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
“We’ll support you,” Brandon said softly, glancing at his feet as he shoved his hands into his pockets.Melissa nodded and crossed her arms tightly over her chest. “If you think this is the right thing, then we trust you. You’ve never been wrong before, Alpha.”“And even if it all goes south,” Lily
AriaI rushed away before Darren or anyone else could stop me. Darren shifted back and shouted something after me, but I didn’t stop. I couldn’t stop.“Bella!” I shouted over the crowd, trying to keep track of her head of dark hair as she hurried away. “Bella, wait!”Of course, she didn’t wait. But
Bella was quiet for another moment before she turned toward me and took my hands in hers. Her fingers were warm and solid as they wrapped around mine, and it was only then that I realized a single tear had slipped free during my speech. It was dry and sticky now from the breeze, but I could still fe
Aria“Beta Charles, you are accused of treason against Moonglow pack. What do you say to these accusations?”Darren’s voice rang across the council chamber, clear and steady. All eyes were on us, seated at the front of the room. I shifted uncomfortably in the ceremonial garb that the Luna was expect
“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
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