Chapter 22 ARIA
ARIA'S POV
“I still can’t believe you kissed him,” Nina said for maybe the tenth time, her voice rising an octave higher each time she remembered.
I groaned, burying my face into the nearest pillow, which unfortunately smelled like Nyx’s strawberry hair cream. “It just happened, okay? We were talking, then he looked at me like that, and I-”
“-melted into a puddle of hopelessly smitten wolf,” Nyx finished, her laughter echoing through my tiny room. She tossed a pair of folded jeans into my half-packed duffel bag. “Aria, you’ve got it bad.”
“I don’t have it bad,” I protested, my voice muffled by the pillow.
“She says that,” Nina said, dropping dramatically onto the bed beside me, “after describing how she almost passed out when he kissed her.”
“Technically,” I muttered, peeking out from the pillow, “I did almost pass out. Oxygen deprivation is real.”
Nyx and Nina burst into synchronized laughter that made my heart swell even as my cheeks burned. This was chaos - my chaos - and I loved them for it.
The air in my room smelled faintly of vanilla and lavender, a mix of my lotion and Nyx’s perfume. My suitcase lay open on the bed, half-filled with folded clothes, a tangled mess of chargers, and one stubborn hairbrush that had already been packed and unpacked three times because Nyx kept complaining I’d forget it.
“Okay, Miss Soon-to-be-Luna,” Nina said, wagging a teasing finger as she crouched to check under the bed. “Do you have everything? Clothes? Underwear? Confidence?”
“Confidence is at an all-time low, thanks,” I said, throwing a rolled-up pair of socks at her.
Nyx caught it midair and smirked. “You’re gonna need more than confidence where you’re going. That man looks at you like he’s trying to memorize every inch of your soul.”
My heart did a slow, ridiculous flip. “You’re being dramatic.”
“Am I?” Nyx’s smirk softened into something almost fond. “I heard about the scene he almost created at the hospital, everyone is talking about it.”
The memory hit me unbidden; Lucian’s arms around me, the heat of his skin, the way he whispered my name like a prayer after I almost fainted. My throat went dry.
“I think he really likes you,” Nina said, breaking the sudden quiet. “Like really.”
“Stop it,” I mumbled, trying to hide the smile tugging at my lips.
Nyx clapped her hands. “Alright, lover girl. Toiletries. Go grab them before Nina starts listing romantic scenarios again.”
I rolled my eyes but obeyed, slipping into the bathroom. The mirror fogged slightly from Nyx’s earlier shower, and I started gathering my essentials: toothbrush, face cream, soap.
Nyx appeared behind me, leaning against the doorframe. “You know, I still don’t trust that man completely,” she said softly, her reflection meeting mine in the mirror.
“I know,” I said, capping my lotion. “You don’t trust anyone easily.”
She gave a short, amused snort. “You can’t blame me.”
My hand suddenly froze in remembrance as i habitually reached for my pills. The tiny bottle of suppression pills sat by the sink, the label almost mocking. For a long moment, I just stared at it.
Nyx’s voice softened. “Aria.”
I looked at her reflection again. Her eyes bright and fierce were watching me closely. Without a word, she held out her hand.
“Flush them,” she said quietly. “You promised.”
I swallowed hard. Memories flooded in, the panic in Nyx’s voice when I told her that it was due to the pills I collapsed, the way she cried and yelled at me afterward, begging me never to take them again.
“I remember,” I whispered. My fingers trembled slightly as I picked up the bottle, popped the lid, and poured the small white pills into the toilet.
Nyx watched in silence as I pressed the handle. The swirl of water carried them away, and something inside me felt lighter.
“There,” she said softly, coming up behind me to wrap her arms around my shoulders. “Good riddance.”
I smiled faintly, leaning into her hug. “You’re bossy, you know.”
“Only because I care.”
“Yeah, yeah.”
We stood like that for a while, two girls who’d been through too much, finding peace in the simplest acts. Then, as always, Nyx broke the moment with a grin. “Now, come on, let’s pack your fancy new life with your Alpha-boyfriend.”
I groaned. “He’s not my boyfriend!”
She raised a brow. “You literally said ‘I could feel his heartbeat when he kissed me.’”
My face went nuclear red. “That was a statement of fact!”
Her laugh filled the room again, bright and mischievous.
By the time we were done packing, my duffel bag looked ready to burst, and my heart felt like it was racing a marathon. I flopped on the bed just as my phone buzzed.
Lucian.
Lucian: Are you done? I can come pick you up.
Before I could even type a reply, Nina snatched the phone. “Oh my Goddess, he texted! ‘Are you done?’ How domestic!”
“Give it back!” I lunged for it, but she held it out of reach.
Nyx cackled. “He’s such a gentleman. Texting instead of showing up unannounced like a stalker Alpha.”
“Okay, that’s enough,” I said, finally snatching my phone back and typing ‘Yes, you can come.’ My fingers hesitated for a second before I added a little heart emoji. Then I erased it. Then added it again.
“Oh, she’s doomed,” Nina said dramatically, watching my indecision.
“Hopeless,” Nyx added. “Completely smitten.”
I threw a pillow at both of them. “You two are impossible.”
The sound of a car horn outside made all three of us look toward the window. Nyx pulled the curtain aside and gasped. “He drives a black SUV. Classic Alpha move.”
Nina squealed, “He’s here!”
I stood frozen for a second, trying to gather the fragments of my composure. My friends, of course, made that impossible.
When I opened the front door, Lucian stood there tall and effortlessly handsome, that quiet confidence radiating from him like sunlight through clouds. He was wearing a dark shirt and jeans that fit him too well, and his hair was slightly tousled.
He smiled, that warm, heart-stopping smile. “Hey.”
“Hi,” I managed, my voice about two octaves higher than usual.
Nyx and Nina were right behind me, practically vibrating with excitement.
“So this is the famous Lucian,” Nina said, leaning against the doorframe. “The one who stole our girl’s sanity.”
Lucian chuckled, glancing at me with amused eyes. “I’m honored to meet you both.”
“Careful,” Nyx said with mock-seriousness. “We’ll be watching.”
He smiled politely. “I’d expect nothing less.”
“Oh, I like him,” Nina said to Nyx. “He’s got that calm-but-deadly energy.”
Lucian’s lips twitched. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”
My face was on fire by the time I dragged my bag out and mumbled, “Okay, bye! I’ll text you guys!”
They both waved exaggeratedly. “Bye, lovebirds!”
Lucian opened the passenger door for me, and I climbed in, muttering under my breath, “I’m going to kill them.”
He chuckled as he started the car. “They seem fun.”
“They’re a menace,” I said, crossing my arms but smiling.
We pulled onto the road, the quiet hum of the engine filling the space between us. For a while, it was just comfortable silence, the kind that felt like a song you never wanted to end.
After a few minutes, I asked, “So… this car. Is it yours?”
He shook his head. “Adrian’s. Mine’s in the shop.”
“Ah,” I said, pretending to study the dashboard. “I knew it, you didn't look like an SUV guy.”
Lucian laughed softly, the sound low and rich. “And what kind of ‘guy’ do I look like? A steal your breath away kind of guy?.”
“Smooth,” I muttered, trying not to grin.
We drove the rest of the way with small talk and teasing, nothing heavy, nothing awkward. Just two people finding their rhythm. When we reached the pack house, he parked and turned to me, eyes soft but unreadable.
“You okay?” he asked.
I nodded, meeting his gaze. “Yeah… I think I could get used to this.”
His smile was slow, knowing. “Good. Because I’m not planning on letting you go anytime soon.”