Chapter 0005

Aria

My heart’s pounding like a bass drum in a bad EDM track as Lucas and I walk toward his suite. Gail, my wolf, is practically doing cartwheels in my head, and I can’t help but groan internally. Seriously, Gail? Haven’t we learned our lesson about "mates"?

‘It’s the Moon Goddess, not me,’Gail snarks, clearly unimpressed with my attitude.

‘Yeah, well, the Moon Goddess needs better matchmaking skills,’ I shoot back, effectively earning myself an eye roll from my own fucking wolf. Great.

We don’t even make it halfway to Lucas’s suite before a guy in a hockey jersey…a teammate of Lucas’s, I think—comes strolling up. His black hair is a mess, and he’s got that “just got off the rink” look.

“Alpha Lucas, where the fuck have you been? Coach is losing his mind,” the guy says, but his eyes immediately land on me. And then on the bag Lucas is holding. The confusion on his face is priceless.

“Oh, come on, Damon,” Lucas groans, rolling his eyes. “Why didn’t you just tell him I was sleeping or something?”

The guy, Damon, looks unimpressed. “Dude, you know Beta John is stubborn as hell. He said it’s important. Message from the Alpha”

Lucas’s entire vibe changes. His eyes narrow, jaw clenching. “My dad?” he mutters, not sounding thrilled.

Now, I don’t know much about Lucas’s family, but I’ve heard enough whispers to know his dad is the Alpha of the Shadow Fang Pack, billionaire extraordinaire, and the owner of Crescent Wolf Academy. Basically, he’s a big deal.

Lucas hands me my bag. “Here, I’ll go check on this. I’ll come back and get you, or do you want me to walk you to the suite?”

I shake my head quickly. “I’ll wait. Go handle your stuff. I need to check on my friends anyway.”

He nods, but Damon gives me one last confused look before they both disappear down the hall. The second they’re out of sight, I let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding. Saved… for now.

Dragging my bag behind me, I head to Mia and Lily’s suite. They’re probably freaking out since I’ve been ghosting the mind-link all day.

The second I knock, the door flies open, and Mia yanks me inside like I’m the last slice of pizza at a party.

“Where the hell have you been, Aria?!” she snaps, her hazel eyes blazing.

“We were so worried!” Lily chimes in, her normally calm face scrunched up in anger.

“I’m sorry, okay? I just…” I flop onto the bed, trying to come up with something that doesn’t sound pathetic.

“You don’t have to explain,” Mia cuts in gently. “The gossip’s everywhere. Alpha Ethan is a complete piece of shit.”

I bite my lip, tears pricking my eyes. “You were right, Mia. He cheated on me. Publicly. And he laughed about it.”

Before I know it, both of them are hugging me, their warmth making the ache in my chest feel a little less suffocating.

“I’m gonna kill him,” Mia growls, pulling back. Her eyes flash yellow, and I know Ren, her wolf, is clawing to come out.

“Calm down, Mia,” I say quickly. “I’m fine.”

“You’re not fine,” she snaps, but there are tears in her eyes now. “You deserve better.”

I try to reassure her, but the sadness in her voice nearly breaks me. Mia’s always been the tough one, so seeing her like this made me realize how much she cares for me.

“I’m okay, Mia. Really.”

“No, you’re not,” she snaps, wiping her tears but still looking ready to throw Ethan into the ocean.

“Guys, let’s forget about him. I don’t even care anymore. I hate him,” I say, trying to sound confident.

“That’s the spirit!” Lily cheers, wiping her own tears.

But then Mia narrows her eyes at me suspiciously. “You’re taking this breakup a little too well. Spill.”

I hesitate. “Okay, fine. Something happened.”

"What do you mean? Spill!" Lily leans forward, practically bouncing with curiosity.

I fiddle with the hem of my shirt, suddenly wishing I could shrink into the floor. My voice wavers as I finally admit, "I went to the deck… to jump into the water."

The looks on their faces…shock, hurt, and a touch of horror, make my chest ache.

"You what?" Mia’s voice cracks as she grabs my arm like I’m about to bolt.

"I—" I stutter, "I didn’t mean to scare you guys. I wasn’t trying to hurt anyone. I just… I just wanted it all to stop. My life… my pathetic excuse for a life."

"Aria," Lily breathes out, already in tears, before she and Mia tackle me into a tight hug.

"Don’t you ever do that again," Mia growls.

I feel their warmth around me, and for a moment, the crushing weight on my chest lightens. But when they pull back, the disappointment in their eyes stabs me straight through.

"I’m sorry," I whisper. "I wasn’t thinking about how it’d affect you two. I was just… done."

"Oh, Aria," Mia cries.

They both hug me tightly again. Next I told them about Lucas, the fake dating plan, the whole insane mess.

The second I mention Lucas, their jaws drop. By the time I was done explaining the fake dating plan, Lily looks like she’s about to faint, and Mia is pacing the room like a caged animal.

“Lucas? As in Alpha Lucas? The hockey god? The billionaire? The playboy?” Mia’s voice gets higher with every word.

“Yes,” I mumble.

“The Moon Goddess must really hate you,” Mia mutters, throwing her hands up. “First Ethan, now him?” Mia deadpans.

“I think it’s romantic,” Lily's eyes sparkled. “Imagine taming the untamable Alpha.”

I glare at her. “This isn’t a rom-com, Lily. And it’s not real. It’s just… revenge.”

“And he wants to fake-date you to piss off Ethan whom he hates?” Lily raises her voice slightlyl.

I nod.

“And you agreed?!”

“I was angry, okay? Ethan deserved it. And you should’ve seen his face when he saw us together. It was chef’s kiss,” I admit, smirking.

“Well, he deserves it,” Mia huffs. “But, girl, Lucas is your mate. Billionaire, Alpha, hot as hell… also a massive player. This is a disaster waiting to happen.”

Lily gasps. “And his fangirls! They’re gonna murder you.”

“Oh, please. He’s not even a celebrity,” I scoff.

Mia and Lily exchange a look before screaming, “IT DOESN’T MATTER!”

I roll my eyes. “Look, it’s just until the tour ends. Then we reject each other and go our separate ways.”

“And then what? Go back to the pack and get bullied all over again?” Mia asks softly, her anger fading into sadness.

“I don’t have a choice. Lucas doesn’t want the mate bond or anything serious. Besides, I need a room—” Before I can complete my words, there’s a knock at the door. Mia opens it, and I swear the temperature in the room skyrockets. Lucas is standing there, leaning casually against the doorframe, looking like he walked out of a high fashion ad.

Mia and Lily look like they’ve just seen a Marvel superhero walk into the room. Mia’s mouth is hanging open, and Lily’s blinking like her brain has short-circuited.

Lucas notices and smirks. “Nice to meet you, ladies.”

Mia’s face turns red, and Lily looks like she’s about to swoon. I’m officially mortified.

He takes my bag and grabs my hand. “Come on, girlfriend. Let’s go.”

Mia and Lily are still fucking staring as he pulls me out of the room.

“Can you stop calling me ‘girlfriend’ I hiss once we’re out in the hallway.

“What? It suits you,” he says with a wink, completely unbothered.

I glare at him, but he just laughs.

As we walk down the hall, my heart starts pounding again. I’m about to spend the night in a room with Lucas freaking Russo. Alone.

He looks at me, and there’s something in his eyes that makes my stomach flip. “You’ll love the bed. Plenty of room for… you know….”

I flush so hard I feel like my face is on fire. “Shut up.”

He laughs again, and I know I’m in trouble. Big trouble.

When we finally reach the suite, immediately the door opens, my jaw drops.