Billionaire Alpha's 99 Deadly Games

Chapter 9

Lucas stood frozen in place, his gaze fixed on the charred remains. Time seemed to stop around him.

He became a statue amid the chaos-paramedics rushing about, police radios crackling, his friends sobbing in the background-all of it faded to white noise.

The rescue wolves approached with measured steps, their faces grim beneath rain-soaked helmets as they carried the stretcher toward him. With solemn reverence, they placed her body at his feet.

"Alpha Thornwood," the guard said softly, "we're deeply sorry for your loss."

The rain intensified, fat droplets splattering against Lucas's face, mingling with tears he didn't realize he was shedding. His legs gave way as he collapsed to his knees beside her, his eyes burning red. Inside him, his wolf let out a heart- rending cry, thrashing wildly.

His outstretched hands trembled violently as he tried to reach for her. Once, twice, three times he attempted to gather her into his arms, but his muscles refused to cooperate. Finally, with gentle guidance from a paramedic, he cradled what remained of Aria against his chest.

Just hours ago-was it really only hours?-she had sat beside him in his car, her smile soft and knowing, eyes bright with something he now recognized as farewell as she'd confessed her love one final time.

Now she lay motionless in his embrace, the she-wolf who had once been so full of life reduced to this.

Her cold body temperature seeped through his rain-soaked clothes, sending ice straight to his core. The sensation was wrong-Aria had always been warm, always radiating heat like her own personal

sun.

“Aria,” he whispered, his voice breaking. “Stop playing games. Wake up, please? Just wake up."

He called her name over and over, the desperate pleas of a drowning man, but she remained silent, as if she were simply ignoring him after a petty argument.

Lucas pressed his face against hers just as he used to do when he wanted her attention, not caring as blood and soot transferred from her ruined features to his skin.

Memories crashed over him in relentless waves.

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Chapter 9

There were so many things he'd never told her. So many truths he'd hidden.

The first and most profound secret was that he'd knew she was his fated mate long before she knew

that.

Several years ago, during the Wolf Moon Festival at the pack borders, while everyone else had been half-drunk on moonlight and ceremonial wine, his attention had been completely captured by the graceful figure dancing around the bonfire-her fluid movements, flowing dress adorned with ancient pack symbols, and that radiant smile that seemed to challenge the flames themselves.

He remembered every detail with crystalline clarity-the way the firelight had caught in her hair, how her laughter had carried across the clearing when she'd playfully dodged an advancing male during the courtship dance.

Noticing his captivation, his beta had leaned over, whispering excitedly about the she-wolf.

"That's Aria Collins. From the Silver Crescent Pack. Supposedly rejected the Alpha's son in three packs. Every unmated male in the gathering is already tracking her scent."

His beta had continued, but Lucas had stopped listening after her name, his wolf stirring beneath his skin.

Aria Collins.

That's him mate's name.

grace. He had silently repeated it several times, letting the syllables roll around in his mouth like fine

once, testing how they sounded. Aría Collins,

Perfect harmony.

shaken the thought away, disgusted with

known since childhood, the one

only one he could imagine introducing

to stay committed to the idea of Leila, his wolf

16:39

Hillionaire Aluba's 99 Do

Caines

Chapter 9

Aria across

would catch her scent on the forest winds,

when Aria had begun pursuing him with that endearing determination, he'd

to let himself have what his wolf actually wanted rather than what he thought he

time, he'd ruthlessly

revenge on Aria, his first instinct

refusal..

that kind of person," he'd argued. "There must be some

reconcile the Aria he'd observed-who helped strangers carry groceries and volunteered at animal

she'd thrown a terrifying tantrum, even threatening to

still cared for her then-or at least, he was accustomed to caring for her-and couldn't bear

agreed

Aria into his pack, execute 99 acts of revenge, and then publicly humiliate her before rejecting her and banishing her

hurt Aria-telling her he'd gotten her a gift, then watching her search all night in a blizzard for something that didn't

shivering yet still smiling when she saw him, had made him

the revenge schemes continued, he'd conditioned himself to grow numb to her pain. He'd convinced himself she deserved it,

had seemed worth the

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Chapter 9

his friends drugged Aria and left her with those

genuine protective fury had coursed through him,

with its intensity.

the time, he'd rationalized that it was just

that his mate had been assaulted, how

deep down, he'd known it was more. The sight of those rogues touching

had begun to crack the walls he'd built around his feelings, though

he'd left her in that cabin and she'd said she was

"gift"

felt a panic unlike anything he'd

even than when Leila had

hesitation before he closed the door, with her blind-folded and trusting, a thousand realizations had tried

original plan, after this final revenge, he would publicly expose their

knew.