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,
His eyes flicked to the phone in my hand, and his brow furrowed slightly. “William?” he asked. His face was neutral, but I could see the way his shoulders stiffened a little. My heart thudded as I scrambled to explain. “It’s not what it looks like. I keep forgetting to delete the app, and—” “You
Aria “Do you, Aria, vow to never speak of the pack lands or the existence of werewolves to any human, for as long as you live?” I opened my mouth to respond to the elder’s words, to make the vow, but I… couldn’t. I froze. Every gaze in the room was fixed on me, every pair of eyes judging me, w
“She doesn’t belong here!” someone snarled. “Let her freeze in the blizzard!” another barked. Darren was in front of me in an instant, his broad frame shielding me as he let out a low, menacing growl. “No one is touching her!” he cried out, but this time, hardly anyone heard him over the noise.
Aria I couldn’t breathe. Me? A werewolf? A purebred werewolf? My hand trembled as I stared at the test results that were still clutched in my grasp. Everything in the room felt too close, too loud, too suffocating—even though it had fallen eerily silent. I still couldn’t believe it. The do
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
“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