DarrenThe air was colder up here. Thicker, too, like it was leaving me breathless.I didn’t know if it was the cold wind or the weight pressing down on my chest that made it harder to breathe, but either way, the ache settled in deeper and deeper the longer I stood there in the snow.Emilia’s grave
For a moment, I thought about leaving it at that—leaving the candle burning and walking away before the memories grew too painful to handle.But the sound of footsteps crunching softly in the snow behind me caused me to snap out of my reverie, and I turned to find Lucas standing a few paces away, bu
AriaThe pack house felt different when Darren wasn’t around. Quieter, yes, but there was something else—something heavier that settled in the empty spaces where his presence should’ve been.I wasn’t sure if I could get used to it. And with Wendy busy making the rounds in the village and Lucas off p
They looked happy.My gaze drifted lower, to the small jewelry box resting beside the photos. I brushed my fingers along the edge of it, smiling faintly at the worn surface.I shouldn’t be in here, I knew that. But it felt like stepping into a frozen piece of Darren’s life, one that he had quietly l
DarrenThe pack house looked peaceful from the outside, but the second I stepped through the front door, I knew something was wrong.The hum of crackling fireplaces and quiet conversations that usually lingered in the air was gone, replaced by the sound of panic. People were shouting somewhere, guar
DarrenThe fire in the hearth had burned down to embers, leaving the room bathed in a soft, flickering glow. But I barely noticed the darkness, nor did I notice the sudden cold or the sound of the servant coming in to get the fire going again..All I noticed was her.Days had passed, but Aria still
So I went back to the room where Wendy had found Aria. Emilia’s room.I had avoided going there, but for selfish reasons. I hadn’t been inside since Emilia’s death. Even though I knew there must be answers inside, I was… a coward. A downright coward.Everything looked untouched at first glance. The
DarrenThe silence in the room felt suffocating. My father’s hand trembled faintly as he scrawled across the notepad, the pen moving unevenly. His movements were jerky. Unnatural. Not at all like the calm and collected man I used to know.Meanwhile, Arthur stood in the doorway. I didn’t look at him,
I felt a pang of guilt, knowing that our campaign had inadvertently put the pack at risk. Once, I might have felt offended by their fear of humans, but now with the protests… I couldn’t blame them anymore.I couldn’t blame anyone for being scared anymore.“I understand your concerns,” Darren said, p
AriaReturning to the pack lands felt like a breath of fresh air after a year spent underground.It had been barely a month since we had been here, but returning felt different now. When I had first set foot in Moonglow pack territory, I had been, for all intents and purposes, a human. I had entered
The man glared at me, but refused to say another word. He called out to the guards, saying he was done speaking without a lawyer present, and the guards entered and took him away.“Well, that was… frustrating,” I muttered under my breath once I was alone. “And useless.”My wolf growled once more in
DarrenThe station was cold, sterile, and reeked of stale coffee. I sat in the interrogation room, my fingers drumming against the metal table as I waited for the man to be brought in. The fluorescent lights buzzed overhead, already giving me a migraine. Or maybe that was just the sensation of my wo
We spent the rest of the evening watching movies, curled up on the couch with Lucas sandwiched between us. He fell asleep halfway through the second movie, his head resting on my shoulder. I glanced down at him, my heart throbbing just at the sight of him curled up against me.Countless nights were
AriaThe moment Lucas jumped out from behind the sofa, flashing me a wide grin with his party hat askew on top of his head, I felt my previous frustration melt away like snow under the warm morning sun.“Surprise!” Lucas shouted, running up to me and taking one of my hands in his. He gestured to the
I smiled, but it didn’t reach my eyes. “Thank you, Anna. I’ll try to come visit once in a while.”But we both knew that wouldn’t happen. Not when her dog hated me. Not when she clearly was a little frightened of me, too.When I returned to my apartment, Darren was already waiting for me, leaning aga
AriaIt felt strange, standing here in the middle of my living room, surrounded by half-filled boxes and the remnants of a life I was about to leave behind. Strange, but necessary.Packing up my tiny, run-down apartment was a lot harder than I had expected. Every item I picked up seemed to carry a m
The police arrived a moment later and took the man into custody. After that, we were questioned about the incident.Then, we were told to go home for now.As if we could possibly sleep after what had happened.Later that night, as Darren and I lay in the warm comfort of his bed together, it was just