The Pull of Fate

Arvanya's POV:

Ryker leaned forward, his grin downright mischievous. "Alright, Aria, here's your dare: make Lucian laugh. If you can't, then..." He paused dramatically, savoring the tension in the room. "You'll have to kiss him."

The circle erupted in a collective gasp. Every pair of eyes locked onto me and then shifted to Lucian, who froze mid-motion, sitting cross-legged on the floor. His usual air of control faltered as his eyes flicked to Ryker, narrowing dangerously. His jaw tightened, and the faintest furrow appeared in his brow as he shot Ryker a withering glare.

"What?" Zane asked, his voice louder than necessary, breaking the thick silence.

"Ryker, you're insane!" I burst out, my voice shaking between disbelief and anger. "You can't seriously expect me to—"

"Oh, I'm serious," Ryker replied smugly, leaning back like he was the king of this ridiculous game. "C'mon, Aria. Prove you've got what it takes."

My stomach twisted, and my mind raced. Why would Ryker do this? Was it just his twisted sense of humor, or was there more to it? The more I thought about it, the clearer it became—he didn't actually expect me to complete the dare. He wanted me to panic, to back out and pick truth instead. My gut told me this wasn't just about the game. Ryker wanted me to reveal the secrets which I was hiding from everyone. And I couldn't let him figure it out.

Sofia, always quick to jump in, waved her hands in exaggerated protest. "Absolutely not! She can't do this! First of all, how could you make her kiss someone over a dare? And second—" She turned to me with wide eyes. "You can't lose your first kiss like this!"

That was it. The room went dead silent again. Every head turned toward me, their shock palpable. My face burned as I looked down, my embarrassment swallowing any words I might have had.

"Wait." Zane blinked a few times, as if he misheard. "First kiss?" His tone was incredulous, his brows furrowed. "Aria, are you telling me you've never—?"

"No!" I blurted, cutting him off, my voice cracking under the weight of mortification. "I haven't, okay?"

The stunned silence was deafening. Even Lucian, who had been glaring daggers at Ryker just moments ago, now wore a slightly softer expression. His brows lifted almost imperceptibly, as though this revelation had caught him off guard too.

Zane leaned closer, his mouth agape. "Wait, so... you've never had a boyfriend either?"

My shoulders tensed, and I wanted nothing more than to disappear. "No," I said quietly, then louder. "No, I haven't."

The incredulity in their faces was almost laughable if I weren't dying inside. Lucian's gaze lingered on me for a beat longer before he averted his eyes, his face unreadable once more.

"Are you serious?" Zane pressed, clearly not letting this go. "How is that even possible?"

Nico, sensing my rising panic, stepped in with a casual shrug and an easy grin. "Simple. Every guy is scared to death of her."

That got everyone's attention. All heads swiveled toward Nico, confusion etched into their faces.

Ryker frowned, narrowing his eyes. "Why would anyone be scared of her?"

My heart pounded as panic surged through me. I couldn't let them know about my brothers—the overprotective shields who loomed so large in my life that they scared off anyone who got too close. None of them— Zane, Ryker, or even Lucian—knew about my family, and I couldn't let them find out now.

I threw Nico a desperate look, silently begging him to steer the conversation away. He caught on instantly.

"Because," Nico said smoothly, his grin widening as he leaned back, "she's always been dead serious about finding her mate. No boy wants to get in the way of that."

The group chuckled, their focus shifting as relief washed over me. Esme, sitting at a distance, sent me a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, Aria. First kisses are overrated anyway."

I forced a laugh, though my mind was still racing. Ryker's dare hadn't been random; I was sure of it now. He was probing, testing me, trying to see if I'd crack and choose truth. But I couldn't let him—or anyone—get too close to the things I was hiding. Not yet.

"Well, Aria," Ryker said, his grin smug, "guess that means it's truth now, huh? Unless you're going to back out."

Before I could form a response, Lucian's voice broke through, low and deliberate. "You shouldn't do it."

The room fell into another wave of silence, the air suddenly heavier. All eyes snapped to Lucian, their surprise mirrored in my own. His tone wasn't mocking or dismissive; it was calm, laced with something I couldn't quite pin down.

I turned to him, caught off guard by his words, but the moment I met his gaze, a cold knot twisted in my stomach. His expression was unreadable, but his eyes betrayed a flicker of something—discomfort, perhaps? Annoyance? I couldn't tell, and the uncertainty made it worse.

