Billionaire Alpha's 99 Deadly Games

Chapter 12

Chapter 11

Luna. The title she should have held in life, not just in death.

"Aria..." Her name caught in his throat, tears falling before he could form another

word. Every memory of her smile, her laugh, the way she'd dance around their kitchen on Sunday mornings-all of it crashed over him in waves of regret so powerful they physically hurt.

He remained kneeling long after everyone had gone, the rain soaking through his

expensive suit, his body shivering violently though he felt nothing.

That night, having refused to leave her graveside until physically carried away by

his guards, Lucas collapsed with a dangerous fever.

In his delirium, Aria came to him.

The nightmare replayed that fateful night, but with one crucial difference-this time,

he hadn't left

her behind. In this version, he had recognized the danger, had grabbed her hand

and pulled the blindfold from her eyes.

"Run!" he shouted, gripping her fingers so tightly he feared he might hurt her, but

unable to loosen

his hold. "The whole place is going to blow!"

The heat was suffocating, smoke burning their lungs as they navigated through

hallways. Each step felt like salvation-he was saving her this time. He wouldn't fail

the labyrinthine

her again.

Just

Aria suddenly

stopped.

as the exit door appeared ahead, freedom visible through its glass panel,

No matter how he pulled, she remained rooted in place.

In the dream, the fire had already reached the gasoline containers, their metal

sides

bulging

ominously.

"Please!" he begged, terror making his voice crack. "We have to go NOW!"

Instead of responding, Aria looked at him with such profound sadness that his heart constricted.

Slowly, deliberately, she peeled his fingers from her wrist, one by one.

"You can't save me, Lucas," she said softly. "You're the one who killed me."

With those words hanging between them, she turned and walked deliberately

back into the heart of

the inferno.

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Chapter 11

"ARIA, NO!"

A blinding explosion engulfed her, erasing her from existence in a violent flash of

light and heat.

"ARIA!"

Lucas bolted upright in bed, gasping for air, his body drenched in cold sweat despite the fever ravaging his system. The dream had felt so real-for those few

precious moments, she had been alive again, within his reach.

He fumbled for his phone on the nightstand-a pathetic ritual he couldn't break,

checking for messages from a number that would never text again. Before he could unlock the screen, his bedroom door burst open, his guardian's face ashen with panic: "Alpha! There's an emergency at Luna Collins's crypt!" No one could have predicted Leila's complete psychological break-sneaking into

the cemetery with bribed groundskeepers, disinterring Aria's urn, and threatening to scatter her remains.

When Lucas arrived, the scene before him was something from a nightmare. Leila

stood in the rain, mascara streaming down her face, clutching Aria's urn like a

trophy.

Fighting through his fever-induced weakness, Lucas approached her slowly. "Put

it down, Leila," he commanded, his voice deadly quiet.

controlled tone only seemed to further unravel her fragile sanity. She threw

His

her head back in manic laughter.

"Fuck you!" she screeched, holding the urn tighter. "This worthless bitch stole

everything from me! First my ceremonial dancer position, now my Alpha mate!

Even in death, she gets to be Luna

Thornwood while I'm left with

Lucas froze at her next words.

"I should have killed her

NOTHING!"

years ago instead of just framing her for challenging me!

Would have saved us all this

trouble!"

The confession sliced through him-the original “crime” that had justified three

years of torment had been fabricated. He had destroyed Aria for nothing.

Pure rage gave him a surge of strength despite his illness. He lunged forward,

desperate to protect the only physical reminder of Aria he had left.

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Billionaire Alpha's 99 Deadly Games

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Chapter 11

His fever-weakened body betrayed him-as his fingers nearly reached the urn, his

legs buckled

beneath him.

Time seemed to slow as he collapsed forward. Leila, startled by his sudden

movement, stumbled backward, losing her grip on the urn.

The delicate ceramic container tumbled through the air in what felt like slow

motion before shattering against the marble floor with a sound that seemed to echo through Lucas's very soul.

The impact scattered Aria's ashes across the wet floor, the rain quickly dissolving

them into nothingness, washing away the last physical trace of her existence. Lucas stared in mute horror, a guttural sound escaping him before he violently coughed up blood.

"Aria..."

Her name on his lips was both prayer and apology-too late for either to matter. The Northern Alpine Pack.

territory buzzed with scandals

as the Northern territory,

the news

life.

of Lucas's breakdown reached her-his

friends' packs, his obsession with her "remains," his collapse

an enigmatic smile and changed the

who

that fire, exactly as

planned.

the sitting room, carrying a steaming cup of

for your

the dark liquid in one

contort from the bitterness, her

piece of candied ginger. "Just a bit longer.

we're

done."

be fully healed, and

Company

like

you've

always dreamed."

softened with pride as she gently

Aria's face.

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E 101

Chapter 11

legs,

the fire that night through

that someone

abandoned

building.

off guard as she

nearly costing her the dancing career she had

everything to protect.

But as her

always comes

possibilities. She

and stepped into a painful

first time in years, she

to)

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Chapter 11

her entire life by her Alpha father-people spoke to her

raising their voices, let alone

with rage, she lunged forward, perfectly manicured nails aimed at

face like talons!

shoving

to the floor in an

"Guards,"

"remove Miss Blackwood

Immediately."

"YOU

The

ricocheted off the

slammed shut, silencing her hysteria

day of Aria's funeral arrived beneath a

to mourn alongside the

Lucas carried her

gathered crowd.

trembling hands, his

placed it

marble

moment felt surreal,

couldn't escape. This

he had only

was placed,

had been genuinely beloved. Her radiance had

unimaginable grief, had retreated to

to face the ceremony that would make their daughter's

permanent.

had known Aria-from childhood friends

served her daily coffee-had come

rain, creating a

emanate

from the

earth itself.

broken

the inscription

Collins Thornwood, Beloved

Mate."

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Alpha's 99 Deadly

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Chapter 11

held in life, not just in

throat, tears

word. Every

memory of her smile,

her

laugh,

the

dance around

Sunday mornings-all of it crashed over him in waves of

powerful they physically hurt.

after everyone had gone, the rain soaking

shivering violently though he felt

night, having refused to leave her graveside until physically carried away

collapsed with a dangerous

Aria came to

nightmare replayed that fateful night, but with one crucial difference-this

he hadn't left

this version, he had recognized the danger, had

pulled the blindfold from

gripping her fingers so tightly he feared

unable to loosen

"The whole place

was suffocating, smoke burning their lungs

like salvation-he was saving her this time. He wouldn't

exit door appeared ahead, freedom visible

the labyrinthine

her again.

Just

Aria suddenly

stopped.

matter how he pulled, she remained rooted in

fire had already reached the

sides

bulging

ominously.

voice crack. "We have to

looked at him with

his fingers from her

she said softly. "You're the one who

hanging between them, she

the

the inferno.

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Chapter 11

"ARIA, NO!"

her from existence in a violent

light and heat.

"ARIA!"

bolted upright in bed, gasping for air, his

system. The dream had felt

she had been alive again,

for his

nightstand-a pathetic ritual he couldn't

for messages

that would never text

the screen, his bedroom

panic: "Alpha! There's an emergency at Luna Collins's

one could have predicted

the

groundskeepers, disinterring Aria's urn,

to scatter her remains.

scene before him

mascara streaming down her

trophy.

his fever-induced weakness, Lucas approached her

only seemed to further unravel her fragile sanity.

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