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
AriaThe room fell silent as William stepped inside, his presence commanding attention in a way that only someone like him could. He was a model, after all—one of the best in human society, and probably shifter society, too—and it showed.His black hair was perfectly styled, his striking green eyes
William shook Darren’s hand, and for a moment, the two of them stood there with a silent understanding passing between them. It was a strange sight—the Alpha and the panther shifter, two powerful figures from different worlds, united by a common goal.The meeting continued after that, the atmosphere
AriaOver the following weeks, Darren and I poured our energy into planning the first human and shifter event in the city. It was somehow a lot more work than I expected, and that was saying something, considering that I had expected it to be stressful.Bridging two worlds, one of whom had been in h
AriaThe morning of the event dawned bright and clear, the kind of day that felt like it had been plucked straight out of a dream. Sunlight streamed through the windows of my apartment, casting golden pools across the floor, waking me with a smile on my face.Today was the day. Today was the day tha
Then Melissa, ever the perfectionist, fussed over the dress, making sure every detail was just right.By the time they were done, I barely recognized the woman staring back at me in the mirror. The dress fit like a dream. My hair and makeup were flawless, and there was a glow in my eyes that hadn’t
DarrenThe moment we stepped out of the car, the world erupted into chaos.Cameras flashed like lightning, their blinding bursts of light lighting up the dark sky. Reporters were already shouting questions before our feet even hit the pavement.I was no stranger to this kind of attention. As a CEO,
It was exactly as I remembered it, and yet completely different.We wandered through the festival for a while, stopping to admire the crafts and sample the food. Lucas was in heaven, running ahead and pointing out treats and games he wanted to try. Darren and I followed behind him, our hands intertw
AriaAfter a few days spent in the pack lands, we returned home. The trip was much shorter now, since I could shift and run back through the forest with Darren and Lucas by my side. Freeing, too.But when we returned, I felt even more stifled than ever.At first, I figured I would just adjust like I
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