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
“They trust me not to act rashly. If I made a decision like this, then they’ll know that it wasn’t for nothing.” He turned slightly, casting me a brief glance over his shoulder. “My son could have gotten hurt if it weren’t for you. Thank you.” “It was nothing,” I replied quickly, rising. I winced
Aria The office felt different the next morning. It felt lighter, thanks to Sarah and Arthur’s absence. For the first time in what felt like ages, I made my way into work feeling ready to take on the day, rather than fearful of what sort of shit those two might stir up. As I made my way to my de
“I should, uh... I should get back to work,” I said, forcing a tiny smile before quickly turning away and wishing I could just shrink into oblivion. What had gotten into me? “Aria...” The way he said my name made my heart stutter, but I couldn’t bring myself to turn around. I hurried past him, fee
Aria Sarah’s accusation hit me like a knife to the gut. “She’s the one who attacked me!” “Attacked you?” I sputtered. “What the hell are you talking about, Sarah?” She pointed at the angry bruise on her face. “Don’t play stupid, Aria. You followed me home last night, and for what? You alread
Then, with painstaking slowness as if teasing me, he hooked one finger under my bra strap and slipped it down. The moment his mouth connected with my breast, my back arched of its own accord. I couldn’t contain the small whimper that escaped me as he carefully twirled his tongue around the nipple,
Aria Darren’s arms around me felt like the one thing I had been missing all my life. As he held me there, curled up on the floor with nothing but the snow and the wind outside, I felt more safe and steady than I’d ever felt before. I had never felt like this with any man—certainly not Jackson, a
As if on cue, I heard it coming. It was faint, but unmistakable: the distant, droning buzz of wings. My blood ran cold. The swarm would be here in moments. Aria blinked up at me slowly, as if she hadn’t heard a word I said. Her hands moved to my chest instead, clumsily gripping my coat. “So muscul
Darren I glanced over my shoulder, grinning as I carved a path down the slope. “You keeping up back there?” But the answer never came. My smile faltered. Aria wasn’t there. I turned my skis sideways, snow spraying up in a flurry as I came to a stop. My breath fogged in the cold air as I look
Darren didn’t even try to hide his laughter as he stepped toward me. “You okay down there?” “Oh, I’m just peachy,” I grumbled, trying to sit up. My skis tangled awkwardly, and I flailed like a bug stuck on its back. “Stop laughing and help me up!” Still chuckling, Darren grabbed my arm and pulle
Aria Lucas’s face crumpled before the words even left Darren’s mouth. “No,” Darren said firmly, shaking his head. “You’re not coming, Lucas.” Lucas’s little hands curled into fists at his sides as he looked up at Darren with wide, watery eyes. “But why not? You always say I’m brave!” His voice
“We’ll be watching,” the elder said coldly. “Both of you.” Darren nodded. “I’d expect nothing less.” With that, the crowd began to disperse, although a few wolves—the warriors who had first sprang to action when Charles commanded them to drag me away—lingered for a moment longer, glaring at me h
Aria A heavy silence fell after Charles made his demand. Darren was tense in front of me, his broad form nearly blocking out my view of the old Beta, but I could still feel Charles’s eyes boring into my skull. “Do the right thing, Alpha,” Charles sneered. “Before she proves all of us right.” A
I stared at him, my mind reeling. “A moment of great need,” I finally muttered, shaking my head. “What kind of ‘great need’?” Darren and the doctor exchanged glances again before Darren turned to me. “There’s no way for us to know,” he explained gently. “Perhaps your wolf will emerge when you ne