Chapter 19

Lucas remained frozen, his hand rising slowly to touch his reddening cheek, stunned disbelief

written across his unshaven face.

"You're... real?" he whispered, staring at her as if she might evaporate.

Aria had reached her absolute limit with this absurd day. She laughed-a sharp, brittle sound utterly devoid of humor.

"Real? Sure. Apparently I'm trapped in a real-life horror movie where my supposed death wasn't enough to get you out of my life."

Without deigning to look at him again, she pivoted sharply toward the staircase.

"Aria, wait-please!"

Lucas lunged after her, alcohol and desperation making his movements clumsy. As he grabbed for her wrist, the combination of his unsteady state and her quick evasion created disaster-her foot slipped on the polished marble step.

"Look out!"

Despite his impaired reflexes, Lucas managed to pull her against him as they fell, positioning his body to take the impact.

Their bodies hit the marble stairs with a sickening thud that echoed through the foyer.

Cushioned by Lucas's intervention, Aria escaped with minor disorientation. Lucas, however, wasn't as fortunate-a crimson stain began spreading across the white marble beneath his head.

"Alpha!" Davis's horrified voice cut through the sudden stunned silence.

The household erupted into chaos. After fifteen minutes, both were being loaded into separate ambulances.

days later, with Lucas still hospitalized, Aria decided it was

escape.

16-41

Chapter 19

few belongings and headed confidently for the main entrance, only to

immediately hardened into

she-wolf exchanged uncomfortable glances. "Luna, we have strict instructions that

premises without

her. "Are you seriously trying to hold me prisoner? That's a bold

choice."

could formulate a response, she attempted to push past them toward the massive

doors.

restraining a clearly unwilling woman, the guards hesitated to use force,

Collins, please reconsider-Alpha Thornwood

pathetic pleas only accelerated Aria's

black SUV with tinted windows glided to a stop directly in her path. The rear door swung open to reveal

with an unsettling

she snapped, actual revulsion contorting her features. "It makes my skin crawl hearing it in your

confrontation with Lucas. She'd recognized the reality that neither she nor her family could match the Thornwood

encounter each other, nothing that might

how her careful restraint would be misinterpreted. Her

ignored. When blocked, he'd found new channels, seemingly content that she remained somewhere

his orbit.

16:41

Chapter 19

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