I stared up at him, momentarily speechless. “Wait… you mean… a real position? With benefits and everything?” “Yes,” he replied, a slight smile tugging at his lips. “Officially. No more interning or nannying. A real job with benefits. If you want it, I mean.” The news hit me like a tidal wave, an
Aria Seeing Lucas look so heartbroken made my own heart break. Without thinking, I moved from my chair and knelt down to his height, opening my arms. “Hey, come here, kiddo,” I said softly. He hesitated for a moment before shuffling into my arms, still pouting and sniffling. “You really think I’
Lucas’s face fell, and he looked up at me with disappointed eyes. “When you go home tonight, Daddy’s not going to play with me at all.” I could see Darren’s jaw tighten, his fingers pausing for a brief moment before he continued typing. “Lucas, we’ve talked about this. I work so I can take care of
Aria Lucas’s little hand tugged at my fingers, his eyes wide. “Please, Aria, can’t you stay? Just this once?” I sighed, glancing over at Darren, who looked equally caught off guard by his son’s sudden enthusiasm. A sleepover? Seriously? On a Monday, no less? “Lucas, I have work in the mornin
Lucas noticed, too, and frowned. “Daddy, why aren’t you watching the movie?” “I am watching, buddy,” Darren mumbled, but he only glanced at the TV for a brief moment before looking back down at his phone. I nudged him with my elbow, whispering, “He’s right, you know. Work can wait.” “I’m just
Aria My head was on a plush pillow when I awoke, the first rays of early morning sunlight spilling across my cheek. I yawned, rolling onto my back and stretching languidly. I didn’t recall my own mattress feeling so plush and luxurious. This was divine. But then, slowly, I realized that was beca
Fearing I had struck up a nerve, I managed a small smile and said, “I’ll see you later.” And with that, I slipped out of the room. I felt his eyes on me until I closed the door. By the time I reached the office, I thought I had made it without being noticed. After all, it was still early, and I
Aria Lily’s voice was muffled against my palm, but I could make out the odd burst of words here and there: “Knew it—mates—possible—Goddess!” Darren and I exchanged panicked looks as I kept my hand clamped over her mouth. If she kept this up, half of the office would catch on. And this was not wh
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