Aria
“Aria… Aria!” Mia nudges me, snapping me out of my thoughts. She’s sitting right beside me in the stands, her expression all concerned like I’ve just confessed to a crime.
“What’s going on?” she asks. “You’ve been giving Alpha Ethan this death glare for the past ten minutes. I thought you were happy he lost.”
“Happy?” I scoff, shaking my head slowly. “That fucking bastard. Did you see the way he was glaring at me?”
“Oh, I saw,” Lily chimes in. “He was glaring at you like you’re the reason his team lost.” She rolls her eyes. “Probably pissed that you were cheering for the other team. You did scream your lungs out for Alpha Lucas earlier.”
The three of us burst into laughter because, honestly, it’s true.
“He’s just jealous Alpha Lucas led his team to victory,” Mia says with a smirk. “Anyway, let’s go. I’m starving.”
We shuffle out of the stands, the buzz of the game still lingering in the air.
“So, where are we heading?” Lily asks. “Because, seriously, I’m about to eat my own fucking hand.”
“I’m heading back to the suite to change. I’ll meet you guys for dinner after.”
They nod, and we start walking, the cool night air wrapping around us. We’re almost at Lucas’s suite when Mia suddenly stops, crossing her arms like she’s about to interrogate me.
“By the way, Aria,” she says, narrowing her eyes. “What really happened in there with Alpha Lucas?”
I blink at her, feigning innocence. “What do you mean?”
“You know exactly what I mean,” she presses, blocking my path. “When are you gonna realize you can’t hide this? Whenever you, uh… do stuff with Alpha Lucas, his scent is all over you.”
“What?!” I exclaim, a little too loudly. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Mia sighs dramatically, like she’s dealing with a clueless child. “Come on, Aria. Be real with me. Are you sure you know what you’re doing? Remember, that asshole gave you until Christmas.”
I nod, biting the inside of my cheek. What I don’t tell them is that Ethan also forbade me from showing up at the Christmas dinner with Lucas tomorrow. Typical.
“So, what’s your plan?” Lily cuts in, giving me a pointed look. “You really gonna keep messing around with Alpha Lucas just to piss Ethan off?”
“I don’t know, okay?” I throw up my hands, exasperated. “I’m just… tired. I want to do something because I want to, not because I have to. I want something new. Do you get that?”
They exchange a look, their gazes softening.
“It’s okay,” Lily says, patting my shoulder. “We get it.”
“Yeah,” Mia agrees. “Whatever you decide, we’re with you.”
We reach Lucas’s door, and I stop, facing them. “Wait, before I go in…who even won the damn scavenger hunt?”
“Some random team,” Mia grumbles, rolling her eyes. “We could’ve won if those fucking assholes hadn’t stolen from us. And don’t even get me started on Vanessa locking you in there.”
“Alpha Lucas completely lost it when he saw you arguing with Ethan,” Lily adds. “He couldn’t concentrate after that.”
My heart does a weird little flip, but I frown. “Wait, how did he even know where I was?”
Lily shrugs. “No idea. He just bolted like he got some secret signal.”
“Huh.” I nod, but Mia’s already giving me that look.
“What now?” I ask, groaning.
“Aria,” she says slowly. “Are you sure you don’t have any feelings for Alpha Lucas?”
“What? No! Of course not!”
They exchange a knowing glance, and I know I’m doomed.
“Listen, it’s not like that,” I say, but their skeptical looks tell me they’re not buying it.
“Fine.” I throw my hands up in surrender. “I’m really attracted to him, okay? Have you seen him? Those muscles, those ripped abs, that tattooed chest I just want to snuggle against. And don’t even get me started on that snatched waist-goddess, I just want to wrap my legs around him while he drives his shaft into me, pounding into me until I’m cumming all over him, coating his dick with my warm juices.”
“GODDESS, ARIA!” Lily shrieks, smacking my arm. “Stop!”
“What?” I say, shrugging unapologetically. “I’m just being truthful. I wanna fuck him so bad. Yeah, I’m like every other girl out there who wants Alpha Lucas’s dick inside them. Is that so terrible?”
Mia shakes her head, trying not to laugh. “As long as it’s just fucking and nothing more, I think you’re fine.”
“You don’t have anything to worry about,” I say, but the little voice in the back of my mind nags at me. Something about this whole thing feels… complicated.
I punch in the code to Lucas’s suite, and the door swings open.
