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.

silently repeated it several times,

their names together once, testing how they sounded.

Perfect harmony.

shaken the

one he'd known since childhood, the one deserve

could imagine introducing

Lucas had forced himself to stay committed to the idea

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Hillionaire Aluba's 99 Do

Caines

Chapter 9

out Aria across

her scent on the forest winds, notice her

mesmerized watching her dance beneath the sacred falls. Later, when Aria had begun pursuing him with that endearing determination, he'd found himself tempted

would be like to say yes, to let himself have what his wolf actually wanted

he'd ruthlessly

help her get revenge on Aria,

refusal..

of person," he'd argued. "There must

carry groceries and volunteered at animal shelters-with

when Leila heard his defense of Aria, she'd thrown a terrifying tantrum, even threatening

her then-or at least, he was accustomed

agreed to the

execute 99 acts of revenge, and then publicly humiliate her before rejecting her and banishing her from

he'd hurt Aria-telling her he'd gotten her a gift, then watching her search all night in a blizzard for

shivering yet still smiling when she saw him, had made

numb to her pain. He'd convinced himself she deserved it, that her kindness

smile return had seemed

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Chapter 9

and left her with those rogues without his

the first time in years, genuine protective fury had coursed

with its intensity.

it was just pride-after all, she was still

out that his mate had been

those rogues touching her had

the walls he'd built around

in that cabin and

his "gift"

a panic unlike anything he'd

than when Leila had threatened to

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

revenge, he would publicly expose their

knew.