And yet, thinking about this made something else creep back into my mind. Tracy’s words. Lucas had told me once that his mother had died. And yet, Tracy was so sure that she’d simply walked out, abandoned him. I looked down at Lucas, wondering what the truth was, and why he seemed so certain tha
Darren & Aria Darren The night Lucas was born was a night I would never forget. But not necessarily for the right reasons. What should have been a joyous occasion was instead filled with heartbreak and loss. My sister had been fighting for hours. The baby was turned in her belly—or at least,
Darren paused, then shook his head, looking a little guilty. “Not yet. I do plan to tell him, just… When he’s a little older. Partially because I fear that the secret would get out if he knew.” He let out a wry chuckle. “The kid likes to yap, as you well know.” I couldn’t help but snort at that. “
Aria I looked down at the stack of paperwork in my arms, the numbers swimming slightly on the paper as I tried to make sense of it all. The columns, the calculations, the graphs—it felt like I was staring at a page full of hieroglyphics. But there was something about Tracy’s words that made me w
Tracy’s lips curved into a small smile, but there was something in her expression that made me uneasy. I couldn’t place my finger on it, though. Maybe I was just nervous. “Oh, of course, Aria,” she said gently. “Just give me the papers. I’ll see what I can do.” Relief washed over me, and I hande
Aria The next morning, as soon as I stepped into the office, the atmosphere felt… different than usual. It was sort of like it was my first day all over again; like I was the strange human outsider that didn’t belong. And my fears weren’t just in my head. When I walked through the room, I caught
I was so stunned, in fact, that I lingered there for a moment, hoping she’d look back up and say something else. But she didn’t. It was like I wasn’t even there. With a soft sigh, I turned to head back to my cubicle. But my footsteps slowed before I could leave, and I paused, glancing at her over
Aria “Want to have lunch with me?” Tracy offered me a kind, warm smile as I looked up at her. Honestly, I was a bit surprised that she was asking me out to lunch today. After what happened yesterday, I sort of assumed that she was mad at me or disappointed with me. “Are you sure?” I asked, hal
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