chapter four- Eyes on me

Aria’s POV

This can’t be happening? Of all people in the world to see me naked.. It had to be kieran?

My heart was hammering in my chest, and I could hardly breathe. We were too close for comfort, close enough that I could feel the heat radiating off him. My cheeks burned. Not even Marcus had ever been this close to me… not ever. And now, somehow, Kieran had managed to be in the same space, the same shower, as me.

I needed to scream. I wanted to push him away, to shout at him for being so impossibly… overwhelming. But the words caught in my throat…stuck like glue. My body betrayed me in ways I didn’t understand, responding to him even as my mind screamed stop, this is insane.

I swallowed hard, gripping the edge of the shower wall, trying to ground myself. His eyes traced the drops of water that flowed from my collar to my breasts. Our breathing began to sync and it was terrifying.. Not with him, I won’t allow it.

His eyes were sharp, unreadable, dangerous.. They were on me, and every nerve in my body seemed to spark. The warmth between us, the closeness, the tension, it was suffocating… I hated it. Hated that I felt… drawn to him.

It was evident he also felt it.. The moment he realised I knew how turned on he was… he broke the silence, shouting at the top of his lungs, “Mom! Be right out! Just… some alone time with my wife!”

My eyes went wide, my mouth opening, but no sound came out. Alone time? With his mother right outside? Panic flared, heat rising in my cheeks like wildfire. How could he come in here with his mother right outside? It’s either he has gone mad or is trying to use me… well am not surprised… after lashing out at me earlier.. I won’t be surprised if he tries to claim me.

“Okay, lovebirds… hurry! Breakfast isn’t going to wait for you!” his mom called, voice breezy and teasing.

A few seconds later,he pulled back with so much speed as though he was allergic to me.

Kieran didn’t say a word. He just gave me one last look, it was calm and steady.Then, without another sound, he left the bathroom, leaving me standing there, water running over me, heart pounding, utterly flustered.

I let out a shaky breath, pressing my arms across my chest.

I tried to remind myself: It’s just six months… six months, and then this whole ridiculous living arrangement ends. But even as I said it, I knew my words were weak. Because my thoughts kept going back to him. To the way he had looked at me, the way he had… reacted.

And I couldn’t help it…I flushed again, a tiny, reluctant smile tugging at my lips. Somehow, despite the embarrassment, despite the awkwardness, there was a strange thrill in knowing he had noticed me, really noticed me and I hated it. It terrified me..

As much as I loved being an introvert, this… this closeness, this stolen, uncomfortable, impossible moment…it made me feel seen in a way I hadn’t expected.

I bit my lip, letting the water soak my hair, and muttered under my breath, “Fate really has a sense of humor… giving me a grump instead of a prince.”

A laugh bubbled up, quiet and almost hysterical. I almost forgot about my dilemma for a second. I covered my face with my hands for a moment, trying to collect myself, but I couldn’t stop thinking; I wanted my first time of being seen like this to be perfect. Memorable. Magical. Not… this… not with a man I am slowly growing to hate.

But then, strangely, a warmth spread through me, soft and gentle, and I realized I didn’t entirely hate what had just happened. Kieran had left, yes, but the way he had looked at me lingered, like an imprint on my chest. Like maybe… maybe he didn’t think I was ridiculous at all.

Nahh.. who am I fooling? Kieran will always think less of me.. I mean to him I am nothing but a substitute.

I let out another shaky breath and leaned against the wall, finally closing my eyes. “It’s just six months,” I whispered again. Trying to convince myself.

Trying to prepare for the storm of feelings I wasn’t ready for.

I got out of the bathroom and noticed a dress was already brought out for me. It was folded neatly on the bed untouched, perfect…like Kieran expected me to simply step into it and become the woman he wants me to be.. How insulting .

Normally, I would have hovered, debating colors, second-guessing cuts, worrying if I was wearing too much… or not enough, well I guess that’s the perks of being royalty.

I should be angry, but that was something I was finding hard to do, my thoughts refused to cooperate. They kept drifting back to the bathroom…To him.

Kieran.; My alpha. The man I was quickly learning to resent, yet couldn’t escape. The memory of the heat, the closeness, the way my heart had forgotten how to behave…it all came crashing back, uninvited. Two days. Less than two days, and my emotions were already tangled. How am I supposed to survive six months like this?

