Aria
“Come on,” he says, scooping me up bridal style. “Let’s go shower.”
And let’s just say the shower is far from innocent. We end up going another round before finally cleaning up.
Back in the room, wrapped in towels, I grab my ruined dress with a sigh. No way I can wear this again.
A knock at the door interrupts my thoughts. Lucas answers, cracking it open just enough to take something from whoever’s outside. When he turns around, he’s holding a cloth bag.
“Who was that?” I ask.
“Max,” he says, handing me the bag. “I asked him to bring you a new dress.”
Wow! I pull the dress out of the bag, and my jaw just about hits the floor. It’s a pink ball gown, glittering with sequins and stones, catching the light like it’s straight out of a Disney princess movie. Like, I might as well be Cinderella, except I’m not rocking a glass slippers.
“This is so fucking beautiful,” I breathe, running my fingers over the fabric like it’s made of literal magic.
Lucas leans casually against the wall, arms crossed, watching me with that stupidly sexy smirk. “You like it that much?”
“Of course,” I murmur, spinning around to kiss him softly on the lips. “It’s fucking gorgeous. Thank you.”
“Good. Let’s get dressed and get back to that party.”
In no time, we’re ready. He’s rocking his suit like he’s walking a red carpet, and I’m in this gown that makes me feel like a total knockout. We walk out hand in hand, glowing and smiling like an actual it-couple.
When we step back into the party, all eyes are on us. Like, not to sound full of myself, but I’m kinda owning this moment. I smirk because, yeah, I deserve it.
Sarita makes a beeline for us, her hand in the arm of a tall guy with brown hair and an easy grin. “You’re finally here,” she says, eyeing me up and down like she’s trying to figure out how I pulled this off. “You look stunning, Aria.”
“Thanks. You too, Sarita.” The red gown she’s wearing hugs her curves perfectly, and she knows it.
Lucas steps forward, extending a hand to the guy. “Kevin. Good to see you.”
“Thank you, Alpha Lucas.” Kevin shakes his hand firmly before turning to me. “And this must be Aria?”
Lucas nods. “Aria, this is Kevin, Sarita’s mate.”
I shake his hand with a polite smile. “Nice to meet you.”
“I’ve heard so much about you from Sarita. It’s great to finally meet you.”
“Likewise,” I say, glancing at Sarita, who’s beaming like a proud big sis.
“We’ll catch you guys later,” Sarita chirps, dragging Kevin along before I can respond.
I don’t get a chance to breathe before Lily and Mia appear out of nowhere. Lily practically screams my name, and Mia’s right behind her, both of them glowing like proud moms.
“You look stunning!” Lily gushes, practically bouncing on her heels.
“You guys look amazing too.” I catch the way they’re both side-eyeing Lucas and me, their smiles turning mischievous. Yeah, it’s obvious. They know we’ve been up to no good.
Mia steps forward, her expression soft. “Aria, I just wanted to apologize-”
I cut her off with a wave of my hand. “It’s fine. I heard what you two did from Lucas. Thank you. Really.”
They both light up, and before I know it, I’m sandwiched in a group hug.
“Are you okay, though?” Lily pulls back, scanning my face.
“We heard what happened earlier,” Mia adds.
I scoff, flipping my hair over my shoulder. “I’m fine now. That’s ancient history. I couldn’t care less what Lucas decides to do with that bastard.”
Before they can press further, Lily’s attention darts to the dance floor. “Oh my goddess, they’re playing my song!” She grabs Mia by the wrist and drags her off before I can ask what song she’s talking about.
Lucas turns to me, his hand sliding to my waist. “Wanna dance?”
“Absolutely.”
He leads me to the dance floor, the music pounding so hard I can feel it in my chest. He spins me around, his hands firm on my waist, and I’m laughing, giggling like a damn teenager.
For a moment, everything’s perfect. The shitty start to my day feels like a distant memory, and I can’t imagine anything ruining this.
But then-
“Alpha Lucas.”
The voice cuts through the music, soft and melodious. I glance around, thinking I misheard.
“Alpha Lucas.”
This time, it’s unmistakable. We both stop and turn toward the source.
And there she is. Tall, with flaming red hair cascading down her back, an oval-shaped face, and eyes so blue they look like CGI. She’s rocking curves that would make Kim K jealous, and she’s not exactly shy about showing them off.
Who the fuck is this?
“I’m Serena,” she purrs, covering her mouth with a dainty laugh. “I’m sure you’ve heard about me.”
Lucas stiffens beside me, and the look on his face tells me one thing…. he knows exactly who this girl is.