Once they were gone, I turned to Darren with a snort. “She’s going to drive him insane.”Darren simply shrugged. “Liam could use a little insanity.”I couldn’t argue with that. Not that I had time to, because Darren was suddenly snaking his arm around my waist and pulling me toward the dance floor.
AriaLying in Darren’s arms the next morning, I could feel the warmth of the sun streaming through the curtains, the gentle rise and fall of his chest beneath my cheek. His heartbeat, steady and strong, pulled me out of sleep. But I didn’t get up and start my day just yet; instead, I let my eyes dri
I blinked, confused, and pulled the sheets up against my bare chest as he climbed out of bed and strode fully nude across the room. “What?”“I need to show you something,” he said as he pulled the wardrobe open and began selecting some warm clothes.I didn’t press him further, sensing that whatever
DarrenThe clearing was quiet, save for the soft rustle of leaves in the wind and the distant call of birdsong. The air was crisp, carrying the faint scent of pine and earth, and the sunlight filtered through the trees in golden shafts, illuminating the weathered stone marker that bore my sister’s n
“So you chose numbness over me,” I said. “Over Lucas. Over the pack.”“I know,” he said, his voice breaking. “And I’ll regret it for the rest of my life. But I need you to understand, Darren… I wasn’t strong enough. Not after losing your mother. Not after losing Emilia. I wasn’t strong enough to be
AriaIt was time to leave the pack lands.It was time to return to the human world.It was time to go home—to the only home I had never known, anyway.Darren stood beside me, his hand resting lightly on the small of my back as we prepared to say our goodbyes. Lucas was standing a few paces away, sur
Darren’s hand tightened around mine, his warmth seeping into my skin. “I know. And I’m grateful for that. For you.”We walked in silence for a while after that, neither of us feeling particularly inclined to speak again. But it was anything but quiet in the world. The forest around us was alive with
AriaWe met in the conference room at Lunar Labs one week after our return to the human world.In my head, I had imagined the place of our first meeting with the other pack leaders to be something grand, perhaps a long wooden table surrounded by towering chairs, like the council chamber in the pack
“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