Chapter 26 ARIA
ARIA'S POV
The moment Lucian stepped out to load the car, I dialed Nyx and Nina. My hands were shaking so badly I almost hit video instead of audio, but the second their faces popped up on my screen, I exhaled.
They were already screaming.
“ARIAAAA!” they yelled in unison, practically blowing out my speakers.
I winced. “Girls… please… my ears,”
Nina leaned so close into her camera that all I saw was one eye. “You kissed him. You kissed your Alpha mate. You kissed Lucian, Aria.”
I had been partially filling them in on the group chat on our way back.
Nyx threw her hands over her head like she was celebrating a championship. “And now you’re being shipped off into the woods with him? Are you insane? Are you okay? Are you breathing?”
“I don’t know,” I muttered.
They gasped.
Nyx slapped a hand over her mouth. “You’re not breathing?!”
“I mean I don’t know if I’m okay!” I corrected.
Nina flipped her braids behind her shoulders. “Okay, back up. Start from when you lost your mind and pounced on your mate.”
“I DID NOT POUNCE…”
My voice cracked. “I… maybe… touched him… and kissed him… and… it was…”
“I knew it!” Nina shrieked. “Heat brain. You’re already slipping.”
Nyx paled instantly. “Stop saying things like that! She’s not slipping! Aria, you’re fine. Tell her you’re fine.”
“I’m not fine,” I whispered.
Nyx's voice already carried worry. “Why not baby?”
“Because Orion said my heat is coming.”
Dead silence.
Then both of them started shouting at the same time, their voices blending into a chaotic storm.
“What do you MEAN it’s coming now…?!”
“But you suppressed it for YEARS…”
“That means it’ll be strong…”
“Are you safe? Are you somewhere safe? Is Lucian there?...”
“STOP!” I yelled.
They froze.
I rubbed my temples. “I’m scared. I suppressed it for so long. I don’t know what it’ll be like. I already embarrassed myself earlier and,”
Nina sighed dramatically like she’d been waiting for this moment her entire life. “Aria, listen. Heats you delay? They come back harder. You’re going to feel… overwhelming. Your body is basically catching up. And once you’re in the thick of it, you won’t be thinking logically. You’ll just crave…”
“DON’T!” Nyx screeched, covering her ears. “Don’t say it! Don’t make it weird!”
Nina shrugged. “It’s biology. She asked.”
“I did NOT ask!” I protested.
“Yes, you did,” Nina said. “You asked by existing in panic. Anyway, what I’m saying is, you’re going to be extremely, extremely drawn to your mate.You're going to want his cock and most especially his cum in every hole in your body, you'll be a whole new person when it hits, you will not be able to control yourself. It’s really primal. And you’ll be sensitive to everything. His voice, his scent, his touch—”
Nyx gagged into a pillow.
I covered my face. “I didn’t need to hear that.”
“Someone had to say it.” Nina rolled her eyes. “But hey…Lucian is disciplined. Patient. Scary. All the things that help keep a mate steady during heat. You’ll be fine.”
“I hope so…”
My voice trembled.
Nyx softened immediately. “I know you’re scared. But you’re not alone, okay? Call us when you can.”
“And don’t overthink it,” Nina added. “Just breathe.”
I sniffled and nodded. “I’ll try.”
We said our goodbyes, and I promised to text once we arrived. When I hung up, I barely had time to wipe my face before I heard Lucian call from downstairs.
“Aria? Ready?”
Oh, Goddess.
Here we go.
Josie and the triplets were in the living room when I came downstairs with my bag slung over my shoulder.
Lila looked up first, eyebrows raised like she was judging me for breathing too loudly. Elias peeked at me shyly. Sofia burst into a smile so bright she could’ve powered the entire pack house.
Josie broke into a wide grin. “There she is.”
“Hi,” I whispered, emotional already.
Sofia launched herself at my leg. “Are you leaving?”
“Just for a little while,” I said, bending down to hug her properly.
“Why?” she asked, pouting.
Josie gave me a knowing look but stayed quiet.
“I just need some time away. I promise I’ll come back soon.”
“Okay…” Sofia sniffed.
Elias tugged on my sleeve. “C-Can I hug you too?”
My heart melted. “Of course.”
I scooped him up, and he buried his face into my shoulder with the softest little sigh.
Lila walked over last. She looked up at me with those serious eyes, then nodded once. “Come back.”
It was the most Lila thing ever. I hugged her anyway, and she let me.
Lucian leaned against the doorway watching us with an expression I couldn’t quite read. Something warm. Something soft. Something that made my stomach flutter.
He said goodbye to them too, Sofia clinging to him like a koala, Elias hugging his waist, and Lila just patting his arm like good luck, you’ll need it.
Then we left.
The car ride was quiet.
Too quiet.
But Lucian’s hand covered mine the entire time it was warm, steady and grounding. I held on tight, terrified that if I let go, my thoughts would swallow me whole.
He didn’t push me to talk. Didn’t force a conversation. Didn’t pry.
He just kept squeezing my hand every few minutes like a silent reminder:
I’m here. You’re safe. I’m not going anywhere.
It helped more than I expected.
When we reached the secluded family cottage nestled at the edge of the pack borders, I forgot how to breathe.
It was… beautiful.
Warm wood. Large windows. A wraparound porch. Flowers blooming along the path. A small lake glistened behind it.
It looked like a place where people healed.
My chest ached.
Lucian parked and grabbed our bags, both of them, because I was useless at the moment and carried them inside easily.
The cottage smelled like pine, soap, and… him. The floors gleamed. The counters shone. Everything looked freshly wiped down.
“Did… did you clean?” I asked quietly.
He shook his head. “No. I had it cleaned for us. I wanted it to feel like home.”
My throat tightened. “Lucian…”
He didn’t let me get emotional. He simply reached out and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear.
“I have to run back to the pack house,” he said gently. “Grab supplies, finish up some things, settle a few issues.”
“Oh,” I said small, suddenly realizing I’d be alone for a while.
He stepped closer. “I won’t be long. A few hours at most.”
“Okay.”
“And when I return…” His voice softened to a deep rumble. “You’ll have me to yourself. Fully.”
My knees wobbled.
He saw it. Smirked faintly. Then lifted my hand and kissed it.
“Will you be okay until then?”
I nodded. “Yes.”
He kissed my forehead, lingering a little too long, making heat flicker low in my belly.
“Good,” he murmured. “I’ll be back soon.”
The moment his SUV disappeared down the path, I closed the door behind me and exhaled shakily.
“Please let me not embarrass myself,” I whispered to the empty cottage.
My mind immediately betrayed me, remembering the man from my old pack. The things he said. The way he groomed me. The way he waited and watched, hoping for the day my heat would come so he could…
My breath hitched.
I thought I was fine… until I felt something warm on my cheek.
Tears.
“Oh,” I whispered. “I didn’t know I was crying already.”
Nyra’s voice wrapped around me like a blanket.
“It’s alright,” she murmured. “Our body is sensitive right now. Everything feels heavier. But we’re safe. Truly safe.”
I wiped my eyes. “I know.”
“And Lucian said he won’t take us during this heat. He meant it. He won’t push. He won’t cross a line. He’s not like him.”
A small, broken laugh escaped. “Yeah. We really are lucky.”
I took a shower, unpacked what I could with trembling hands, and curled up on the couch which was warm, clean, and inviting. I was nervous.
Waiting for my mate.
Waiting for the storm coming for me.
Hoping I’d survive it without losing my mind.