For a brief second, I felt a rush of relief, thinking he might have been trying to save me from the dare. But that thought quickly soured. No, he wasn't doing this for me. He was doing it for himself. He didn't want me anywhere near him, let alone kissing him.

The realization stung more than I cared to admit, and I felt my jaw tighten in response. Of course, he wouldn't want this. Why would he? I was nothing to him—just another girl in this room, part of a game he probably found childish.

I felt my cheeks flush, not from embarrassment but from the growing irritation swirling inside me. If Ryker's dare wasn't bad enough, Lucian's intervention had somehow made it worse. Now it felt like a rejection, even though I hadn't even agreed to anything yet.

I forced myself to look away, my fists clenching at my sides. It wasn't like I wanted to kiss him, either. The very idea made me cringe. Lucian was cold, distant, and so infuriatingly unreadable that he might as well have been made of stone. And now, he was sitting there, as if this was all beneath him, with that calm, composed mask of his.

Why would Ryker even give me this dare? Was he trying to humiliate me, or did he just want to push me into choosing truth? Either way, it was working. I couldn't go through with the dare, and I definitely couldn't let the group dig into my secrets.

"Fine," I muttered, forcing the words out through gritted teeth. "Truth it is."

The group erupted into cheers and teasing remarks, but I barely heard them. My thoughts were stuck on Lucian, on the way he'd spoken up, and the frustrating knot of emotions it had left in its wake. I didn't care what his reason was. It didn't matter.

Ryker, leaned forward with a predatory glint in his eyes. "Alright then, Aria," he began, his tone casual but the weight of his words unmistakable. "Tell us what really happened in the infirmary today."

My heart lurched, and a suffocating silence swept over the circle. Everyone was staring at me now, their curiosity palpable, their gazes piercing. Even Lucian’s usual cold indifference had melted away, replaced by something that made my chest tighten—concern, maybe even worry.

I tried to swallow the lump in my throat, but my mouth was dry. My mind raced, frantically searching for something, anything, to say. My pulse pounded in my ears, and the weight of their collective anticipation was unbearable.

What could I even say? The truth? I didn’t even fully know what the truth was. Was it just a nightmare? Or something more? The voice, the visions—they were all rushing back to me now, uninvited and vivid. My family’s harsh words, my friends’ disappointed faces, everything I had buried deep inside was clawing its way to the surface.

I clenched my fists so tightly my nails dug into my palms, the physical pain grounding me as I struggled to suppress the storm inside me. I couldn’t tell them. They wouldn’t understand. No one could understand.

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"I..." My voice cracked, and I cleared my throat, forcing myself to meet Ryker's gaze. His expression was still smug, but there was a flicker of something sharper in his eyes. "It wasn't anything major," I started, keeping my tone as even as I could manage. "I just—well, I wasn't feeling well at the time. I must have overexerted myself, and it caught up with me."

It wasn't entirely a lie. Whatever had happened that time had left me drained, but the voice, the visions, the weight of it all—it wasn't something I could put into words, not now.

The group exchanged skeptical glances, the tension in the air thick enough to choke on. Zane opened his mouth, probably to press for more details, but Lucian cut in before he could speak.

"She said it's nothing major," Lucian said, his voice calm but firm, the kind that brokered no argument. His piercing gaze shifted to Ryker. "Drop it."

The authority in his tone was unmistakable, and for once, Ryker didn't push back. Instead, he leaned back in his seat, raising his hands in mock surrender. "Alright, alright. Just curious, that's all."

I exhaled softly, a mixture of relief and unease washing over me. But it wasn't over yet. I could feel Lucian's eyes on me again, and when I glanced at him, the concern in his expression hadn't wavered. If anything, it had deepened.

For now, I had managed to deflect the questions. But deep down, I knew this wasn't the end of it. The truth, whatever it was, was still there, waiting to be uncovered. And I wasn't sure how much longer I could keep it buried.

After a few more rounds, Calen suddenly clapped his hands together and said, “Let’s go, guys, or we’ll miss dinner!”

Ryker stretched his arms with a grin. “Yeah, we should. In the game, we completely forgot about dinner.”

