Romans de PrettyPen

ARIA“It’s not yours anymore.” Shit. “But…” Maren’s mouth opened and closed, her face turning redder by the second.All this… over a room? Seriously?“Lucian, you promised—” Lucian didn’t even glance her way. “Aaron.” Aaron straightened instantly. “Yes, Alpha?” “Take your hands off her.” Aaron’s hands practically flew off me. “Of course. I’ll… uh… get back to work.” He grabbed Maren’s arm instead. “Let’s go.”“No, I still need to—” Her protest died on her tongue. Aaron didn’t give her the chance, already pulling her down the hall, until they disappeared—leaving only awkwardness between me and Lucian.Except Lucian wasn’t watching them leave. He was still looking at me. Not my face. My wrist. The exact spot where Aaron’s hands had been. “You did that on purpose,” I said softly— just loud enough for him to hear. I couldn’t stand his gaze. It burned straight through me, scratching over every inch, every nerve, every vein Aaron had touched.Why? Why act so damn weird?“I did.” L

ARIAHe said it so casually, like it was just some boring, everyday threat. “Are you serious?” I hissed.“As a heart attack.” Aaron’s smile didn’t slip, but the corner of his mouth twitched—like even he knew how ridiculous this sounded. “So for my sake, just stay here, okay?”He even threw in a little pout for effect. My gut twisted with suspicion. Why did this feel too convenient? Could this be a part of some plan no one bothered to tell me about?But with no other option, I bobbed my head. “Fine.”“No way in hell!”The voice exploded right behind us, and my soul nearly left my body. Aaron and I spun around just as a woman stormed toward us. The second Aaron saw her, his whole body stiffened.“Shit,” he muttered under his breath. “Maren…” He dragged her name out like it was bitter. “You’re not supposed to be here,” he said, stepping in front of me. “These are the Alpha’s private quarters.”I expected that to slow her down but it didn't. Not even a little. “Neither is she.” Maren’s

ARIA“It’s strange…” I murmured, my gaze fixed on the wall of photographs.A soft creak pulled my attention toward the door as it swung open, carrying with it the sterile scent of antiseptic mixed with something earthier—herbs, maybe.The pack doctor stepped inside, a tray of food balanced in one hand. What was his name again?Aaron. Right.His brow lifted slightly as he set the tray down on the small table beside my bed. “Strange?” He followed my line of sight to the pictures.I hadn’t expected him to hear me.The photos were lined up in precise rows, too neat—too intentional. Someone had taken the time to frame and arrange them with care. The images showed men and women in hospital gowns, their expressions frozen in forced smiles. Yet, it wasn’t them my eyes kept returning to.It was him.The same man. Over and over again.Lucian Draven.In every photo, he stood in the center, shaking hands, offering warm embraces, smiling that unreadable smile. Was it genuine? Or carefully practice

LUCIANWhen my men reported that they had found a rogue near the cliff border—possibly having fallen from the edge which is Ashen pack—I immediately gave the order to eliminate her and dispose of it’s body in the woods. I wanted to make a clear message to any rogue who might wander into Bloodfang territory: this pack does not tolerate rogues, whether they come here by design or mistake.But then Aaron mentioned something that made me pause. He said the rogue was a woman, and she had a star-shaped imprint on her inner thigh. That detail stopped me in my tracks and I knew I had to see her for myself. When I arrived and confirmed his words, I made a different decision. Instead of killing her, I chose to spare her life. She could provide valuable information, and I needed to know if she was really the one I had been looking for all this time.“You think that’s Whitee?” Aaron asked as he entered my office, his brows knitted and his voice unsure. “She doesn’t act like her, but she sure loo

ARIAFaint voices and muffled conversations gently roused me from my unconscious state. My senses slowly returned, but my head felt heavy, and the world around me seemed blurry and distant. As I struggled to focus, I finally opened my eyes. What I saw was unexpected—a young man standing beside me, his face unfamiliar and filled with concern. My mind scrambled to piece things together. I had fallen from the cliff, and then—nothing. I’d heard voices just before I lost consciousness. Had someone found me? Had they decided to spare my life and bring me somewhere safe?The young man’s voice broke through my thoughts. “How do you feel?” he asked, his eyes scanning my face with genuine concern. “It’s nothing short of a miracle that you survived that fall.”I blinked, trying to focus on his words. My throat felt dry, and I instinctively licked my lips, trying to find moisture. Slowly, I attempted to sit up, but dizziness hit me, and I faltered. Immediately, the young man reached out, his ha

ARIAWith feet pounding against the wet earth, I sprinted through the dense underbrush, my breath coming in ragged gasps. The cold mud clung to my soles, and the puddles left behind by last night’s rain splashed water up my legs as I pushed forward. I didn’t stop. I couldn’t.The sharp thorns from wild brambles tore into my skin, snagging on the silk of my nightgown, but I barely noticed. Pain didn’t matter. Fear didn’t matter. All that mattered was survival—putting as much distance as possible between me and the rogues hunting me down. Their snarls and heavy footfalls echoed too close for comfort. They wanted my life.How did it come to this? My twentieth birthday should have been a celebration, not a nightmare. Instead of laughter and cake, I found myself running through the dark woods, desperate to escape the murderous intruders who shattered my world in the dead of night.The Ashen Pack was supposed to be untouchable, its defenses impenetrable. Everyone said so. Rogues couldn’t h