AriaI couldn’t help but grin as I tugged Darren toward the stairs, my fingers wrapped tightly around his. His steps were a little unsteady from the whiskey, and I felt the warmth of his body radiating toward me as we climbed the creaky wooden stairs.When we reached our bedroom, I nudged the door o
Eventually, his grip tightened slightly, not guiding but holding on, and I could tell he was close. For a few minutes, I kept him there, right on the edge, until his moans grew softer and just a little more desperate.Finally, I pulled back, climbing up to straddle his hips once more. His eyes were
AriaThe morning sun was just beginning to rise over the pack lands the following day, casting a golden glow across the dew-covered grass. Darren and I stood at the edge of the village, waiting for the small group of refugees William had promised to bring.“They’re late,” Darren said, glancing at hi
And most of all, there was her scent.I picked it up immediately now that I had a wolf. She was a panther shifter, like william.William gestured for her to join us, and she stepped forward. “This is Raven,” he said. “She’s here to join our cause.”My breath caught in my throat. Raven. The name was
AriaI couldn’t help it. Something primal and possessive surged through me when I saw that woman touching my mate.My wolf, usually so calm and controlled, bristled and clawed at the back of my mind. A low growl threatened to escape my throat as I stared at Raven’s perfectly manicured hand on my mat
As Raven stood to leave, she thanked us both, her eyes lingering on Darren for a moment before she turned to go. I felt a flicker of that earlier jealousy but squashed it quickly. It was normal, I told myself. My wolf was still adjusting to the mate bond, and these protective instincts were just par
AriaI tried to look away from Darren, but my eyes kept drifting back to him. That look on his face as he watched Raven… there was something about it that made my stomach twist into knots.No. I was being ridiculous.I took a deep breath and forced myself to stand. This was just paranoia, nothing mo
“Do you think you’ll stay here?” Bella asked, her eyes searching mine. “I mean, long-term? Assuming those fuckers let you back into the human city, I mean.”I paused, considering the question. It was something I’d been asking myself a lot lately. “I don’t know,” I admitted. “I love it here, and Darr
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
AriaOur wedding was never meant to spark even more of a revolution, but somehow, it had. Over the following days, the videos Alfira had captured and shared with the world had gone viral.“Ten million views and counting,” Alfira said one morning as we were going over our plans for the upcoming march
He guided me onto the bed, the sheets cool against my back as I lay down. Darren settled above me, his body a warm, solid weight against mine as he braced himself on his forearms.Our eyes locked, and for a moment, we just breathed together, the air between us like static electricity. Then he kissed
AriaDarren kicked the bedroom door open with a swift nudge of his foot, the heavy wood banging against the wall before he stepped inside and closed it behind us with another kick. I giggled as he set me down gently on the hardwood floor. But then a flush crept up my neck, heating my cheeks.“Darren
Alfira, as per our request, was capturing it all on cameras that she’d surreptitiously placed throughout the space. “You’re trending already!” she announced gleefully, showing us her phone screen where thousands of comments poured in from supporters around the world. Humans and werewolves alike.“St