He stood up, and Lila followed suit, brushing off her skirt. One by one, the others rose from the floor, their earlier intensity giving way to lighthearted chatter.

Esme glanced at the door with a smile. “Let’s go.”

Calen dramatically, stepping forward to grab the door handle. “Hurry up, or I’m eating all your desserts first!” His laughter echoed as the others followed him out, their conversations fading down the hall.

Dante leaned casually against the doorframe, smirking. “Bold of you to assume you’ll survive after touching my dessert, Calen.”

Kai snickered, adjusting his sleeves as he followed. “We’ll make sure your sacrifice is remembered in the history books.”

Calen shot them both a playful glare before swinging the door open with exaggerated flair. “Go on, then. Let the dessert-less peasants follow their king to the dining hall.”

Esme walked past with a roll of her eyes and a teasing pat on Calen’s shoulder. “Your highness, move faster or I’ll dethrone you before dinner.”

One by one, the group followed, laughter and banter trailing into the hallway. But just as I was about to step out, a firm hand gripped my arm, stopping me in my tracks.

“Aria.”

Lucian’s voice, low and steady, sent a shiver through me. I turned to face him, my heart suddenly thudding louder than it should have.

“Go ahead,” he said over his shoulder to the others. “We’ll catch up.”

The group exchanged glances—some curious, some knowing—but didn’t argue. After a few seconds of hesitation, they began to shuffle out, though not without one last round of glances over their shoulders. Kai was the last to leave, his eyes briefly meeting mine again, as if silently saying, We’ll talk later.

When the door finally closed behind them, silence fell over the room, heavy and suffocating. I turned to Lucian, my pulse racing, the air charged with something I couldn’t quite define.

“What is it?” I asked, my voice trembling just enough to betray the calm I was desperately trying to maintain.

He studied me for a moment, his piercing gaze making it impossible to look away. Finally, he spoke, his words measured but carrying undeniable weight. “Are you okay?”

It wasn’t the question I expected. “I’m fine,” I said too quickly, trying to brush it off.

His eyes narrowed, and he stepped closer. “You’re not.” His tone softened, but there was no mistaking the firmness in his words. “That outburst in the infirmary… it wasn’t normal. And I know you’re hiding something—something more than you’ve let on since the day you got here.”

The air grew heavier with every word. My pulse raced, and I didn’t trust myself to speak.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I said finally, but even to me, the denial sounded weak.

He exhaled, running a hand through his hair. “Aria, I’m not pushing you to tell me. But I can tell it’s serious. Whatever it is, whenever you’re ready… I’ll be here.”

The sincerity in his voice made something inside me crumble. He wasn’t demanding answers; he was offering understanding. It was disarming in a way I wasn’t prepared for.

But just a few minutes ago, he hadn’t wanted anything to do with me—hadn’t even let me near him. He'd rejected me so rudely, so sharply, and now... now he was speaking to me like this. I had no idea what was going on in his mind.

I couldn’t stop my thoughts from drifting back to the infirmary, to the way I had lashed out at him also. The words had come out so cruelly, so quickly. I hadn’t meant to hurt him, but I had.

“I…” I started, my throat suddenly dry. “I’m sorry.”

His brows furrowed. “For what?”

“For what I said to you in the infirmary,” I admitted, the words tumbling out before I could stop them. “It wasn’t fair, and I know you didn’t deserve it. And…” I hesitated, glancing down at my hands. “Thank you. For taking care of me, even when I didn’t make it easy.”

He tilted his head slightly, studying me as though trying to figure me out. “You don’t have to apologize. And you don’t need to thank me.” His voice dropped a fraction. “But I need you to stop shutting everyone out. Whatever you’re dealing with, it’s not just about you. Is it?”

My heart was pounding in my chest as I spoke, the words slipping out before I could stop them. “You always do the same, Lucian. You push people away. You don’t let anyone near you. You think power is everything, that nothing else matters!”

My chest heaved with the force of my outburst, and the room felt charged, as though the walls themselves were holding their breath. His eyes widened, the usually unshakable mask slipping for the briefest moment.

“Aria,” he began, his voice soft, but I didn’t let him finish.

“No!” I snapped, my voice sharp, trembling with frustration. “Don’t act like you don’t know what I mean.” My hands clenched into fists at my sides as the words poured out, unrestrained. “You think no one notices, but I do. I see it—the way you push everyone away. Like letting someone in will break you. Like caring is a weakness!”

