She saved me?

Aria’s POV

Then heels clicked on the polished floor behind me

Selena stepped up beside Kaid like she belonged there, her lips curled into a tight, smug smile. Her gaze flicked over me, then shifted to him.

“I wasn’t aware we were letting just anyone into the gym,” she said smoothly. “Especially not an omega.”

Before Kaid could respond, Priscilla hurried forward, her expression tight with panic.

“I—I didn’t know,” she stammered, looking at Selena. “I didn’t think she was— I mean, she just showed up, and—”

Selena raised a hand, silencing her with a soft smile that didn’t reach her eyes.

“It’s alright,” she said in a tone so sweet it made my stomach twist. “Just… let’s make sure it doesn’t happen again, hmm?”

Priscilla nodded quickly, bowing her head before stepping aside.

One by one, the others began to leave the gym, the buzz of whispers and side-glances fading as they filed out like obedient little sheep.

But before I could take more than a few steps, a voice stopped me.

“Aria.”

I exhaled quietly through my nose and turned around.

Thane stood behind me, my forgotten bag in his hand.

“You forgot this,” he said.

I stared at it for a second before taking it. “Thanks.”

“You could’ve come back for it,” he said quietly. “Why didn’t you?”

I looked away. “Didn’t seem important.”

He looked like he wanted to ask more, but I didn’t give him the chance. I walked off without another word.

By the time I got back to the lab, my head was pounding. Eliza spun around in her seat the moment I entered, her face practically glowing with curiosity.

“What happened?” she asked, eyes wide. “You’ve been gone forever. What did they say?”

I dropped into my chair and pulled my goggles back down. “They were just warning me to stay away from the Apex Brothers.”

“That’s it?”

“Yeah,” I muttered, focusing on the half-labeled vials in front of me. “No big deal.”

But the pounding in my chest said otherwise.

Kaid’s POV

Everyone had cleared out of the gym by the time Selena stepped closer.

“I didn’t know you’d be here today,” she said, her voice light but laced with something sharper beneath. “You usually avoid the gym when others are around.”

I didn’t respond right away. My eyes were still fixed on the doors Aria had disappeared through. That fire in her eyes, the way she walked right up to me like she had nothing to lose… It was stupid. Reckless. But it made something in me stir.

Selena moved into my line of sight, forcing me to look at her.

“I was just passing by,” I said flatly.

She smiled. “Interesting…”

the truth was, I didn’t know what brought me here. I’d felt it—an instinct, a pull like gravity tugging at my chest. And judging by the way the others had shown up too, they’d felt it as well.

Selena tilted her head. “You know, we could—”

But I’d already turned away, done with whatever she was trying to say. I didn’t need her voice clouding the thought still echoing in my mind: Aria.

***

The sun was low, casting long golden shadows across the open field. The main training grounds were crowded, the sound of strikes and growls carrying through the air. Students sparred, ran drills, and postured like they were all auditioning to be Alphas. It was all noise.

We had our own private training ground. No one dared enter it unless invited.

I stood on the edge now, arms crossed, watching the chaos from a distance.

A few students stopped what they were doing the moment they noticed me. Whispers spread fast. My presence here was… unusual. No, more like unheard of.

“Never thought I’d see the day,” Ryker drawled as he approached, sweat glistening on his brow, a teasing smirk on his face. “You finally crawling out of your cave, Kaid?”

I didn’t answer.

He came to stand beside me, following my gaze out toward the field. “Or is it because of the lady?”

My eyes flicked toward him.

“The one who flipped you in the restroom?” I asked, voice cool.

Ryker’s grin faltered for half a second. “Tch. She got lucky.”

“I doubt it.”

He groaned dramatically. “You’re going to bring that up forever, aren’t you?”

I didn’t respond. The truth was, she’d gotten under all of our skins in some way. The fact that she had no clue… made it worse.

Ryker shrugged off the moment, stretching like this was all just a joke to him. “Doesn’t matter. She’s not different. I could make her fall for me if I wanted to.”

I glanced at him, my jaw ticking.

“She’s not special,” he went on, his grin returning. “They always burn out eventually.”

He believed it. And hell, maybe he was right.

But as I stared out across the field, watching her now, something in me twisted.

Then why doesn’t it feel that way?

Without another word, I stepped away from Ryker and walked toward the far side of the field, where a set of raised bleachers overlooked the track.

Because there she was.

Aria.

Down on the track, running with a group of Deltas and Betas. Her form was sharp, her focus unshakable. She wasn’t trying to race them—she was passing them. Effortlessly. Her stride was clean, her breath steady. And she was fast.

Too fast for an Omega.

My brows drew together as I watched her. The students around her started pushing harder, maybe out of ego, maybe pride. She didn’t slow down or glanced their way.

Like the world didn’t exist around her.

Ryker finally reached me again, following my gaze.

“Okay, that’s… unexpected,” he muttered.

I didn’t reply.

My eyes were still on her.

Then my phone buzzed in my pocket.

I pulled it out and answered, my gaze still tracking Aria’s form as she disappeared around the far curve of the track.

“Kaid,” a familiar voice greeted from the other end. “We recovered the footage from the restaurant parking lot. The one where your SUV got hit.”

I straightened slightly. “And?”

“You’re going to want to see this for yourself.”

A second later, a notification popped up on my phone screen. Video file.

I tapped it open.

The screen flickered before showing the timestamped footage. The frame was angled slightly off, but the image was clear enough. Smoke billowed from the wrecked SUV, glass and debris scattered everywhere.

Then movement. A figure darted in from the side. It was her.

Aria.

She yanked the crumpled door open like it weighed nothing, ducked inside, and pulled me out.

My thumb hovered over the screen for a beat longer before I finally locked the phone and lowered it.

She’d saved me.