Lucas
So here I am again…drunk as shit. But this time, it’s not just the whiskey doing cartwheels in my gut, it’s her. Freaking Aria.
I smile like an idiot, feeling those damn butterflies again. Not the good kind. These are rabid, drunk butterflies that feel like they’ve been downing tequila shots with me. She’s invaded my senses, my mind, and now…fuck me sideways, she’s standing in front of me. Except… she’s not. I’m hallucinating again, aren’t I?
She looks just like I remember, that gorgeous smile, her full lips, those blonde locs framing her perfect face. And those damn green eyes, haunting me like a ghost I can’t shake. I saw her earlier in the cafeteria… the real her, and had to get the hell out of there before I lost my shit and did something stupid, like grab her and confess how much I’ve missed her.
But right now, Dream Aria is standing here, looking all too real.
“Girlfriend,” I slur, waving my whiskey bottle like I just won a damn award.
Her eyes go wide like a Disney princess who’s just seen a talking teacup. But then she frowns.
Okay, hold up. Dream Aria never frowns. She always smiles, laughs, maybe blows me a kiss if I’m lucky. This is weird.
“What the fuck is this?” she says, and then she snorts. “So this shit actually works?”
She lifts a necklace, a shiny pendant that looks familiar as hell. And then it clicks. Oh, fuck me. It’s the mate necklace from that “Find Your Mate” event. And if that’s real, then so is she. This isn’t Dream Aria. This is real, angry-as-hell Aria.
I stand up too fast, nearly face-planting, but I catch myself with the whiskey bottle. She takes a step back, frowning harder.
“Listen, Lucas. Alpha Lucas,” she starts, and I already know where this is going. “I think now is the right time to… end things.”
My heart drops like I just got sucker-punched. End things? No fucking way.
“I don’t care if you’re drunk or not,” she says, all serious now. “Let’s just do it. I, Aria Whitlock of the Full Moon Pack, reject you, Alpha Lucas Russo of the Shadow Fang Pack, as my mate. Please accept.”
It feels like someone just yanked the rug out from under me. I stare at her, probably looking like a dumbass. She’s glaring at me, pissed as hell, and I can’t even blame her. But I can’t do this. Not now. Not ever.
I want to tell her I’m sorry, that I miss her, that I’d fucking crawl across broken glass if it meant I could keep her. But all I manage is, “Girlfriend, what are you talkin’ about?”
Smooth, right? Real convincing. I stagger toward her, pretending to be way drunker than I actually am. Before she can bolt, I grab her and pull her into a hug.
She gasps, going stiff in my arms. “Let me go! You’re fucking drunk!”
“No… Aria… please, just stay like this,” I mumble like a damn idiot, my words all slurred and pathetic. I bury my face in her neck, taking in her scent…vanilla with a hint of lavender which somehow makes her smell even better. She’s beautiful, man. So fucking beautiful it hurts. I pull her closer, practically crushing her against me. Gosh, I’ve missed her. I want to kiss her, to taste her again, to bury my cock deep inside her until I forget how shitty life is without her.
She struggles, squirming desperately. “Lucas, let me go!”
“What the hell, Aria?! What are you doing”
Oh, great. Here comes Serena, stomping into the scene. Before I can process, she’s yanking me away from Aria like I’m some horny teenager caught making out in a janitor’s closet.
“Get off me!” I grunt, trying to hold onto Aria like my life depends on it. I’m not letting go. Nope. Not happening.
“What did you do to him?” Serena spits, glaring at Aria.
“What did I do?” Aria snaps, clearly offended. “Nothing! I came here to end things with him, and now this is happening! Don’t twist it, he’s the one refusing to let go!”
Oh, she’s mad. She’s got that fire in her eyes, and damn, it’s hot.
“You expect me to believe that, you seductress?” Serena hisses, crossing her arms.
Before Aria can rip her a new one, Beta John walks in, looking mightily pissed.
“What the fuck is going on here?” he barks, his gaze bouncing between me, Aria, and Serena like he’s trying to solve a mystery.
“It’s Aria! She got Lucas drunk and seduced him!” Serena announces, pointing at Aria.
“I DID NOT!” Aria shouts. “I came to reject him, but he’s drunk and won’t let go!”
“Come on, Lucas,” John growls, storming over quickly. He grabs the bottle of whiskey out of my hand and starts dragging me away from Aria.
I cling to her for dear life, gripping her arm like she’s the last lifeboat on the Titanic. But John’s got muscles for days, and he manages to pry me off.
“I miss you… so much, Aria!” I shout over my shoulder as they haul me away like a drunk frat boy being kicked out of a party.
By the time we get to my suite, John shoves me onto the bed like I’m a sack of potatoes.
“Lucas, what the hell was that?!” he snaps, pacing like an angry dad after catching his kid sneaking out. “You’ve lost it! You said you’d reject her, but you’ve been stalling for days. Get your shit together before your dad finds out!”
He storms out, his heavy footsteps echoing in the hallway, and I let out a long sigh of relief. Finally, some peace and quiet-
Yeah, no. Of course not.
Serena flops onto the bed beside me, all fake concern and seductive smiles. “Alpha Lucas, are you okay?” she purrs, her hand sliding onto my chest. “Do you… need me to make it better?”
Oh, for fuck’s sake.
I groan, already regretting every decision that led me here. But before I can kick her out, she climbs on top of me, rocking her hips against my cock like a fucking pro.
“Serena, what the fu-” My words get cut off when she kisses me, hard and aggressive.