His jaw tightened, and his hands curled into loose fists. For a moment, I thought he’d lash out with some biting remark, but instead, he stood rooted, his piercing gaze locked on mine, silent and unyielding.

And then, he moved.

One deliberate step toward me.

Instinctively, I stepped back, my heart pounding as the distance between us shrank. His presence was overwhelming, and the intensity in his eyes made me feel exposed, vulnerable, as if he could see every thought I was trying to bury. The bond flared within me, tugging at my resolve, urging me to stop fighting it—to let him come near. It was as if some invisible force between us was demanding it, a silent plea that echoed deep inside me. Despite every instinct telling me to hold back, the magnetic pull grew stronger, impossible to ignore.

“Aria,” he said again, his voice lower this time, almost a whisper, but it carried a weight that made the air feel heavy.

“What?” I shot back, my voice defiant, though it shook slightly. “What could you possibly say to justify acting like this? Like you don’t care about anyone?”

His expression darkened, his eyes narrowing as he took another step forward. The bond between us stretched taut, and for a moment, I thought I might lose myself in it. But I stood my ground, refusing to back away, even as my pulse raced. It felt like we were both fighting against something we couldn’t understand, and yet the tension between us only thickened with every breath we took.

“You think you know everything, don’t you?” he said, his tone sharp, but there was something else beneath it—an edge of vulnerability he couldn’t quite hide. “You think I don’t care because I don’t show it the way you want me to. But maybe… maybe I care too much.”

I froze, the weight of his words crashing into me like a wave. For a moment, I couldn’t speak, couldn’t think.

Before I could find a response, a loud voice interrupted the charged silence.

“Hey!” Nico’s cheerful tone echoed from the doorway, snapping us both out of whatever fragile moment had been building. “If you two don’t hurry up, I’m eating your share of dinner. And trust me, I’ll enjoy it.”

I stepped back, my breath shaky, as the connection between us broke. Lucian’s jaw clenched, his expression hardening as he turned toward Nico.

“We’re coming,” Lucian said evenly, his tone calm, though there was an undercurrent of something unresolved.

Nico leaned against the doorframe, smirking as his gaze flickered between us. “Sure you are,” he teased, his grin widening. “Don’t take too long, though. I’m starving.” With a wink, he disappeared down the hallway.

Lucian exhaled slowly, his shoulders tense as he started toward the door. I hesitated, my heart hammering in my chest. The words I wanted to say burned at the back of my throat.

I couldn’t stop myself. “Lucian…”

He paused, turning slightly, his sharp gaze meeting mine.

“Do you ever feel like…” I faltered, my courage wavering as the weight of my question threatened to drown me.

His eyes narrowed slightly, searching mine. For a moment, I thought he might say something, but instead, he asked, “Like what?”

I shook my head quickly, panic taking over. “Nothing. Forget it.”

He stared at me, his expression unreadable, and for a second, I thought he might press me. His gaze lingered, intense and searching, as if he wanted to say something but couldn’t find the words—or didn’t want to.

Then, with a small nod, he broke the moment. “Let’s go. The others are waiting.”

I nodded, swallowing the lump in my throat, and followed him out of the room. The tension hung between us like a thread, fragile but unbroken, and with every step, I felt it pull tighter. My heart was heavy, weighed down by the words I couldn’t say, the truth I couldn’t share.

But when that day came… would he accept me?

I glanced at his broad shoulders as he walked ahead, his posture stiff, guarded. He was so closed off, so determined to shut the world out, and I couldn’t help but wonder if there was room in his heart for someone else—if there was room for me.

Would he ever see me as his mate, as someone who could stand by his side, not as a weakness but as an equal? Or would he turn away, rejecting the bond because of the walls he had built around himself?

My chest tightened at the thought, fear and hope battling within me. He didn’t want a mate. That much was clear. But the bond didn’t care about what we wanted—it was there, unyielding, tying us together in ways I couldn’t fully explain.

And yet, as I followed him, I couldn’t shake the flicker of hope that maybe, just maybe, he felt it too.

If he did, he wasn’t ready to admit it.

Not yet.

But one day, I told myself, clinging to that fragile hope. One day, the truth would come out. And when it did…

I could only pray he’d choose us.