Chapter 177: One For The Nephew, One For The Uncle

"Actually, the doors are secure. They’re just not very effective at keeping us away," Maverick declared.

The look Trisha gave him made it perfectly clear what she thought of his shameless admission.

Aria quickly intervened. "Actually..." She pursed her lips. "He came through my balcony."

"How reassuring," Trisha murmured.

Alek cleared her throat before making her own confession. "Dimitri came through the front door. I let him in."

Brittney nodded solemnly. "Different entrances. Same purpose."

Aria wished the ground would open up and swallow her. She had known this was how things would be the moment she stepped out of that room.

"Cut my mate some slack." Maverick stepped defensively in front of Aria. "If there’s anyone you need to come after, it’s me. I’m the one who snuck in here and climbed into her bed. I deserve the berating."

Aria covered her face immediately. He had absolutely done that on purpose. What was it with these wolves and their compulsive need to announce their bedroom activities as though they deserved public recognition for them?

Her roommates’ reactions were about what she expected. Brittney’s mouth formed a small O before her eyes lit up, visibly impressed by Maverick’s shameless defense of his mate and looking seconds away from squealing.

Trisha managed to keep her expression composed, although the slight tightening of her lips around the rim of her mug betrayed how hard she was fighting a reaction.

Alek, however, turned bright red, undoubtedly remembering her own night with a certain Beta.

"If there’s anyone you should be questioning, it should be my Beta right there..." Maverick’s eyes shot toward Dimitri. "I told you the girls were off-limits, Uncle."

"Oh, wow," Brittney muttered under her breath. "One gets the nephew. The other gets the uncle. Good work, girls. This friendship really does stay within the family."

Aria and Alek were rendered speechless.

Dimitri merely faced Maverick, completely unbothered by the accusation. "You’re not the only one with a mate, Alpha." There was obvious pride in his voice.

Maverick’s brow lifted in disbelief. "No way."

But Dimitri’s smirk remained firmly in place. "Every fucking way."

A startled laugh burst out of Maverick before a wide grin took over his face, and just like that, the women were forgotten. He stepped forward and caught his uncle by the shoulder, Dimitri doing the same to him as they knocked shoulders together in a rough, jubilant embrace.

Both men laughed with the unrestrained excitement only two wolves who had found their mates at the same time could understand.

"Fucking hell, Uncle." Maverick pulled back, looking at Dimitri as though he needed to make certain he wasn’t joking. "You actually found her."

"I found her," Dimitri confirmed, his smile broadening as his attention strayed toward Alek. There was something different in his face when he looked at her, a possessive tenderness Aria hadn’t noticed before.

"Or perhaps she found me. Doesn’t matter. She’s mine."

Alek’s already flushed cheeks turned an even deeper shade of red.

"Could you two stop talking about us as if you’ve just won something?"

"We did," Maverick and Dimitri answered at the same time.

Brittney slapped a hand over her mouth, barely containing a laugh, while Trisha simply lifted her cup. "Cheers to that."

Maverick turned back to his uncle. "Why the hell didn’t you tell me?"

"You were having enough problems with your own mate." Dimitri’s eyes slid deliberately toward Aria. "It didn’t seem right to tell you I’d found mine when she accepted me right away."

Aria gave him a dry look. "Ha-ha. Very funny. I could still convince Alek you’re a horrible choice, you know. There are finer men out there."

"I’d love to see you try." Dimitri didn’t look remotely threatened. "The mate bond already gives me an unfair advantage, and I’ll rip out the throat of any man who dares come close to her."

And just like that, the laughter in the room died.

Dimitri glanced around at the suddenly silent faces before adding, "I’m joking."

The laughter returned, somewhat awkwardly this time, with Brittney muttering, "That’s so toxically hot."

Except while Aria laughed with them, she couldn’t quite dismiss what she’d seen in Dimitri’s eyes when he’d made the threat. He might have called it a joke, but there hadn’t been a single trace of humor in his face when he’d said it.

With the subtle tension still lingering in the air, Dimitri knew it was time they left.

"We should go," he told Maverick.

It was only then that Aria realized their situation had turned out to be something of a blessing. If anyone saw Maverick and Dimitri leaving the girls’ quarters together, there was a good chance they would assume the Alpha and his Beta had come by on Therion business. At least it would buy her some breathing space until the party tonight when the gossip would start.

As if Maverick had read her mind, he came closer. "About the party tonight..."

Aria perked up immediately. They hadn’t had a chance to discuss it yet, much less the fight that would follow afterward.

"Dimitri will come and get you before the party," Maverick told her. "He’ll stay with you and keep an eye on the rest of the girls too. I know I can’t stop any of you from coming to the arena when you’ve already made up your minds, but the least I can do is make sure you’re safe."

"Rhydian already gave his word that none of the humans would be harmed," Aria reminded him.

"I still don’t trust him," Maverick replied. "And Caelis will be there too. Better safe than sorry."

Aria sighed. "If you say so."

"Also..." Maverick paused, and for the first time since he’d started speaking, some of the certainty left his voice. "I know I don’t get to decide what you do, but could you please stay indoors until the party? I’ll be busy most of the day, and with everyone already worked up over what might happen tonight..." His jaw tightened slightly. "I’d feel better knowing you’re somewhere safe while I can’t be around."

Aria reached out and cupped his face. She could hardly argue when he had gone out of his way to ask instead of deciding for her. "Fine. I’ll stay indoors with the girls. We need to prepare for tonight anyway, and trust me when I say we’re going to need the entire day."

Trisha immediately added, "And since we’ll be cooped up in here, I’ll be sending you a list of everything we need."

Maverick chuckled, more than willing to meet her demands. "Dimitri will take care of every single thing on it."

"Sure," Dimitri sighed, already sounding tired of a list he hadn’t even seen yet. Somehow, he was always the one who ended up doing the hard work.

Then Maverick and Aria looked at each other, neither of them quite ready to say goodbye. Maverick eventually leaned down and, much to Aria’s surprise, placed a chaste kiss on her cheek.

"See you later, my lovely mate."

Aria’s heart did a ridiculous little dance at the endearment.

"See you later, my Alpha."

Brittney and Trisha exchanged a look but, for once, said absolutely nothing. Their silence was worse.

Then it was Dimitri’s turn. Unlike Maverick’s surprisingly innocent goodbye, he caught Alek by the waist and planted a brief kiss directly on her lips.

"I’ll come for you later, my love."

"I can’t wait, my handsome mate," Alek replied shyly, looking ridiculously smitten.

Then the two men looked at each other, satisfied that their mates had been properly seen to, before heading for the door together.

Except the moment that door closed behind them, whatever restraint Brittney and Trisha had been exercising disappeared with it, and the room broke into absolute chaos.