The Uninvited Guest

Lucien's POV

I noticed her the moment she walked into the country club.

Hard not to, really. She was wearing this red dress that should have been illegal, walking on the arm of Kieran fucking Thornhart like she owned the place. Every head in the room turned.

And Ethan Ross looked like someone had just punched him in the throat.

Interesting.

I took a sip of my champagne and settled back to watch the show. I had come to this engagement party out of obligation—my father was friends with Vivienne's mother, and declining the invitation would have caused more drama than attending. But I hadn't expected entertainment.

The girl, Aria was stunning. Not in the polished, perfect way Vivienne was.

My wolf perked up with interest. Down, boy.

"Who is she?" I asked the bartender, a young guy who looked terrified to be serving alcohol to shifters.

"Aria Mercer. She's, uh, she used to date the groom."

"Used to?"

"He rejected her about a week ago. Broke her heart, from what I heard." The bartender glanced around nervously. "People are saying she's desperate, rebounding with Mr. Thornhart for his money."

I watched Aria laugh at something Kieran said, the way she moved through the crowd with perfect confidence. "She doesn't look desperate to me."

"Yeah, well. That's the rumor."

Rumors in Blackstone were rarely accurate. Usually, they were designed to destroy someone's reputation while making the rumor-spreader look sympathetic.

I watched Aria approach Ethan and his bride-to-be. I watched the way Ethan's jaw clenched, the way Vivienne's smile faltered. Whatever Aria said to them, it hit its mark. Both of them looked rattled.

"Lucien Ashford, as I live and breathe." A familiar voice made me groan internally.

I turned to find Dimitri Kane, fellow Alpha candidate and all-around pain in my ass. We had been competing for power since we were teenagers, always trying to one-up each other.

"Dimitri. Still compensating for something with that cologne?"

He laughed. "Still hiding behind daddy's money?"

"Always." I raised my glass in mock salute. "What brings you to this circus?"

"Same as you, I imagine. Networking. Politics. Watching Ethan Ross dig his own grave." Dimitri nodded toward where Aria and Kieran were now dancing. "That's going to cause problems."

"Think so?"

"A Lycan Chairman dating his future son-in-law's ex? That's a scandal waiting to explode." Dimitri's smile was sharp. "Though I have to admit, the girl's got guts. Walking in here like that takes serious balls."

I had to agree. Most rejected mates would hide, would lick their wounds in private. Aria had done the opposite, she had shown up looking like a goddess and made everyone who had pitied her reconsider.

"I heard her father was arrested," Dimitri continued. "Embezzlement or something. Convenient timing, don't you think?"

"Extremely." I watched Kieran's hand rest possessively on Aria's waist. "You think it's connected?"

"Everything's connected in Blackstone. You know that."

I did. I had grown up in this world of shifter politics, where every action had three meanings and every alliance came with strings attached. My father was Delta of the Silver Crescent pack, the same as Kieran. We had known each other my entire life.

Which made Kieran's behavior tonight even more interesting.

I had never seen him with a woman. Not once in all the years I had known him. He had been married to Charlotte, sure, but even before the divorce, he had been cold.

The way he looked at Aria wasn't professional.

"I'm going to introduce myself," I decided, setting down my glass.

Dimitri raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"Because I'm curious. And because pissing off Ethan Ross sounds like fun."

"Fair enough. Want backup?"

"Please. Two Alpha candidates approaching? Ethan might actually have a stroke."

We made our way across the ballroom, timing it perfectly. The song ended, Kieran and Aria stepped apart, and we swooped in.

"Mr. Thornhart," I said smoothly, offering my hand. "Lucien Ashford. We've met a few times through my father."

Kieran's handshake was firm, his expression guarded. "Lucien. I remember. How is Gregory?"

"Insufferable as always." I turned to Aria, letting my wolf's interest show in my eyes. "And you must be the mysterious Aria everyone's talking about."

Up close, she was even more beautiful. Dark hair, expressive eyes, and a mouth that made me think inappropriate thoughts.

“Mate,” he whispered.

Oh, shit.

I kept my expression neutral as I took her hand, but the moment our skin touched, electricity shot up my arm. She felt it too, I saw her eyes widen, saw the confusion there.

"Aria Mercer," she said, her voice slightly breathless. "Nice to meet you."

"The pleasure is entirely mine." I held her hand a moment longer than necessary, watching Kieran's eyes narrow. "I have to say, you're the most interesting thing to happen to Blackstone in months."

"I'm not sure if that's a compliment or an insult."

"Definitely a compliment." I released her hand reluctantly. "This is Dimitri Kane. He's less charming than I but marginally more trustworthy."

Dimitri rolled his eyes. "What he means is I don't hit on every woman I meet."

"Just the married ones," I shot back.

Aria laughed, and the sound made my wolf jump. Kieran, I noticed, had moved slightly closer to her. Possessive.

Interesting.

"So," Dimitri said, "how long have you two been together? The Blackstone rumor mill has wildly different estimates ranging from 'three hours' to 'secretly dating for months.'"

"Long enough," Kieran said shortly.

"Fascinating." Dimitri's smile was knowing. "And Aria, how are you finding the whole experience? Dating a Lycan Chairman must be quite different from—"

"From dating a boy who didn't know what he had until it was gone?" Aria's smile was sharp. "It's refreshing, actually. Being with a man who knows what he wants."

I had to hand it to her, she was good. The slight emphasis on 'man' versus 'boy' was a perfect dig at Ethan, who I could see watching us from across the room.

"Well, if you ever tire of older men," I said, pulling out a business card, "I'm always available for coffee or whatever else you might need."

I handed her the card, letting my fingers brush hers again. That same electric spark happened.

Mate. She's our mate.

Kieran's hand closed around Aria's waist, pulling her against him. "I don't think that will be necessary."

"Shame." I met Aria's eyes, letting her see my interest. "But the offer stands. Anytime."

We said our goodbyes and moved away, Dimitri chuckling beside me.

"Smooth, Lucien. Real smooth. You just hit on Kieran Thornhart's girlfriend right in front of him."

"She's not his girlfriend."

"The possessive body language says otherwise."

I glanced back. Kieran was leaning close to Aria, whispering something. She laughed, touching his arm.

But I had felt that spark. I knew what it meant.

"She's my mate," I said quietly.

Dimitri stopped walking. "What?"

"Aria Mercer. She's my fated mate."

"Lucien, she's dating…"

"I know who she's dating. I also know what I felt when I touched her." I pulled out my phone, already pulling up everything I could find on Aria Mercer. "And I know that fated mates don't lie."

"Even if she is your mate, she's clearly involved with Kieran. You can't just—"

"Can't I?" I looked at my best friend/worst enemy. "When has that ever stopped me before?"

Dimitri sighed. "This is going to end badly."

"Probably." I watched Aria across the room, watched her smile at something Kieran said. "But she's my mate, Dimitri. I'm not walking away from that."

"What about Ethan? He was her mate too."

"And he rejected her, his loss." I pocketed my phone. "Besides, she deserves better than some political climber who threw her away for a better opportunity."

"And you're better?"

I considered that. I was many things—manipulative, ambitious, occasionally cruel. But I would never reject my fated mate. Never.

"I'm honest about what I am," I said finally. "That's more than Ethan can say."

The rest of the party passed quickly. I networked, schmoozed, and played the political game. But my attention kept drifting back to Aria. The way she moved, the way she laughed, the way she fit against Kieran's side like she belonged there.

My wolf was going insane.

Ours. She's ours. Claim her.

Patience. We had to play this smart