Aria Darren’s arm tightened around my waist. His body felt like a warm rock up against me, soothing and sturdy. Without even really meaning to, I leaned into his side. I was glad he had come—glad that this hadn’t gone somewhere much, much darker. But the things he was saying now… Baby. Boyfr
“Wine?” I asked, suddenly needing a drink after that ordeal. Darren shook his head. I shrugged and refilled my glass. “So,” I said after a good, long sip, “I know you didn’t just come here tonight to be my hero. What did you need?” Darren nodded toward the dog. “I have to go away on business for
Aria “I’ve been looking forward to someone like you for a long time, Aria.” Those words kept me up that night, and for many of the nights that week. I knew that he was just being nice, saying things that any decent boss might say to their employees. But at the same time, it felt… different. Th
Aria “Stay with me, Lucas… Stay with me…” I didn’t know how I did it, but somehow I managed to carry the enormous dog back to the rental car. I sped down the winding roads, repeatedly glancing in the rearview mirror and hoping, beyond all hope, that he would make it. Eventually, the G****e Map
Darren I told her not to take Lucas out. I told her, and she fucking did it anyway. My knuckles were white around the steering wheel as I sped to the hospital. I should have been in Los Angeles right now, tending to business matters. Doing my job. And my son should have been safely asleep at h
I almost let out a howl at the sight of my son, hooked up to those machines as he lay unconscious in the hospital bed. It was a father’s worst nightmare, even though I knew he would be okay. But I restrained myself when I saw her. “She hasn’t moved all day,” Edward whispered as I slowly stepped
Aria This couldn’t be real. I had to be dreaming. Lucas was not a dog, but… A boy?! “No,” I murmured, grabbing my arm and pinching the skin as hard as I could over and over again. “No, no, I have to be dreaming…” The little boy who was sitting up in bed, in the exact same spot as where the d
Darren & Aria Darren When I burst out of the hospital and saw Liam advancing on Aria like that, I thought it was too late. She was done for; he had his mind set on ‘dealing with her’, especially now that she had tried to make a run for it, and I hadn’t moved fast enough. Time seemed to move in
I felt a lump rise in my throat. “I didn’t do anything, though. I certainly didn’t keep us from getting kicked out.”He stopped walking then and turned to face me. His expression was serious, his eyes searching mine as he firmly said, “Stop selling yourself short, Aria. You’re Lucas’s rock. My rock.
AriaThe forest was alive with the sounds of spring. Birds chirped in the trees, their songs blending with the rustle of leaves in the gentle breeze. The air was crisp and clean, carrying the faint scent of blooming flowers and fresh earth. My wolf was at ease, rather than bristling in the back of m
AriaDarren went straight into his study and didn’t come out all night. Just before he disappeared, he said that he was going to make some phone calls and that no one bother him.I gave him his space, knowing that he was frustrated beyond belief. I could hear him talking on the phone, and although I
AriaThe deportation notice felt like a mockery.“Darren Avarise,” the government agent said, “you are hereby requested to leave the human world and return to your ancestral land.”The silence that followed was stifling. For a moment, I almost wondered if this was some kind of sick practical joke, b
Alfira had been nothing but kind and supportive since we’d met her. She’d gone out of her way to help us, to bridge the gap between humans and werewolves. The idea that she could have done something so violent, so senseless, was unthinkable.I opened my mouth to say something else, but Darren placed
AriaThe moment we found the body, Darren and I froze. My stomach churned, bile rising in my throat as I stared at the mangled remains of the hiker.His face was unrecognizable, torn apart by what could only have been claws. His throat was a mess of shredded flesh, and the metallic stench of blood h
The man nodded. “Yes, Alpha Arthur did receive your letter. He sends his apologies for not being able to visit himself, but he sent me, the official pack emissary, in his stead.”“And?” Darren asked.I wrung my hands slightly behind my back, waiting with bated breath. The emissary shifted in his sea
AriaDarren and I quickly gathered the necessary materials to complete the permit forms. Everything was in order, it seemed, and we sent the forms to the precinct as per the chief’s request.After that, all we had left to do was wait. However, not to be deterred by the monster known as bureaucracy,
I frowned, turning to go look for her. I knew Bella well enough to know that when she said she needed oolong tea out of nowhere, that was code for “I need something to lower my blood pressure. Like, yesterday.”While I hurried across the street, Darren and Liam remained in the car, waiting. I found