CHAPTER FIFTY-EIGHT

[Aiden's POV]. He couldn't breathe as he stared at the water in the bowl. The drop of his blood had long dissolved, leaving the water as pristine as it was. His wolf watched keenly, waiting for the tranquil fluid to reveal the truth he had kept hidden from the world. From the corner of his eyes, he stared at Ruby, who cradled her bleeding hand to her chest, also staring intently at the water. His eyes ran over her eyes, which glistened with tears; her face, which was clear and creamy; her slender neck, which was still unmarked—a feeling coiled in his stomach as his wolf reacted positively to marking her. Immediately after they concluded the test, Aiden made a pact with his wolf to mark her, claiming her right there in front of everyone as his. His eyes then moved to her bleeding palm. He waited for the revolting feeling he had felt when he first saw her broken state, but it never came. It appeared she was still without a wolf; hence her delayed healing, but his wolf growled protectiv