Aria’s POV
"That's what I'm talking about!" Lucian smirked and turned to Lila slapping a triumphant high-five with her.
Lila beamed, but I caught the quick glance she threw at Kian. He looked like he wanted to murder someone. The sheer rage in his stormy eyes sent a thrill down my spine. I expected him to snap. To order everyone to stay put. To tell me I wasn’t allowed to go anywhere with Lucian.
But he didn’t.
He just stood there, arms crossed, jaw clenched so tight I thought it might shatter. For some reason, that made me feel powerful.
Wasn’t I supposed to be irrelevant to him?
Wasn’t I just a servant in his pack?
Wasn’t I a weakling?
Then why did my decision to go out with Lucian seem to be driving him insane?
I turned and walked toward my room, refusing to spare Kian a second glance. I knew he was watching. I wanted him to watch.
Lila had outdone herself. Not only had she surprised me with a cake, but she had also gone through the trouble of getting me a beautiful brown dress.
I ran my fingers over the soft fabric as I changed, warmth flooding my chest. Lila was more than a friend—she was family. She had been the only one to treat me like a person, the only one who had cared enough to remember my birthday.
I had barely finished adjusting the dress when Lila burst in, eyes shining with excitement.
“What is it?” I asked, heart skipping.
She didn’t answer. Instead, she grabbed my wrist and pulled me toward a chair.
“Sit.”
“What—?”
“You need a makeover,” she declared, already pulling out her small makeup kit. Lila paused, studying me. Then her lips curled into a knowing smile. “Aria, this is your moment.”
I raised an eyebrow. “What moment?”
She leaned in slightly, her voice lowering conspiratorially. “Lucian wants you. But Kian?” She smirked. “Kian wants you more.”
My stomach flipped. “What? That’s ridiculous.”
Lila laughed. “Oh, sweet, naive Aria.” She shook her head, dabbing a soft brush over my cheeks. “Trust me. I know what I’m talking about.”
“Kian rejected me, Lila.” My voice was quieter than I intended. “That means he doesn’t—”
“He rejected you because he’s a fool.” Lila cut me off, gripping my shoulders. “But if you use Lucian’s interest to your advantage? I promise you Kian will come begging for you.”
I opened my mouth to argue, but before I could—
Lila dropped the real bombshell.
“Besides,” she added nonchalantly, “Kian just said he’s coming to wherever Lucian is taking you.”
My breath caught in my throat.
“What?!”
Lila grinned. “That’s right. The almighty Alpha Kian who claims to not care about you at all is about to crash your birthday date.”