Chapter 71

Aria

The soft strains of the orchestra filled the grand ballroom as William led me gracefully into a dance, his hand resting on my lower back. We began to chat about various topics, everything from my own questions about the modeling world to pointing out interesting masks around the room.

But in the span of a second, everything changed.

We were talking about the modeling industry, and William was leaning close to hear me over the loud music.

Then, suddenly, the strongest scent I had ever smelled hit me like a freight train.

It was like cologne, but something… more. Something heady and intimate, like a first kiss or that feeling you get from dancing in the rain. It felt like I’d been thrust into a tunnel filled with nothing but that scent, that feeling.

The strangest thing about it, though, was that… I knew that scent. It was as if I knew it like the back of my hand, no, more than that. I had never smelled anything in my entire life except for that scent. Every experience, every heartbeat, every breath had been poured into that scent.

My heart began to pound faster than I could handle. I whipped my head toward the source, eyes widening.

And that was when I saw him.

Darren. Barreling toward me, practically shoving people out of the way.

He wore an all-black suit and a black mask that covered more than half of his face, but it was him. And I knew… that that scent was coming from him.

Before I could process anything further, the lights flickered, and then the entire room was plunged into darkness. A collective gasp echoed around us, followed by murmurs of confusion.

“Looks like we’ve lost power,” William remarked calmly. I didn’t have the strength to answer, because that scent was closer now, enveloping me like a bubble. I knew that Darren was right next to me.

Suddenly, I felt a brief scuffle beside me—and a low growl that sent a shiver down my spine. “William?” I called out uncertainly.

“I’m right here,” a deep voice murmured close to my ear, but it wasn’t William’s voice.

Strong, familiar arms encircled my waist. “It’s alright,” the voice reassured me.

“Darren?” I whispered, my voice quavering. I knew it was him, but I had to say his name anyway.

The lights surged back on, and I found myself gazing into a pair of intense mismatched eyes behind a mask.

Oddly enough, though, the scent was gone. I wondered if I had even experienced it at all, or if it was just my nose playing tricks on me.

As for William, he was nowhere to be found.

“Darren! What are you doing?” I asked, my voice nearly lost amongst the sound of the music once more.

“Making sure you’re safe.”

“I was fine,” I protested gently. “I was… dancing with someone. Where did he go?”

Without answering, Darren began guiding me effortlessly into the next dance, his movements smooth and practiced. “Well, now you’re dancing with me.”

I glanced around, trying to spot William. “But—”

He spun me gracefully, pulling me closer. “Is there a problem?”

I narrowed my eyes slightly. “Darren, are you... jealous?”

He scoffed lightly. “Jealous? Of course not. I was dancing with someone else and got mixed up during the blackout.”

“Really?” I arched an eyebrow. “Then why aren’t you returning to your date?”

He hesitated for a fraction of a second. “She must have... wandered off.”

I gave him a skeptical look. “So you just happened to end up here with me?”

“Coincidences happen,” he replied, although we both knew he was full of shit. I’d seen him rushing toward me like his life depended on it.

“You saw me with another man and decided to scare him off, didn’t you?”

“That’s… not entirely true,” he defended, although a hint of color rose to his cheeks.

“Admit it,” I teased. “You’re jealous.”

He sighed softly. “Aria...”

“If you wanted to dance with me so badly, you could have just asked,” I pointed out. “Instead of pulling this... stunt.”

He met my gaze seriously. “Maybe I was... affected.”

“Affected?” I echoed. “By what?”

He looked away briefly before returning his eyes to mine. “My wolf doesn’t like seeing you with other men. It’s a physical reaction I can’t always control. You know this.”

I rolled my eyes and groaned. “You always blame your wolf. Maybe it’s just you who doesn’t like seeing me with someone else. Have you ever thought about that?”

He didn’t answer.

We danced in silence for a moment, the music enveloping us. The way he held me, his fingers so warm against my waist, conflicted heavily with his “don’t blame me, blame the wolf inside of me” attitude. I didn’t know how to feel about that. The logical side of me certainly wanted to be angry.

