Chapter 123

Aria

“Aria, would you do me the honor of a dance?”

Darren stiffened beside me when William said those words. It wasn’t just his body that stiffened, though—our mate bond suddenly flared to life for the second or perhaps third time that night, a surge of heat and protectiveness that I could feel beneath my own skin.

I glanced up at him, my heart skipping a beat as I saw the way his jaw clenched ever so slightly, his eyes fixed on William with an intensity that could’ve melted steel. He was still on edge from earlier, from the protesters and the tomato incident, and I knew his wolf was close to the surface tonight.

But then, Darren surprised me.

“It’s your choice,” he said, glancing at me with a placid smile although I could still feel his wary discomfort through the bond. His hand tightened around mine, a silent reminder that he trusted me.

I didn’t hesitate.

“Thank you, William,” I said, turning to him with a polite smile. “But I’m afraid I’ll have to decline. Darren is my mate. I’m not in the business of dancing with other men these days.”

I tilted my head slightly, letting the light catch the mating mark on my neck. It was faded now, a silvery scar that shimmered slightly when I moved, not red and swollen like it once was. And now, I had no need to hide it in this world. Or in any world, for that matter.

William’s eyes widened as he noticed it.

“I didn’t realize,” he said, glancing at Darren. “I thought you two were just… friends. You were on that dating app until recently, so I assumed…”

I shook my head, my smile softening. “It’s okay. I should’ve been more upfront with you before. Deleting the app wasn’t exactly the clearest way to handle things.”

William nodded quickly, his hands raised in a gesture of apology. “I’m sorry. It won’t happen again.”

With that, he turned and walked away, leaving Darren and me alone in the middle of the bustling event. Crisis averted, I supposed. I turned to Darren, expecting to see relief or pride in his expression.

Instead, he just looked… stunned.

“What?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.

“I just…” He shook his head, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips. “It’s going to take some getting used to, that’s all. Hearing you call me your mate so easily. Showing off your mark. We had to keep it hidden for so long.”

I blushed lightly at those words, and at the reminder of the days in which we had to hide our true feelings for each other. Too long. Far too long. “I guess I should’ve been this up front with him before,” I finally admitted. “It would’ve saved us both some awkwardness.”

“He’ll be fine. He’s a supermodel. He’ll find another gorgeous woman in a heartbeat,” Darren said with a low chuckle. His arm snaked its way around my waist, tugging me close, as he sipped his drink with his other hand. His scent overwhelmed me, but in the best way possible. “I’m proud of you, you know.”

I blinked, surprised by the sincerity in his voice. “Proud of me? For what?”

“For standing up for yourself,” he said, his eyes softening as he looked down at me. “For being confident in who you are and what you want. You’ve come a long way, Aria.”

His words made my chest swell, but I shook my head. “I wouldn’t be this confident if it weren’t for you. You’ve helped me so much, Darren. You’ve shown me that I’m worth more than I ever thought I was.”

He smiled, but there was a seriousness in his eyes as he cupped my face in his hand. His thumb moved across my cheek, brushing a strand of hair out of the way. “No, Aria. Your confidence is your own. You’ve always had it—you just needed to find it. And you should be proud of yourself for that. Don’t place the credit on anyone but yourself.”

I felt tears prick at the corners of my eyes, but I blinked them away, leaning into his touch. “Thank you,” I whispered.

The rest of the evening passed without a hitch. Darren and I moved through the crowd together, his hand never leaving mine as we mingled with guests and answered questions about the foundation.

We danced and laughed, drank and ate, and for a while, I forgot about the protesters outside—although even from here, I could still hear their shouts and jeers echoing through the doors. They were growing in number.

But as the night wore on, I found myself reflecting on Darren’s words more than anything.

Confidence.

There was a time not long ago when I would have crumbled under the weight of everything—the chaos, the scrutiny, the pressure of not just being a celebrity now but a Luna. There was a time when I would’ve doubted myself, when I would’ve let others dictate my worth without so much as a second thought.

I thought back to Jackson, to the way he’d used me as a distraction from his marriage. I wouldn’t admit it to anyone, not even Bella, but I had cried over him, mourned the loss of a relationship that had never truly been mine to begin with.

I’d convinced myself that I couldn’t do any better, that I wasn’t worthy of more. That I was too serious, too awkward, too lanky and unattractive to be truly loved by anyone.

But that version of me was gone now.

Every day, I felt myself stepping more fully into the role of the White Wolf Luna, into the person I was born to be. It wasn’t always easy—there were still moments of doubt, moments when I still felt like an imposter in my own skin. But I was learning to trust myself, to believe in my own strength. Slowly but surely, day by day.

And Darren was right. That confidence, that belief in myself, was mine. I’d earned it.

The night continued to go well, the donation goals nearly met as the event slowly drew to a close. I felt a sense of pride and accomplishment, and excitement for the next leg of our campaign. Despite the protesters, we were off to a good start.

Or so I thought.

But then the doors burst open.

The sound was deafening, a crash that echoed through the room and brought everything to a standstill. I turned, my heart pounding as a flood of protesters rushed in, only this time, they weren’t just holding signs.

They were armed—some with bats, others with makeshift weapons.

Security tried to hold them back, but they were outnumbered, overwhelmed by the sheer force of the mob.

“Kill the monsters!” a male voice screamed.

The room erupted into chaos.

Guests screamed, scrambling to get out of the way as the protesters surged forward. Tables were overturned, glasses shattered, and gowns ripped.

I turned to Darren in complete shock, my legs too frozen to move. His hand tightened on mine, and he pulled me closer, his feet angling toward the exit. “Stay close!” he shouted over the din.

But before I could respond, gunshots went off. The crowd surged even faster, guttural screams erupting through the hall.

Someone slammed into me from the side, their shoulder catching me hard enough to knock the breath from my lungs. My hand was ripped from Darren’s, and I stumbled to the floor, my knees barking with pain as I hit the marble tiles.

“Darren!” I cried out.

But I couldn’t spot him through the frenzy.