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her shoulder for a moment and dropped away. Anger and sympathy warred in his glance. Pity was the last thing she needed. “By the time I arrived, Steven was in pretty bad shape. I wasn’t even sure he was still alive, and I lost my temper.”
    Her eyes traced the pattern of the linoleum at her feet, recalling the scene in the alley. “In my defense, I gave them ample time to leave. But they saw a female and assumed I was weak. They were easy to take care of.”
    In her mind, she could still see the three teens lying on the ground, dazed. She’d been angry and careless. Ethan had escaped her attention while she dealt with the others. He had waited until she finished, before he grabbed her from behind. The memory made her skin crawl. 
    As if Lukas sensed what she was thinking, he asked, “What about Ethan?”
    She slid a glance at him, debating how much to reveal. “He got behind me while I was distracted by the others. It was my own fault—I was careless because they were young. He copped a feel and started whispering things in my ear. Things about how I’d killed you and how my fate was my own fault. About the things he’d like to do to me when Haemon finished with me.”
    Lukas gave a loud growl. The rage on his face made her glance away. She smiled slightly, looking back at the floor. “The minute he mentioned you and he started boasting about what they were going to do, I lost it. I don’t even really remember what I did, but when I was finished, he was bleeding and his friends had to carry him out. It’s a safe assumption he’ll have a reminder of me for the rest of his life.”
    “That won’t be very long if I ever find him.” Lukas rumbled. When Aria opened her mouth, his hand slashed violently through the air. “The minute he touched you, his life was mine. Later, when we’re alone, you’ll tell me exactly what he said.”
    She crossed her arms. What he didn’t know couldn’t make him upset. “I don’t remember.”
    “You’ll remember later.”
    “It’s over with, Lukas.”
    “Like hell it is.”
    Alec cleared his throat, and smiled at Aria. This time, the gesture appeared more genuine. “I have to go check on my patient and get a few of the others to help me move him. If you see your friend, again, give him my thanks.”
    “I’ll do that.”
    Lukas stared at her for a few moments more, then pushed away from the counter. The muscles in his jaw twitched, and Aria knew he was dying to demand the details from her now, but didn’t want an audience. He drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I have to check in with Aaron and speak to Thaddeus. After that, we need to talk.”
    He smiled, but his gaze lingered on the dark smudges she knew lay under her eyes. “How long ago since you slept through the night or had a full meal?”
    “A few hours?”
    “You were never a good liar.”
    “Only around you,” she retorted. He stood there, arms crossed, waiting for an answer. Throwing up her hands, she rolled her eyes. “I can eat later. I don’t want to eat alone and I’d be willing to bet you haven’t eaten either.”
    “Are you sure?”
    “Lukas. I’ve been without food longer than this. I’ll be fine. You can take care of business, we’ll talk, and then we can eat.”
    “All right. Aaron needs to meet you, anyway. He’s my Beta, and he needs to meet my Mate, formally.”
    She didn’t really think a formal meeting would change her opinion of Aaron, or vice versa. Scowling, she let the comment slide. There’d be plenty of time to argue later, without the audience. People milled about the kitchen, cleaning up pieces of gauze, dishes, and mopping the floor. Each one pretended to be absorbed in their tasks, while listening intently to their conversation.
    She followed him out the door through a large dining room into a spacious study where Thaddeus and Aaron stood next to the window in deep discussion. They were like looking at night and day. Aaron had a distinctive dark