ARIAI tried to fight, but he easily pinned my wrists to the cold ground. "Stupid bitch," he snarled, his breath hot and foul against my face. "You shouldn't have made this easy for me." Eaโeasy? Panic clawed up my throat. His words meant one thing aloneโhe had expected my plan. He knew Iโd try to run away. My chest heaved. Shit! I struggled, but his grip only tightened, his knee pressing against my thigh. "Alpha Darius wonโt even know the goods have beenโฆ damaged," he whispered darkly. Then a sick grin curled his lips. "As long as I don't leave marks on your bodyโฆโ I thrashed harder, but it was useless. He was too strong. He leaned closer, brushing his oily nose against my neck. I snapped my head to the side in utter disgust. That was a mistake. Because he suddenly stilled. "Hmโฆ" He hummed, flaring his nostrils. His lips parted slightly as he inhaled deeply. Oh no. A slow groan rumbled from his throat. "You smellโฆ so good," he slurred, something rabid in his toneโlike a starv
ARIANot without catching a glimpse of his expression before it shut completely. That was for yesterday's embarrassment. I could see the cloud of smoke over his head. Meanwhile, Aaron set his bag down, already moving toward me to check my injuries, but the cool guyโs eyes never left me. His gaze was unsettling. Not threatening, but sharp, like he was studying something far more complex than just a beaten-up omega. It made me a little nervous. Then, just as Aaron started fussing over me, the cool guy finally spoke. โLucian.โ His voice was calm yet firm. โWe need to talk.โ My spine straightened. Lucian wasโฆ in here? I turned sharplyโonly to find him standing in the doorway, arms crossed, leaning casually against the frame like he owned the damn place. I scowled. โYouโโ Lucian grinned. โMiss me?โ I did not miss him. Not even a little. Aaron was already by my side, his medical bag open, hands moving efficiently as he reached for supplies. But I wasnโt looking at him. My gaze had be
ARIAI just smiled, amused at his reaction but not entirely relaxed yet. To be honest, I couldnโt stop replaying Tobiasโs reaction in my head. I tilted my head slightly. โWho was that guy?โ Aaron blinked. โWho?โ โThe guy with gray eyes,โ I clarified. โThe one who nearly choked on his own breath before dragging Lucian away.โ Aaron raised an eyebrow. โWhat?โ A sigh escaped my lips. I wasn't trying to be funnyโthat was the only way I could describe him. โThe guyโฆโ โOh.โ Aaronโs glare softened. He shrugged, already reaching for a bottle of antiseptic. โThatโs Tobias Hale, Beta of the Bloodfang Pack and Lucianโs best friend.โ He paused. โThe last partโs important, but donโt tell anyone I said that.โ I raised a brow. โWhy?โ Aaron just shook his head dramatically. โYou didnโt hear it from me.โ Oh. I couldnโt help itโthe thought of grumpy, brooding, permanently irritated Lucian having a best friendโone who seemed capable of panicking, no lessโwas ridiculous. The guy looked like he h
LUCIAN โDid you see the mark?โ I stayed silent. Tobiasโs nostrils flared. โDid. You. See. The. Mark?โ My jaw clenched. Tobias cursed under his breath, stepping back like I had physically struck him. He turned his gaze to the ceiling, breathing heavily. โShit. Fuck. We are so screwed.โ I flexed my fingers, keeping my expression neutral. โNot necessarily.โ Tobias frowned. โNot necessarily?โ He pointed toward the door. โLucian, that girlโฆ your prisoner, the one you so conveniently refuse to let goโisnโt just some rogue. Sheโsโโ โI know.โ Tobias froze, his anger twisting into curiosity. โThen what the hell are you planning to do?โ I didnโt answer. Because, for the first time in my lifeโฆ I didnโt fucking know. ________________Tobias was losing his mind. He ran a hand through his already disheveled hair, pacing in frantic strides. His boots thudded against the stone floor of the hallway as he muttered more curses under his breath.Every few steps, he would stop, clen
