Liam spoke up next. “I’m with you, Alpha. Aria deserves our loyalty, and we’ll find Charles before he gets away with this.”One by one, the others followed suit. Brandon, Melissa, and even the quieter members of the team stood and pledged their support, determined to do right by our Luna. It was a f
AriaThe ache in my chest wasn’t sharp or unbearable, but rather a slow, relentless pulse that spread out through my body like ripples spreading across the surface of water. My head felt heavy, my limbs weighed down, and for a moment, I thought I was still trapped in the darkness that had consumed m
My eyes widened. “We?”She nodded. “Darren figured out that Charles had something to do with your coma.”“Where is he?” I asked abruptly, sitting up despite the wave of dizziness that hit me. I didn’t care about how I felt; all that mattered was Darren.Wendy hesitated, her eyes scanning my face. “H
DarrenCharles leaned back in his seat and looked up at us. Slowly, too slowly, he set his glass of whiskey down on the table in front of him and folded his arms across his chest.“And what exactly am I under arrest for?” he asked as calmly as ever.“I have reason to believe that you’re responsible
Charles was waiting for me.He was standing at the edge of the roof, his coat billowing in the wind, one hand clutching something around his neck. Something silver caught the light, but I couldn’t make out what it was.“You should’ve listened to me, Darren,” Charles called out over the rushing wind.
AriaThe world was a blur of green and brown as we tumbled down, the rush of wind in my ears drowning out all sound, all thought. Darren’s arms were tight around me as we hurtled toward the ground, and I hardly even had time to get a glimpse of his face before…The impact.All of the breath was knoc
Suddenly, a rustling sound from behind us snapped me out of the moment. I turned just in time to see Liam stumble into the clearing, his clothes soaked and his face pale. “Darren!” he called, relief flooding his voice when he spotted us. “Thank the Goddess you’re alive.”“Liam?” Darren blinked in su
AriaA stunned silence fell over us as Darren and I stared down at the shaky camera footage.There it was: a video of… everything. My white wolf form—it still felt strange and foreign to think of myself as having a wolf form—leaping onto the train and knocking Charles off. Shifting back into my huma
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