Chapter 121

Aria

The morning of the event dawned bright and clear, the kind of day that felt like it had been plucked straight out of a dream. Sunlight streamed through the windows of my apartment, casting golden pools across the floor, waking me with a smile on my face.

Today was the day. Today was the day that our first charity event would take place.

It was nerve-wracking, to say the least. Humans and shifters, together, under one roof, donating to the same cause? To unity and understanding? It seemed like such a lofty dream, and yet it felt within reach. I just hoped it would all go well.

But before I could even think about the event itself, I had to get ready. And thankfully, I wasn’t doing it alone.

Bella, Lily, and Melissa arrived at my apartment early, their arms filled with bags of makeup, hair tools, and what looked like enough snacks—courtesy of Lily—to feed a small army. The moment they stepped inside, my quiet morning turned into chaos. But the good sort of chaos.

“Alright, Luna,” Melissa said as she plopped a bag onto the kitchen counter with a grin. “Let’s get you ready to blow everyone’s minds.”

I rolled my eyes but couldn’t help smiling. “I don’t think anyone’s mind is going to be blown by me. This isn’t a fashion show.”

“Uh, excuse me,” Bella shot back, placing her hands on her hips, “it is too a fashion show. And you’re going to look stunning, so deal with it.”

Lily and Melissa laughed, already unpacking their supplies and setting up a makeshift beauty station in the living room.

“You guys really didn’t have to do this,” I said softly, my fingers curling around my coffee mug. “I could’ve gotten ready on my own.”

Lily looked up from the array of makeup brushes and nail polish colors that she was organizing and shot me a withering look. “But you’re representing Moonglow pack tonight.”

I opened my mouth to respond, but before I could, Melissa butted in, “Not just Moonglow, but pretty much all of the werewolves. You have to look the part.” She took a deep breath and added, “Besides, we wanted to do something nice for you after how we treated you before.”

The memory of those days when I had been ostracized from the group still stung, but I shook my head. “You don’t owe me anything,” I said quickly. “You guys already did more than enough by helping us take down Charles. That’s all the apology I needed.”

“Maybe,” Lily said with a small smile. “But we wanted to do this anyway. And besides, it was Bella’s idea.”

Bella grinned, shrugging as if it were no big deal. “I don’t care too much about all of that ‘Luna’ stuff. I just had to buy my best girl a pretty dress.”

I frowned, confused. “Wait, what do you mean, ‘buy a dress’?”

Before I could say anything else, Bella reached into one of the bags and pulled out a garment bag. She unzipped it carefully, revealing a dress that took my breath away.

It was a deep fuschia, the color rich and vibrant, with a fitted bodice that flowed into a cascading skirt. The fabric was delicate and silky, and it caught the light in a way that made it seem like it was glowing.

“You… you guys didn’t,” I stammered, my eyes going wide.

“We did,” Lily said with a grin. “We all pooled our money together to get you something fit for a Luna. You deserve it, Aria.”

“I don’t know what to say. This is… it’s too much.”

“Say ‘thank you,’” Bella said, narrowing her eyes. “And then let us help you get ready.”

I laughed, the sound a little shaky, then set my coffee down and pulled all three of them all into a group hug. “Thank you,” I whispered. “Thank you so much.”

The next few hours passed in a blur. Bella took charge of my hair, curling it into soft waves that cascaded down my back, while Lily worked her magic with makeup, enhancing my features with subtle silver eyeshadow and dainty moons and stars painted around my eyes with white eyeliner—so tiny they were barely noticeable unless you were standing close, but made it appear as if my eyes were shimmering from afar.

Then Melissa, ever the perfectionist, fussed over the dress, making sure every detail was just right.

By the time they were done, I barely recognized the woman staring back at me in the mirror. The dress fit like a dream. My hair and makeup were flawless, and there was a glow in my eyes that hadn’t been there before.

For once, I didn’t feel awkward and lanky. I felt…

“You look like a princess,” Bella breathed, stepping back to admire their handiwork.

“You really do,” Lily agreed, to which Melissa nodded. “Alpha Darren is going to keel over when he sees his mate looking like this.”

I blushed. Deeply. “I don’t know about that, but… thank you. For everything.”

Before I could say anything else, there was a knock at the door. Bella darted over to answer it, and a moment later, Darren stepped inside.

He was wearing a black tuxedo, the crisp lines of the suit accentuating his broad shoulders and tall frame. His dark hair was neatly pulled back into a sleek bun at the nape of his neck, and his mismatched eyes lit up the moment they landed on me.

For a moment, he just stood there, staring at me as if he’d been struck speechless. Then, slowly, a smile spread across his face.

“Aria,” he said, crossing the room in a few swift strides so that hardly a hair’s breadth was between us. “You look… beautiful.”

I felt my cheeks heat up, but I couldn’t look away from him. “You don’t look so bad yourself,” I whispered, suddenly aware of all three girls’ eyes fixed on us..

Darren let a low sound that sounded more like a growl than a chuckle rumble in his throat, his hand reaching out to brush a strand of hair from my face. Then, without another word, he leaned down and kissed me, his lips soft and tender against mine. I nearly collapsed at the sensation, especially when his hand moved to press against my lower back and tug me closer.

If we had been alone… My cheeks flushed just at the thought. But we had an audience, which I was quickly reminded of when I heard my friends’ feet shuffling awkwardly in the background.

When we finally pulled apart, Bella let out a dramatic sigh. “Alright, lovebirds, save it for the event. You two have got a car waiting.”

The ride to the event was a quiet one; Bella, Melissa, and Lily would be meeting us at the event later, so it was just me, Darren, and the driver.

Darren kept my hand in his the entire time, his thumb brushing over my knuckles. At first I thought he was just trying to soothe my frayed nerves, which he could no doubt feel through the mate bond.

But I could feel his nerves through the bond, too, pulled so taut they might snap like a rubber band. I supposed we were both comforting one another.

By the time we pulled up to the venue, though, I was feeling surprisingly calm. I’d never been to an event like this before, at least not so publicly, and yet somehow I felt more meditative than anything.

I chalked it up to my mate’s presence by my side, although the pretty dress and stunning makeup certainly helped as well.

But then the car door opened, and everything changed.

The flash of cameras hit me first. Then came the noise—the roar of the crowd, the shouts of reporters, the constant click of camera shutters. It was… overwhelming.

So overwhelming, in fact, that I froze the moment my feet hit the red carpet.

I was a deer in headlights, not a proud she-wolf.