But at the same time, dancing with him felt… right. Just as right as that strange scent I had briefly encountered. And I wasn’t moving to walk away, even though I felt bad for William.

“Darren,” I suddenly said, unable to hold it in, “I… I think I picked up your scent just now.”

His eyebrows shot up, and he stilled. “What? That’s impossible.”

I shrugged one shoulder. “I don’t know. It was only for a second, but it was so intense, and it felt like… I don’t know how to describe it.”

“Like an old memory you forgot all about, and yet somehow it completely shaped who you are as a person?”

“Exactly.” My eyes widened a little at the perfect analogy. “Does that mean…”

He shook his head. “You possess a small amount of werewolf DNA, Aria. It’s possible that a little seeped through and allowed you to pick up my scent.”

I was silent for a moment, chewing the inside of my cheek. “So… is that what you experience when you’re around me?” I asked softly. “Is that why you do things like kiss me suddenly? Or like what happened just now?”

Darren paused, thinking, then said, “Sort of. But you don’t have much of a scent. Sometimes a little bit comes through, but you’re too human for the full experience. Although our mate bond does drive my wolf to take control sometimes.”

“Oh.” I looked away. “So… Everything that happens between us—you don’t like me like that. It’s just… the bond.”

He stilled again, his eyes flickering with something unreadable. When he spoke, his voice was hardly more than a whisper. “If I said I did like you, mate bond or no, how would that make you feel?”

I felt my heart pound against my ribcage. “I... I don’t know. It’s a bit difficult to answer because I don’t know if I’m talking to the man or the beast right now.”

“I don’t know, either.”

I swallowed hard and looked away again. “Then I can’t answer truthfully.”

He pulled me a fraction closer. “But what if, just for a moment, man and beast were the same? Could you answer then?”

I hesitated. “Maybe…”

“Then how would you answer?” he whispered, leaning closer. “If I told you that Darren the wolf wanted you more than anything, and Darren the man wanted to kiss you, even if we shouldn’t… would you like that?”

I felt as if the air got sucked from my lungs. Inside, that logical part of me was screaming, calling me a lovestruck fool, telling me that I was just setting myself up for disaster. He was a werewolf, my boss, a man who I could never be with.

But as I looked into those eyes, as I saw the dim glow behind those mismatched irises, that voice grew quieter.

I nodded, my throat tight. “Yes. I would like that very much.”

In answer, his hand slid up my waist, sending a warm thrill through me. He dipped me low, his face hovering inches above mine. Time seemed to stand still as he leaned in, capturing my lips in a deep, passionate kiss.

The world around us faded away. All the doubts, the complications—they melted under the intensity of the moment. I kissed him back, losing myself in the sensation. His lips were soft yet firm, moving with a tenderness that made my heart soar.

But it was over just as quickly as it had begun. Just like that sweet scent. Gone in a blink.

As he pulled me upright, the sound of applause broke through the haze. I blinked, realizing that people were watching us with delighted smiles. Cameras flashed as photographers snapped pictures of our intimacy.

It was too much. The swirl of emotions inside me was overwhelming. Joy, confusion, fear—they all collided in a dizzying rush. “I need a moment,” I mumbled, turning away.

Without waiting for a response, I weaved through the crowd, my steps hurried. The masked faces blurred around me as I made my way toward the hallway leading to the restrooms.

As I rushed forward, someone bumped into me hard, nearly knocking me off balance. “Oh, I’m so sorry!” I exclaimed, regaining my footing.

“No worries,” the person muttered in a strange voice, and I felt another white camera flash, but I didn’t look up, too focused on escaping.

Once inside the restroom, I leaned against the cool marble sink, taking deep breaths to steady myself. The mirror in front of me reflected a woman whose cheeks were flushed, eyes brimming with unshed tears.

But something was missing.

That was when I noticed—it was just me staring back.

My mask was gone.