The Hunt Ceremony
1386 Words
Aria’s POV
I sat at the edge of the bed, my knees pressed together hard enough to ache.
The room was cool and dimly lit, but heat still crawled beneath my skin like a fever I couldn’t shake off. My tank top clung uncomfortably to my chest, and every slow breath only made me more aware of how sensitive my body felt.
I held unto my pendant the one found on me as a baby where I was abandoned as narrated by my late foster mother as if it could bring sanity or comfort to me.
One look downstairs.
That was all it took.
I dragged a hand over my face and let myself fall backward against the mattress with a quiet curse muffled beneath my breath.
He hadn’t touched me.
Had barely acknowledged me.
But the image stayed there anyway.
Sunlight against sweat-damp skin.
The measured roll of his shoulders while he trained.
The stillness hidden underneath every movement.
Ronan Vale moved like violence held on a leash.
My throat tightened painfully.
Oh moon goddess.
Even thinking about him made my stomach twist.
A knock sounded against the door before it opened without warning.
“Still alive?” Eva asked casually.
I sat up too quickly.
She leaned against the doorframe wearing an oversized black shirt that barely covered the tops of her thighs, her damp hair falling over one shoulder in dark waves. Her sharp eyes swept over me once before her grin widened knowingly.
“Oh, wow,” she said with a laugh. “You look completely wrecked.”
“I’m fine.”
“Terrible lie.”
She crossed the room without waiting for permission and tossed something onto the bed beside me.
A black dress.
Tiny enough to barely qualify as clothing.
“Eva.”
“You’re wearing it tonight.”
“Tonight?”
She stared at me like I had personally offended her. “Did you seriously forget what weekend this is?”
The Hunt celebration.
Nightfang’s annual excuse for expensive liquor, political games, dangerous alliances, and wolves pretending they weren’t predators.
My stomach sank instantly.
Memories from previous celebrations flashed through my mind—music echoing through endless halls, drunken laughter, whispered deals made in dark corners, and the sharp tension that always lingered beneath the glamour.
Ronan at the center of it all.
Always calm.
Always watching.
Eva dropped dramatically onto the bed beside me. “This year’s gonna be fun.”
“I think I’m developing a fever,” I muttered weakly.
“That’s just social anxiety and unresolved s****l tension.”
I shot her a glare.
She laughed harder, completely unapologetic.
“Do I even have a choice in this?”
“No, baby girl,” she replied with a grin, making a ridiculous face that would have looked stupid on anyone else.
I groaned and threw one of the pillows at her.
An hour later, the estate pulsed with music, conversation, and low, dangerous energy.
Luxury cars lined the courtyard outside while wolves in dark suits and glittering dresses drifted through the manor like sharpened blades wrapped in silk and diamonds.
The dress Eva forced me into fit too well.
Thin straps.
Bare back.
Black fabric that clung to every curve before shifting around my thighs every time I moved.
I felt exposed the second I stepped out of my room.
Eyes followed me as Eva and I descended the grand staircase together.
“Stop looking like prey,” she murmured beside me.
“I hate you.”
“No, you don’t.” She winked smugly.
The grand hall below buzzed with laughter, music, and quiet dominance.
Crystal chandeliers spilled warm light across polished marble floors while servants moved elegantly through the crowd balancing silver trays filled with champagne and expensive whiskey.
Matthew stood near the fireplace with a glass of liquor in one hand and a cluster of women draped around him shamelessly. Rodriguez lingered near one of the marble pillars, unreadable as ever, his dark eyes calmly studying the room around him. Alex already looked halfway drunk, laughing too loudly as he stumbled through a conversation with two beautiful brunettes.
Some things never changed.
The younger Alpha heirs were still obsessed with women, liquor, and reckless attention.
But my focus kept slipping.
Searching.
Looking for someone without meaning to.
Eva suddenly caught my wrist. “Come on.”
Before I could protest, she pulled me through the crowd.
The farther we walked, the quieter the manor became. Music dulled behind us until only the sound of our heels against polished floors remained, accompanied by the distant sound of a slow piano melody somewhere deeper inside the estate.
“Where are we going?” I asked nervously.
“You’ll survive,” Eva replied with a mischievous smile that immediately made me suspicious.
That answer did absolutely nothing for my nerves.
I silently prayed she wasn’t planning something completely insane.
Two guards stood outside a pair of towering black doors at the end of the hallway.
Both men looked intimidating in dark suits tailored over broad shoulders, their sharp eyes scanning us carefully as we approached. One glance lingered briefly on Eva’s barely covered boobs before shifting toward my slender legs.
Neither questioned her.
One of them opened the doors immediately.
Warm firelight spilled across dark leather furniture and polished wood interiors.
The room smelled like whiskey, smoke, cedarwood, and old money.
Men filled the space in tailored suits and designer tuxedos, their conversations low and controlled. The kind of men who never needed to raise their voices to command obedience.
Power sat naturally on their shoulders.
The moment Eva and I stepped inside, several heads turned in our direction.
I resisted the sudden urge to step backward.
“Eva—”
“Relax,” she said lightly. “It’s just the Alpha lounge.”
Just.
My pulse immediately sped up.
Then I saw him.
Ronan sat near the far side of the room, one arm resting lazily against the leather chair while a glass of whiskey balanced loosely between his fingers. His sleeves were rolled neatly to his forearms, exposing strong veins and expensive watches beneath the firelight. The dark shirt stretched perfectly across his chest, the top buttons undone just enough to reveal a glimpse of warm skin and trimmed dark hair beneath.
Stillness settled around him differently than everyone else.
Not relaxed.
Contained.
Controlled power wrapped in expensive fabric and sharp silence.
My heartbeat kicked painfully against my ribs the second his eyes lifted toward mine.
The room blurred softly around the edges.
He didn’t look away.
Didn’t glance elsewhere out of politeness.
His gaze moved slowly over me once—from my face down to my legs, lingering a bit on my thighs and back again—deliberate enough to feel almost physical.
Heat climbed my throat instantly.
Ronan leaned back slightly in his chair.
A small movement.
Barely noticeable.
Yet somehow it felt like space opening beside him.
An invitation.
Or a warning.
I couldn’t tell which was worse.
Eva either missed the tension completely or chose to ignore it.
“Dad,” she called casually. “Look who finally decided to come downstairs.”
His attention never shifted from me.
“Aria.”
My name settled low and rough inside his mouth. I loved the way he calls my name- it turns on a switch inside of me one I honestly wished didn’t exist but still enjoyed it existence.
I swallowed before answering softly. “ greetings Alpha Ronan.”
The corner of his mouth moved faintly.
Not quite a smile.
Something quieter.
More dangerous.
The conversations around us had thinned noticeably. I could feel eyes drifting toward us every few seconds without needing to look directly.
Ronan lifted his glass slowly, his gaze never leaving mine.
“Enjoy the ceremony but”.
“Careful tonight, Aria.”
My fingers curled tighter at my sides.
His tone remained calm and even.
But there was absolutely nothing casual in the way he looked at me.
I couldn’t help but feel like there was more to his look-“ did he find me attractive “ I thought in my head.
“Nightfang brings out ugly instincts in people.”
And somehow, instead of fear…
A dangerous thrill curled slowly beneath my skin.
- Writer
