AriaI spent that entire week painstakingly putting together a presentation for that following Friday’s meeting. I not only wanted my goals to be as clear as possible, but also wanted to back them up with proof. If there was any possible way to ensure that my idea could hold weight, then I wanted to
AriaDarren and I rushed straight to the park Bella had mentioned, only to find the entire place swarming like a beehive. Wailing police cars had blocked the entire perimeter of the park, ambulances were rushing in and out, and people were being taken away on stretchers.We found Bella and Liam near
AriaDarren and I followed the chief to a more secluded area, one that was free from prying eyes and cameras.We stopped beneath the shade of a large tree, and the chief turned to us, his cold gray eyes scanning us from head to toe. I felt like he had x-ray vision or something. Even my wolf bristled
I frowned, turning to go look for her. I knew Bella well enough to know that when she said she needed oolong tea out of nowhere, that was code for “I need something to lower my blood pressure. Like, yesterday.”While I hurried across the street, Darren and Liam remained in the car, waiting. I found
AriaDarren and I quickly gathered the necessary materials to complete the permit forms. Everything was in order, it seemed, and we sent the forms to the precinct as per the chief’s request.After that, all we had left to do was wait. However, not to be deterred by the monster known as bureaucracy,
The man nodded. “Yes, Alpha Arthur did receive your letter. He sends his apologies for not being able to visit himself, but he sent me, the official pack emissary, in his stead.”“And?” Darren asked.I wrung my hands slightly behind my back, waiting with bated breath. The emissary shifted in his sea
AriaThe moment we found the body, Darren and I froze. My stomach churned, bile rising in my throat as I stared at the mangled remains of the hiker.His face was unrecognizable, torn apart by what could only have been claws. His throat was a mess of shredded flesh, and the metallic stench of blood h
Alfira had been nothing but kind and supportive since we’d met her. She’d gone out of her way to help us, to bridge the gap between humans and werewolves. The idea that she could have done something so violent, so senseless, was unthinkable.I opened my mouth to say something else, but Darren placed
Banners hung across the walls, pink and white, with “Congratulations” written in bold letters. Streamers dangled from the ceiling, and our dining room table was lost under piles of gifts wrapped in pastel paper.“What the hell?” I managed, my jaw dropping as Bella rushed forward with Theo balanced o
AriaA year had passed since Darren and I signed that treaty, and life had settled into something sweet, even with all its ups and downs.The scars on my chest had faded to thin white lines, and Darren’s wound was just a memory beneath his shirt. We’d become godparents to Bella and Liam’s little boy
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