“If you take too long to join us at the cafe, we’re coming over to drag you out,” Mia warns, smirking. “Good thing you gave us the code.”
“Yeah,” Lily chimes in, grinning. “Let’s just hope Alpha Lucas doesn’t mind.”
I shake my head. “I doubt he cares. It’s probably just some random number.”
“Or something meaningful,” Lily teases with a knowing smirk.
“Alright, enough,” I roll me eyes, stepping inside. “I’ll see you guys at the cafe in a bit.”
As the door closes behind me, I lean against it for a second, my thoughts swirling. Goddess, what am I even doing?
—-
It’s finally Christmas, and I can feel it in the air…crisp, cold, and smelling faintly of cinnamon and questionable life decisions. Normally, I’d be bursting with holiday cheer, humming All I Want for Christmas Is You like Mariah Carey herself paid me to promote her. But today? Today feels different.
Why, you ask? Oh, just the small matter of Lucas not coming to the suite last night. Yep, Alpha Lucas himself decided to ghost me on Christmas Eve, no less. Like, excuse me, sir, where is the holiday spirit? Did the Grinch hire you to steal mine?
I’m already bathed, dressed, and heading to the cafe for breakfast, but my mood is sourer than eggnog gone bad.
“Aria, you’re here!” Mia’s voice pulls me out of my internal monologue. She and Lily latch onto me like I’m the last slice of Christmas pie.
“Merry Christmas!” Lily beams at me, but I can barely muster a weak smile in return.
“Happy Christmas, girls,” I mumble, probably looking like a rom-com protagonist after a breakup montage.
Mia stops us in our tracks, giving me a once-over. “Okay, spill. Why the long face? Did someone steal your Christmas cookies?”
“It’s Alpha Lucas,” I huff. “He didn’t come to the suite last night.”
Mia sighs dramatically. “And this is why you’re about to cry or something?”
“I’m not crying!” I glare at her. “I’m just… curious. And maybe a little worried.” My mind flashes to last night in the changing room. Was he avoiding me? No, Aria, stop spiraling.
Lily gestures toward a table at the cafe. “Well, his friends are right there. But he’s not with them.”
I glance over and spot Damon and Theo. They’re chatting it up with some girls like they’re auditioning for The Bachelor. Damon even has his arm slung around a blonde’s shoulders.
Mia sneers. “That fucking bastard. I thought he said he liked me.”
Lily raises a brow. “Jealous much?”
“Jealous?!” Mia snaps, glaring daggers at her. “Why the hell would I be jealous of that asshole?”
Something doesn’t sit right. “Come on, let’s ask them where Alpha Lucas is,” I say, already marching over like a woman on a mission.
Damon’s eyes light up when he sees Mia. “Hello, Mia!”
Mia’s death glare could rival Medusa’s, and Damon quickly retracts his arm from Blondie. Theo chuckles, clearly enjoying Damon’s misery.
“Hi, Aria,” Theo greets me politely. Honestly, he’s probably the only one in Lucas’s group who doesn’t make me want to slam my head into a wall.
“Do you know where Lucas is?” I ask, my tone firm but not unkind.
Damon opens his mouth. “He’s at the cabin…inside the games room.”
“Damon!” Theo cuts him off, glaring like Damon just spilled the tea on who actually let the dogs out.
Damon looks nervous, grinding his teeth. “Oh… we don’t know where he is.”
“Sure you don’t,” I mutter, crossing my arms. “He didn’t sleep in his suite either.”
Both of them exchange a look. It’s the kind of look people give when they’re hiding something-terribly, I might add.
“Thanks,” I say curtly, dragging my friends back to our table.
As soon as we sit down, Mia leans in. “Did you see Damon? He’s hiding something. He’s the worst liar I’ve ever met.”
Lily nods. “Definitely suspicious.”
But I can’t even focus. Something’s off, and I feel it in my bones. Without a word, I stand.
“I’ll be right back,” I tell them, already dashing out of the cafe.
By the time I reach the games room, I’m panting harder than an athlete in a marathon. It’s empty, but Lucas’s scent lingers in the air. My wolf perks up, practically bouncing in my head.
I scan the room, spotting a door tucked away in the corner. Damon said Lucas was in the cabin, and I’m betting that’s it. As I approach, the door swings open, and a girl steps out.
She’s laughing softly. “See you later, Alpha Lucas,” she says before shutting the door behind her.
I freeze, my wolf growling internally. My gaze locks with hers. “Who the hell are you?”