Aria
“Aria, I want to publicly apologize to you,” Lucas says, his voice shaking just enough to make me wonder if he’s about to cry in front of everyone. And honestly? I wouldn’t mind if he did.
He clears his throat and continues, gripping the mic like it’s the only thing keeping him upright. “For everything I’ve put you through-because of my incompetence, my cowardice. All the hurtful things I said to you? Yeah, I didn’t mean a single damn word. I said those things because I was scared. Scared of fighting for you. Scared of losing you. Scared of…” His voice falters, and he looks down at his shoes like they have the answers he’s struggling to find.
Meanwhile, I’m standing there, trying to keep my breathing steady. My chest feels tight, like I’ve just run a marathon in heels, and I have no idea if I want to slap him or hug him. Probably both.
He looks back up at me, his eyes glistening, and holy shit, he’s really about to go there. “The reason I was afraid… of fighting for you, of bringing you into my world… It’s because of my father.” He pauses, taking a shaky breath. “He hated my mother because she was an omega. And she was his mate.”
I freeze, my stomach twisting like I’m on a rollercoaster that just dropped from 100 feet. Lucas runs a hand through his hair, his voice cracking as he continues. “All her life, he abused her. Treated her like fucking trash. Like she was nothing.”
A single tear slips down his cheek, and I swear, it’s like a punch to my chest. Seeing him like this…raw, vulnerable…it’s almost too much. My feet are itching to run to him, but I force myself to stay rooted, my arms crossed like I can shield myself from whatever’s coming next.
“At some point, my mom couldn’t take it anymore,” he whispers. “She wanted to escape. Go far away. And your mom… your mom, Aria, she helped her. She and your dad-” His voice cracks, and he has to pause, squeezing his eyes shut for a second before looking at me again. “Your parents weren’t traitors. They were good people. They were the only ones who stood by my mother in the Shadow Pang pack. But because they helped her, they paid the price.”
I’m trembling now, my nails digging into my palms so hard it hurts. My parents. The ones I’ve spent my whole life hating. They weren’t just innocent…they were heroes.
“When they escaped to the Full Moon pack,” Lucas says, his voice breaking again, “my father asked Alpha Stevens to kill them. And he had my mother dragged back to the Shadow Pang pack to punish her.” He swallows hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he fights to keep his voice steady. “Because of my father… you lost your parents. And I’m so fucking sorry, Aria. For all of it.”
My legs feel like jelly, and I have to grab the back of a chair to keep myself upright. The tears come, hot and relentless, and I don’t even bother wiping them away. All these years, my parents were branded as traitors, and I was treated like dirt because of it. And it was all because of his father.
“My mom suffered for the rest of her life,” Lucas says, his voice heavy with guilt. “She died heartbroken, worn down from years of abuse…physically, mentally, emotionally. And my father… he drilled it into me, that this is what would happen if I ever brought an omega into my life.”
He steps off the stage, walking toward me slowly, like I’m some fragile thing that might shatter if he moves too fast. “But I see it now, Aria,” he says. “I see how wrong I was. My father doesn’t have the right to decide who I love. And you…you’re not some pawn in his twisted game. You’re everything to me.”
I stare at him, my chest rising and falling as I try to process everything he’s just said. Lucas stops in front of me, holding out his hand. “I was a coward,” he says softly. “I should’ve fought for you. I should’ve stood up to him. And I’m sorry. I don’t deserve you, but I swear I’ll spend the rest of my life proving that I can be better. Please, Aria… will you forgive me? Will you let me love you?”
The world seems to stop, and all I can hear is the pounding of my heart. I look at his hand, then into his eyes, and for the first time, I see him…really see him. He’s not perfect. Hell, he’s probably the farthest thing from perfect. But he’s trying. And maybe that’s enough.
“Yes,” I whisper, my voice cracking. “Yes, I forgive you.”
Before I can say anything else, Lucas flings the mic, and then pulls me into his arms, holding me like I’m the only thing keeping him grounded.
“I love you, Aria Whitlock,” he murmurs.
Those words. Those fucking words. My heart feels like it’s about to burst, and before I can even respond, he kisses me.
And oh my goddess, it’s like every rom-com cliche rolled into one. Fireworks literally explode in the sky above us, and the crowd bursts into cheers. It’s cheesy as hell, but I don’t care. My whole body feels like it’s on fire, and for once, I’m not scared of the flames.
When we finally pull away, I’m breathless, my cheeks flushed, and Lucas is grinning like a damn idiot.
“Happy New Year girlfriend,” he says, brushing a strand of hair out of my face.
“Happy New Year, boyfriend,” I reply, and just like that, the tightness in my chest is gone. For the first time in forever, I feel free. Even though the fight is far from over.