Claimed by the Devils

Chapter 31

Lucian POV

“You don’t have to keep apologizing.”

“I bet this is the worst date you’ve ever been on.”

“It’s the most interesting.”

“I’ve never been on a date. This is my first.”

“Now you’re making me feel bad,” I said.

She chuckled.

I smiled.

This was progress.

Slow. But we were both getting there. I took a deep breath.

“Are you okay?” I asked.

“Yeah, I will be. Everything will fall into place and it will all be fine.”

Did she believe that or was she just mixing her words together? The waiter brought our food. Aria had composed herself by that time.

I gave her another smile and picked up my fork. We’d both gone with pasta. I’d gotten the ragu while Aria had gone for a vegan pasta with lots of grilled vegetables. It looked good.

We ate our meal in silence to start off with.

“What do you want to be once all of this is over?” she asked.

“When what is over?”

“High school. College.”

“I’m going to be working to take over from my father at Crowe Empire.”

“Is that what they want you to do or what you want to do?” she asked.

“Does there have to be a difference?”

“Yes. I don’t want to be a lawyer or a doctor, but it’s what my parents want of me.”

“Ah, I see.”

I smiled.

“I’ve never given it much thought.”

“Not a one?”

“No.”

I didn’t have the luxury of thinking about the future like I could have anything I wanted.

The moment I was born, my life had been mapped out. Even my initiation into The Society had been confirmed. There was no choice for me. Just a responsibility to do the right thing. It was all I’d been told to do. That and follow my father’s instructions without making waves.

Everything all seemed so simple until Aria entered my life. Now I couldn’t help but question my very existence. Nothing made a lot of sense.

Not Aria. Not the selection. Not my father or her mother. There were too many questions and not enough places to find answers, and out of everything we’d all been through, that was the most trying of it all.

Not having answers.

No way of knowing what was the truth and what were lies.

We finished our meal and even ordered dessert. By the end of the night, we had a relaxed feel between us. I drove back to campus. Aria was quiet for the longest time.

I’d turned the radio on in an attempt to fill the silence. I doubted it worked. She looked ready to explode.

She reached forward, turning it off.

“Pull over.”

“What?”

“Pull over.”

When it was safe to do so, I pulled the car over to the curb. The road was quiet. Only a fewj lights worked, highlighting the darkened road.

I enjoyed driving at night for the peace it gave me. There was no trouble here. I still had to be responsible for the way I drove, but I could be a little reckless.

“I’ve stopped and pulled over. Now what?”

She unbuckled her seatbelt, sliding out from the seat.

I wasn’t in the mood for this. I followed her, leaving my car door open as I went to her, grabbing her arm.

“I don’t know what game you’re playing, but I’m bored of it.”

“Then be bored. I’m not.”

Suddenly, I watched as she took a giant breath and then expelled it in a scream that had me letting go of her arm to cover my ears.

What the f**k?

She continued to scream. I was shocked by the sheer size of her lungs.