Lucas
Aria stays tight-lipped, staring anywhere but at me. It’s like she’s deliberately trying to piss me off. And guess what? It’s fucking working. My blood’s boiling, my wolf’s pacing in my head, and I feel like I’m two seconds from snapping.
“Aria,” I growl low, leaning in closer. “Don’t fucking make me search your head myself.”
Her head snaps toward me, green eyes glaring so hard I’m pretty sure they could scorch steel. “Don’t you fucking dare,” she hisses. “That’s invasive as hell.”
Good. At least now she’s looking at me. I wasn’t actually going to dig into her mind…she’s my mate, for fuck’s sake. I just needed her attention. But that glare? Yeah, it stings more than I care to admit.
I take a deep breath, forcing my tone softer. “Just tell me. Who did this to you?”
Her jaw tightens, and for a second, I think she’s going to tell me. But nope. Instead, she hits me with, “Why do you care? You’re not my real boyfriend.”
Oh, that’s what we’re doing now? I rake a hand through my hair, trying to stay calm. “But I’m your mate, remember? I know we’re not actually dating, but I can’t fucking help but worry about you. Is that a crime?”
“Well, you don’t have to.” She looks away, but not before I catch the way her face crumples for a split second. Fuck. She’s crying, and she’s trying to hide it. And it guts me worse than any blade ever could.
I sigh and move to sit beside her on the bed. “Aria,” I start, my voice softer this time. “I don’t know what happened in there, but I can tell you’re hurting. Please. Just tell me. I need to help you.”
Her shoulders shake, and then she snaps, “Stop, please. If you want to know so bad, it was Vanessa and her stupid fucking friends. They beat me up and locked me in there!”
I freeze. My wolf growls so loud in my head I think I might actually lose control. “Aria… I’m so sorry,” I whisper.
“No,” she chokes out, shaking her head. “You don’t understand. I’m not even hurt because of the beatings. It’s because they keep telling me…” She trails off, her eyes locking onto mine. There’s so much pain in them it’s like she’s bleeding right in front of me. “They keep saying I’m nothing. That I’m not good enough for you. That I’m not good enough for anything. Why do they keep saying that?”
My chest tightens. “You know it’s not like that-”
“It is,” she interrupts, her voice rising. “You told me yourself that we were worlds apart.”
Fuck. She’s talking about that one time I let my dumbass mouth run without thinking. My lips twist as her words slam into me. I never meant it like this.
“Aria,” I say softly, guilt clawing at my insides. “I didn’t mean it that way. I promise you it’s not true.”
She scoffs, her lips trembling. “Don’t lie, Alpha Lucas. Just stop.”
I can’t take it anymore. I lean in and pull her into a tight hug, burying my face in her hair. Her scent-sweet, calming, mesmerizing-almost distracts me, making my cock twitch, but I force myself to focus. My wolf’s howling at the way she’s trembling in my arms.
“I’m sorry, Aria,” I whisper against her ear. “But that’s not true. You’re a beautiful, strong, and smart person. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.”
“But I’m not good enough for anything.”
“You are.” I pull back just enough to look into her tear-filled eyes. “In fact, you’re too good for me.”
Her eyes widen like I just said something insane. “What?”
“You’re too good for me,” I repeat firmly. “My family, my life… Hell, I don’t deserve a mate as pure and innocent as you.”
She rolls her eyes, even though her lips tremble. “Stop lying, Alpha Lucas.”
I sigh, brushing a strand of hair out of her face. “Maybe this wasn’t a good idea… We shouldn’t-”
“Stop,” she cuts in, her voice breaking. “I don’t want to hear it. Not now. Not after what they all said to me. Please don’t do this.”
They? My jaw clenches. “Who else?” I demand sharply.
Her eyes dart away. “Just Vanessa,” she mutters, but it’s a lie. I can feel it.
My blood boils. Vanessa and her little crew are dead fucking meat. “I’ll take care of that bitch,” I growl.
“No, please don’t,” Aria begs, shaking her head furiously. Her fear makes my chest tighten uncomfortably.
“Why?” I grit out. “I’ll handle it.”
“And then what?” she snaps. “What happens when we leave this ship and I return to my pack? Will you also defend me against Vanessa and her friends? Will you be there?”
My face falls. She’s right. I’m going back to my pack. And she’ll be left to deal with the aftermath.
“Aria… If it were up to me, I’d take you to my pack.”
“But your father…” She puffs out a tearful laugh. “He won’t accept me, huh?”
My hands clench. That fucking bitch Vanessa has clearly been filling her head with all kinds of bullshit. I’m going to teach her a lesson.