Darren POV“She’s certainly already made a splash here, hasn’t she?” My Beta remarks as he lounges in the chair across from my desk. I look up from my work to acknowledge what he’s said, and the topic does grab my attention.“Indeed,” I can’t help but agree. The rigid hierarchy of werewolf society h
“If you really missed me, you’d get divorced.” Aria spits out.“C’mon, don’t be like that.” The man says. “I don’t care about her as much as I care about you, you know.”“Were you ever going to tell me, Jackson? That you were married?”“I was going to leave her, Aria. I can still leave her! The only
Aria POVJackson’s at a loss for words, which is rare for him. Jacksin always has some stupid bullshit to say, and I’m impressed that Darren’s somehow managed to render him speechless. I lean into his touch, feeling confused but also slightly satisfied.“Whatever,” Jackson says as he begins to take
“No, absolutely not.” Darren said, his tone stern. “Whatever gave you that impression?”“I dunno if you noticed, but, if I could be candid…” I hesitate before letting out a sigh and staring at him head on. “Your employees don’t work. None of them have started the project I proposed, and they’re all
I couldn’t get those words out of my mind.All weekend, whenever I thought about what Darren said to me, I felt my pulse pound. I know it was just him being nice, saying things that bosses normally say to their employees, but it really meant a lot to me.Plus, I couldn’t really escape any reminders
Aria POVI’m sitting in the pet hospital waiting room, heart in my throat, when I decide to call Darren.It was just after the strangest conversation I had with the head nurse. When I told the pet hospital staff about Lucas’ injury, they rushed him to their observation room. A nurse had come out onl
Darren POVDamn humans, I think as I walk through the hospital walls, heart hammering with worry. The scent of them was everywhere in this damn hospital, it made it hard to focus on the task at hand. When I catch Aria’s scent, I feel my hackles rise.My own son, attacked. I internally seethe. All du
“About seven a.m.” He asserts. “You were asleep for a long while.”“When did you fly in?” I ask, eager to keep the small talk going to avoid the elephant in the room.“A few hours ago, give or take.” He says, tone mild. I let out a sigh, placing my head into my hands. Might as well get this over wit
“Sarah,” I greeted coolly. “What brings you here?” She eyed the bags in our hands, noticing the mask peeking out of mine. “Shopping for the masquerade, I see? How… quaint.” Bella arched an eyebrow. “And what’s wrong with that?” Sarah let out a mocking laugh and checked her nails. “Oh, nothing.
Aria “Come on, Aria! This one is perfect for you!” Bella exclaimed, holding up a floor-length emerald gown that shimmered under the thrift shop’s dim lighting. I laughed, shaking my head. “Bella, that dress would make me look like a sequined asparagus.” She burst into giggles. “Yeah, but you’d
Bella raised an eyebrow. “Are you?” “No!” I exclaimed. “Well, maybe. I don't know. Darren and I talked about it, and he admitted that he might have been a bit... lenient with me.” “Hmm,” she mused, swirling her wine. “Well, at least he acknowledged it.” “Yeah, but it’s more complicated than th
Aria I hesitated for a moment but then nodded, following Darren as he led me to a fallen log near the edge of the clearing. He sat down and gestured for me to join him. I sat, but kept a small distance between us. “Listen,” Darren began, “I’ve been thinking a lot about what you said the other ni
Tracy frowned, genuine concern etched into her face. “Oh no, that wasn’t my intention at all. I just thought she was checking in on you, maybe worried about your workload.” I sighed, once again feeling at a loss for words. Tracy seemed genuinely apologetic, even if it was unprofessional of her to
Aria I stared at the employee points board, blinking a few times to make sure I wasn’t imagining things. Lily’s name was gone—completely erased from the board as if she had never been there at all. My heart skipped a beat, a knot forming in my stomach. Lily always saved up her points like her life
The plaza was bustling, rows of tables with posters and brochures advertising various fields, from tech to business to environmental work. I weaved through the booths as I sipped my coffee, half-curious and half-cautious. Eventually, I found myself at a booth for animal sciences: wildlife rehabili
Aria I spent most of the next morning in my pajamas, moving from the bed to the couch and back again like a broken record. The coffee table was littered with cold mugs of half-finished tea and stacks of abandoned paperwork that I’d half-heartedly tried to work on before giving up. My day off was
“Aria,” he said softly, crossing his arms as he leaned against the door frame. “You’ve been quiet tonight.” “Oh, I’m just tired,” I said, managing a small smile as I kissed Lucas on the forehead and stood. Darren just stared at me quietly. He waited until I left Lucas’s room, closing the door qu