Aria sprang up, startled, while the guy who’d been kissing her looked annoyed at the interruption. How was I supposed to know they were in here?
“Really?” he grumbled.
“Babe,” Aria said.
He sighed and stood up. “I know when I’m not wanted.”
I couldn’t help but laugh, “Oh, Chris, you’d think after five months you’d realize that you’re the third wheel in this relationship.”
Chris couldn’t help but smile. “Shut up. See you tonight, babe.”
He kissed Aria on the forehead before playfully punching me on the shoulder. I shoved him out and stuck my tongue out before closing the door.
As soon as he left, Aria pulled me to her bed, but after witnessing the make-out scene, I chose to sit on the couch. Who knows what else they could have done on that bed?
Aria met Chris five months ago. He was the beta. His dad held that position until the tragedy, so it only made sense that Chris continue when the king returned.
Chris had been sent away to a training camp just before he turned eighteen. The rumors were that he was with Dylan. Of course, he would neither confirm nor deny it.
When Chris returned, a grand party was held in his honor, and that is how the two lovebirds met.
Aria always said that if Chris had waited a few more months before leaving, then he would have known they were mates.
I think she was more worried about whether Chris had had flings while at camp, but I reassured her. He went to train, not to sleep around.
Aria couldn’t stop smiling, and I was so happy that she had found someone. It reminded me of how I still hadn’t found my mate.
The one who would make me blush like Aria did, love me, take care of me, and I wouldn’t be able to stop smiling at the mention of his name.
My eyes watered up, but I shook the tears away, refusing to let them escape. This was not the time to have a crying session. Aria deserved to be happy; her cousin was coming back, and she had her mate.
I remember when I was first introduced to Chris. Aria said I was her best friend, and Chris actually laughed!
So, naturally, I showed him his place. Growing up with a brother and the future alpha taught me that much.
After one swift kick to his balls and a stern warning not to mess with Aria, Chris understood I meant business.
Harry cried with laughter. He was so proud of me that day. Thankfully, since then, Chris and I have become close. He teases me, and I tease him.
Our mutual love for Aria makes it easy for us to get along. That and he has an amazing sense of humor.
I sat talking with Aria for about an hour. We laughed so much that we cried. But my tears quickly became sadder. I just felt so lonely without a mate.
Being the amazing friend that she is, Aria comforted me and told me that there was someone out there for me and I would get the mate that I deserved.
I cleaned myself up after my crying session, which I was mad at myself about, and we both left. After all, I was here to help.
We both were heading downstairs when a maid rushed over to Aria.
“So sorry, but we need Miss Aria for her dress fitting.”
Aria groaned, “I forgot about that.”
Laughing, I replied, “You go, and I’ll go down and help.”
Aria nodded. “I won’t be long!”
I didn’t believe her. Aria was a total girly girl. She loved dress fittings and getting her hair done. Too lost in my thoughts as I headed downstairs, I bumped into Harry.
“I’m so sorry, Harry. I wasn’t paying attention,” I said, smiling a little.
“No worries, Kiddo. Since you’re here to help, might as well put you to work.” Harry winked.
“Sure, where do you want me?” I replied.
“You can be on decoration duty. I know my daughter was meant to help you, where is she?” Harry asked.
“Dress fitting.” I shrugged my shoulders.
“That girl,” Harry muttered.
I laughed as Harry walked away, shaking his head.
Oh shit, I had work to do. I made my way to the hall and sighed. It was going to be a long day. I got started on hanging up some streamers and banners with the help of some maids.
While hanging them up, I heard muttered voices and listened in. It was the maids. They were speaking about the alpha king.
I heard one of them saying that the alpha king didn’t want a mate and had gone on record saying that he would reject his mate. I pitied the poor girl who would end up as this horrible guy’s mate.
I hadn’t even met him, and I already hated him. Thinking those words made me feel weird for some reason. It was like my wolf and body were protesting.
Sighing, I carried on with my work and thought about what I heard. I hate people who just think that they can just reject their mate because they don’t want one. They never think of the consequences.
The pain that people suffer when they get rejected is unimaginable. I always felt so sorry for those people. Then there are people like me, who are mateless.
It made me feel angry, but my rational side reminded me that there are always two sides to every story.
Part of me couldn’t help but feel sorry for the king. Maybe he didn’t want a mate because he was afraid of her dying like his mom did.
The trauma he went through at a young age must have changed a lot of his thought processes.
Making a judgment based on gossip was very unlike me. I guess the topic just hit a sensitive nerve.
Shaking my head to clear those thoughts, I carried on hanging up the banners. Afterward, I cleaned up the pieces of tape left on the floor. Once I was finished, I sat down and took a little break.
When I finally had the energy to stand up, I admired my handiwork and was happy with the way it turned out. The maids were still standing in the corner, gossiping without a care in the world.
I was tempted to march over there and give them a piece of my mind, but I held back. It wasn’t worth the energy, and I had more pressing matters to attend to.
Next on my to-do list was assisting the kitchen crew with meal prep. I wasn’t exactly cooking, but I was the go-to girl for fetching ingredients and whatever else they needed.
That task took about an hour, and the kitchen staff couldn’t have been more appreciative. I assured them it was no trouble at all.
Once that was wrapped up, I found myself heading towards Aria’s room out of habit, before it hit me that she wouldn’t be there due to her dress fitting.
I pulled out my phone and noticed a fresh message from her. She said my dress was in her room and I could get ready there. She’d be getting ready in Chris’s room.
Thank goodness I’d thought to drop off my dress earlier in the week. I made my way back to Aria’s room, breathing a sigh of relief when neither Aria nor Chris showed up.
With a small smile, I headed into the bathroom and grabbed a towel. I had to be quick—guests would start arriving soon. I managed to shower in record time, making sure to shave as well.
I dried off in a hurry, slipped into my underwear and bra, then pulled on my dress and brushed my hair, letting it air dry into its natural waves.
Luckily, my hair has a knack for drying pretty fast.
Next up was makeup. I applied some foundation, mascara, eyeliner, and eye shadow—making sure everything coordinated. Then I slicked on some lip gloss and stepped into my heels.
A pair of simple earrings completed the look, and I was relieved to find I was ready just in time. The sound of arriving guests echoed through the house.
I quickly tidied up the mess I’d made in Aria’s room. I didn’t want to leave it in disarray in case she returned later.
As I made my way downstairs, I sent up a silent prayer for a drama-free evening. Tonight was a big deal for Aria, Henry, and I suppose for Dylan too.
The last thing he needed was a scene at his welcome home party.
But as we all know, things rarely go as planned, right?
