Aria I can’t fucking believe it’s almost New Year. I wrap my arms around Lucas’s neck, resting my forehead against his. “This trip went by way too fast,” I breathe out, the cool ocean breeze brushing against my skin. We’re out on the ship’s deck, way past midnight. Christmas lights are strung eve
**Before Christmas And New Year** Mia We’re finally here…Damon’s family house. And by house, I mean giant-ass mansion. Seriously, this place is straight out of a movie. It’s tucked away inside Alpha Marcus’s private estate, right in the middle of the Shadow Pang pack territory. Damon’s family i
She grins and winks at me before we disappear up the massive staircase. We finally reach Damon’s room, and without even thinking, I kick off my shoes and launch myself onto his bed. “Ahhh!” I stretch out, sprawling across the mattress like I own the place. “Goddess, I love this bed.” Damon chuck
Mia “Damon, come on! We gotta go. We can’t just ignore your parents’ invitation,” I say, trying to talk some sense into him. He’s been fuming ever since Aaron barged into his room. I walk over and wrap my arms around his neck, pulling him closer. “Pleeease? You have to come with me. I don’t wan
“Oh, I think she met you earlier, Aaron. Y’know, when you barged into my room without knocking.” Damon let the sarcasm drip from every word. The table goes awkwardly quiet. Sean clears his throat loudly, trying to break the tension. “Alright! Let’s eat before the food gets cold.” “So, Mia,” Au
Lily “Lily, what are you still doing there?” Chris calls from outside. “I’m coming, baby!” I yell back, scrambling off the bed like my life depends on it. “Mia, I gotta go…I’ll talk to you later,” I say quickly through the mind-link before cutting her off. I rush out of the room, expecting to
‘Mia, seriously, not now,’ I shoot back through the link, trying to sound chill while my brain’s screaming. ‘You don’t get it, Lil! Damon’s out with his dad, and that bastard’s been stalking me everywhere. He even tried to follow me into the fucking bathroom!’ I bite the inside of my cheek, nodd
Lily "I'm so fucking sorry, Lily. If I knew it was that bad, I wouldn’t have…" Mia’s voice buzzes through the mind-link, all guilty and whiny. I sigh hard, kicking my feet in the air before letting them slam down onto the bed. "It’s alright. I’m just... so fucking exhausted." "And he’s still ref
“You might not know it yet, but you are special, my child. When I found out you were alive... I was elated. Full of joy. I thought you died with Martha and Kane.” “But why didn’t you do anything?” I ask, my voice tight. “Take revenge or... I don’t know. Something.” He shakes his head slowly. “I wi
Aria I’m standing there like a damn statue. My brain short-circuits. I can’t fucking move, can’t talk, can’t even blink right. Just staring at this man who apparently is Alpha Marcel... my father. My father, bro. What the actual fuck? He starts walking toward me real slow, mouth opening and closi
Aria So, Lucas slowly starts driving the car into the pack, and the people standing there just part like the damn Red Sea. The second we pass through, the gate shuts behind us with this loud-ass BOOM that nearly makes me jump out of my skin. I glance ahead and realize the only thing lighting up th
“Relax already,” he says with a soft laugh. “You’re turning into a damn yapper.” I smack his arm playfully. “I’m serious, Lucas.” “I know,” he says with a nod. “And I get you. But with Mark and me, just let it be. There’s no fixing shit there.” “He shouldn’t have brought up your mom... that wa
Aria Lucas grips the steering wheel tight, his knuckles damn near white, and lets out a deep breath. “It’s none of your fucking business.” Mark throws his head back and laughs like an idiot. A full-blown, body-shaking laugh. “Calm down, man. I was just curious. I just wanna know what she was li
Mark looks like he’s about to throw out some excuse. “No... I just feel like…” “Listen, Mark,” Before he can finish that sentence, I cut right in, already tired of their dumbass back-and-forth. “If you want, you can ride with us in Lucas' car.” “What?” Lucas snaps his head toward me, eyes wide an
Aria It’s finally morning, and Lucas and I are all set to head out. The air is calm and sharp with cold, the kind that bites through your clothes, so we both throw on our winter jackets for extra warmth. We didn’t pack much, just a school bag stuffed with a few essentials, and Lucas had said if we
“Yeah, but he already told us everything he claims to know.” “Not enough, though,” he mutters, shaking his head. “I wanna know what it looks like, the people, the way they live… all of it. I don’t trust that fucking jerk, Aria.” I glance up at him, raising a brow. “And you guys are supposed to b
Aria Aunt Esther has been staring at Lucas and me from the couch like I’ve completely lost my mind. For the past hour, she hasn’t stopped looking at us that way, ever since I barged into her apartment and told her everything that’s been going on. “I still can’t believe this,” she says for what f