Aria It was safe to say that the events of that morning had left me a little more than rattled. My mind kept replaying that confrontation, my so-called family’s accusations, the disgust on my mother’s face, the disappointment in my father’s eyes. But most importantly, there was Sarah… her evil l
The rest of the afternoon passed surprisingly quickly, and by the time five o’clock rolled around, I was ready to head home and collapse on my couch with a blanket and a glass of wine. I’d just shrugged into my coat and was about to grab my bag when the sound of a deep voice coming from behind start
Aria The whole place felt a little… personal, like some kind of romantic date setting. Only I was with Darren, my boss, who was leading me toward a table overlooking the city. He slid off his coat, handing it to the attendant, before taking mine too. His hands brushed my shoulders as he slid my
After he spoke, all I could do was stare at him incredulously. It wasn’t that I was upset that he’d been tricked—Sarah was a master of lies and manipulation—but it was just… difficult to wrap my head around it. Finally, I closed my eyes, my throat bobbing. “I… I knew it was you,” I whispered. “Y
Aria & Darren Aria For a moment I could only stand there and blink, too stunned to even move as Darren rushed toward me like a freight train. Darren’s face was close, his breath warm, so intoxicating that I couldn’t think clearly. He leaned in, his eyes fluttering closed. His lips brushed mi
“Help it?” I muttered bitterly, starting the car and pulling away from the curb with a screech of the tires. “No, but you can control yourself. You could’ve let me walk away tonight, and maybe, just maybe, she wouldn’t think I was some ass who’s just playing with her emotions. If you really wanted a
Darren The moment Lily’s voice echoed off the walls with that last line—“You have a mate?!”—I nearly lunged across the desk to clamp my hand over her mouth. It was like she’d just let off a firework in the dead of night. “Lily,” I hissed, holding a finger to my lips, leaping up and slamming the
Aria Bella lounged on my couch in an oversized hoodie and matching sweatpants, her legs spread out in front of her as I poured us each a fresh glass of wine in the kitchen. It was a peaceful Friday night, despite everything. The memory of Darren’s almost-kiss still lingered, but he had respected
It was exactly as I remembered it, and yet completely different.We wandered through the festival for a while, stopping to admire the crafts and sample the food. Lucas was in heaven, running ahead and pointing out treats and games he wanted to try. Darren and I followed behind him, our hands intertw
AriaAfter a few days spent in the pack lands, we returned home. The trip was much shorter now, since I could shift and run back through the forest with Darren and Lucas by my side. Freeing, too.But when we returned, I felt even more stifled than ever.At first, I figured I would just adjust like I
I felt a pang of guilt, knowing that our campaign had inadvertently put the pack at risk. Once, I might have felt offended by their fear of humans, but now with the protests… I couldn’t blame them anymore.I couldn’t blame anyone for being scared anymore.“I understand your concerns,” Darren said, p
AriaReturning to the pack lands felt like a breath of fresh air after a year spent underground.It had been barely a month since we had been here, but returning felt different now. When I had first set foot in Moonglow pack territory, I had been, for all intents and purposes, a human. I had entered
The man glared at me, but refused to say another word. He called out to the guards, saying he was done speaking without a lawyer present, and the guards entered and took him away.“Well, that was… frustrating,” I muttered under my breath once I was alone. “And useless.”My wolf growled once more in
DarrenThe station was cold, sterile, and reeked of stale coffee. I sat in the interrogation room, my fingers drumming against the metal table as I waited for the man to be brought in. The fluorescent lights buzzed overhead, already giving me a migraine. Or maybe that was just the sensation of my wo
We spent the rest of the evening watching movies, curled up on the couch with Lucas sandwiched between us. He fell asleep halfway through the second movie, his head resting on my shoulder. I glanced down at him, my heart throbbing just at the sight of him curled up against me.Countless nights were
AriaThe moment Lucas jumped out from behind the sofa, flashing me a wide grin with his party hat askew on top of his head, I felt my previous frustration melt away like snow under the warm morning sun.“Surprise!” Lucas shouted, running up to me and taking one of my hands in his. He gestured to the
I smiled, but it didn’t reach my eyes. “Thank you, Anna. I’ll try to come visit once in a while.”But we both knew that wouldn’t happen. Not when her dog hated me. Not when she clearly was a little frightened of me, too.When I returned to my apartment, Darren was already waiting for me, leaning aga