I dressed slowly, mechanically, my hands moving while my mind raced. I hated how easily he unsettled me. Hated how my body reacted when my pride wanted to rebel. I pressed my lips together, steadying myself. No one expected me to come downstairs glowing. No one expected joy. I was supposed to play the role..quiet Luna, obedient wife, standing beside a man who chose duty over us.

A laugh bubbled up in my chest. Soft, but dangerous.

Fine.

If they wanted a Luna…if they wanted grace, beauty, and spectacle, I would give it to them. Not the version they expected, but mine.

I changed the dress. And stepped into one that was brighter, richer and alive with color. It was not me, but isn’t that the point,to be someone else…bold where I had once been cautious, confident where I had once shrunk. If I was going to live like royalty for the next six months, then I would do it fully. I would walk these halls like I belonged here.

I stepped out of my room with my shoulders straight and my head high.

Each step down the stairs felt deliberate. The fabric moved with me, light and free, and with every step my confidence grew. By the time my foot touched the final stair, the room had gone silent.

Every head turned. The surprise was instant…and delicious. All eyes widened. Conversations stopped mid-sentence. Even the air felt heavier. Kieran looked up, clearly unprepared, as he spilled the juice in his mouth. For a moment, his expression slipped..just enough for me to catch it. Shock. Interest. And yes… a faint, almost amused smirk before he masked it again.

Marcus didn’t bother hiding his reaction. He stared, completely taken, like the world had narrowed down to just me.

I felt it then…not embarrassment, not fear…but power.

A woman approached me, smiling broadly, her hands warm as she gently spun me around. “My dear,” she said, admiration shining in her eyes, “you look absolutely beautiful.”

I laughed softly, the sound light and real, because in that moment, I felt it. Happiness. Not loud or overwhelming…but steady. Earned. I wasn’t pretending. I wasn’t shrinking. I was choosing myself.

I lifted my chin and met Kieran’s gaze for a brief second. His eyes lingered longer this time. Let him look. Let him wonder.

I stared at the woman with a smile that took effort to hold…polite, calm, carefully measured. The kind of smile you give when everyone assumes you know exactly who you’re looking at, when in reality your mind is flipping through empty pages.

My eyes drifted to Kieran…Then to Marcus. I shot Kieran with a deadly glare sharp enough to sting. ‘I was not handed a Luna handbook, Help me. Now.’

Before I could blink, he was beside me. His arm slid around my waist like it belonged there, firm and sure, and then…before my brain could protest…his lips brushed my cheek.

Soft. Casual. Intimate. My thoughts evaporated, every single one.

For a second, the room blurred. All I could focus on was him…his warmth, his closeness, the way his touch felt far too natural. Then my gaze shifted to Marcus, who looked like he’d just watched something he wasn’t supposed to see and didn’t know where to put his eyes.

First, Kieran sees me at my most vulnerable. Now he’s holding my waist and kissing my cheek.

No…Absolutely not. Without thinking, I stepped hard on his foot. No apology. No hesitation. I didn’t care who saw it.

He didn’t even react. Instead, he leaned in slightly, voice calm, almost amused. “Babe,” he said, like this was the most normal thing in the world, “have you forgotten? I showed you my mum’s picture.”

He nodded toward the woman, and just like that, everything snapped into place.

Oh.

My face heated instantly. I turned to her, embarrassment crashing over me as I pulled her into a hug. “Oh—I’m so sorry, ma’am. I completely forgot,” I said quickly, my voice sincere.

She laughed softly and hugged me back, warm and gentle. “It’s alright, dear. I should be the one apologizing,” she said kindly. “I couldn’t make it to your wedding. His father and I had important matters to attend to.”

She pulled back slightly, studying my face. “I hope you can forgive us.”

I smiled then…really smiled. .

“Of course,” I said. “I mean… you are my parents now.”

The words surprised me as much as anyone else.

I felt Kieran’s hand tighten just a little at my waist…not possessive, not controlling…just present. And in that moment, standing there with all eyes on us, I realized something quietly terrifying. This wasn’t just an act anymore.This wasn’t just six months and a title and expectations. These were real people. Real reactions. Real feelings.

And somehow… I was right in the middle of it all. A grumpy Alpha, A selfless Beta; the man I love and… the life of a missing Luna…. Could life get any better.