Zander’s POV.
The suite was quiet, the kind of quiet that felt heavy, like the silence was pressing down on me. I adjusted the cufflinks on my shirt, the polished silver catching the warm, soft glow of the bedside lamp.
The small, repetitive motion of fixing my cufflinks gave my restless hands something to do, but it didn’t calm the storm inside me. I stood in front of the mirror, staring at my reflection, and for a moment, it felt like I was looking at a stranger.
My jaw was clenched so tightly it ached, and my shoulders were stiff with tension I couldn’t shake off. Deep inside my chest, my wolf was pacing, restless and impatient, as if it, too, was waiting for something to happen.
I was fully dressed and ready for the party, wearing a sharp black suit that fit perfectly, tailored to hug my frame in all the right places. The fabric was smooth, the cut precise, and I looked every bit the part of an Alpha about to attend an important event. But none of that mattered to me. Even as I adjusted my tie and smoothed the lapels of my jacket, my thoughts weren’t on the party or the people I was supposed to impress. My mind was stuck on one thing-Aria.
I hadn’t seen or heard from her since earlier, since that moment when Asher handed her the damn dress. The memory of it burned in my mind, and the thought of her putting on something *he* had chosen made my blood boil all over again. It wasn’t just the idea of her wearing the dress; it was the meaning behind it. It was him trying to leave his mark, trying to insert himself into something that wasn’t his. And yet, beneath all the anger and frustration, there was something else clawing at me, something I didn’t want to acknowledge but couldn’t ignore.
Jealousy.
I hated how Asher always seemed to find a way to place himself in our lives, how he kept circling Aria like a predator playing games. It made my wolf snarl every time I thought about it. But as much as I wanted to hate him, my thoughts kept shifting back to Aria. I couldn’t stop seeing her face, her fiery green eyes locking with mine, that spark of defiance in her expression that both infuriated and drew me in. That defiance of hers-it was maddening, but it also lit something inside me that I couldn’t seem to put out.
The soft sound of a door opening pulled me from my thoughts like a jolt of electricity. My head snapped up, and I turned, tension coiling in my chest. And then I saw her step into the room.
Aria.
She was breathtaking.
The dress-*that* dress-fit her like it had been made specifically for her, tailored to every curve of her body. The deep emerald green fabric shimmered under the light, hugging her in a way that was both elegant and daring. The neckline dipped just enough to catch the eye without being too revealing, and the long slit down one side of the dress showed off her smooth, golden skin with every graceful step she took. Her hair was swept to one side, cascading over her shoulder in soft waves that looked like strands of silk. And her lips-painted a bold, striking red-made it impossible for me to look anywhere else. She looked like power and beauty and danger all wrapped into one.
For a long moment, I couldn’t move. I couldn’t think. All I could do was stare at her, my breath caught in my throat, my chest tightening in ways I didn’t fully understand.
She glanced at me, her expression calm and unreadable, though I caught the faintest flicker of satisfaction in her eyes when she noticed my reaction. She knew exactly what she was doing, and she was enjoying it.
“Well?” she said, her voice breaking the silence. Her tone was light, but there was a teasing edge to it. “Are you just going to stand there all night, or are we actually going to this party?”
I forced myself to clear my throat, looking away from her before I lost what little composure I had left. “You’re overdressed,” I said, my voice sharper than I intended, though it was the only thing I could think to say.
Her lips curved into a small, knowing smile, one that made my jaw tighten even more. “Or maybe you’re just underdressed,” she shot back, her tone equally sharp and playful.
I didn’t respond. I refused to give her the satisfaction of knowing how much she had affected me. She didn’t need to know how just standing there, looking the way she did, had made my heart race like I was some inexperienced boy. Instead, I turned away from her and walked to the door, pulling it open with more force than necessary. I gestured for her to follow, keeping my face as neutral as I could.
“Let’s go,” I said curtly, my voice cold and controlled, though my wolf was growling loudly in my chest.
We walked side by side down the hallway, the silence between us thick with unspoken words. But even as I tried to keep my thoughts in check, her scent-wildflowers mixed with something uniquely hers-wrapped around me like a spell. It was intoxicating, impossible to ignore, and it made my heart pound harder with every step. She was close, too close, and no matter how hard I tried to focus on the party ahead, all I could think about was her.