DIANA'S POV
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"Oh geez, Di, you left before I could say goodbye."
Sarah's voice came through the phone. I had just stepped outside, still chatting with AJ's family after dinner, when her call came.
I let out an apologetic growl. Right, I'd completely forgotten to tell the bride of the day that I was leaving after that chaotic mess of an event. Slap me hard.
"An emergency. I'm so sorry, Sarah. I promise I'll make it up to you."
"Nahh." I could almost see her waving it off. But then I heard a low moan. My hand flew to my mouth. Oh my God. Were they…? Was that a kissing sound?
"Ah… okay, Di, I guess I'll let you—oh… anyways, you really don't have to apolo—ahh, Alex, mmm… Sorry, Diana. Goodbye—oh."
The line cut off before she could finish. My lips curved. I knew exactly what was happening on her end. Shoving the thought away, I turned to head back inside—when it hit me again. This time, harder than before.
The throbbing between my legs grew harder, the heat making my wolf growl. Damn, it was scorching—yet not painful. Instead, the heat coiled into a twisted kind of pleasure, sharp and intense.
I glanced over my shoulder, but the empty dark driveway stared back. Tall trees lined the road, shadows stretching long, and yet… I sensed him. I knew he was out there.
"You okay?"
AJ was at my side within minutes. I forced a smile, pushing off the wall and standing straight, as if the aching pulse wasn't still burning through me.
"Yeah, just… a migraine."
A migraine—for a wolf? That was laughable. But mine was different. Despite all my training, my wolf still refused to awaken. I was a deemed omega, weak, slow to heal—or unable to heal at all.
AJ sighed, concern flashing in his eyes. "I'm sorry. Today has… been a lot."
Yeah, I know. Seeing everyone tied to my old wounds is hard—especially the betrayal. Betraying me, betraying AJ… by kissing... I shut my eyes, cutting the thought short.
"I can take you home if you need to rest. You don't have to stay back," AJ offered.
But I wanted to stay. If I went back to my apartment, Elijah would follow. And I would betray myself all over again.
"I'm fine, AJ."
But I wasn't. Inside, my body pulsed with heat. I didn't know much about the first alpha woman—I hadn't studied the myths—but somewhere, somehow, I had heard she felt this same fire between her legs.
Maybe I should learn more about her. About who she was… and why this was happening to me.
"Let's go in, AJ."
He studied me for a moment, then guided me inside with his hand at my waist. Nothing. It sparked nothing in my heart. Not like Elijah's stare, which could unravel me in seconds.
Oh, Goddess. He's close.
But I didn't look back. I shoved the heat deep down and walked inside.
AJ's mother was the epitome of beauty—brown hair, an oval face, and a warm, motherly smile that reminded me of my own. A shame I remembered so little about her, but I was certain she had been the kindest woman in the world.
AJ's father wore the same brown features—calm eyes, steady hair. It was a family trait, the softness of their presence.
"So, when will you begin your wedding preparations?"
The question dropped out of nowhere. Beneath the table, my hands clasped tight. My whole body stiffened. Beside me, AJ froze, caught in a trance. When he finally found his voice, it was barely a murmur.
"Mum…"
But she only smiled, oblivious to the tension pressing between us. After all, AJ and I… well.
"How did the wedding go, Diana? Did you see your family?"
The new topic from AJ's dad should have brought me relief, but it did the opposite. Truth was, I didn't want to talk about it. Still, I forced a smile and nodded. "Good."
AJ must have sensed my discomfort, because he quickly turned to his parents. "Diana needs to go home. She has a migraine."
"Oh dear," his mother said, worry in her voice. "I could call Stella. Her healing could..."
"Thank you, but it's just a migraine. I'll be fine."
Stella—her sister, and wife to the Alpha of their pack. Their respect came not only from their bond, but from their unmatched skill as warriors.
AJ's mother sighed and gave a small nod. "Okay, Diana. But you can always come to us if there's any trouble."
Damn, I loved her. I loved them all, for treating me like the family I never truly had.
Pushing away from the brown dining table, I walked over and wrapped her in a hug. She laughed softly, patting my back. "Be good to AJ, okay?"
I nodded, waved goodbye, and we left.
If I had my wolf, maybe we wouldn't need to ride in a car. I wouldn't be troubling AJ to take me to my own apartment. Still, he had been the one to drive me to the wedding in the first place.
"When will you tell them?"
Silence filled the car. I kept my eyes fixed on the road ahead, refusing to look his way. From the corner of my vision, I caught AJ watching me, his expression blank.
"Diana, what do you mean?"
His voice was small. He knew exactly what I meant. We both did. But it was a topic neither of us wanted to face.
We drove down the city road. Only a few cars passed by; it must have been close to midnight.
"AJ, they've started asking too many questions. We can't keep going on with this lie."
I turned to him. His hands gripped the steering wheel so tightly the veins stood out. He said nothing at first, but his face hardened, his eyes cold enough to freeze my skin. Then his voice darkened, deeper than I'd ever heard it.
"Is it because of him? Elijah?"
I gasped. What in the world did that have to do with anything?
"No." My tone was sharp, my brow furrowed. "This has nothing to do with him, and you know it."
"Then I don't see why we should call it off."
"Because it's a lie! This whole thing is a lie, and one day they'll realize it." I pressed a hand to my face, frustration burning hot. This was only supposed to be a ploy—a fake engagement. It should never have reached his parents, but somehow it had. I didn't want them to misunderstand. AJ and I were good friends. He had saved me. I couldn't let this destroy our friendship.
"Fine," he muttered, knuckles turning white as he kept his eyes fixed on the road.
"AJ."
He shook his head, cutting me off before I could say more. There was nothing left to say anyway. This relationship wasn't real, but that didn't make it hurt any less—even though he had been the one to suggest it.
When we reached my apartment, AJ didn't move to get out. He didn't even look at me.
"AJ," I whispered, turning toward him. Why wouldn't he look at me? A pang tightened in my chest. If there was one thing I couldn't bear to lose, it was our friendship.
He sighed, letting his forehead rest against the steering wheel. His breath came rough, uneven. Finally, he spoke.
"I'm not upset with you, Diana. It's just… I do—"
He stopped himself, shaking his head before lifting it again. His eyes met mine only for a moment.
"We'll see each other tomorrow."
I blinked, nodded, and stepped out of the car. He didn't need to tell me twice that he needed space. Maybe it was because his family knew, and he had no idea how to handle it. Either way, we'd find a way out of the mess we'd created.
But first, I needed a pillow. Just one night of rest.
Inside my apartment, I flicked on the light—and froze.
The air hit me like fire. I should have known before I even stepped in. The heat was already coiling through me, crawling over my skin.
Because standing there, waiting in the shadows, was the only person who could make me feel this way.