Chapter 114: Be The Female Lead
"Crises Confirms Character"
~ Rebel Beast
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"Aria!"
Brittney’s voice cracked as she broke into a run.
"Brittney!"
The moment Aria saw her, she instinctively pulled away from Maverick and hurried forward, meeting her best friend halfway. Brittney threw her arms around her with enough force to nearly knock the breath from her lungs, holding on as if letting go meant risking losing her all over again.
Only then did it hit Aria. In the chaos, she had been so consumed by everything happening inside the restroom that she’d completely forgotten about her friends.
Relief washed through her as she realized they were all standing here, alive and safe.
Brittney pulled back just enough to look at her, her eyes suspiciously bright.
"Don’t you ever do that again," she said, her voice trembling despite her attempt to sound stern. "I thought my heart was going to rip in two. You’re the first real best friend I’ve ever had, Aria. I can’t lose you."
Emotion caught Aria completely off guard.
"I’m sorry," she whispered, squeezing Brittney’s hands. "I promise, I’m not going anywhere."
Before either of them could say another word, Alek and Trisha reached them.
Neither asked permission and simply folded Aria into another embrace until all four girls stood huddled together in the middle of the courtyard.
For a little while, none of them spoke. After everything that had happened, words felt unnecessary.
A short distance away, Charlotte watched the scene unfold and an unpleasant feeling twisted inside her chest.
Her gaze drifted toward Zainab, Indigo, and Meredith. If she’d been the one trapped beneath that collapsed space, would any of them have reacted this way?
She already knew the answer.
The four of them weren’t really friends.
They were survivors forced into the same corner, united more by circumstance than affection. If Charlotte died tomorrow, one less competitor would remain. Someone else would simply move one step closer to the top.
"Okay..." Aria laughed weakly from somewhere in the middle of the group. "I think that’s enough hugging." She could barely breathe anymore.
It was almost ironic. Not long ago, she’d been convinced she wasn’t the sort of person who enjoyed hugs. Yet somehow these three girls kept finding new ways to squeeze every ounce of air from her lungs.
And strangely, she didn’t mind it.
Before coming to Bestiaris, Aria had been convinced girls were superficial, petty, and constantly competing with one another.
Brittney, Alek, and Trisha had been proving her wrong every single day. For the first time in her life, she understood what genuine friendship felt like.
She couldn’t wait for the day they met Davina.
"I couldn’t agree more," Alek said, reluctantly stepping back. Brittney released her next, followed by Trisha.
Trisha looked Aria up and down before folding her arms. She said, "You do know if this were a movie, you’d definitely be the female lead."
"What?" Aria stared at her. "Why?"
"Because disasters keep following you around," Trisha replied matter-of-factly. "It’s always the female lead the author keeps throwing one obstacle after another at. The poor girl barely gets a chance to breathe."
Despite everything, a laugh escaped Aria.
"I certainly hope not," she shook her head. "Because if that’s true, then I’d be the one getting fought over by all the male leads, thereby creating the famous dramatic love triangles."
"Or a reverse harem," Brittney chimed in.
When the others turned to look at her, she shrugged.
"Reverse harems are all the rage these days."
The girls exchanged thoughtful glances.
She wasn’t wrong.
"Well, whether it’s a love triangle or a reverse harem, I don’t envy the female lead one bit," Alek opined. "Handling one man already sounds like enough work. Imagine having two, or even three."
"Exactly. Which is precisely why I can’t be the female lead. Just thinking about it is enough to make me lose my mind." Aria laughed it off, trying very hard not to think about what had happened with Rhydian. Or Professor Maverick.
No. That definitely wasn’t some bizarre reverse harem situation.
She was growing up. It was perfectly normal for people her age to become curious, to experience confusing emotions, and to make sense of feelings they had never encountered before.
That was all this had been.
Exploration.
And there would be no more of it.
If this incident had taught her anything, it was that she was dealing with dangerous beasts. Had it not been for Maverick, she would have been buried beneath the collapsing building — even if, technically speaking, the entire disaster was his fault.
"It’s good to see you girls chatting," Variant said as she and her cousin made their way over. "That means you’re all okay."
Brittney lifted her chin. "It’s good to know you two are okay as well. Honestly, I like you both more than most of the beasts I’ve met so far."
