Chapter 16

**ADAM**

“No way!” He shouts, he has such a bad temper, he is really an Alpha.

“I wasn’t asking your permission, Austin. I was just informing you that I was going to offer it to her.” I answer him as calmly as I can.

“You’ve been here what, a week and you want to introduce her to your family?” He asks with a frown as if it were an absurd thing.

“You know damn well how I feel about her so it’s only natural that I want her to meet them. After all if she chooses me, they will be part of her life too.”

The rage shows on his face. It’s been a week since I’ve been here and he’s done everything to ruin every moment I’ve shared with Aria. We went for a walk... Rosalie joined us. We went to dinner... we ran into Riley and David. We started watching a movie in her room, he joined us and got on the other side of the bed. The sexual tension is at its peak, both between her and me and between her and him. I noticed that she was more enterprising with both of us. Leila is convinced that Aria is secretly dreaming of having both of us without choosing but it is impossible. It’s totally against our nature. Just seeing them kissing or holding each other is torture for me.

My mom, Leila and Sasha want to finally be able to put a face to a name and meet her, I have shown pure courtesy by stating my intention to get her out of the pack that is all. She is an adult and is free to make her own choices.

“I don’t trust you.” He tells me.

“I wouldn’t do anything. At least nothing she doesn’t want to do.”

He stares at me with his jaw so clenched that his teeth are in danger of disintegrating.

I sigh. “I won’t mark her. I promise...unless she asks me to.” I tease him wiggling my brows.

“I’ll come with you.”

“Seriously?! Is it a fucking joke?” I run my hands through my hair. “You kept getting in my way and I didn’t say anything. And now you want to come with us for a family weekend.”

“Yes! And you got in my way too, showing up every time I was alone with her.”

There’s a knock on the door. “What?!” Austin yells.

The door opens on Aria who looks at me with wide eyes.

“I’m sorry. If I had known it was you...”

“It’s okay. We can hear you screaming all over the hallway.” She interrupts frowning and I smirk.

She places her hands on her hips. “Adam, I’d love to meet your family. Would it be possible for them to come here instead of us leaving? We could go into town for dinner and that way everyone would be happy.”

“Yes it’s definitely possible. I’ll tell them.”

“All right.” She pauses, looking at both of us. “Look, I know this situation isn’t easy for you and believe me it isn’t easy for me either. I can’t make a choice right now because I’m attracted to both of you. You are both men with great qualities...”

“Don’t worry we’re not putting any pressure on you. We know it’s complicated for you.” I tell her as I take her in my arms and wink at Austin to enrage him.

With him I feel like I’m back with Sasha when we were younger bickering.

“Good for you. Glad to have cleared that up. Now I’ll leave you to it, I’m spending the afternoon with Rosalie and Riley.” She announces as she pulls away from me. “Behave yourselves.” She tells us before walking out of Austin’s office.

**ARIA**

“You’re aware that a lot of girls would dream of being in your shoes.” Riley says to me as we’re getting our nails done. The three of us are sitting at tables next to each other.

“Yes I know and I wish I was in my shoes too. But it’s not easy.” I pause. “I love them both.”

“You love them?” Rosalie asks me with her eyebrows at her hairline.

“Yes I like them.”

“That’s not the word you used.” Riley adds.

I growl in frustration. “Maybe I do love them yes. They are so different and at the same time they each have their own charm and I am undeniably attracted to both of them.” I sigh. “It’s getting harder and harder to stop at a kiss.”

“I can understand that but you’re going to have to make a decision soon. You have to know that this situation can’t last forever.” Rosalie tells me seriously.

Once our nails are done, we go to a tea room before going to the hairdresser.

As we begin to enjoy our drinks, Rosalie tells me.

“I couldn’t tell you earlier because of eavesdroppers but this situation weakens Austin, as an Alpha. Not being mated because you haven’t met your mate is one thing but not being mated having met her is another.” She pauses, looking at me seriously. “I’m not telling you to make a decision today, or even to choose him over this. He’s not deserving of waiting, nor is Adam deserving of waiting either.”

“Especially after what happened with Rachel.” Riley adds.

“Who’s Rachel?” I ask. I see the look Rosalie gives Riley and I realize my friend has made a mistake.

Rosalie sighs. “Rachel lived in the pack, she was close to Austin and seeing that he still hadn’t found his mate she offered to become his. What he didn’t know at the time was that she was doing the same thing to Adam.”

“Wait. I didn’t know that.” Riley tells her.

“Adam explained it to Austin before he came here.” She purses her lips. “They both got screwed.”

“But why did she do that? I don’t understand.” I tell her.

“It’s not my place to explain any of this to you. Maybe you should talk to them about it.”

“Now that you have started you must finish.” I tell her seriously.