Chapter 62 Can't Afford to Gamble

Aria's POV:

I was pretty much stuck in the Brooks Mansion now, which made it super hard to bump into Jason. So, Noah was one of my last chances to get close to Jason.

But if Noah lost interest in me, getting to Jason would be even tougher.

And if Noah and Victoria's relationship started to smooth things over between the vampire and werewolf clans, using the vampire clan against Jason would be a no-go.

I couldn't just take Lucien's word for it that Noah and Victoria were a thing. I had to see it for myself.

If true, I must stop their relationship from easing the tension between the clans!

Leaning against Lucien's chest, I asked casually, "Lucien, do you think Victoria and Noah are just in love?"

Lucien was quiet for a bit before he said, "Honestly, I don't know. But I'm glad Victoria's attention is on another guy now."

Lucien was being too optimistic, but I couldn't let him think that way.

I gently scratched Lucien's chest with my hand. "If Victoria and Noah are just in love and not talking business, it doesn't affect you. But once a woman falls for a man, she's all in."

Lucien's arms around me tensed up a bit; he seemed to get the threat. He spoke seriously, "Are you saying Victoria might spill vampire clan secrets to Noah after being with him for a while?"

"I'm just saying be careful." I looked up at Lucien's now serious face, feeling relieved inside.

Lucien might not care about Victoria and Noah's feelings for each other, but he wouldn't tolerate Victoria spilling vampire secrets to Noah. Whether their love was real or not, their relationship was bound to face challenges, even without my meddling.

Lucien's POV

Aria reminded me to be cautious about Noah and Victoria's relationship affecting the future of the vampire clan.

I had worried about this before. When I found out Victoria was secretly meeting Noah at this estate, I had someone look into it.

From what we found, it seemed like Victoria and Noah were just dating and not sharing any vampire secrets.

But Aria had a point; even if Victoria didn't plan to betray the vampire clan now, it didn't mean she never would.

As Victoria's feelings for Noah grew, and Noah faced more hardships because of the vampire clan, Victoria wouldn't let Noah suffer. At that point, Victoria would either stick to vampire principles and protect her clan, or she'd betray us for the man she loved. I couldn't take that risk.

Victoria had been with me for years and knew too many secrets.

It seemed like it was time to create some misunderstandings between Noah and Victoria, at least until I dealt with those pesky werewolves.

"Aria, come back to the vampire clan's territory with me," I said.

Jason had already kicked out Aria. I knew she had nowhere to go, so she had to seek refuge with Noah. But Noah had lost all interest in her now. All his attention was on Victoria.

Meanwhile, Victoria hated Aria's guts. If Aria stayed here, it would only be a matter of time before Noah, under Victoria's influence, did something to hurt Aria. I couldn't let that happen.

Aria didn't answer right away; she seemed lost in thought.

I watched her eyes, filled with emotions I couldn't quite read.

"Aria?" I tried to snap her out of it. "Come with me. Okay?"

Aria smiled at me, but it wasn't like the first time we met. Back then, her smile was bright and carefree. Now, it was tired and worn. I hated to think about what she'd been through to change her so much.

Aria hesitated but finally said, "Lucien, I really want to be with you every day. But I can't leave."

"Why? If you want to be with me, why can't you leave this place?" I couldn't wrap my head around it.

She grabbed my arm and shook it slightly, looking up at me like a little kitten. "Victoria is a vampire, and Noah is a werewolf. Their relationship makes you worry that Victoria might spill vampire secrets to Noah. Our situation is the same."

Aria continued, "You're a vampire, and I'm a werewolf. Our relationship would make the werewolf clan worry that I might reveal werewolf secrets to you."

Aria was right; we did face those risks!

If there ever came a day when I was sure Victoria would spill vampire secrets to Noah, and I couldn't stop it, even if I didn't want to hurt Victoria, I'd have to act against her. Similarly, the werewolf clan would definitely take action against Aria to protect their secrets.

Given the deep-seated conflict between werewolves and vampires, I couldn't guarantee Aria's safety. So, it was best to keep our relationship under wraps for now.

I hated the feeling of being with Aria but not being able to make our relationship public. Since I couldn't tell everyone she was mine, I found comfort in other pleasures for the time being.

I grabbed Aria's chin and lifted her head. Looking at her slightly red lips, I couldn't help but swallow. "Aria, has anyone ever told you that your lips are really charming?"

"What?" She seemed surprised by the sudden change in topic, looking a bit confused.

I lowered my head and pressed my mouth against Aria's enticing lips, slipping my tongue inside to tangle with hers. Meanwhile, my hand slipped under Aria's nightgown, grasping her breast and gently teasing her erect nipple.

Aria shuddered, clinging tightly to me as if she had lost all strength. "Don't..."

"Don't want this?" I increased the pressure on her nipple.

Aria trembled even more, letting out a soft moan, "You naughty thing!"

Aria's face flushed, looking like a ripe cherry. I couldn't help but lightly bite her cheek. "Darling, you're just like a little cat always seducing me!"