“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
“W-What?” I can’t help but exclaim, my mind moving a mile a minute. “B-But, Lucas is a dog! I mean, a wolf!” The boy (apparently Lucas?) just giggles again.“Don’t be silly mommy.” He says. Since when did I become mommy? I think faintly. “I can change. I’m still Lucas like this!” he clarifies unhelp
Darren POVAs I latch onto her, the only thing I can think of is it's too late, I cannot save her.So when my Beta is flung to the ground, and the light of the Luna mark glows upon Aria’s chest, I can’t help but let out a singular prayer of thanks to whatever god may be listening.“It can’t be…” Bet
“Aria’s blood is quite unique,” Dr. Edward explains. “It has specific values that align with both werewolves and humans alike, which could potentially indicate that Aria is the child of a human and werewolf coupling” The information throws me for a loop.“My parents… one of them was a werewolf??” I
Darren I watched Aria dart away, disappearing into the crowd with her gown trailing behind her like a fleeting shadow. My heart pounded in my chest, a tornado of emotions swirling around inside of me. What the hell had I just done? Again? “Dammit,” I muttered under my breath, raking a hand thr
But at the same time, dancing with him felt… right. Just as right as that strange scent I had briefly encountered. And I wasn’t moving to walk away, even though I felt bad for William. “Darren,” I suddenly said, unable to hold it in, “I… I think I picked up your scent just now.” His eyebrows sho
Aria The soft strains of the orchestra filled the grand ballroom as William led me gracefully into a dance, his hand resting on my lower back. We began to chat about various topics, everything from my own questions about the modeling world to pointing out interesting masks around the room. But i
I glared at him. “I’m not planning on starting anything.” “Your wolf says otherwise,” he remarked. “I can practically feel the tension rolling off you.” I tore my gaze away from Aria and the panther shifter, focusing on the ice melting in my glass. Maybe he was right. “It’s none of my business.”
Darren I swirled the amber liquid in my glass, watching as the dim lights of the ballroom reflected off its surface. The masquerade was in full swing—lavish costumes, ornate masks, and the hum of meaningless chatter filled the air. These events were never my scene, but as the CEO of Lunar Labs, I
Bella put a hand on my shoulder. “It’s okay, Aria. We’ll figure something out.” “But—” Just then, a smooth voice interrupted. “Is there a problem here?” We turned to see a tall man approaching, his dark suit impeccably tailored. His mask was sleek and black, covering half of his face but revea
Aria We’d been at this for hours now, primping and prodding in preparation for the masquerade tonight. Bella was like my drill sergeant, commanding me to don this color eyeshadow, smear this lipstick shade across my lips, spray just the right amount of perfume. It felt like we were teens again, ba
“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