Chapter 33
Aria
The rink is buzzing with energy when I arrive. Relief washes over me… I haven’t missed Lucas’s game.
“Look who decided to show up,” a familiar voice sneers.
I turn to see Vanessa’s minion pointing at me, her smirk full of malice.
Vanessa strides over, her perfectly manicured nails tapping against her crossed arms. “You must have lost your mind, Aria,” she sneers. “What the fuck are you doing here?”
I hold my ground, even though my knees are shaking like jelly. “I earned my spot on this team, Vanessa,” I snap. “There’s nothing you can do about it.”
Oh, she doesn’t like that. Her nostrils flare like she’s about to breathe fire. But before she can roast me alive, a voice calls out behind me.
“Aria, you doing okay there?”
I spin around, and there he is. Lucas. Shirtless Lucas is great. Wet, towel–clad Lucas is better. But Lucas in his fucking hockey gear? Let’s just say my heart does a triple axel. He’s panting, sweat glistening on his forehead, his gray eyes softening just a fraction when he looks at me.
“Y–yeah,” I stutter, trying not to sound like a total loser. “I’m fine.”
His gaze shifts to Vanessa, and instantly, those soft eyes harden into steel. “Any problem, just call me,” he says before skating back onto the ice.
And just like that, Vanessa’s fury doubles. “You’re going to regret this,” she hisses. “When we’re back at the pack, you’ll wish you’d listened to me.”
But guess what? I don’t care. For once, I’m not running away. I grab a pom–pom and start cheering for Shadow Pang Pack like my life depends on it.
Vanessa’s fuming. “Why the hell are you cheering for them? That’s not even our team!”
I ignore her. She can rant all she wants. My focus is on Lucas, skating across the rink like he owns it. He’s a machine, slicing- through the opposing team’s defense, but something’s off. I can hear the whispers from the crowd.
“Alpha Lucas is struggling today.”
“Shadow Pang’s not gonna win this one.”
And that’s when it happens.
The puck slides towards Lucas. He’s at the edge of the rink, his body taut with concentration. The clock’s ticking down…ten seconds left. Nine. Eight. The other team’s goalie is ready, eyes locked on Lucas.
Seven. Six.
Lucas lifts his stick, his body angling perfectly. He shoots. The puck soars through the air, and for a split second, everything
feels like it’s in slow motion.
Five. Four.
The puck slams into the net. The red light flashes. GOAL!
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10.40 Mon, 14 API
Chapter 33
The crowd explodes into cheers, and I lose it. I jump up and down, waving my pom–poms like an idiot
And then Ethan’s voice cuts through the noise like a cold wind. “What the fuck are you doing. Aría?”
4季 52%箱
I turn to face him, my happiness evaporating. He’s glaring at me, his jaw clenched tight. “Have you forgotten which pack you belong to?”
“He’s my boyfriend,” I say, the words flying out before I can think them through.
Ethan laughs.“Boyfriend? Have you forgotten what I told you last night?”
I don’t say anything. I just glare at him, my fists clenched.
“And if you wanted to cheer so bad,” he continues, stepping closer, “you should’ve waited for me. You-”
“What’s going on here?”
Lucas. He’s by my side in an instant, his arm slipping around my waist like it’s the most natural thing in the world.
“Is he bothering you?” Lucas asks firmly.
“Why don’t you tell him, Aria? Am I bothering you?”
Ethan’s smug face makes me want to scream. But then an idea hits me…a stupid, reckless idea. If everyone’s going to think I’m a troublemaker anyway, I might as well lean into it.
sap my arms around his neck, the picture of confidence. “No… we were just talking
and I turn to Lucas with a bright smile about how well you played.” My voice is sweet, deliberate. For good measure, I let my body press against his, soft and teasing.
Everyone thinks they can push me around, but that ends now. It’s time I step up my game.
Lucas swallows hard, and I catch the way his Adam’s apple bobs. “I thought you wouldn’t come,” he says, his voice low, almost uncertain.
I tilt my head, letting my smirk grow. “I wouldn’t have missed it for the world.”
The look on his face…stunned, unsure, makes my smirk deepen. Oh, he thinks he’s the only one who can play this game? I’ll show him otherwise.
Without giving myself time to second–guess, I rise onto my tiptoes and press my lips against his, slow and deliberate.
What the hell am I doing? The thought flashes in my mind like a warning bell. Especially with Ethan standing right there, his glare burning into the side of my head. But I don’t stop. I can’t.
Because for the first time in forever, I feel like I’m the one in control.
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