CHAPTER FOUR - WHEN EYES MEET, WORLDS COLLIDE

Aria hesitated, then nodded reluctantly. "Fine. Let's see what we can find." Lucas smiled, relief evident in his eyes. "Great. I already checked the windows, but they seem intact. The lock on the door was picked, not forced." Aria frowned, scanning the room. "Whoever did this knew what they were doing. They were looking for something specific." "How can you tell?" Lucas asked, impressed. "The mess is methodical. They went through everything, but nothing's needlessly destroyed," Aria explained, moving towards her laptop. Lucas followed, careful not to disturb anything. "Should we call the police?" Aria shook her head vehemently. "No. No police." "But Aria-" "I said no," she snapped, then softened her tone. "Sorry. It's just... complicated." Lucas ran a hand through his hair, frustration evident. "Everything about you is complicated, Aria. I want to help, but you need to let me in." Aria bit her lip, conflicted. "I know. It's just... not that simple." "Then make it simple," Lucas urged, his golden eyes intense. "Talk to me." Aria sighed, turning to her laptop. "Let's check the security footage first." As she pulled up the video, Lucas leaned in close. Aria was acutely aware of his presence, his scent enveloping her. The footage showed a figure in black, face obscured, picking the lock with practiced ease. As they moved through the apartment, a familiar blonde ponytail slipped free from the hood. Aria's eyes narrowed. "Vanessa." Lucas growled, his fists clenching. "That bitch. I'll-" "You'll do nothing," Aria interrupted firmly. "I'll handle this." "Aria, you can't just let her get away with this," Lucas protested. Aria stood, facing Lucas. "I said I'll handle it. This is my problem, not yours." Lucas threw up his hands in exasperation. "Why are you so damn stubborn? I'm trying to help you!" "I didn't ask for your help!" Aria shouted, then immediately regretted her outburst. Lucas stepped back, hurt flashing in his eyes. "Fine. I get it. You don't want me here." Aria's chest tightened, but she forced herself to remain stoic. "Lucas, I appreciate your concern. But I can take care of myself." Lucas nodded stiffly. "Message received. I'll go. But Aria... be careful, okay?" As he turned to leave, Aria felt a pang of regret. "Lucas, wait." He paused at the door, looking back expectantly. Aria swallowed hard. "Thank you. For caring." A small smile tugged at Lucas's lips. "Always." After he left, Aria sank onto her bed, her head in her hands. Why did everything have to be so complicated? The next day at school, Aria noticed whispers and stares following her through the hallways. She caught snippets of conversation: "Did you hear? Lucas Kane was at her apartment..." "I bet they're secretly dating..." "No way, she's not good enough for him..." Aria gritted her teeth, ignoring the gossip. She had bigger problems to deal with. At lunch, she found herself near a group of giggling girls. Their conversation made her pause. "I heard Lucas's dad is, like, super strict," one girl said. Another chimed in, "Yeah, and his mom's a total ice queen. No wonder Lucas is so uptight." "Please," a third scoffed. "The Kanes think they're so special just because they're one of the oldest werewolf families. They're probably all inbred or something." Something snapped inside Aria. Before she could stop herself, she whirled on the group. "You don't know what the hell you're talking about," she snarled, her violet eyes flashing dangerously. The girls gaped at her, shocked into silence. Aria continued, her voice low and intense. "Lucas Kane is ten times the person any of you will ever be. His family has protected this territory for generations, sacrificing more than you could ever understand. So shut your ignorant mouths before I shut them for you." With that, she stormed off, leaving the stunned girls in her wake. As the adrenaline faded, Aria felt a wave of confusion wash over her. Why had she reacted so strongly? Since when did she care what people said about Lucas or his family? She tried to suppress the warmth in her chest, the flutter in her stomach when she thought of Lucas's smile. It was dangerous to care. She couldn't afford to let her guard down. But as hard as she tried, Aria couldn't shake the feeling that something had fundamentally shifted. In history class, Aria and Lucas worked on their project, an awkward tension lingering between them. Lucas cleared his throat. "So, uh, I was thinking we could include some personal anecdotes to make the history more relatable." Aria nodded cautiously. "That could work. What did you have in mind?" Lucas's eyes lit up. "Well, there's this story my grandfather used to tell me about the Great Pack War..." As Lucas launched into the tale, Aria found herself drawn in despite her reservations. His enthusiasm was infectious, and she couldn't help but smile at his animated gestures. When he finished, Lucas looked at her expectantly. "What about you? Any childhood stories about pack history?" Aria tensed, her mind racing to edit her past. "I... my family wasn't big on storytelling." Lucas frowned slightly. "Come on, there must be something. What about your first full moon run?" Aria's heart raced, remembering the brutal training sessions her father had called "runs." She forced a smile. "It was... exciting. I remember feeling so free." It wasn't entirely a lie. Those rare moments when she outran her father's enforcers had been exhilarating. Lucas sensed her discomfort and changed the subject. As they continued working, Aria felt a mix of relief and disappointment. Part of her longed to share her true experiences, to let Lucas see the real her. But she knew that was impossible. Her secrets were too dangerous. After class, Lucas met up with Vulcan in the hallway. Vulcan pulled him aside, his expression serious. "Dude, we need to talk about Aria." Lucas sighed. "What about her?" "Don't you think it's weird how little we know about her?" Vulcan pressed. "She just showed up out of nowhere, and now she's always in the middle of trouble." Lucas shook his head. "She's new, Vulcan. Of course we don't know everything about her yet." Vulcan persisted. "But have you noticed how she never talks about her family? Or her old pack? It's suspicious, man." "Maybe she just wants privacy," Lucas argued, frustration creeping into his voice. "Or maybe she's hiding something," Vulcan countered. "I'm just saying, be careful. We don't know anything about her background." Lucas's eyes flashed gold. "I know she's been through something tough. I know she's strong and smart and doesn't deserve all the crap she's getting. That's enough for me." Vulcan held up his hands in surrender. "Alright, alright. I just worry about you, bro." Lucas softened slightly. "I appreciate that. But trust me, okay? Aria's not a threat." As Vulcan walked away, Lucas couldn't shake a nagging doubt. What if his friend was right? What if there was more to Aria's story than he knew? He pushed the thought aside. Whatever Aria was hiding, he was determined to prove he could be trusted. Meanwhile, Aria checked her phone, her stomach dropping at the new message: "Cover compromised. Prepare for extraction." She deleted the message, her mind racing. She couldn't leave, not now. Not when she was so close to... To what? Completing her mission? Or something else entirely? Aria shook off the confusing thoughts and headed home. As she walked, the hairs on the back of her neck stood up. Someone was following her. She quickened her pace, her senses on high alert. The presence grew stronger, multiplying. Aria turned down an alley, preparing to confront her stalker. But as she spun around, her heart sank. Three massive werewolves blocked the entrance, their eyes glowing with malice. Aria dropped into a fighting stance, her violet eyes flashing. She was surrounded, outnumbered, but far from helpless. As the werewolves closed in, Aria's mind raced. Who sent them?