Chapter 10
Aria
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I swear, the moment Lucas fucking tells me to sit down, I forget how to breathe. It’s not like he hasn’t bossed me around before, but this? This feels different. His eyes flash gold…actual gold, before shifting back to their usual gray. I can see it..he’s wrestling with his wolf.
“I said, sit the fuck down.”
I don’t think twice. I drop into the chair next to him, my heart pounding. Lucas looks pissed, and trust me, no one wants to see him go full Alpha mode. I sure as hell don’t want to be the target.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing, Lucas?” Ethan sneers, leaning forward. “Have you forgotten how we roll? We don’t let just anyone sit here.”
Anyone? Really? My blood boils, but before I can throw out a snarky comeback, Lucas beats r .it.
“And who says she’s just anyone?” His voice is colder than a January morning, and I shiver despite myself. “Didn’t I make it clear last night? Aria is my girlfriend.”
Girlfriend. The word hangs in the air, and I swear, you could hear a pin drop on this goddamn ship.
Vanessa’s scoff cuts through the tension. “Please. You change girlfriends like underwear, Alpha Lucas.”
Oh, she’s got jokes.
Lucas doesn’t even blink. “She isn’t like the rest.” He pauses for dramatic effect. “She’s my fated mate.”
Boom. There it is. The bomb drops, and the whole table falls silent. Hell, the whole room feels like it’s frozen. I almost laugh at the look on Ethan’s face–pure rage mixed with a nice dash of oh shit, I fucked up.
“That’s impossible,” Ethan finally spit with anger. “Someone like Aria, your mate? You expect us to believe that bullshit?”
Lucas smirks, but there’s no humor in it. “Weren’t you her mate first, Ethan? But you rejected her, treated her like trash. Lucky for me, I’m not a piece of shit like you. I’ll treat her like the queen
she is.”
I try not to let my jaw drop, but holy hell. Ethan’s face twists in anger, and Vanessa looks like she just swallowed a lemon. It’s glorious. If only Lucas meant a damn word of it. Still, I’m gonna milk this moment for all it’s worth.
Ethan looks around the table, desperate for backup. “Are y’all seriously okay with this? A fucking omega sitting here with
us?”
The hesitation from the others makes my smirk widen. Oh, they’re fucking scared. No one wants to cross Lucas.
Lucas cuts in smoothly. “Anyway, Aria’s my girlfriend, and you’re all gonna treat her as such. If I catch anyone disrespecting her…” He lets the threat hang, but it’s clear as day.
“Yes, Alpha Lucas,” the others mumble.
I blink at him, stunned. Gone is the cocky, playful Lucas. This is the future Alpha of Shadow Fang Pack, the largest, richest, and most badass pack in the country. Damn.
Thankfully, everyone is minding their own business now–except Ethan, who looks like he’s one glare away from setting me on fire with his eyes. Seriously, what the hell is his problem? Hasn’t he done enough to ruin my life? Why does he act like my existence is his personal insult?
Before I can spiral further into my Ethan–related grievances, a voice cuts through the chatter.
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16.30 Mon, 14 Apr
Chapter 10
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“Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the annual New Year’s cruise ship tour hosted by Crescent Wolves Academy”
Everyone turns to look as Coach John takes center stage. He’s our school’s coach and also the beta of Lucas’s pack
Coach John launches into his speech. “On this wonderful tour, we’ll have all kinds of fun activities: hockey games, talent competitions, a Christmas–themed scavenger hunt, dinner parties, tours, and even a ‘find your mate‘ game for all you mate- less wolves out there.”
The crowd bursts out laughing, except for Ethan and Vanessa, who are still shooting me synchronized death glares like they’re trying to win some sort of “Most Bitter” award. If that’s a contest, they’re crushing it.
Lucas, because he seems to have a sixth sense for my discomfort–or maybe just a flair for theatrics–wraps an arm around my shoulders and pulls me closer. The gasp from the crowd is loud enough to echo over the waves.
“For the hockey games,” Coach John continues, either oblivious to the drama or just ignoring it, “we’ll be competing by pack. not school. The winning pack will be crowned the King of Hockey.” He pauses for a moment. “We’ve already selected the captains: Lucas of the Shadow Fang Pack.”
The crowd goes wild, cheering like Lucas just walked out of a fashion runway. He smirks, of course, because being adored is basically his birthright.
“Ethan of the Full Moon Pack,” Coach John adds. The applause is…polite. Barely. Ethan looks like he wants to throttle someone. Preferably Lucas.
“Greg of the Red Moon Pack,” Coach continues, but I’ve already zoned out. My focus is entirely on the fact that every pair of eyes seems to be glued to me and Lucas. Probably because he’s got his arm draped around me like we’re the new royal couple.
His scent..this intoxicating mix of cedar and spice wraps around me, and my brain freezes. Meanwhile, he’s smirking like he knows exactly what he’s doing to me.
“Here.” Lucas’s voice pulls me out of my thoughts. He’s holding a spoonful of ice cream up to my lips. I blink at him.
“What the fuck are you doing?” I hiss under my breath.
“Open up, girlfriend,” he says through gritted teeth, pasting on a fake smile so wide it’s almost scary.
I hesitate, but his gaze is intense enough to make me comply. I open my mouth and let him feed me the damn ice cream.
“So cute,” he murmurs, wiping a stray bit from the corner of my lips with the back of his hand. The way he’s looking at me..intense, like I’m the only person here makes my heart flutter. And don’t even get me started on his insanely perfect face. It’s not fair.
“Want me to feed you some cake too, girlfriend?” he says loudly, making sure half the room hears.
I want to crawl under the table, but the sour look on Ethan’s face convinces me to play along. “Sure,” 1 force a smile.
He cuts a piece of cake and feeds it to me like we’re in a cheesy rom–com movie. “It’s delicious,” I nod, licking my lips a little
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