Lucas
My heart is pounding so hard it feels like it’s trying to break out of my chest as I rush into the medical center with Aria in my arms. She’s limp, ice-cold, and way too pale, but her heartbeat is still there-thank the Moon Goddess.
Where the fuck is Ethan? If that bastard locked her in that freezer, I swear I’ll rip him apart.
The moment I burst through the door, Maria, the resident doctor, practically sprints toward me.
“Alpha Lucas, what happened?”
“I don’t know. I found her like this,” I growl, laying Aria down on one of the beds. Maria’s hands are already working as I speak, pulling out equipment and checking her over.
Her lips are blue, her skin is icy, and her blonde hair is frosted at the edges like she’s been through a blizzard. The sight makes something primal and angry claw at my chest. How the hell did this happen?
“Her body is cold… her temperature’s dangerously low,” Maria mutters, frowning as she checks Aria’s pulse.
“I found her passed out in the cold room,” I say, taking Aria’s freezing hand in mine. It’s so small and lifeless, and for a second, my chest tightens. She looks so fragile.
Maria grabs a syringe and draws blood from Aria’s wrist. “I’ll be back with the results,” she says, already rushing out of the room.
“Be quick,” I yell after her, my voice laced with desperation. “I can’t lose her.”
I start pacing the room like a damn caged animal, every nerve in my body on fire. Who the hell did this? Why didn’t she call me through the mind-link? Why didn’t she call her friends?
When Maria finally returns, she’s holding a small bottle of liquid and looking grim.
“The results are in, Alpha,” she says.
“Well?” I bark, barely keeping my wolf in check.
“She was injected with wolfsbane.”
The words hit me like a punch to the gut. “Wolfsbane?” I growl low, the sound vibrating in my chest. My wolf pushes forward, furious.
“Yes, but she’ll be okay. You brought her here in time,” Maria says quickly, probably trying not to piss me off further.
“Then treat her!” I snap, my voice echoing off the walls. My hands curl into fists as I force myself to stay in control.
Maria doesn’t waste time. She pours the antidote into Aria’s mouth and follows it up with an injection.
“She’ll be fine,” she says after a moment. “The medicine just needs time to work.”
I nod, waving her off. The second the door closes behind her, I drop into the chair beside Aria’s bed. Her face is pale, her lips still a little blue, but she looks peaceful, almost like she’s sleeping. I run a hand through my hair, guilt pooling in my gut.
This is my fault. I shouldn’t have left her alone with Ethan, that bastard. I was pissed at her for choosing to stay with him, but damn it, I should’ve insisted.
My thoughts are interrupted by Damon’s voice through the mind-link.
‘Hey, man, have you seen Aria? Mia can’t reach her through the link.’
‘She’s at the medical center.’
‘What? What happened?’
‘Just get here,’ I snap, cutting the link before he can say more.
Within minutes, Damon, Theo, Mia, and Lily come rushing in, their faces pale with worry.
“What happened?” Mia cries, her eyes darting to Aria’s unconscious form.
“Found her locked in the cold room,” I explain, my voice tight. I tell them everything…how I found her, what Maria said, the wolfsbane.
“That’s insane,” Lily mutters, her fists clenched. “Ethan was the last one with her, wasn’t he?”
“Fuck,” Damon mutters, running his hand through his hair like he’s about to lose it. “Is he trying to kill her?”
“Who knows?” I clench my fists, my jaw tightening as I stare at Aria’s pale form on the bed. “But when I find out…” I let the threat hang in the air.
“Should we go ask him?” Theo asks, but I cut him off.
“No. I’ll handle it.”
Before anyone can argue, Aria lets out a weak cough, and all of us freeze.
—–
Aria
My eyes flutter open, and I’m immediately hit with the sight of Mia and Lily’s worried faces hovering over me. They look like I’ve just risen from the dead, which, honestly, feels about right. My body aches like I’ve been thrown under a railway track and dragged for miles.
Before I can ask what the hell is going on, I spot him. Lucas. Standing there like some brooding, overprotective action hero straight out of a movie.
Great. I’m still alive, I think bitterly as the memories of what happened flood back in. Cold. Pain. That fucking bitch Vanessa and her psycho friends.
Lucas moves closer, a tiny smile tugging at his lips. “Are you alright?”
“Where am I?” I ask, ignoring him completely. My throat burns, but I’d rather drink bleach than focus on his stupidly handsome face right now.
“You’re at the medical center,” he replies, his intense eyes boring into mine like he’s trying to read my soul. “You were injected with wolfsbane and locked inside the cold room. Who did it?”
I look away, refusing to answer. A part of me is so irrationally angry at Lucas, and I don’t even know why. Maybe it’s because he’s standing here looking all tall, dark, and Alpha-y while I’m the one who got tortured. I don’t even know again.
“Aria, please,” Mia pipes up softly. “Tell us. Was it Ethan?”
I still don’t reply. Not with him standing here. He doesn’t deserve to know. Not now.
I take a deep breath and shoot a quick mind-link to Mia and Lily. ‘I’ll tell you guys later when we’re alone.’
They both glance at each other, then back at me, their expressions screaming we got you, girl.
But before I can relax, Lucas’s deep, growly voice cuts through the air.
“Tell them what?” he asks, frowning.
Holy crap!
My eyes almost pop out of my fucking head. “You heard me?”
“Loud and clear,” he says, his voice colder than an iced latte in December. “I’m your fucking mate, Aria.”
Oh, fantastic. Because that’s what I needed right now…him pulling the I’m your mate card like it’s some kind of golden ticket.
Before I can process how utterly pissed I am, Lucas turns to the others. “All of you, out. I need to talk to her. Alone.”
Mia and Lily give me the most good luck surviving this look as they shuffle out with Damon and Theo. Traitors. They don’t even argue. They know better than to piss off Lucas when he’s in full Alpha mode.
The door slams shut, and the silence is deafening. Lucas crosses his arms, his biceps practically screaming don’t mess with me.
“From the beginning,” he begins, low and dangerous. “You’re going to tell me what happened in that cold room, or so help me…”