Aria "Okay, everyone calm the hell down," I mutter, resting my elbow on the table and glancing around. The room’s buzzing with chatter, forks clinking against plates, and nobody seems to notice the chaos brewing at our table. “We have to be careful. The culprit might be here.” Mia leans forward, h
“She won’t,” I insist, already moving. “This is our chance to figure out who she is.” Mia stands, clearly on board. Lily groans but follows anyway, muttering something about how this is how people die in horror movies. I take a deep breath and step out of the cafeteria, my heart pounding in my che
Aria “So, what are we gonna do about this?” Mia glares at the box sitting like some cursed artifact in the trash can. I cross my arms, scowling at the damn thing. “I don’t know, but whoever’s doing this is seriously grinding my nerves.” I glance at the boutique behind us. “We were outside, then we
She’s right…Vanessa’s got her own mess to deal with. No way she’s behind the box. But still… “Are you still here?”Vanessa groans, snapping me out of it. “Just fucking—” She pauses, sniffing the air dramatically like a fucking dog. Her eyes narrow. “You’ve been marked, haven’t you? Alpha Lucas?” Th
Aria I’m standing there, staring at Lucas like an absolute idiot. My brain? Completely fried. I swear, I couldn’t string together a coherent thought even if my life depended on it. And trust me, it kinda did. Mia swoops in, bless her meddling little heart, all smiles as she plucks the box from my
“Eat.” He points at my plate like he’s scolding a toddler. “You’re not leaving until that salad is gone.” “Yes, sir,” I mutter, stabbing at the salad with my fork. His smirk tells me he caught the sarcasm, but he doesn’t call me out on it. I pick up my fork, feeling his eyes on me. No pressure or
Aria I'm staring at Lucas like he’s just asked me to calculate Pi to the thousandth decimal. Lost for words doesn’t even cover it. What the actual fuck is Serena’s deal? Seriously, who wakes up and decides to ruin someone else’s life for fun? I’m still processing when Lucas gives me that look…the
Aria “Now squat.” I glare at him over my shoulder. “You just want a fucking view of my ass.” He grins, completely unapologetic. “And? Get to it.” Laughing despite myself, I do as he says. “Happy now?” “Very. The view’s incredible.” My legs are shaking like fucking jelly. Is this training or s
Mia “You’re finally here,” Lily says the second Theo and Damon step into Joy Park. She’s all grins like we didn’t just spend hours waiting. “And are you sure you weren’t followed?” “We were, actually.” Theo wipes his forehead like a dramatic diva. “But we lost ’em. Shit was wild.” “You both look
…. I step out of the shower, a towel snug around my waist, water dripping from my hair. Great. Lucas has already showered, thrown on one of Sarita's mate’s clothes, and is probably waiting for me to figure out my next move. And here I am, with zero clothes of my own. Ugh. I glance at the closet are
Aria Before I know it, Lucas is on top of me, his lips crashing against mine, leaving me breathless. My hands instinctively slide up his back, nails grazing his skin as I pull him closer. His weight presses me into the mattress, and all I can think is how much I fucking missed this. “Lucas…” I ma
Aria The taxi ride is long as hell…like, long enough for me to question my entire life. But exhaustion wins, and we both end up passing out. I wake up drooling on his shoulder just as we pull up to this apartment building that looks like a bougie-ass getaway spot. It’s all glitzy and modern, with
Aria I pull up at Joy Park, practically sprinting out of the car like I’m running for a meet-and-greet with Beyoncé. The place is crawling with people, kids screaming, couples taking selfies, some dude trying to juggle flaming torches. Classic Saturday chaos. I’m on a mission, though. Mia and Lily
She shakes her head. “I can’t. Alpha Marcus will kill me!” “Maria, please,” Theo pleads, turning up the charm to 11. He grabs her hands, and I swear she melts on the spot. “We just wanna see him. Nothing else.” “Fine,” she sighs, her cheeks still red. “But you owe me.” “Anything you want,” Theo w
“Yeah, but—” “No buts. Get in. Wait for his car to go inside, then floor it. Head to Joy’s Park. Mia and Lily are waiting for you.” “What about you?” I ask, my voice shaky as hell. She slams the car door, her eyes fierce. “I’ll distract them. Now go.” I duck my head as her dad’s car pulls up. My
Aria I’m in the room, mentally spiraling, when Vanessa busts in like she’s in an action movie. She slams the door shut and glances around like she’s expecting an ambush. Then she full-on shudders. “Fuck me,” she groans, waving her hand in front of her face like she just walked into a swamp. “This
“Thanks, Dad,” I mutter, already heading for the stairs. I climb up, my stomach knotting tighter with every step. I don’t even know if they’re keeping Aria in the mansion. What if she’s in the dungeon? But no, Ethan’s gross obsession with her makes it more likely she’s stashed away in one of these