“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
Wendy chuckled softly. “Well, among werewolves, you’re just right. Strength and grace are prized here. And you, my dear, have both.” Her words warmed me in a way I hadn’t expected, and for a moment, I forgot about the hostility waiting for me downstairs. When she was finished, I looked in the mirr
Aria The room went dead silent after Wendy’s suggestion. Even the fire seemed to crackle a little less in the fireplace as her words sank in. “A human, making a blood oath?” one of the elders sputtered, incredulous. “You have my utmost respect, Wendy, but that is simply unheard of!” “Not only
Her words sent a jolt through me, and my heart pounded even harder in my chest. Stay? Here? As Darren’s Luna? I glanced up at him, searching his face for any hint of what he might be thinking. Did he want me to stay? Deep down, I knew what I wanted—I wanted to stay by his side. I… cared for him,
Aria Darren poured two glasses of the dark liquor, one for me and one for him. Even from where I sat cross-legged on the bed, I could smell it. It was strong and earthy, like nothing I had ever had to drink before. “This is werewolf liquor,” he said, holding the glasses up as he turned to face m
“Darren…” I breathed, but I didn’t know what else to say. His thumb brushed lightly over the back of my hand, and for a moment, I thought he might lean closer. All the times his eyes had glowed around me before, it had led to an… impromptu kiss and a whole lot of confusion. But instead, he let o
Aria The moment Darren opened his eyes and our gazes met, we jolted apart like we had been caught doing something we weren’t supposed to. My cheeks burned as I sat up, trying to smooth down my tangled mess of hair. Darren rubbed the back of his neck, looking anywhere but at me. Lucas, of course,
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