Mia
I can’t fucking believe what I’ve done. Like, seriously, what the actual fuck, Mia? I slept with Damon. DAMON.
As I put on my shoes and throw on my gown, I feel my cheeks burn hotter than a stove. I bolt out of his room before he can even open his damn mouth to say anything. Nope, not today, Satan. No way I’m sticking around for his silly explanations or that infuriating smirk.
By the time I reach my suite, I’m practically yanking at my hair. How am I gonna explain this to Lily? She’ll never let me live this down. I pause at the door, punching in the code and taking a deep breath. I just hope she’s still asleep…or, I don’t know, passed out drunk.
The door slides open, and of course, the universe hates me because there they are… Lily and Aria, sitting on the bed, staring at me like they’re on the goddamn Supreme Court.
“And she makes an appearance,” Lily chirps, crossing her arms. Aria? She looks like she’s trying not to laugh.
“Alright, I can explain, so don’t give me that look.” I step inside, slamming the door behind me, but they just keep staring, their wide eyes full of judgment, or amusement. “Come on, say something!”
They burst out laughing, shaking their heads like I’m a sitcom rerun they’ve watched too many times.
“There’s nothing to be ashamed of, Mia,” Aria says, trying to sound all wise and motherly. “It was just sex. You didn’t do anything wrong.”
“Yeah, but it was with Damon! Fucking Damon!” I plop onto the couch and groan, covering my face with my hands. “I’m so fucking stupid. I wasn’t myself. I let that bastard charm his way in!”
“Mia, don’t say that.” Lily’s chuckling, and I know something’s up. “You need to see yourself last night.”
I squint at her. “What the hell are you talking about?”
“You and Damon, when you got back to the party room, you were fucking gone,” she says, biting back a grin. “I tried, Mia. We all did. But you kept saying you wanted to go with him. You guys were so wasted…. you, Damon, Alpha Lucas, and Aria. Theo and I were the only sane ones”
“Yeah, last night was… the best,” Aria mutters, twirling a strand of her blonde hair.
My eyes narrow. “Wait a minute. Something’s different about you.” I get up and walk over to her, narrowing my eyes like a goddamn detective.
“What?” Aria frowns, pulling back. Lily looks just as confused.
“You’re glowing. And your scent…” I trail off, pulling her hair back before she can stop me. My jaw drops. “I knew it. You’ve been marked!”
Aria groans, covering her face with her hands. “Shit.”
I whirl on Lily, who looks completely unbothered. “And you knew?”
She shrugs, all smug and chill. “Duh. I saw the mark on Alpha Lucas’s neck last night, and his scent was all over her. She was just trying to hide it with her hair.”
“Fuck,” Aria mutters, peeking through her fingers. “I was gonna tell you guys, I swear. I just… didn’t know how.”
I sit back down, rubbing her shoulder. “Why didn’t you say anything? What were you scared of?”
“I didn’t want to disappoint you,” she sighs. “After all your warnings, I still let him mark me.”
“It’s fine,” I say, squeezing her hand. “You deserve to be happy. Just follow your heart, okay?”
“Yeah,” Lily chimes in. “Live your life, girl. We’ve got your back.”
Aria’s face lights up, and I can’t help but smile. Even if I’m still on the fence about Lucas, it’s hard to deny how happy she looks.
“Thanks, guys.” She hugs us both, her arms tight around us.
I lean back and sigh. “But seriously, how the hell didn’t I notice last night? I mean, it was obvious they fucked in that cabin?”
Lily smirks. “You were too busy sulking and shooting daggers at Damon.”
I roll my eyes, not about to explain why.
Lily sits up suddenly, her eyes sparkling with mischief. “So, Aria. How was it?”
“What?” Aria blinks like she doesn’t know what Lily’s getting at.
“Don’t play dumb,” Lily says, rolling her eyes. “You and Alpha Lucas. Spill.”
Aria’s cheeks turn bright red, and I almost choke on my own laugh. “It was… amazing. No, scratch that, it was fucking amazing. He’s so… huge.”
Lily and I scream like we’re at a boy band concert, jumping up and down on the bed.
“Better than Alpha Ethan?” I ask, raising an eyebrow.
Aria snorts. “Ethan doesn’t even come close. It was glorious. He was so good, hard, gentle, and manly.”
