AriaI followed Alpha Jackson into his office. I should be happy with the way things turned out, but a heavy burden made my stomach ache and a knot in my throat threatened to leave me breathless.“Aria, why are you like this? It’s what you wanted, isn’t it? I mean, to become Daniel’s Luna. And now that his father has given you what you wanted, you seem troubled and unwilling to marry Daniel,” Tania commented.“It’s not how I wanted things to happen, Tania. I wanted Daniel to fall for me, not marry me because his father blackmailed him. That would only make things worse between us,” I confessed my worries to my wolf.“Aria, I want to apologise for my manners back there, but what I told Daniel is valid. I will not have him humiliate you like that. Marrying you will be a good way for him to redeem himself for his lousy behaviour,” Daniel’s father announced.“Alpha Jackson, don’t you think forcing your son to marry me will make Alpha Daniel hate me more? I am grateful for your support, but

　　Daniel　　I followed Aria and realised she was heading to the forest. What she’d said really got to me for some reason, and I needed an explanation from her. Did she have anyone else in mind? Was she in love with somebody else?　　“Why is it bothering you, Daniel? You said you have no feelings for Aria. And the wedding your father is forcing you into is like a punishment to you. So what if she is interested in someone else?” Cole mocked me.　　“Not now, Cole. You chose the wrong time to bicker with me. I need to clear things up with Aria. I won’t tolerate anything that will insult me during our marriage. She has a lot of explaining to do.” I told my wolf and put my walls up.　　I took my time as I didn’t want Aria to know I was following her. I was curious to see where she was heading to let some steam off. It surprised me when Lea pulled Aria behind some bushes. Why on earth was she there? I had clearly instructed her to stay in her room and avoid antagonising my father any further. She

　　Aria　　“What are you doing?” I mind-linked Daniel, my eyes wide with surprise as he got closer and closer.　　“Giving my father what he wants, a spectacular show,” he replied, his eyes not leaving mine, a devilish smile on his face. He wrapped his arms around me, unexpectedly pulling me closer and my body trembled at his touch. His fingers burned my back. I felt the same rush of helplessness, the sinking yielding, the surging tide of warmth that left me limp, unable to resist his touch. Daniel’s hot breath tickled my skin as he kissed me, softly at first, watching my surprised look with a playful expression. 　　I held onto his shirt with stiff fingers, my face blushing and my breath heavy and unstable. My gesture had turned Daniel on. I felt his hard member poking my lower abdomen and I held my breath. Daniel deepened the kiss, his insistent mouth parting my lips, sending waves of pleasure through my shaking body. I had to cling to him to stabilise myself. And while Daniel continued k

　　Daniel　　Aria’s question left me speechless. I stared at her, unable to find an answer.　　“Now that we’ve agreed, I will go downstairs. My friends are waiting for me so we can go home,” she emphasised the word friends and walked out of the bathroom and my bedroom, not looking back.　　“You provoked her, Daniel. What if she sees Darius differently now that you told her he has feelings for her?” Cole’s words were like a punch in the gut.　　I needed fresh air to clear my thoughts so I walked out onto the balcony. I looked down and saw Aria leaving the packhouse with Ella and Darius. She seemed happy. Darius said something to her and she burst into laughter. Her laughter was like music to my ears. Why hadn’t I heard it before? It hit me; whenever Aria was around, I made her cry. I had never once even received a genuine smile.　　“Because, like the jerk you have become, you always look for ways to make her sad, Daniel. You are so afraid of your true feelings that you snap at her at every op

　　Aria　　My father’s question surprised me. How did he know? I couldn't reply to that, even if the person who asked me was my father. He was just Beta Jason to me now, Alpha Jackson’s most trusted man. He would not keep my secret to himself.　　I kept silent and my father looked at me intensely. 　　“Sorry, Aria. I shouldn’t have asked. Please keep in mind that if you ever need anything, Gloria and I will be there for you. That reminds me; my mate asked me to invite you to our house tomorrow. She wants to see you.” He smiled at me and turned to leave.　　“Thank you, Beta. You can tell your mate that I will come after practice,” I replied and he nodded.　　When my father left, I sat on the sofa thinking about his last words. What was I supposed to do now that my father suspected my feelings for Daniel? I needed to be very careful from then on. My father said he liked me but he was still the Beta and the Alpha’s best friend. To him, I was the Omega girl who climbed the ranks and would become