Aria
Ethan plops onto his bed, arms crossed, watching me with that smug-ass grin. I glance around, taking in the room. The last time I was here, I was a mess…heartbroken and thinking the world was about to collapse. And then, that night… I met him. Lucas. Somehow, even Ethan’s suit is reminding me of Lucas. What the hell is wrong with me?
“Are you here to beg, Aria?” Ethan interrupts my thoughts, grinning like a fool. “Let’s hear it… make it pretty convincing, why don’t you?”
I open my mouth to respond, but before I can even get a word out-
“Wait, first off,” he cuts me off, not even giving me a second. “Didn’t I warn you, Aria? Didn’t I warn you not to mess with Lucas? But you didn’t listen. I told you he’d never accept you as his mate, but you didn’t listen. And now what? You’re fucking back…”
I can feel my blood boil as I snap back, done with his bullshit. “I’m not here to beg you, Ethan.” I roll my eyes. “I’m not here to fucking beg you. Why the hell would I do that?”
His face twists into anger as he stands up, all pissed off now. “So, why are you here? What do you want, Aria?” he demands.
Now we’re talking. “I need answers. You said Lucas’s dad killed my parents. I need answers about that.”
Ethan sneers, shaking his head like I’m the dumbest person he’s ever met. “And why the hell would I tell you? Maybe go ask your darling mate, oh wait, let me guess, he dumped you after using you?”
I’m not gonna let him get under my skin. Not tonight. I know what he’s doing, he’s trying to get me riled up, trying to make me react. But not this time.
“Are you gonna tell me yes or no?” I ask, crossing my arms, waiting him out.
He stares at me for what feels like hours, just sizing me up. “Fine,” he says, throwing his hands up. “If you really wanna know, well…” He pauses for dramatic effect. “Lucas’s father was an abusive jerk. Treated his wife like trash, beat her up because she was an omega, just like you.”
Okay, I wasn’t ready for that. My chest tightens. It’s like someone just jabbed a knife right into me, but I keep it together. Barely.
“So one day, after plotting with her friends, Martha and Kane…. your parents,” he continues, his voice almost bored. “They grabbed their baby…which was you, ran away with her, helped her escape from the Shadow Pang Pack. But of course, Alpha Marcus wasn’t having any of that, so he chased them down. They ran right into Full Moon territory, and, well, my dad’s buddies with Alpha Marcus. You can do the math.”
I’m trying to process this, but it’s all too much. “I don’t understand,” I say, shaking my head slightly. “What happened next?”
Ethan shrugs like it’s just another Tuesday for him. “Marcus’s guys went into Full Moon territory, killed your parents.. except you. They left you alive. And then my father, in his ‘merciful’ heart, took you into his pack. Saved you. That’s why you should be grateful.”
“Grateful? Seriously?” I almost laughed. “I’ve spent my whole life in that pack being treated like shit. They’ve never treated me like a human-not for a single day. And then you came along… I thought things might change. Maybe now that the alpha’s son is my mate, it’ll be different. But nope. You had to go ahead and crush my heart.”
I can feel the tears stinging my eyes, and I hate it. “You’re no different,” I whisper.
“Is that the thanks we get? Aria, you weren’t even originally from Full Moon Pack! Your own alpha killed your parents!”
“And they should have just killed me too!” I shout, hands shaking. “What’s the point of keeping me alive when everyone treats me like trash? I hate it here. I hate everyone!”
Ethan opens his mouth, probably to say some dumb thing, but I can’t stand him. “Don’t fucking touch me,” I hiss, backing away from him as he tries to reach for me. “You’re no different. I’m done with all of this. I’m done.” And with that, I turn and storm the hell outta his suite. No time for his bullshit anymore.
I’m walking fast, like I’ve got fire in my veins, when I smack right into Vanessa down the hallway. Perfect. Just what I need right now.
“Watch where you’re going!” she yells, clutching her head like I just ran over her with a car.
I don’t even slow down. Don’t have time for her drama. She’s probably off to go kiss Ethan’s ass anyway. Let her deal with that mess.
I keep moving, rage bubbling in my chest. Then I stop, dead in my tracks. I’m standing right in front of a door. Wait, hold up. This is Lucas’s door. Fucking hell. How the hell did I not notice? Just my luck. I better get outta here before anyone sees me. I turn around like I’m in an action movie, trying not to get caught. I’m not ready for whatever shitshow that’s gonna be.
As I’m walking away, of course, I run into Sarita. What the hell is my life right now? If there was ever a time I wished for invisibility, it’s right now.
I freeze. For a second, I think about bolting, but then I remember, fuck it. I’m done running from these people. I turn around, ready to unleash all the anger I’ve been bottling up.
“Aria, wait!” Sarita calls out, just as I walk past her. “Are you alright?”
I whip around, my eyes burning with rage. “Why do you care?” I snap. “You knew what your father did to my parents, didn’t you?”
Her eyes go wide like I just slapped her. She opens her mouth to say something, but of course, nothing comes out. Good. Let her stew in her guilt.
“You, your brother, your whole damn family, you’re all the same. I’m no match for your brother? Why the hell would I want to be with the son of the man who murdered my parents?”
“Aria… please.”
“Save it!” I yell. “You’re not fooling me. You’re just like the rest of ’em. You and everyone from that damn Shadow Pang Pack… you can all go to hell.” I turn and start walking away, but not before I wipe the damn tears away. I’m not gonna let her see me break. No way.
I end up back at this stupid, low-budget place. Of course it’s packed with the worst kind of assholes. I walk down the hall, and I can smell the crack and booze from a mile away. Some of them are stumbling around like they don’t even know what year it is. Others are eyeing me like I’m some kind of snack. Ugh, this place is fucking disgusting. But I can’t tell Lily or Mia. This is the only place I’ve got.
“Hey, beautiful,” one of the guys slurs, stumbling over like a fucking fool. This bald dickhead smells like a mix of cheap booze and nonsense.
I duck to the side, not even bothering to look at him. If this idiot tries anything, I’ll be the one laughing when I carve his fucking balls off and throw them in his face.
I get to my stupid room, yank the door open, and slam it shut behind me. I try to lock it, but of course…the lock is broken. I swear, it’s like the universe is just fucking with me at this point. What if one of these bastards decides to break in?
I push the thought away, stripping off my clothes and heading to the tiny bathroom for a shower. I need to wash off this whole damn day. If I could just forget everything for a second, maybe I could breathe.
I’m done with the shower and walk out naked, thinking I might actually get some peace. Nope. There’s that bald bastard from earlier, sitting on my bed, grinning like an idiot.
“I’ve been waiting for you, baby,” he says, voice all slurred and creepy. “Come sit with me.” He pats the space beside him, his eyes full of that same gross lust.
“You get the hell off my bed, or I swear, I’ll shove your head so far up your ass, you’ll be able to taste last week’s lunch!”