ARIAAaronโs eyes were still locked on the doorway behind me. Dread crawled up my spine. Slowly, I turned.Oh, shit.Lucian stood there, just inside the room. His expression was unreadable, his eyes dark and unblinking. Whโwhen did he get in here? Why were his footsteps so light?Tobias was right behind him, frozen as the realization sank in. His face darkened. โYou fucking bitchโฆโLucian raised a hand to his lips, silencing him. โDid you reject him?โ he asked me. His voice was different. It wasnโt the usual gruffness or dry irritation. This time, there was something hollow underneathโjudging, accusingโฆwhy did I feel disappointed? I gripped the edge of the bed. I didnโt want to answer.I didnโt want to hear myself say it.Lucianโs gaze never wavered. โAria.โI swallowed, forcing myself to meet his eyes. Then, in the calmest voice I could manage, I said, โGet out.โAaronโs head snapped toward me. โWhat?โI didnโt look at him. I didnโt look at anyone but Lucian.Tobias snarled. โWhat th
LUCIANMy knuckles ached from the repeated impact. The bastardโs face was barely recognizableโswollen, bloodied, and twisted in a sickening formโฆ yet he was still laughing. He was a fool.โJust kill me already.โ His grin widened, and a trickle of blood slipped down his chin. โWhy does it matter? Youโre going to kill me anyway.โ I tightened my grip. โYou still have a chance to die quickly.โ The man coughed, spitting more blood onto the cold floor. โQuickly? You must be going soft, Alpha.โ His chuckle was hoarse, and his breath reeked of iron. โIโll say this muchโI did what I did because I could. Because someone let me.โ His swollen eyes gleamed. โBut you already know that, donโt you?โ My jaw tensed. Maren. But before I could ask if she was the one, the door behind me creaked open. Tobias stepped in, his expression blank, but I knew him too well. His eyes were narrowed on the man. He had been listening. โAre we done playing?โ Tobias drawled, shoving his hands into his pockets. โOr
LUCIAN Let their voices be the bitter soundtrack to his impending doom. โAlphโฆโ The man tried to speak, but his voice broke, cracking under the weight of fear. "Iโฆ I couldnโt help itโฆ It wasnโt supposed to go this far." He stammered, shaking. "I needed the moneyโฆ My daughterโs school fees, Alphaโฆ I overheard some merchants talking about a bounty on a girlโs head." Oh. Where was the man who spited my authority? I jerked my head towards his family in warning. โContinue.โ His voice shook, and his eyes filled with desperation. "I stole the poster from the merchants... I thoughtโฆ I thought I could make some money off another pack. But when I saw her pictureโฆ" He gulped, trying to catch his breath. "She looked just like her. And they said she was a rogue, that she could penetrate packs and kill thousands. IโI thought I had no choice." โWho the fuck is โthey?โโ โThe merchantโฆโ โYou are lying.โ I didnโt let his words sink in immediately. I was still watching his mateโs h
LUCIAN I released a slow breath, forcing my fists to unclench. Now, it wasnโt exhilarating. Now, it feltโฆ empty. The rage that once fueled me now left me drained. The fear in their eyes no longer thrilled meโit exhausted me. I had built this new Bloodfang Pack to be different, to be more than what it once was. But moments like this, when my control slipped, I realized how close I still was to becoming that same monster again. I had promised myself I wouldnโt go back. Tonight, I had come dangerously close. โHm.โ Tobias hummed beside me, his gray eyes studying me. He had seen it too. The hesitation. โLost in thought, Alpha?โ he mused, tilting his head. I shot him a dry glare, but he only chuckled. โYou hesitated,โ he noted. โThatโs not like you.โ I ran a hand down my face. โShut up, Tobias.โ His smirk widened, but he didnโt push further. He had always known how far to go before I snapped. I glanced at the door where Aaron had taken the man awa
