Aria & Darren Aria A flicker of surprise crossed Darren’s face when I asked him to shift for me. I wasn’t even entirely sure why I had asked—simple curiosity, most likely. I wanted to see the color of his fur, his size, his wolf’s face. But there was something else there, too. Another reason w
Third Person & Aria Third Person Sarah tapped her manicured fingers against her arm, her impatience growing the longer she waited. The lab was dim this time of night, the faint light lamp on the nearby table barely illuminating the space. The air smelled like antiseptic, the lab having been fr
“Alright,” I said softly, tugging Lucas’s hat onto his head before I stood and took his hand. “Now we can go have fun at the park without worrying, right?” “Right!” Lucas exclaimed. The event was already in full swing by the time we arrived at the park a little while later. Colorful banners hung
Darren Everything happened in a blur, even for my own keen werewolf senses. The dogs charged, their wild eyes locked onto Lucas like predators zeroing in on prey. Foam dripped from their jaws, their pupils blown wide. My muscles tensed, instinct screaming at me to move—to get between them and Lu
Aria winced slightly but said nothing as I worked, her eyes fixed on the cot. She didn’t want to look at the blood, and I didn’t blame her. “You know what’s weird?” Aria said after a long silence. “I’ve never been bitten by an animal before. Not even when I was little.” I paused, my fingers stil
Aria I sucked in a sharp breath as I wrapped the bandage tightly around my calf, trying not to focus on the angry red puncture wounds beneath the gauze. The bite from yesterday still throbbed, sending sharp jolts of pain down my leg every time I moved. “You can take today off,” Darren’s text had
With that, Liam hit ‘play’ and the footage began to roll. For the longest time, the lab was empty. Everything was as it should be. But then… One night, two figures walked into the lab—a man and a woman in ski masks and dark clothing. They weren’t alone. A scraggly stray dog followed them, led
Aria With two steaming cups of chamomile tea balanced in my arms, I reached out and knocked on the door to Darren’s office. There was a bit of a pause before he called out. “Come in.” His voice sounded gruff and tired, like he hadn’t slept all night. I nudged the door open with my shoulder and
Banners hung across the walls, pink and white, with “Congratulations” written in bold letters. Streamers dangled from the ceiling, and our dining room table was lost under piles of gifts wrapped in pastel paper.“What the hell?” I managed, my jaw dropping as Bella rushed forward with Theo balanced o
AriaA year had passed since Darren and I signed that treaty, and life had settled into something sweet, even with all its ups and downs.The scars on my chest had faded to thin white lines, and Darren’s wound was just a memory beneath his shirt. We’d become godparents to Bella and Liam’s little boy
AriaLunar Labs was reduced to a shell of its former self.The once-sleek and vibrant building, surrounded by lush gardens and pebbled fountains, was now barren and burnt. The glass walls were shattered, the halls within burned and destroyed. Those damn slurs were still painted across nearly every s
He didn’t hesitate. “No.”The word hung in the air for a long moment. The president blinked, clearly startled. “With all due respect, Mr. President,” Darren went on, leaning forward in his chair, “we’re not coming back. Not like that. After being deported, hunted, abused by your government—my people
AriaDarren and I stepped out of the car and faced the sprawling estate that was the human president’s home. My chest still ached faintly from my wound, the stitches long gone but the pain lingering. Beside me, Darren subtly favored his left side when he moved, still healing from the hole in his che
We stayed like that for a while, neither of us speaking. At some point, I must have begun to drift off again, too exhausted from the day’s events to keep my eyes open.But then, suddenly, the door burst open, shattering the stillness, and I jolted upright, wincing as the movement pulled at my wound.
AriaDarren and I lay tangled together in the hospital bed, much to the nurse’s earlier chagrin. They had finally allowed us to remain together, reinserting my IV and moving my monitors to his side of the room, when my eyes had glowed and a low growl had accidentally ripped from my throat when they
He didn’t answer. I didn’t even think he heard me.Finally, the wail of sirens pierced the air, and red and blue lights flashed through the crowd. Paramedics pushed their way toward us with a stretcher rattling between them. Liam waved them over, shouting instructions I couldn’t process. Hands reach
AriaThe world erupted into chaos around me, a deafening roar of fury and movement as the protesters surged forward. Hundreds of voices shouted, feet pounded the pavement, and bodies pressed together in a wild rush toward Bella’s father.I caught a fleeting glimpse of him, his face twisted with rage