Chapter Three: The Great Escape (That Failed Immediately)

Aria — POV

If there was one thing I knew for sure, it was this:

When life gets messy, run.

And after Damon Blackthorn declared me his mate in front of my entire family, “messy” didn’t even begin to cover it.

Lilith was screaming into a pillow.

My mother was crying on the floor.

My father was trying to revive her with a shoe.

Damon was staring at me like I was the last slice of cake in the universe.

Nope.

Absolutely not.

I was not doing this.

So I did the only logical thing.

I ran.

Not dramatically.

Not gracefully.

Just turned around and walked out the back door like I was going to check the mail.

“ARIA!” Lilith shrieked. “Where do you think you’re going?!”

“Away,” I called over my shoulder. “Far, far away.”

My mother screamed, “You ungrateful child!”

My father yelled, “Come back here!”

Damon growled, “Aria.”

I ignored all of them.

I marched across the backyard, climbed the fence like a feral cat, and dropped to the other side.

Freedom.

Peace.

Silence.

I took one deep breath—

And then a shadow fell over me.

I turned slowly.

Damon stood there.

Already.

Like he teleported.

His arms crossed.

His jaw tight.

His eyes dark.

“Aria.”

I blinked. “How did you get here so fast?”

“I’m an Alpha.”

“Well, I’m a girl who wants a nap. We all have our strengths.”

His nostrils flared. “You ran from me.”

“I walked,” I corrected. “Fast.”

“You ran.”

“Fine. I jogged emotionally.”

He stepped closer. “Why?”

“Because I don’t want drama,” I said. “And you? You’re a walking season finale.”

His jaw clenched. “You can’t run from the bond.”

“Watch me.”

I turned to walk away again.

He caught my wrist — gently, but firmly enough to stop me.

“Aria,” he said, voice low, “don’t test me.”

I raised a brow. “Is that a threat?”

“It’s a warning.”

“Well, here’s mine,” I said. “Let go or I bite.”

He blinked. “You bite?”

“Emotionally. Sometimes physically.”

His lips twitched like he was fighting a smile. “You’re unbelievable.”

“Thank you,” I said. “I try.”

Behind us, voices exploded.

Lilith, my mother, and half the neighborhood had gathered at the fence like it was a live show.

“There she is!”

“She’s running from the Alpha!”

“Shameless girl!”

“Ungrateful!”

“Disrespectful!”

“Embarrassing!”

I turned to them and smiled sweetly.

“Good morning, everyone. Please remember to mind your business today.”

Gasps.

Offended whispers.

Someone clutched their pearls.

Lilith pointed at me like she was calling the police. “Damon! See?! She’s rude! She’s disrespectful! She’s—”

“Honest,” I said. “Try it sometime.”

Lilith screamed.

My mother yelled, “Aria, apologize!”

“For what?” I asked. “Existing?”

“Yes!” she snapped.

I shrugged. “Sorry. Can’t help you there.”

Damon’s grip tightened slightly. “Aria, enough.”

I looked at him. “You’re angry.”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“You ran.”

“I told you,” I said. “I don’t want drama.”

“You ARE drama,” he said.

I gasped. “How dare you.”

He stepped closer, eyes burning. “You think running will make this easier?”

“Yes.”

“It won’t.”

“I can try.”

“You can’t.”

“Watch me.”

I tried to walk away again.

He pulled me back again.

The crowd gasped again.

Lilith screamed again.

My mother fainted again.

My father sighed again.

Damon leaned down, voice low and dangerous. “Aria. Stop running.”

I looked him dead in the eyes.

“No.”

His jaw flexed. “Why are you like this?”

“Because I died last night,” I said. “And when you die, you realize something important.”

His eyes sharpened. “What?”

“I don’t owe anyone anything.”

He stared at me.

Really stared.

Like he was seeing something no one else ever bothered to look for.

Then he said, quietly:

“You owe yourself peace.”

I blinked.

That… was not what I expected.

I swallowed. “Exactly. And you? You’re not peaceful.”

He smirked. “I can be.”

“No, you can’t.”

“Try me.”

I shook my head. “Damon, I don’t want to be Luna. I don’t want a mate. I don’t want a pack. I want a quiet life.”

“You won’t have one,” he said. “Not with what’s coming.”

I froze. “What’s coming?”

He hesitated.

Then he said, “You didn’t just… change, Aria. Something happened to you.”

My wolf shivered.

I stepped back. “I don’t want to talk about that.”

“You’ll have to.”

“No.”

“Yes.”

“No.”

“Yes.”

We glared at each other like two stubborn toddlers.

Behind us, Lilith screamed, “Damon! Pick me! Not her!”

He didn’t even look at her.

He looked at me.

Only me.

“Aria,” he said softly, “you can run all you want. I’ll still find you.”

I rolled my eyes. “That’s creepy.”

“It’s the bond.”

“It’s still creepy.”

He smirked. “Come back inside.”

“No.”

“Aria.”

“No.”

“Aria.”

“No.”

He sighed. “Fine.”

Then he picked me up.

Over his shoulder.

Like a sack of potatoes.

I screamed. “PUT ME DOWN!”

“No.”

“Damon!”

“No.”

“THIS IS KIDNAPPING!”

“Technically,” he said, “it’s mate retrieval.”

I kicked my legs. “I hate you!”

“You don’t.”

“I DO!”

“You don’t.”

The crowd cheered like it was a wrestling match.

Lilith fainted.

My mother screamed.

My father prayed.

And me?

I hung over Damon’s shoulder, kicking, yelling, and absolutely refusing to admit the truth:

I didn’t hate him.

I hated the chaos.

But Damon?

He was the chaos.

And somehow…

I was starting to think I might survive it.

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