“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
Aria The woman embraced me tightly, as if she had known me for years. But I had no idea who she was. At least, not until Lucas suddenly turned and blurted out, “Nana!” Nana? With a warm grin, the woman pulled away from me and stretched her arms out wide. Lucas practically barrelled into her em
“You know,” she began, “Darren never stopped talking about you. That angelic girl who saved his life as a pup.” My cheeks burned again, and I looked down at my cup. “He mentioned that?” I asked quietly. “More times than I can count,” Wendy said with a quiet laugh. “He was just a boy then, but he
Aria The room I was shown to was larger than I expected, with warm wooden walls and thick fur rugs spread over the stone floor. A large four-poster bed dominated the space, draped in heavy quilts and soft pillows, and a small sofa sat near the crackling fire. It felt cozy and inviting, if only i
“Trying to be brave?” Sarah taunted. “Trying to protect your little dog? Maybe you need to learn a lesson.”The first shove came from behind, sending Aria stumbling forward. Then another from the side. And another. They were pushing her between them like some cruel game, laughing as she tried to kee
DarrenAria’s scream tore through the air, and time slowed to an excruciating crawl. I saw the chief’s finger squeeze the trigger, saw the flash as the gun fired, saw the bullet begin its deadly journey toward us.Toward Aria.In that moment between life and death, my mind flew backward, tumbling th
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