Aria
“Why the fuck did you keep this away from me?” Lucas asks, his voice sharp and cutting. His glare is practically stabbing holes in me. “Aria, that person literally threatened your fucking life. How could you not tell me?”
I sigh, dragging a hand through my hair like it might somehow calm the storm brewing between us. “I didn’t want to bother you or make you worry.”
“Well, now I’m bothered and worried, Aria. That you even thought it was okay to keep this from me.” He snaps the words, pulling on his jacket with a kind of restrained fury that makes my stomach flip.
“I’m sorry, Lucas. I really am,” I mumble, feeling the sting of guilt.
“Come on.” He grabs my arm and pulls me toward the door without waiting for a response. “We’re going there. Now.”
My heart lurches in my chest. I’ve got this gnawing pit of dread because fuck…I still haven’t told him about seeing Serena. Damn it, why is it so fucking hard for me to just spit it out?
We march out of the games room, Lucas’s grip firm but not painful, just… commanding. His jaw is set in that dangerous way that screams “don’t test me,” and from the corner of my eye, I see his lips pressed into a thin, angry line.
When we get to the meeting hall, it’s chaos. The place is packed, voices rising in a buzz of confusion. Coach John is up on stage, trying and failing to calm everyone down.
“So I’m saying, whoever’s responsible for this nonsense, step aside and confess,” Coach John barks, his voice echoing. Murmurs ripple through the crowd.
I spot Lily and Mia huddled in a corner, looking guilty as fuck. My gut clenches. They had the damn box last, so how did this even happen?
“Lucas, you’re here,” Theo appears beside us, Damon trailing behind him like his shadow.
“Yeah,” Damon says, his face twisted in disgust. “Like, someone left a fucking severed finger in a box at the cafeteria.”
Theo snickers, clearly trying to downplay the horror. “I wonder who it is.”
Lucas doesn’t respond to them. His eyes are locked on mine, and I can see the wheels turning in his head. He’s probably trying to piece together how the hell the box ended up there.
Without a word, he grabs my hand and pulls me toward the stage.
My eyes go wide. “Lucas, what the fuck? Why are we going up there?” I hiss, trying to yank my hand back, but his grip is iron.
We reach the stage, and he leans in to speak to Coach John. “I need to talk to you.”
Coach John frowns, clearly irritated. “Lucas, I’m in the middle of something-”
“End it. Right now.” Lucas’s voice is cold. The room practically freezes at the weight of his tone.
Coach John looks like he wants to argue but wisely decides against it. “Alright,” he grinds out, turning to the crowd. “The meeting is dismissed. I’ll get back to everyone later.”
As the crowd starts dispersing, he glares at Lucas. “What the fuck was that about?”
“Give me the box,” Lucas says, holding out his hand. “I’m taking it to security. We’re getting the camera footage.”
Coach John hesitates, but when Lucas’s eyes flash gold…. yeah, not a good sign, he sighs and hands over the box.
Lucas turns to me, his expression dark. “Come on, Aria. We’re finding out who’s messing with you.”
Minutes later, we’re in the security room. Lucas doesn’t waste any time, barking orders at the operators to pull up the footage from outside Mia and Lily’s suite.
“Lucas, I thought your father already told you to drop this,” Coach John mutters, his eyes darting to me like I’m some kind of trouble magnet.
“That’s none of your concern,” Lucas bites back, his gaze glued to the monitor.
Coach John huffs, crossing his arms. “There was a note with your name on the box. Do you know who’s behind this?”
I shake my head, but my mind’s racing. I’ve got some suspects, alright, but no solid proof.
“Look,” Lucas points at the screen, and all eyes follow.
There she is, fucking Vanessa, glancing around like a thief in broad daylight, holding the box in front of Mia and Lily’s suite.
“It was her!” Coach John exclaims, looking genuinely shocked. “I thought for sure it was that bastard Ethan.”
“I can’t fucking believe this,” I can’t help but mutter under my breath.” My hands clench into fists. Why the hell would Vanessa do this to me? How many times do I have to tell her I’m not into Ethan?
Lucas growls, “Bring her to me.”
The security team doesn’t need to be told twice. They disappear, and minutes later, they drag Vanessa into the room.
Lucas drops the box on the table with a thud, his jaw tight. He’s pissed, like, nuclear pissed. And honestly? Same. My fingers twitch with the urge to strangle someone, but Lucas looks like he’s already got dibs.
The guards march in with Vanessa, her eyes going wide the second she spots us. She looks like she might pass out. Good. The footage is still playing on the monitor behind us, showing her sneaky little ass lurking outside Mia and Lily’s suite with that stupid box. Her face doesn’t look as puffy anymore, and the bruise around her eye has healed.
Beta John is the first to bark. “So it was you! What the hell is wrong with you, Vanessa? Pulling some sick prank on this ship, are you completely insane?”
Vanessa flinches but keeps her mouth shut, her eyes darting between John, Lucas, and me like she’s calculating her odds of survival.
“Answer him!” I snap, my hands balling into fists. “What did I ever do to you, huh? Why the fuck would you pull this kind of shit on me?”
“It was just a joke,” she blurts, her voice trembling but trying to stay steady. “It wasn’t serious-I swear!”
Beta John looks like his head might pop off. “Not serious? You literally put a severed finger in a box, you lunatic!”
Lucas opens the box, his expression darkening as he peers inside. “It’s not human,” he mutters. “Looks like a pig’s finger. Probably dressed it up with makeup to make it look real.”
Vanessa looks momentarily surprised…like, legit shocked, but then she plasters on this fake, sweet smile. “See? It’s just a prank. I wouldn’t actually hurt anyone!”
I cross my arms, my gut twisting. Something feels off. Sure, Vanessa’s clearly guilty as hell for putting the box there, but what about Serena? How does she fit into all this?
Lucas doesn’t give me a second to untangle my thoughts. “Arrest her,” he orders coldly, his tone leaving no room for argument. “Lock her up with that idiot Jer.”
“Alpha Lucas, please!” Vanessa’s voice cracks, and she looks genuinely terrified now. “I’m sorry! It was just a stupid joke!”
He takes a step closer, towering over her. “A joke? You think you can pull some disgusting, twisted prank involving my mate and walk away with just an apology? I warned you, Vanessa. This is on you.”
Two guards grab her arms, dragging her toward the door. She struggles, her gaze snapping to me. “Aria, please! Tell him-”
I shake my head, my stomach churning with anger. “Don’t you dare call my name,” I snap. “You’re lucky I don’t handle this myself.”
Lucas watches her with a look so cold it makes my skin crawl. “Take her,” he growls.
“Lucas, this is too much.” Beta John steps forward, trying to play mediator. “You know your father won’t-”
“I don’t give a damn what my father will or won’t like,” Lucas interrupts coldy. “She crossed the line.”
Vanessa’s cries fade as the guards drag her out, but my anger doesn’t. It festers, growing hotter and heavier until it’s almost unbearable. My chest tightens, my vision blurs, and before I know it, black spots start dancing in front of my eyes.
“Aria?” Lucas’s voice cuts through the haze, sharp and panicked. He’s in front of me in a flash, his hands steadying me just as my knees buckle. “What’s wrong?”
I open my mouth to answer, but nothing comes out. My head feels like it’s filled with static, and the room tilts dangerously. The last thing I see is Lucas’s face, tight with worry, before everything goes dark.