All Chapters of Alpha, Let's End This Bond!: Chapter 91 - Chapter 100

LUCAI shifted on the floor, the movement eliciting a plastic-sounding crinkle that grated on my nerves. This bedding was an insult to the senses."Gosh, this stuff is disgusting," I muttered, rubbing the edge of the blanket between my thumb and forefinger. It felt like recycled water bottles and chemical runoff. "It smells like a warehouse in the middle of an industrial park. How can you breathe in here?"Aria didn't even open her eyes. She just pulled the scratchy fabric higher. "It’s called a supermarket, Luca. Not everyone has silk woven by mountain nymphs. If the ‘crude’ environment is too much for your royal palate, the door is right there. The mansion is five hours south. Shoo."I narrowed my eyes at the back of her head. "I'm not leaving you in a shack with a man who thinks polyester is a lifestyle choice."I looked around the room. The air was frigid, the wood was rotting, and the shadows were deep. It was a far cry from the marble and heated floors of our home.Every time a

ARIAThe silence that followed the storm was worse than the noise.Luca was still draped over me, his weight heavy and warm, but the air felt thin. The adrenaline that had fueled my defiance was gone, replaced by a cold, hollow realization of what had just happened.He’d used me. He’d used my body and my voice to humiliate a friend, to mark a territory that didn't need marking.I felt a sob hitch in my throat—not a quiet one. It was a jagged, ugly sound."Get off," I whispered, my voice thick.Luca pulled back slightly, his eyes still shimmering with that dark, post-intimacy satisfaction. "Aria—"I didn't let him finish. I swung.The sound of my palm hitting his cheek echoed through the silent house, sharp enough to make the dust motes fly off.My hand stung, the vibration traveling all the way to my elbow.Luca’s head snapped to the side. He didn't growl. He didn't even look angry. He slowly turned his face back to me, a small, dark smirk playing on his lips.He reached up, thumbing

ARIAThe morning air in Oakhaven was crisp, but it felt like breathing shards of glass.After the "spicy noodle incident," the kitchen had become a cold storage of unspoken threats.Luca sat there, his lips still a faint, punished red, nursing a glass of water like it was a lifeline.I was busy stuffing my few belongings into my bag, desperate to get out before the walls of my childhood home finally collapsed under the weight of these two men."I'm heading out," Brandon said, breaking the heavy silence.He stood by the back door, the early sun catching the gold in his eyes. He looked at me, as if for a second, the Alpha in the room didn't exist. "Aria, take care of yourself. Seriously. If things get... heavy, you know where I am. You aren’t alone in this, no matter what some people want you to think."I felt a lump in my throat. "Thanks, Brandon. For everything. For the ride, the noodles... the talk.""Anytime," he whispered."Touching," Luca’s voice drawled from the table, dripping w

ARIAThe interior of the SUV felt like a vacuum. No sound, no air, just the crushing pressure of Luca’s presence in the driver’s seat.I didn't want to look at him. I didn't even want to breathe the same recycled oxygen.I leaned my head against the window, watching the jagged mountain pines blur into a messy green streak.My reflection in the glass looked like a stranger with pale face, messy hair, and eyes that looked like they’d seen a ghost. Which, I guess, they had."Aria."His voice was a low rumble, testing the waters. I didn't move. I squeezed my eyes shut, pretending the vibration of the tires on the asphalt was the only thing I could feel."I know you’re not asleep," he muttered. I heard his fingers drum against the leather-wrapped steering wheel. Thump. Thump. Thump. Like a ticking clock. "Your heart rate is too fast. You’re wound up like a spring."I stayed silent, like a statue.If I didn't speak, I couldn't lose. If I didn't look at him, he couldn't see how much my hands

ARIAI didn't even make it to the front door.I was halfway across the foyer, clutching the car keys in my palm, when the clicking of high heels on marble stopped me cold.It wasn't the brisk, busy pace of a maid or the soft tread of Aunt Camilla. It was a rhythmic, predatory tap that echoed with pure, old-money authority."Leaving so soon? And here I thought you’d finally slunk back home to fulfill your duties."I closed my eyes for a split second, bracing myself.Helena Stormbourne. My mother-in-law. The woman who treated the Storm Ridge Pack legacy like a sacred manuscript and me like a typo in the margins.I turned around, putting on my best ‘corporate armor’ face.Helena stood by the grand staircase, draped in silk that probably cost more than my entire old house.Her silver hair was pinned back so tight it looked painful, and her eyes were two cold chips of flint."Helena," I said, my voice level. "I have an urgent meeting. If you’re here to see the twins, they’re in the nursery