Aria
I’m standing there, staring at Lucas like an absolute idiot. My brain? Completely fried. I swear, I couldn’t string together a coherent thought even if my life depended on it. And trust me, it kinda did.
Mia swoops in, bless her meddling little heart, all smiles as she plucks the box from my hands. “Oh, that’s mine,” she says sweetly. Then, as if that wasn’t enough to confuse Lucas, she adds, “You know, it’s for my… thing.”
Lucas gives her a look, one of those confused, what-the-hell-is-she-talking-about looks. But then, like a saint, he lets it slide and glances back at me.
“You eaten yet?” His deep voice pulls me out of my daze, and I don’t even realize he’s motioning for me to come closer until Mia nudges me with her elbow. I hand her the box and step forward.
The second I’m within reach, Lucas’s arms wrap around me, pulling me close like he owns me or something. Not that I’m complaining.
“Yeah… I think so.” The words tumble out, all awkward, and his eyes darken.
“Liar.”
My jaw drops. “How-”
His smirk says it all. “I know when you’re lying, Aria. Don’t even try.”
Crap. My throat tightens, but hey, at least he doesn’t seem to suspect anything about the damn box.
Lucas shifts his attention briefly to Mia and Lily, who are suddenly way too interested in the floor. His fingers brush against my cheek, all soft and distracting. “So, what’ve you been up to? Why haven’t you eaten breakfast yet?”
Mia and Lily exchange a look that screams don’t screw this up. Mia steps forward, putting on her best apologetic face. “It’s my fault, Alpha Lucas. Last night, I was, uh… completely wasted. Aria was helping me with my hangover this morning. Sorry for keeping your mate hungry.”
Lucas’s lips twitch into a smile, and I feel the tension in my shoulders ease a bit. Mia shoots me a quick look that practically says you owe me big time, and yeah, she’s not wrong.
“Alright, let’s go,” Lucas says, grabbing my hand. His grip is firm but not too tight, like he’s reminding me who’s in charge without saying it outright. As we start to leave, he glances back at Mia. “Glad to see you’re up and about. Can’t say the same for Damon.”
Mia’s face flushes, and I swear she looks ready to crawl under a rock. Poor girl.
As we step out into the hallway, Lily mouths something about the box. I barely make out what she’s saying, but I think it’s about the fucking box.
I mouth back, “Just hide it,” and turn my attention to Lucas, who’s already leading me somewhere.
“Where are we going?” I squint up at Lucas as he guides me along. His grip on my hand is firm and confident.
“You’ll see.” No glance, no smirk, just those two words. Suspicious.
We keep walking, and I realize too late that he’s heading toward that restaurant. You know, the one where we saw Serena earlier? My stomach drops faster than a Netflix series cancellation. What the actual fuck? Is this some kind of test? My pulse is already doing cardio, and I’m not even at training yet.
When we step inside, the air smells like bougie spices and expensive wine. Lucas pulls out a chair like some kind of medieval knight. “Have a seat.”
I force a smile. “Thanks,” I mumble, lowering myself onto the chair like it might bite me.
He sits across from me, sliding the menu my way. “What do you want to eat?” That smile of his could melt glaciers…and my damn panties.
I glance at the menu, pretending to consider my options. Honestly? The thought of food right now makes me wanna hurl. Not after seeing… that thing earlier. You know what I’m talking about. But Lucas is being so sweet, so I cave. “Chicken salad. And, uh, wine. Red.”
He claps his hands once, and a waiter appears like magic. “Chicken salad and red wine for my mate.”
“Yes Alpha.” The guy hurries off, and I try not to look like I want to die. A few minutes later, the food arrives, and Lucas pours me a glass of wine.
“Eat.” He points at my plate like he’s scolding a toddler. “You’re not leaving until that salad is gone.”
“Yes, sir,” I mutter, stabbing at the salad with my fork. His smirk tells me he caught the sarcasm, but he doesn’t call me out on it.
I pick up my fork, feeling his eyes on me. No pressure or anything. The chicken looks harmless enough, but my brain flashes back to that goddamn finger. I take a small bite and force it down. The salad’s good, like really good…but my mind keeps flashing back to that fucking finger. I swallow hard, my stomach twisting.
“Aria,” Lucas says, his brows knitting together. “What’s wrong? Don’t you like it?”
“No, it’s great!” I rush out, forcing a smile. “It’s just… my stomach’s still upset from, you know, all the drinking last night.”
His expression softens, but not by much. “I told you not to drink so much.” He shakes his head, sighing. “You’re banned from drinking on this ship.”
I laugh, half expecting him to join in, but he’s dead serious. “You’re joking.”
“Do I look like I’m joking?”
Okay, no, he doesn’t. I sigh and pick at the salad some more. “Fine.”
“Good. Now finish your food. You need the energy.”
I glance at the plate, then at him. “You’re starting to sound like a mom, you know.”
His eyes glint with amusement. “Keep that up, and I’ll show you what else I can be.”
The innuendo isn’t lost on me, and I bite my lip. “Maybe I want to find out.”
He leans in, his voice low. “You want me to fuck you right here?”
My cheeks flame, and before I can respond, he’s already standing. “I’m going to check on Max. When I get back, that plate better be clean.”
“Yes, sir,” I toss over my shoulder as he walks away. And let me tell you, the view is great. But now I’m stuck with this stupid salad and my overwhelming need to not puke.
I try to eat again, but every bite reminds me of that stupid finger. And the wine? Looks too much like blood. Nope, not happening. I glance around, making sure no one’s watching, then dump the whole plate into a napkin. Smooth as hell, I waddle over to the wastebin and toss it, wiping my hands like I just buried a body.
When Lucas comes back, his eyes zero in on the empty plate. His brow lifts. “Wow. You really finished it?”
I spread my arms like ta-da. “Isn’t that what you wanted?”
“Even the chicken? Not a single bone left?”
“What can I say? I was hungry.” I stand, brushing imaginary crumbs off my pants. “Now let’s go. I’m ready for training.”
He doesn’t look entirely convinced, but he lets it slide. We head to the cashier, and once he pays, we’re out of there, hand in hand. Honestly, it feels kinda nice. His grip is warm, solid.
“So, where’s training happening?” I ask, leaning into him.
“My cabin in the games room.” His arm wraps around my waist, and I inhale his scent…clean and woodsy with a hint of trouble. Damn him for smelling so fucking good. Suddenly, training is the last thing on my mind. What I really want is to be under him, feeling him slide into me slowly before he loses control and takes me rough.
As we continue walking, I glance over my shoulder instinctively and freeze. Serena’s standing in the corner, glaring at me like she wants to murder me.
I stop in my tracks, and Lucas pauses too, frowning. “Aria? What’s wrong?”
“It’s… her.” I motion toward the corner, but of course, when he looks, she’s gone. Poof. Just like that. The corner’s empty.
Is she a witch or something?
Lucas frowns, following my gaze. “Who?”
“She was right there.” My voice wavers, and I feel like an idiot.
“Aria, what’s going on?” His tone is gentle, but the look in his eyes says he thinks I’m losing it.