ARIAOf course, I felt it. That unbearable warmth whenever he was near. The way his scent clouded my thoughts. The way my body responded, even when my mind screamed at me to resist.It was always the same with Killian, Darius, Rowan, and Lucianโonly worse. But I couldnโt trust it. I couldnโt trust any of them. Only my wolf could tell me what was real.And she wasnโt here.My silence seemed to please Killian.โYou donโt have to admit it,โ he murmured, his fingers brushing against my wrist againโa featherlight touch that sent a shiver down my spine. โIt doesnโt matter.โThat snapped me out of it. Having a wolf matters!While others were naming their wolves, I was busy searching for mine. While others were shifting for the first time, I was being called a freakโborn with unique physical traits but no wolf, no special abilities to back them up.People whispered that I was a true descendant of some rare wolves from the far north. But there was no proof.No parents. No wolf.No fucking noth
ARIABut to my disappointment, he was already lowering himself back to the floor. He wasnโt going to fightโฆFight for what exactly? Me?I shook my head. Snap out of it, Aria. My gaze fell to my handsโwhere Killian was still holding me. His grip didnโt loosen, his fingers wrapped around my wrist like iron bands. The heat of his skin pressed against mine, grounding me in reality. This wasnโt some dream I could wake up from.Killian was right here, waiting for me to accept him. But as my eyes flickered back to Lucianโhis slumped posture, the bruises forming along his jaw, the weakness in his gaze...I felt trapped. I had spent too much time being dragged around, claimed, ordered. And now, seeing Lucianโs defeated expression, seeing Killian loom over me with that arrogant smirk, fury boiled inside me.Aria was about to do what no one else had dared.Aria was about to tell Killian, an Alphaโฆ off.With a sharp yank, I tore my wrist free from Killianโs grasp. Okay, I hadnโt planned that. The
ARIAAs for TobiasโฆOne second, he was down the hall. The next, he was standing between them, a low, warning growl vibrating through his chest as he squared up to Killian.โStep back,โ Tobias ordered. โNow.โWith all the dominant pheromones in the air, I could only stay still. It was overwhelming. My head dangled as their scents made me dizzy. Unfortunately, Killian didnโt move. His gaze flickered to me for half a secondโjust long enough for my stomach to flipโbefore locking back onto Lucian. Of course, he couldnโt bear to be ordered by a Beta. But Tobias was no ordinary Beta. Maren had told me he trained hard. Funnily, not every trained Beta was chosen.But Tobias was chosen. That alone spoke volumes of his dominance.โYou laid hands on Lucian,โ Tobias snapped, baring his teeth now. โYou donโt get to do that in his own pack.โI sneaked a glance at Lucianโwho was still out on the floor, eyes unfocused, breathing heavily. Oh shit. He looked the most miserable today. I raised a leg, but
Ariaโs POV I wasnโt sure what I had expected when I opened the door. But it sure as hell wasnโt this. Lucian stood before me, his bare chest rising and falling with shaky breaths with sweat trapped to his skin. His muscles were tense as if he had just fought off somethingโ someone. And then there were his hands. They werenโt just trembling. They were bloody. Oh my GoddessโฆFresh blood. Heโฆ โLucianโฆ?โโWhat the hell happened to you?โ Lucian blinked, his eyes unfocused, like he was still trapped in whatever nightmare had just consumed him. For a moment, he looked completely lost. I didn't like that one bit. Then, slowly, he exhaled. โItโs nothing.โ Nothing? That wasn't nothing. I narrowed my eyes. โYouโre bleeding.โ His jaw tightened. โItโs not my blood.โ โThen whose is it?โ No reply. His lips had pressed together, but he didnโt answer. A sinking feeling settled in my chest. It was obvious that something was terribly, horribly wrong. Lucian had always been col
Lucian's POVI went to bed early.But the darkness foundโsurrounding me, suffocatingโฆlike the arms of an octopus wrapping around my body, dragging me into its endless depths.I gasped for air, but my lungs found nothing.Fuckfuckfuckโฆ not again! My body trembled violently, drenched in sweat, while my hands clawed at the emptiness, desperate for somethingโanythingโto hold onto. Suddenly, a flash of light encroached the emptiness. It fluttered in and out like a dying flame, taunting me with its fucking relief before disappearing again. Then a deep and familiar voice followed.โLucian.โ The sound struck deep inside me, pulling me away from the abyss that threatened to swallow me whole. My father. โFather!โ I cried out, blindly. โIs that you?โI missed him so much. โAlbenaโs birthday is today. Why donโt we go see her?โ Albena? Albenaโฆ the name echoed in my mind. A bell tolled in the distance, ringing louder and louder until it was brighter.As bright as the sunโฆ laughter. And
