Aria
It's so fucking beautiful! I spin around in the middle of the suite Ethan booked for us. The luxurious carpet, velvet curtains, sparkling chandeliers-is something straight out of a magazine.
The annual New Year cruise ship tour hosted by my school, Crescent Wolves Academy, is everything I've ever dreamed of but never thought I'd experience.
Me, Aria Whitlock, standing here on a freaking cruise ship? No way. I'm an eighteen-year-old, lowly omega scraping by in a world that couldn't care less about me. But tonight? Tonight, I'm not a nobody.
Nope. Tonight, I'm Alpha Ethan's mate. My Ethan, the future Alpha of the Full Moon Pack, my personal knight in shining armor.
The Moon Goddess must've finally stopped ignoring me.
"Aria, move your ass! We're going to miss the welcome party at this point." Mia's voice yanks me out of my thoughts. She barges in, her wild auburn curls bouncing, looking like a fiery storm in her emerald-green dress. Right behind her is Lily, the complete opposite with her soft, blonde hair and shy smile, rocking a simple blue gown.
They're my best friends... the only ones in the entire damn pack who treat me like a fucking person instead of crap.
"Wow," Lily's blue eyes widen as she takes in the suite. "You and Alpha Ethan's room is so much prettier than ours."
"That's because Ethan wanted me to experience the absolute best," I squeal, practically bouncing on my toes.
Mia gags dramatically. "Ugh, you sound like you're in some cringy rom-com. Stop it before I puke."
"Shut up, Mia," I shoot back, grinning.
She flops onto the bed like she owns the damn place. "Look, I'm just saying, Alpha Ethan better step up tonight. You've been waiting forever for him to stop hiding your ass. If he pulls some crap, I'm kicking his Alpha-wannabe face."
"Mia!" Lily gasps, looking scandalized. "Be nice! This is a big night for Aria."
"I am being nice," Mia shrugs. "Just stating facts. Alpha Ethan's been dragging his feet for months. And I don't know how far I can trust him."
"Stop," I sigh, trying to keep my voice steady. "He promised me, okay? He said tonight, he's telling everyone. It's finally happening."
Mia raises an eyebrow, like she wants to argue, but Lily grabs her arm. "Leave it, Mia. Let Aria enjoy her night."
Mia rolls her eyes but holds her tongue. I turn back to the mirror, fluffing my long black hair and adjusting my floral dress. It's not anything fancy-just the nicest thing I own. Ethan knows I don't care about flashy clothes, and besides, he's already paid for me and my friends to come on this cruise. That's more than enough.
----
The party hall is like something straight out of a movie. Christmas lights sparkle from every angle. The air smells like cinnamon pine trees. And everyone's dressed to kill.
And I mean everyone. These are the elite kids from all the top werewolf academies. Future Alphas and Betas, their perfectly dressed selves, and their annoyingly perfect lives.