Chapter 10

**AUSTIN**

I never thought I’d say this, but regarding Aria, I decided to take David’s advice so the four of us will spend an evening together. This will allow her to get to know me without any pressure and in the context of an evening with friends, says David. Even though I really think this is coming from Riley. She took Aria to see Rosalie at my request and according to Rosalie they are on their way to becoming best friends. I love her enthusiasm and she told me that she confided in her that she was on my team for the race to her heart, which made me laugh a lot I must say. I can’t wait to hear what Aria thought about meeting her, I know she can be strange to those who don’t know her.
I look at myself one last time in the mirror, black jeans, black henley and black boots.

The door of my room opens after a knock on it.

“Uh are we going to a funeral?” David asks me with a chuckle.

“Shut up.” I growl.

I go back into the dressing room to change and grab a white shirt instead.

“Perfect handsome.” He says to me, tapping me on the shoulder. “Come on, we’ll wait for them downstairs.”

We barely make it downstairs when we run into Garrett, who is asking us about our plans for the evening, when he stops talking and stares at the stairs with his mouth open. I hope for him that he is not looking at who I think he looks at.

I turn around and Riley and Aria are walking down the stairs. I am speechless, she comes down the stairs and our eyes meet, she is wearing a black dress that reaches above her knees with thin straps, her hair is loose and falls down her back. Exceptional fact to be mentioned, she has some makeup on and her lips are red blood. She is the most beautiful girl that my eyes have ever landed on.

“Close your mouth, a fly could get in.” She says as she walks by me. I turn around and the straps cross over my back, leaving it bare.

“Well ... Have a nice evening.” stammers Garrett before leaving.

I don’t bother to answer him, my brain on pause as I watch Aria and Riley walk out of the pack house.

“Well, are you coming?” The latter calls out to us.

“They’ve got it covered. I don’t know how I’m going to keep from jumping on her.” David says to me in a low voice.

“I don’t know either.” I answer him sincerely.

“Oh no but you keep your hands and everything else on your body to yourself. You’re going to screw it up if you get too pushy.”

She fucking kissed me so she must want me, a little bit at least.

The girls both wanted to sit in the backseat, so to my horror I end up in the passenger seat with a boner.

“By the way it slipped my mind but I texted Gavin to tell him you were spending time with me and my family. Since we were supposed to get together tomorrow night.” Riley says to Aria.

“You did the right thing. I had completely forgotten about it. I’d have to call him tomorrow during the day.” She takes a deep breath. “I didn’t even say goodbye to him.”

My fists clench tightly. I want to punch anything as soon as I hear her say another guy’s name.

“Who’s Gavin?” I ask frowning and see David’s smirk.

“He’s a friend of ours.” Riley replies. “And Aria’s ex, although it didn’t last long.”

“You stayed friends with your ex?” I ask, trying to contain the rage inside me. I know my reaction is totally over the top, how could I be jealous of something that happened before me? But I want to rip the heads off of every guy who has even laid a finger on her.

“Yes, we were better friends than when we were a couple. Do you have a problem with that?” She asks me with audible annoyance in her voice.

“Not at all.” I answer as detached as possible but I'm boiling inside. She has quite a temper.

I’m going to have to learn to contain myself because if I don’t I’m going to have to write her off before I even get her. I’m not going to lie. I would have preferred her to be a virgin, to be the only one to see her naked but I know that’s not the case so I have to deal with it. She’s 21, it’s the 21st century, I have to stop being a Neanderthal. Even though my wolf strongly, very strongly disapproves.

“What about you? You are not in contact with any of your previous conquests?” She asks me.

Davis snorts and I give him a dark look.

I clear my throat. “I see some of them but we’re not friends. I only see them because they are part of the pack, not by choice.”

She doesn’t answer anything and when I turn my head to look at her she stares out the window, completely impassive. I’m a big hypocrite, I’ve slept with plenty of girls in the pack and I’m pissed off because she’s friends with one of her exes.

She is so beautiful with her fine features, she turns her head slightly and our eyes meet.

The corner of her mouth lifts slightly and she turns to look out the window, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. I look ahead and notice David pull up in front of a restaurant. Once the car stops I get out to open the door for the girls. I place my hand on the small of Aria’s back and we walk towards the entrance of the restaurant. I notice quite quickly that I am not the only one to find her pretty, several men and women look at her when we join our table.