…. 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 It's so fucking beautiful! I spin around in the middle of the suite Ethan booked for us. The luxurious carpet, velvet curtains, sparkling chandeliers—is something straight out of a magazine. The annual Christmas cruise ship tour hosted by my school, Crescent Wolves Academy, is everything I’
Aria My stomach drops. The same fucking hands that held me last night, the same damn lips that whispered I love you and kissed me like I was his world are now all over Vanessa’s face. “Ethan, how could you,” I choke out, my chest splitting open with a pain so sharp it steals my breath. He free
Aria “What the actual hell?” I yank myself out of his hold, shaking my head like he’s lost his damn mind. “You’re lying. I don’t even feel a bond or smell your scent.” A lie. A huge lie. He smells like heaven dipped in sin, and being this close to him makes my wolf stir like she’s been on a thre
Aria I give him a side-eye. “Girlfriend? You’re laying it on thick already, huh?” He smirks, not even missing a beat. “Oh, you’ll see. PDA’s part of the plan. Gotta make that loser jealous, and trust me, it’ll work.” I almost trip over my own feet. Me, in some fake relationship with Lucas-the
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
Aria Okay, I’ll admit it, Lucas’s suite is freaking ridiculous. Like, who needs this much luxury on a damn cruise ship? The elegant carpet feels like walking on clouds, the furniture looks like it was handpicked by a billionaire..which, duh, he probably is—and the bed? It’s freaking massive. I’m pr
Lucas I stride out of the suite, grinning like a damn idiot. Aria’s hilarious, acting like she’s not fighting her own freaking desires. Like, hello? Does she not realize we’re mates? I can literally smell her arousal..sweet and intoxicating, but whatever. Let her pretend she’s not affected. This i
…. 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
Mia We're standing in the middle of the pack’s training clearing, surrounded by sweaty warriors sparring like it’s the freaking Olympics. I swear, if one more guy with a six-pack walks by shirtless, I’m gonna forget why we’re here. “What now?” Lily mutters, looking around like a lost tourist. I r