Here you go, lovelies. Confrontation with Oliver up next.
ARIA.I was beginning to see a different side of the Alpha that had been fated to me. He was much more than the arrogant man that I’d originally thought him to be like. Although, he hadn't given me much of a reason to believe otherwise in the beginning. Not until Samuel showed up at least.Perhaps, I should be grateful to Sam-hole simply because it tore down the curtains that Dane and I hid behind. It then allowed us to take a deeper look into our particular situation, the mate-ship that we found ourselves in and the elements that surrounded it. This forced us to address emotions that we had kept under lock and key for far too long.My chest tightened as I studied him, my heart warring between the fear of being hurt again and the desperate longing to believe he could change. The scars that he etched into me still ached, reminders of the power he held over me, the way he could shatter me with a single word, a single glance.Was I brave enough to give him that opportunity, while not kno
DANE.My phone buzzed insistently from my pocket, its shrill ring cutting through the conversation that I was having with Aria.I glanced at the screen, brows furrowing at the name. Euphoria. A place that had been my sanctuary, my pride, once upon a time, but it felt different now because of what happened the last time that I was there.“Everything okay?” Aria asked, her voice soft but alert.My gaze flicked to her. The call was urgent – I could tell by Darius’ voice. There was apparently an altercation that took place, involving a big-name socialite who was demanding to talk to the owner. Oliver Rothchild was the youngest billionaire of our generation. All of it was generational wealth instead of earned by his own merit. He was the heir to a luxury car company on his mother's side. His father was also a prominent lawyer who had a reputation for being an undefeated shark. Him though? He was an arrogant dickhead who believed he was the top of the food chain when he really wasn’t.But
ARIA.“Have you seen Gambit?” I asked Adam.His body’s jerked, shoulders snapping upward. The tomato that he’d been about to slice went flying. It arced through the air, a blur of red, before smashing against the wall with a splat. Juice and seeds slid down the wall that was no longer a pristine white.“Goddess! What the fuck?” he growled as he turned around, glaring at me.The look on his face was absolutely priceless. I doubled over, laughter spilling out of me. He was the type who wasn’t used to being startled, his instincts and reflexes honed from years of warrior training. Apparently tomatoes were the kryptonite of those lessons from warrior training.“Goddess. Your face!”He exhaled sharply through his nose. A hand pressed flat against the counter, fingers splayed, as if grounding himself. The flush that crept up his neck was immediate, but he schooled his expression into something close to indifferent.“I wasn’t startled,” he muttered. “Just…reflexes.”“Mhm,” I drawled. “That’s
DANE. It was safe to say that people were surprised when they saw what I was wearing because, as Aria lovingly pointed out, I normally dressed like a 40-year-old CEO.You must always present yourself as a competent Alpha. That was a lesson that I had learned over the years. In the beginning, I was constantly scrutinized by other Alphas. They were like sharks that circled, searching for any hint of weakness that could be exploited. I did whatever I could so that I wouldn’t give them any.I quickly learned how to become a shark myself. One that could, and would, protect their pack no matter the cost.Aria also wore a different clothing style when she came to breakfast. It was a style that I certainly approved of. Black jeans were paired with an off-shoulder dark red top that cinched her waist. It was sexy as fuck and highlighted her delicious curves that had been pinned up against me earlier.Oh, I approved. I definitely approved of her clothing choice. And she definitely approved of m
DANE.Fury had lit through me like wildfire when I overheard Kelly and her goons spewing bullshit about Aria. It was destructive. Chaotic. Unapologetic in its response of someone going after her even if merely verbal.I fucked up in the beginning, and I'd spend the rest of my days attempting to right it even if I turned out to be irredeemable in the end.If anyone had something to atone for, then it was me.Some might think that it was too harsh of a punishment that I laid out for those three, but anyone who held that inconsequential opinion could fuck right off. I'd uphold what I said until I was no longer Alpha of Shadow Vale.Something that Jericho promised Thea resonated with me. He wouldn't let anyone hurt them again. It made me realize that I needed to put my mate first. Before me. Before this pack. Before anything else.I was still fuming as I relayed everything to Finch, wanting him to be aware of the situation and what was communicated to the women. He was rightfully pissed o
ARIA.I didn’t sleep well after I got in last night because my head was filled with thoughts, making me feel like I was drowning in confusion. So much has changed in such a short period of time. A part of me even wondered if perhaps I’d just gone crazy or something. It wouldn’t be a completely unreasonable thought.Mom had been set up by my father. That was the least surprising part of everything. I wasn’t certain what all she had gone through, but I knew that it had to have been hell on her to stay away from us. Samuel, who was some weird mastermind and my mate’s brother, had also set Mom up.Then fast-forward through all of the other craziness that has occurred, which brought us to today.How in the hell was I supposed to process everything while also navigating the precarious balancing act of keeping the pack united during uncertain, and potentially dangerous, times?I was pulling my hair into a ponytail when I heard Piper’s little giggles that always brought a smile to my face.Mo