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attress as her chest tightened violently. Alpha Klein stood up and slowly slid off his shirt, tearing the fabric apart as he always did whenever his wolf grew restless. Ria froze i
blurred her vision almost immediately. She blinked hard, trying to stop them from falling. Hugging the phone tightly against her chest, she swallowed hard. Then... the device vibrated violently against her ribs. "Hey, Ria. Next time, don't yell at Mobo." The voice came from the phone again as the interface rebuilt itself right before her eyes. Ria gasped softly, staring at the screen as it flickered back to life in her hands. A tiny, relieved smile trembled onto her lips, mixed with a sudden chill. "Mobo, if this is some kind of prank, please don't..." "Ria!" Her mother's voice called from outside the room. Ria quickly lowered the phone, cutting herself off. "Mum! I'm almost ready!" "Don't stay out too late tonight," her mother warned through the door. "Leave soon if you don't want to be late." Ria didn't answer this time. Instead, she bent down and adjusted the straps of her glass heels before slipping the thin strap of her dress back onto her shoulder. She turned toward the mirror, admiring the final look with a pleased smile. "Ria, are you seriously going out wearing-" Ria quickly muted the phone before Mobo could finish the sentence. Laughing softly, she shook her head. "You're just an AI, Mobo. Your shift is over for tonight." She slipped the phone into her tiny purse and headed out, the device feeling strangely heavy against her hip. "Ria! What took you so long? The bonfire already started," Mira said the moment she spotted her at the shoreline. "Guess what?" Ria squealed, grabbing Mira's hands and pulling her toward the wine-colored Corolla waiting nearby. "Dan is finally going to ask me out tonight." Mira's jaw dropped dramatically as Ria dragged her into the car, laughing. The entire ride, Mira kept staring at her with disbelief. By the time they arrived, the beach was already crowded. Tiny flames from lanterns and bonfires flickered against the dark night sky while music echoed across the sand. Ria stepped out slowly, looking around with a soft smile. Mira wrapped her in a tight hug. "Happy eighteenth birthday, Ria," she said warmly. "So? What do you think? You like it? I made sure everything was perfect before you got here." "It's beautiful," Ria admitted, walking closer to the bonfire. A girl suddenly stood from one of the lounge chairs, wine glass in hand. There was lipstick smudged around the rim and faint oil stains near her mouth. "Ria!" she shouted dramatically before rushing forward and pulling her into a hug. Ria hugged her back politely. "You're officially grown now," the girl laughed. "No more innocent little princess act. So? Boyfriend yet, or are you still attached to your mom?" "Serene," Ria replied calmly, "maybe we should focus on the party and not my dating life." "Oh please, Ria. You always dodge important questions and-" "Dan," Ria interrupted suddenly, wanting to cut the interrogation short. "You want to know whether I said yes to Dan already, right?" Serene rolled her eyes. "Oh, come on, that's not what I meant." "You were definitely getting there." "Okay, en
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