low and intense. "Let me meet my pups, Aria."

Her breath caught in her throat at his proximity, at the longing in his gaze. Part of her wanted to refuse, to protect her children from the complications of her past. But another part – the part that still, after all this time, yearned for her mate – couldn't deny him.

"Alright," she whispered, her heart fluttering with a mix of fear and anticipation. "But we take this slowly, Ryker. I won't put my children at risk."

He nodded, his eyes shining with determination. "Agreed. Whatever it takes, Aria. I'm not letting you slip away again."

As Ryker pulled her into a searing kiss, Aria knew her life was about to change once more. But this time, she wouldn't be alone – her mate had found her at last.

The kiss was electric, reigniting a spark between them that had been extinguished for far too long. Aria melted into Ryker's embrace, her fingers fisting in the fabric of his shirt as desire coursed through her veins.

When they finally broke apart, breathless, Ryker rested his forehead against hers. "I've missed you, my mate," he murmured gruffly. "All these years, I never stopped searching for you."

Aria swallowed hard, her emotions a tumultuous storm within her. "Ryker, I...I'm not the same person I was back then. My life, my priorities, they've all changed."

He cupped her face in his calloused palm, his thumb brushing over her cheekbone. "And I'm not the same, either. But that doesn't change the way I feel about you, Aria. You're my luna, my other half. Nothing will ever alter that."

A lump formed in Aria's throat at the raw sincerity in his words. She had spent so long convincing herself that this day would never come, that she had to let go of her dreams of being with her true mate.

But now, with Ryker here before her, that longing came rushing back tenfold.

"I want to believe that," she whispered. "But it's not just about us anymore, Ryker. I have Ava and Liam to consider – their safety, their well-being. They're my whole world."

Understanding flickered in Ryker's eyes. "Then let me be a part of that world, Aria. Give me a chance to know our children, to be the father they deserve."

His words stirred a whirlwind of emotions within her – hope, fear, longing. Could she truly open herself up to this man again, after all the pain and heartache of the past?

Before she could respond, the office door opened, and Marcus poked his head in, eyes wide.

"Ms. Voss, I'm so sorry to interrupt, but...it's the school. They're saying there's been an incident with Ava and Liam."

Aria's blood ran cold, and she immediately pulled away from Ryker, her heart pounding.

"An incident? What kind of incident?" she demanded, already grabbing her purse and striding towards the door.

Marcus fell into step beside her, Ryker following close behind with a concerned frown.

"They didn't give me many details, but the principal requested your presence right away. It sounded serious."

Exchanging a worried glance with Ryker, Aria quickened her pace. Whatever had happened, she knew one thing for certain – when it came to her children, there was nothing she wouldn't do to protect them.

Even if it meant facing her past head-on.