“Sarah,” I greeted coolly. “What brings you here?” She eyed the bags in our hands, noticing the mask peeking out of mine. “Shopping for the masquerade, I see? How… quaint.” Bella arched an eyebrow. “And what’s wrong with that?” Sarah let out a mocking laugh and checked her nails. “Oh, nothing.
Aria We’d been at this for hours now, primping and prodding in preparation for the masquerade tonight. Bella was like my drill sergeant, commanding me to don this color eyeshadow, smear this lipstick shade across my lips, spray just the right amount of perfume. It felt like we were teens again, ba
Bella put a hand on my shoulder. “It’s okay, Aria. We’ll figure something out.” “But—” Just then, a smooth voice interrupted. “Is there a problem here?” We turned to see a tall man approaching, his dark suit impeccably tailored. His mask was sleek and black, covering half of his face but revea
Darren I swirled the amber liquid in my glass, watching as the dim lights of the ballroom reflected off its surface. The masquerade was in full swing—lavish costumes, ornate masks, and the hum of meaningless chatter filled the air. These events were never my scene, but as the CEO of Lunar Labs, I
I glared at him. “I’m not planning on starting anything.” “Your wolf says otherwise,” he remarked. “I can practically feel the tension rolling off you.” I tore my gaze away from Aria and the panther shifter, focusing on the ice melting in my glass. Maybe he was right. “It’s none of my business.”
Aria The soft strains of the orchestra filled the grand ballroom as William led me gracefully into a dance, his hand resting on my lower back. We began to chat about various topics, everything from my own questions about the modeling world to pointing out interesting masks around the room. But i
But at the same time, dancing with him felt… right. Just as right as that strange scent I had briefly encountered. And I wasn’t moving to walk away, even though I felt bad for William. “Darren,” I suddenly said, unable to hold it in, “I… I think I picked up your scent just now.” His eyebrows sho
Darren I watched Aria dart away, disappearing into the crowd with her gown trailing behind her like a fleeting shadow. My heart pounded in my chest, a tornado of emotions swirling around inside of me. What the hell had I just done? Again? “Dammit,” I muttered under my breath, raking a hand thr
I took another step forward, still holding Darren’s hand. “You wouldn’t dare shoot your own people,” Darren said, his eyes fixed on the chief. “Would you?”For a flickering instant, I thought I saw uncertainty cross the faces of some of the officers holding guns. Their weapons seemed to lower slight
Aria“Stop!”Darren held his hand up to halt the procession as those guns pointed at us. I felt suddenly sick, and couldn’t help but glance over my shoulder at the crowd of people behind us—humans and werewolves alike.They wouldn’t shoot, would they?Beside me, Darren tightened his grip on my finge
As I spoke, I became aware of a strange silence falling over the scene. Not just Darren, but everyone seemed affected by my words. The officers had lowered their weapons slightly. The crowd had gone still, quiet… calm.My voice seemed to carry farther than it should, resonating with a power that fel
AriaI couldn’t breathe. The white fog permeated everything—my clothes, my skin, my lungs. It burned with each inhale, making my wolf howl inside of me. The tincture couldn’t have prepared us for this. Not entirely.But most terrifying of all was the absence of Darren by my side.“Darren!” I shouted
But as we turned onto the main avenue, the counter-protesters grew bolder. They followed alongside us, shouting slurs and insults.“Go back to the forest where you belong!” one man yelled.I kept my eyes forward, trying to project a calm I didn’t feel. Beside me, Darren was doing the same, although
AriaThe trek back to the portal was long and tiring, and by the time we arrived at the mysterious little elevator in the woods, the sun was beating on our backs and a fine coat of sweat had formed between my skin and my jacket. Darren, Liam, and the Lunar Labs gang and I stepped into the elevator f
Nodding, I hugged her again, tighter this time. “I promise.”Wendy approached next, her arms filled with flowers—wildflowers gathered from the meadows surrounding the village.“An old pack tradition,” she explained, placing a stem in my hand. “Carrying a piece of home with you for protection.”The f
AriaOur wedding was never meant to spark even more of a revolution, but somehow, it had. Over the following days, the videos Alfira had captured and shared with the world had gone viral.“Ten million views and counting,” Alfira said one morning as we were going over our plans for the upcoming march
He guided me onto the bed, the sheets cool against my back as I lay down. Darren settled above me, his body a warm, solid weight against mine as he braced himself on his forearms.Our eyes locked, and for a moment, we just breathed together, the air between us like static electricity. Then he kissed