Aria My backpack lay open on my bed, half-packed with clothes I wasn’t even sure I would even need. It wasn’t exactly as if I had a manual for what to bring to the pack lands—what did one even wear to meet a council of werewolf elders? I sighed, staring at the modest pile of sweaters, jeans, and
He hesitated, his gaze flicking to my backpack before returning to me. “You’ll also need to refer to me properly when we’re in front of the pack.” “Properly?” I asked, raising an eyebrow. “You’ll need to call me ‘Alpha.’ It’s a sign of respect.” I blinked, caught off guard. I’d heard the other
Aria The moment we walked into the store, I could tell that I didn’t belong here. The racks of hiking boots smelled like expensive new leather, the shelves of puffy coats practically reeked of cash, and the few other customers who were browsing looked like they were planning month-long expeditions
“I think it looks… cute on you,” he said. His voice was low and rough, like his throat was strained. I felt my face go up in flames, my cheeks burning hot. It only hit me then that he had tugged me even closer as he made that last statement, and now we were standing close enough for the thick fabr
Aria I couldn’t believe what I was looking at. William, the famous model who I had danced with at the masquerade, was messaging me on the dating app. I wasn’t even sure how the message came through, considering the fact that I had turned off notifications—a bug, perhaps—but it didn’t matter. M
Soon enough, I noticed that as Lucas loped around us in wild circles and chased rabbits on the path ahead, Darren was still walking directly beside me in his human form. “You’re not going to shift?” I asked, glancing up at him. “No,” he said simply, his hands tucked into his coat pockets. “I don
Aria Darren’s arm stayed firmly around my shoulders as we walked into the village, his touch steadying me as my boots crunched softly against the snow-covered path. The crisp air nipped at my cheeks, but it wasn’t the cold that had my heart racing. It was the stares. They came from everywhere.
I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding as Darren turned back to me. His expression softened ever so slightly as he motioned for me to follow him inside. The interior of the pack house was just as grand as the exterior, with dark wooden beams overhead and walls lined with tapestries. Th
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