Variant and Valerie exchanged a quick glance before smiling, clearly touched by her sincerity.
"That is sweet," Valerie said warmly. "Thank you, Brittney."
At that moment, Maverick walked over. He didn’t raise his voice or make any dramatic entrance, yet everyone instinctively straightened the moment he approached.
Aria, in particular, became painfully aware of his presence. She was still angry with him. How could he have thrown away the ring Rhydian had given her? It hadn’t been his decision to make.
"I need you both to take the girls back to their apartment while I deal with things here," Maverick instructed Variant and Valerie.
"Of course, Alpha," Valerie answered for both of them. "You can count on us."
"And make sure you thoroughly check their apartment before they go inside," Maverick continued. "I wouldn’t put it past some of the beast students to sneak in while everyone is distracted. We can’t afford to take chances."
"We’ll make sure it’s secure," Valerie promised.
Maverick gave a slight nod before his gaze drifted toward Aria. She refused to meet his eyes. The deliberate avoidance brought a small tick to his jaw.
She was angry with him. He could scent it in the air. He didn’t need the mate bond to tell him that.
Maverick wanted to explain himself, to tell her why he’d thrown the ring away, but now wasn’t the time. There was far too much damage waiting for him inside the building.
"Take the car and leave now," he ordered.
"What about us?" The voice came from behind.
Unsurprisingly, it was Charlotte.
Maverick turned toward her, one eyebrow lifting ever so slightly.
Charlotte said. "We just survived an attack too. What if we’re not safe either?"
Every eye shifted back to Maverick.
He regarded her for a long moment before answering in a voice completely devoid of emotion.
"How unfortunate." He clicked his tongue in exaggerated sympathy. "You’re none of my concern."
"Ouch," Brittney muttered loudly enough for Charlotte to hear.
Without another glance, Maverick turned and headed back toward the damaged dining hall, Dimitri following close behind.
Charlotte looked as though someone had slapped her across the face.
"Don’t worry," Valerie said with a pleasant smile. "I’ll walk you back to House Aetheris. I wouldn’t want you getting lost... or frightened on the way."
Not even Aria managed to hold back a snort of laughter. God, that was wicked. But Charlotte had walked right into it.
It was obvious she had only been trying to get Maverick’s attention. Besides, House Aetheris sat directly along the main path. It was practically impossible to miss.
Charlotte’s face darkened.
"Thank you, beast." she said, every syllable dripping with sarcasm.
Valerie didn’t react.
Charlotte spun on her heel. "Let’s get the fuck out of here."
Zainab, Indigo, and Meredith lingered for only a second before hurrying after her like obedient little ducklings.
"Come on," Variant said, leading the others toward her parked car, its paint now coated in a thin layer of dust from the collapse.
With a collective sigh, the girls squeezed themselves back into the rear seat once again.
As the girls settled back into the cramped seat, Brittney’s eyes drifted to Aria. Her brows slowly knitted together as she finally noticed the ruby necklace and gold waist chain around her belly. Those definitely hadn’t been there before.
She opened her mouth to ask about them, then thought better of it. Whatever had happened inside that restroom clearly hadn’t been something Aria was ready to talk about in the middle of a car ride.
Besides, once they got back to the apartment, she intended to interrogate her properly.
Every.
Single.
Detail.
Variant started the engine, and the familiar rumble of the vehicle filled the air as they pulled away from the damaged dining hall.
The drive back to House Therion was mostly quiet. Unsurprisingly, they came across Charlotte and the other girls making their way toward House Aetheris on foot.
A mischievous grin spread across Variant’s face.
"Watch this."
Before anyone could ask what she meant, she deliberately accelerated through a patch of loose dust and tiny pebbles scattered across the cobbled road.The rear tires kicked up a cloud that swept straight toward Charlotte’s group.
"Ah!"
"What the hell?"
Charlotte, Zainab, Indigo, and Meredith threw up their arms, coughing and stumbling back as dust swirled around them.
Variant burst into laughter.
"Oops!" she called through the open window with absolutely no remorse. "Road conditions."
Then she drove off, still laughing while Valerie shook her head beside her, looking thoroughly accustomed to her antics.