Chapter b25 /b

Aria’s POV

“AHHH–T

Screams rang out all around me as I fell. My wolf saved me at thest second, but bI /bstillnded bhard /band twisted my ankle badly.

“Arial” 1 heard bJace /bshout, panicked.

In a sh. Zane bwas /balready at my side. He gently scooped me bup /bin his arms.

“Are you bokay/b?” he asked.

I was trembling from the pain. “bYeah/b…No God it hurts…I t

I think 1 I twisted my ankle.”

“Twisting your ankle from tenb–/bmeter fall? Did you forget you’re a werewolf?” he teased.

“Not a goddamn warrior, okay?” I muttered.

Jace came running over too, visibly freaked out. He reached for my foot to check the injury. “Fuck… are you okay?”

But Zane blocked Jace’s hand

“Did you try to kill her?” he asked sharply.

I froze. So did Jace–his face twisted in shock and fury. “WTF did you just say?!”

b“/bLasked if you pushed her on purpose and tried to kill her.”

“NO!” Jace shouted. “God, bwhat /bthe hell is wrong with you?! Why would I bwant /bto kill her?!”

Zane stood up straight, eyes locked on Jace. That usual yful grin was gone–his expression turned cold. Almost scary. “You bsaid /byourself this deal meant everything. Aria got it band /byou didn’t. Maybe you wanted to get brid /bof the obstacle.”

“For fuck’s sake. She’s a bdamn /bwerewolf! If I wanted her dead, I’d poison her drink, not push her off a fucking balcony!” Jace

snapped. Zane turned to bnce /bat the edge where I fell “Shended barely half a meter from bthat /bstatue. One wrong angle band /bshe’d be skewered like ba /bkebab.”

I followed his gaze and shivered.

He was right. Less than half a meter away was a decorative statue holding a sword. If I’dnded on that. I’d rather not to think babout /bit.

Jace snarled, “OK, but still! I wouldn’t kill bsomeone /bover a bdamn /bcontract! Do you really think I’m some kind of psycho?!”

“I saw you push he. I would nevery hands on a girl like that. So why did you do it, bJace/b?b” /b

bJace’s /bface went red. His nostrils red.

He was quiet for a moment, then finally muttered through gritted teethb, /b“Whatever bman/b. Believe whatever the fuck you want. But seriously, Zane? What’s with the white knight act? She’s Grayson’s bitch, not yours. You just met her. What’s in it for you to defend her like that?”

“I felt like it,” Zane shrugged. “Honestly, just stay away from her, okay? Or I might just go have a bchat /bwith Grayson about all bthis/b—even if thinking about that makes me wanna puke.”

Jace looked like he bwas /babout to explode from pure rage.

“You ready for the bhospital/b?” Zane bent down to bask /bme. I nodded and tried to push myself up, but he just scooped bme /binto bhis /barms again like it was nothing.

b“/bWait! You don’t bhave /bto

“Rx. This isn’t the first time I’ve carried a girl like this. Just ba /bbshame /bit’s not to the bedroom.” He smirked.

040 AM

b? /b

He carried me outside. A spons car bwas /bbalready /bparked at the entrance. He slid me into the passenger bseat /bbefore jumping into the

driver’s seat.

“Buckle up. We’ll be at the hospital in 107 And with that, the car sped off,

“And hey, thank you. For bthe /bcontract. bAnd /bfor standing up for me back there,” I said sincerely,

“No big bdeal/b,” he shrugged,

There was our question I couldn’t stop myself from asking “Aren’t byou /band Jace… friends? Weren’t you worried what you said back there might ruin things between you two?”

Hewcoffed. “Friends? Please, 1 don’t have as many friends as you think, And Jace’s certainly not one of them.”“

bOk /bthen. Poor Jace. He probably thought he was best buds with a rich heir, but turns out the guy never respected him at all

“Besides,” Zame added, “even if he was my friend, I’m not gonna stand by and watch him try to kill you.”

I blinked. Thenughed. “Come on, Jace would never. You totally got it wrong

“You sure? Half a meter, bAria/b. That’s all it would’ve taken.”

A chill crept up my spine, but I shook my head. “No. Not a chance, Jace might insult me, set me up, bmake /bup lies, but murder? He isn’t capable of something like that,”

“Underestimating the people you think byou /bknow is dangerous. They’re the ones bwho /bknow where to hit hardest,” Zane said quietly and nced at me. “How can you be so naive? I thought Grayson’s girl bshould /bbe at least half as hypersuspicious bas /bhe is

“Stop the car?” I suddenly shouter.

“What! What’s wrong?”

b“/bbAlpha /bGrayson! I was supposed to have dinner with Alpha Grayson tonight. Oh my god–Ipletely forgot!” I cried in panic.

I checked the time. It was almost 9 pm. I was over an hourte.

bZane /bburst outughing. “Holy bshit/b, you stood up Grayson! That’s a first.”

I grabbed his barm/b. “Forget the hospital–take bme /bto the restaurant now!”

“No can do. I’m not your personal chauffeur,” he grumbled.

“Then I’ll jump out here and walk.” I reached for the door.

bOkay/bb, /bokay! Geez, you’re insane. Finel bGive /bme the address.”

I did. Then I spent the entire ride begging him to go faster. But of course, we bhit /btraffic, and it took nearly an hour to get

By the time bwe /barrived, bit /bwas balmost /b10.

bthere/b.

I hopped out on one foot and rushed to the restaurant entrance. But when I gave the receptionist the name of the reservation, she bgave /bme an apologetic smile.

“He already left a long time ago.”

Of course he did.

I was btwo /bhourste–why would he still be waiting bfor /bme?

This was something I’d been looking forward to for so long. And Ipletely blew it.

I walked out of the restaurant, devastated, Zane bwas /bleaning against his car, arms crossed.

“No luck, huh?” he smirked.

“God, I’m so stupid,” I mumbles. I bwas /bbalmost /btoo bmiserable /bto speak. “He must be so pissed.”

b0:48 /bAM

Zane snorted. “Grayson? Please. That guy doesn’t have bactual /bemotions. He’s not wasting energy being mad at you. You bthink /bhe

heartbroken or angry or something? More likely he’s already moved on to the next ten hot girls waiting in line.”

bI /bshook bmy /bhead, not even bothering to answer.

站

he’s

He suddenly moved closer, throwing an arm around my shoulder with a huge grin. “Hey, since we’re both free now, how about I take byou /bon a date instead?”

“Get off me, Mr. Elrod”

Come on, soon you’ll see that bI’m /ba blot /bmore fun than Grayson-

That’s when it happened.

Suddenly, a car across the street roared to life and swerved toward us, tires screeching. It skidded right up to Zane’s car and mmed the brakes, blindin

us with its headlights.

“WTF! What’s wrong with you?!” Zane shouted.

The driver’s door mmed open and a tall figure emerged

bAria/b. Get in the car,” Grayson said coldly, dark eyes locked bon /bZane.

田