ARIAThat he had somehow walked away from a brotherhood of monsters who took what they wanted and left destruction?My eyes squeezed shut. I couldnโt believe that. Not when I still remembered the feeling of being paraded like a prize in front of them. Maren must have noticed, because she quickly changed the subject. โYou know, most people donโt get kissed because they โsmell bad.โโ She made air quotes with her fingers. โThatโs gotta be a first.โ A laugh wanted to break out of me, but it got stuck somewhere in my throat. โI donโt think thatโs why he did it,โ I said quietly. Maren nodded, her tone turning softer. โNeither do I.โ We walked a little farther until we reached the edge of the stone path. The garden beyond was quiet, and getting cold in the late evening air.My thoughts were too loud, my head too full. โAria.โ Marenโs voice broke the silence again. โCan I ask you something?โ I gave her a look. โYouโre already asking.โ She smiled sheepishly, then dropped her ey
ARIAMaren knew. Oh, hell. The realization slammed into my chest as her suspicious gaze swept over me. Then her lips curled into a smirk. "Wow. It is true.โ Her nose wrinkled slightly. "You reek of him." The heat that shot up my neck burned hotter than the sun. "What?" โYou forget we are wolves honeyโฆโ She cocked her head. "Lucian. I can smell him all over you." Her amused eyes flicked to my mouth, and they sparkled. "And judging by your lips? Yeah. He definitely didn't just give you a friendly peck." Blood rushed so fast to my face, I was convinced I had turned into a walking tomato. Unfortunately, I wasn't like other wolves.I could only perceive the normal. Not the fact that I'd been fucked. "Shut up," I muttered, dragging my hand over my mouth as if I could wipe away the evidence. Maren chuckled. "No can do. You look like you just got thoroughly ruined, and Iโm dying for details." The mortification doubled. My entire body was on fire, and I wanted the ground to s
LUCIAN I could still see itโKillianโs hand on her face, his mouth on hers, the way his fingers had grabbed herโ A growl built in my throat. And before I could stop myselfโฆI grabbed her face and slammed my lips against hers. Aria gasped. I didnโt care. I didnโt kiss her like a man with patience. I didnโt kiss her like a man with control. I kissed her like a man who had been starving for too fucking long. A man who had spent years resisting the one thing he wanted more than anything. I kissed her in the most sinful way, dragging my tongue into her mouth, tasting, claiming, devouring. She shuddered. Trembled. I swallowed every fucking sound she made, my grip tightening as I tilted her head back, forcing her to take itโto take me. My body was on fire. My mind? Fucked. I wanted her. I fucking needed her. Here. Now. Against the wall, against the floor, against every goddamn surface in this room. She melted against me, soft and submissive, and I felt her hands curl
LUCIAN โIf you came all this way, Stormwood, then I assume you have something to say.โ Killian chuckled, leaning forward slightly. โOh, I do.โ His eyes flickered toward Aria again. โI came to bring her home.โ Aria sucked in a breath. And my fingers curled into fists.No. I forced my fingers to uncurl. Killian wasnโt worth losing control overโnot yet. I took a slow breath, then met his gaze with the same blank calmness I used on men who mistook my patience for weakness.โSheโs free to go.โ The words left my mouth evenly, without hesitation, and yet, the moment they did, something twisted deep in my chest.Aria paled, the blood draining from her face so quickly that for a second, I thought she might collapse. I shouldnโt have noticed. I shouldnโt have cared.But I did. And the sharp ache in my gut was the price of pretending I didnโt.Killianโs smirk widened. โWell,โ he drawled, โthatโs interesting.โI ignored him. โItโs up to her,โ I continued. โIf she wants to go with you, she