Aria“You’re...pregnant?”Bella sighed, her shoulders slumping. “Yeah. About eight weeks, I think.”My mind raced. I couldn’t figure out if this was good news or not. We were both still young, and Bella had never shown an interest in being a mother before.“Is this... wanted?” I asked softly. “I mea
Bella flushed. “I guess you’re right,” she sighed. “But I’ve been so sick, too. Much sicker than any pregnant human woman I’ve seen. Is that normal?”Wendy nodded knowingly. “Yes. Human women carrying werewolf babies often experience more intense morning sickness. The werewolf genes are strong, and
AriaWe all gathered in the den of the pack house a little while later, surrounding the large TV screen mounted on the wall. Alfira connected her laptop to it, her hands shaking slightly as she pulled up the documentary.“It’s a little under an hour,” Alfira said as she set up the film for us to wat
“And?” he asked. His voice was carefully neutral.“And…” I took a deep breath, inspecting my moonstone ring in the moonlight. “I’m not sure if I want to have children of my own. I mean, we have Lucas, and he’s enough for me. But I wasn’t sure if you’d be disappointed, if you wanted more children, or
AriaMy eyes widened when Darren volunteered himself to be the first test subject for the tincture.I hurried forward. “Darren, are you sure? I could do it instead—”“No, let me do it,” Liam cut me off, holding up his hand. “I won’t let my Alpha or Luna put themselves at risk.”Bella’s face paled. “
At Darren’s instruction, the woman then removed the muzzle and passed the leash to a pair of burly male humans, just in case the dog lunged. Edward instructed the other onlookers to stay far back, keeping a healthy distance so as not to interfere with the trial. I stood off to the side with Wendy, B
AriaTo say that Darren was not happy with the chief’s absurd request would have been an understatement. In fact, he was downright furious.“No. Absolutely not,” he said, turning to face me. “It’s way too dangerous to let you speak to that fucker alone. Either I go with you, or you don’t go at all.”
The chief’s eyes narrowed. “I see. Congratulations.”I didn’t bother to point out that I highly doubted he felt very congratulatory about the news.“Well, I must say, your methods are quite innovative,” he continued, “and surprisingly compassionate.”“Surprisingly?” I echoed with a wry chuckle.The
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