“Oh my god, you’re literally blushing,” Lily teases. “How far did you guys go?”
Aria takes a deep breath, like she’s about to confess to a crime. “Well… we did it in bed. Then he, um, went down on me. And then in the bathroom, I… sucked his dick. After that, he took me from behind in the shower.”
“Fuck.” I slap a hand over my mouth. “You’re officially a bad girl now.”
“And I love it.” She smirks, then groans. “But can we change the topic? All this talk is making my panties fucking wet.”
Lily and I scream, grabbing pillows and pelting her with them.
“Okay, okay!” she gasps between laughs. “Your turn, Mia!”
I freeze, my stomach dropping. “Nope. Not happening.”
“Mia,” Lily says, raising an eyebrow. “How was it?”
“I… I don’t remember,” I admit.
“What?” Lily gasps. “Not even a little?”
“Nothing!” I groan, covering my face. “And it’s killing me. I screwed Damon, and I don’t even remember it. Where is my shame?”
“Take it easy,” Aria pleads.
“No, Aria. This doesn’t make sense.” I pace the room, tugging at my hair. “For someone who talks so much shit about Damon and his friends, how the hell did I end up fucking him? Where is my shame?”
“Calm down, babe,” Aria says, trying to sound soothing.
“No, no! I’m so stupid!” I flop onto the couch, throwing my arms up dramatically.
“What did he say?” Aria leans forward, her curiosity written all over her face.
“Said we should talk about it.” I groan, covering my face with my hands. “And what did I do? I ran out. Because, seriously, I don’t wanna hear anything from him.”
“Come on, Mia…” Lily starts, but I cut her off.
“No, Lily! There’s nothing to discuss. It was a fucking mistake, okay? I don’t like that bastard, not even after last night.” I jump to my feet, stretching my arms over my head. “I’m gonna wash up.”
“Alright,” Aria says with a sigh, leaning back against the bed frame. “We’ll be waiting. Then we’ll grab breakfast.”
As I head toward the bathroom, I pause and glance back. “By the way, I thought you’d be with him.”
“Lucas?” Aria’s face lights up in a way that makes me both happy for her and slightly nauseous. “He went for hockey training. Later, he’s gonna start training me.”
“Ohhh,” Lily and I tease in unison, making her blush harder than a teenager caught watching something they shouldn’t.
“Guys, stop.” She rolls her eyes but doesn’t hide the little smile tugging at her lips. “Go on, Mia. We’re waiting on you.”
“Yeah, yeah,” I mutter, waving her off as I step into the bathroom. “But no more sex talk, okay?”
“No promises!” Lily shouts, and I slam the bathroom door behind me.
…..
I step out of the bathroom, finally dressed and ready to face the day.. or at least pretend last night never happened. Lily’s already at the door, tapping her foot like we’re late for something important. Aria’s next to her, fiddling with her hair, looking unusually quiet after this morning’s drama.
“Alright, let’s go,” I say, throwing my hair up into a messy bun as we step into the hallway.
The moment the door swings open, we all freeze. Right there on the floor, just sitting there like a creepy doorstep gift, is a plain brown box.
“Um, is anyone expecting a package?” Lily asks, looking at me and Aria like we ordered takeout at 3 a. m.
“We’re on a fucking ship in the middle of nowhere,” I say, narrowing my eyes at the thing. “Unless someone started Temu On Sea, that’s a hard no.”
Aria leans down to pick it up, and I immediately step back. “Wait! What if it’s… I don’t know… ticking? Or cursed? Or filled with spiders?”
“Goddess , Mia, it’s just a box,” Aria says, rolling her eyes. But there’s a hesitation in her movements as she opens the lid.
And then she screams.
The box drops from her hands, hitting the floor with a thud. Its contents spill out, and I swear my soul tries to leave my body.
A severed finger. A bloody, human finger, sitting there like something out of a horror movie.
“What the actual fuck?!” I yell, backing away.
Aria’s shaking like a leaf, her face pale as death. Lily’s frozen in place, her mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water.
On instinct, I grab a piece of paper sticking out of the box, careful not to touch the blood. It’s folded, and when I open it, my stomach churns.
Aria’s name is scrawled on the paper in what looks like blood.
“Who the fuck did this?” Aria whispers, eyes glued to the finger like it might jump up and start crawling.