“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
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
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
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