Chapter 52 Luca
Practice ends with the familiar shriek of Coach Peters’s whistle echoing off the gym walls like a final mercy blow. Sweat drips down my back as I brace my hands on my knees, catching my breath while the rest of the guys collapse in dramatic heaps around me.
“Bring it in!” Coach barks.
We shuffle toward him with our sneakers squeaking against the polished floor. Coach’s gaze sweeps over us like he’s scanning for weakness. If he finds any, he doesn’t comment but nods once.
“Good hustle. Next game’s on Friday and don’t embarrass me.”
Classic Coach farewell. We scatter toward the locker room, laughter and groans mixing in the air.
“So,” Tyler drawls from the bench, peeling off his jersey, “when are you bringing your girl to a game?”
I freeze halfway through untying my shoes.
“My what?” I ask, even though I know exactly who he means.
“Your girl,” he repeats, smirking like he’s warming up to enjoy himself. “Aria.” He waggles his eyebrows. “You two totally have something going on.”
A chorus of agreement rises around me—snickers, whistles, and shoulder nudges. I sigh. Typical highschool jocks.
“We’re not dating.” I say it casually. My voice cracks on the last word, because apparently the universe hates me.
“Oh man,” Jax laughs, “he’s blushing.”
“I’m not—”
“Yes you are.” Ethan’s voice cuts through the noise as he pulls his shirt over his head. Unlike the others, he’s not teasing. There’s an edge to him, something sharp. “You always get weird when someone brings her up.”
I meet Ethan’s stare and it’s not friendly.
Just great!
He’s been sizing me up ever since our last fight looking for a reason to challenge me. A normal kid would just want bragging rights but Ethan isn’t just normal. It’s about dominance.
“I’m not getting weird,” I snap.
“Sure,” Ethan replies. “Just interesting timing, though. You and Aria suddenly hanging around each other.”
I grit my teeth. “She’s a friend.”
“Looks like more than that to me,” he says, leaning back against the lockers. “But hey, if you’re gonna make a move, better hurry before someone else does.”
The locker room goes quiet instantly.
I inhale slowly, fighting my instincts. I shouldn’t care what Ethan thinks. But the thought of him “making a move” on Aria sparks something primal in me.
Rafe would say to keep my cool. Dad would demand it. Lila would tell me to deck Ethan. And Mason would ask me to behave like a future Alpha.
I settle for none of the above.
“Drop it,” I say.
Tyler blinks at us. “Whoa, testosterone alert.”
Ethan snorts and grabs his duffel bag, done with the conversation. The rest of the guys go back to joking and changing. I finish changing and head toward the exit when Jax jogs up beside me.
“Dude.” He slings an arm around my shoulders like an annoying older brother. “Ignore Ethan. He’s been in a mood since he got benched last game. And seriously if you like Aria, just tell her.”
I shake him off. “It’s not like that.”
“Uh-huh. And I’m the Queen of England.” He grins. “Relax, she seems cool. Pretty, too and kinda sweet.”
I stop walking. “She is.”
Crap!
Jax raises his eyebrows. “You wanna try that again? Maybe with less emotion spilling out of your mouth?”
“Shut up,” I mutter.
He laughs and heads for the parking lot. Everything feels harder lately—keeping secrets, hiding the mate bond, and pretending I don’t hear danger miles away while sitting in math class. And now the hunter threat is pressing closer threading through every corner of town. Sienna’s disappearance is still a mystery. Everything points to someone preparing for a strike. And Aria, my mate, is stuck in the middle without even knowing it.
I make it to the parking lot, the cool breeze brushing against my overheated skin. Most of the guys are already gone. A few linger by their cars still talking trash about other schools.
“Luca!”
Drew jogs over from the far end of the lot, backpack bouncing against his side.
“You good?” he asks. “Heard things got weird with Ethan.”
Of course he heard. Wolves have better hearing than cheerleaders.
“I’m fine,” I mumble.
“No, you’re stressed,” Drew says, reading my face too easily. “And you’re brooding plus your jaw’s doing that twitchy thing.”
“It’s not twitchy.”
“It’s twitchy.”
I run a hand through my hair. “Everyone keeps talking about Aria. It’s getting annoying.”
“Is it annoying,” Drew asks, “or are you afraid someone will figure out what she really means to you?”
I glare. “We don’t talk about that.”
“Yeah, I know. Because it’s a secret bond you’re hiding from the entire pack,” he replies with dramatic emphasis. “But pretending you’re just casually hanging out with her isn’t going great.”
He has a point. I hate that he has a point. Drew has always been smart and if anyone could figure out the bond I had with Aria, it'll be him. Though I made him swear on his life that the secret stays with us.
I exhale slowly. “Look. I just don’t want her dragged into pack stuff or anything dangerous.”
“And you think staying distant is the answer?”
“It’s safer.”
“Or,” Drew counters, “she’s left in the dark and becomes an easier target.”
My stomach knots.
He keeps going. “Look, man. Hunters are making moves. The staged animal attack at school? They’re desperate. They’ll hit harder next time and if they know you’re connected to someone…” He pauses, letting the implication hang. “She becomes leverage.”
“She’s not leverage,” I reply sharply.
“I know but they don’t care.”
Wind rushes through the lot, carrying a faint rustle of leaves from the wooded edge behind the gym. The sound pricks at my senses. Drew hears it too. We turn at the same time, scanning the shadows but nothing moves or shifts. Still, the feeling doesn’t fade.
“We’re being watched,” Drew mutters.
“Yeah.”
“Be careful,” Drew says as he slings his bag onto his shoulder.
“You too.”
I get in my car, gripping the steering wheel until it creaks. I can protect a town. I can protect a pack. But protecting one girl I can’t stay away from? That’s the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do.
AUTHOR’S NOTE:
This chapter was pure teenage chaos, and honestly? I loved writing it. Luca is barely holding it together and the locker room drama is heating up. If you enjoyed it, just wait cause everything is about to explode. Stay posted, my lovelies❤️.