As we descended farther into the woods, the foliage became thicker and the results of the scouts' ambush followed us. Between us, the quiet was heavy and full of unsaid ideas. Now tired but determined, the rogues followed Luca's lead as we headed toward the purported safer, more secure covert camp. Though my body still hurt from the battle, the fire inside of me surged constantly, reminding me of its always presence.
I turned to look at Luca, who was strolling somewhat ahead of me, his eyes straying over the black road ahead. Luca went with the assurance of someone who has followed this road before, even if the moonlight created spooky shadows on the ground between the trees. Though he was a rogue, he had more going on. Something buried behind the toughened surface.
"Luca," I murmured, lowering my voice to avoid waking the others. "This location we are heading will be sufficient? Are we going to be safe there?
He didn't reply immediately; his gaze
Thick and stifling, the darkness enveloped me like a chilly, heavy blanket. I drifted in it, somewhere between consciousness and forgetfulness. There was no time, no sound, no feeling in this void—just an unbounded, terrible quiet.But suddenly something moved deep within me, a flutter of warmth. It at initially barely perceptible, then gradually became hotter and stronger until it resembled a searing flame cutting across the darkness like a lighthouse. The fire was guiding me back from the brink. It was beckoning.I awakened with a rapid inhale.My eyes opened and I felt momentarily confused. My body hurt, I was resting on the ground, my head fuzzy. The smell of burning and blood permeated the air around me, and I could just faintly hear battling.Where do I live?The memories flooded back, the fight, Darius's army swarming the camp, the anarchy, and finally Darius. It took time for this. He had been staring at me, grinning col
As the full moon hung high and its ethereal radiance covered the tall trees around the Moonstone pack's territory, the air smelled bitterly of pine and soil. Though the air was silent, heavy with expectancy, it felt cold and merciless on Aria's skin. Heart pounding, she stood at the brink of the clearing, her wolf stealthily stalking within her, yearning release. Her night was supposed to be tonight—the night everything would turn around.She had longed for this moment since she first felt the flutter of her wolf at sixteen, the instant she would discover her mate. That one meant to be her other half. She also hoped—prayed—that it would be Damien Blackwood, the Alpha of the Moonstone pack going forward. Her first love, solely her love.From early life, they had been inseparable, practicing and dreaming together, growing up together. She had supported him, believed in him, been by his side. But tonight, as her twenty-first birthday drew near, the link should have snapped in place, pull
Aria's room's half-drawn curtains let the early light slink in, softly goldening the faded blue walls. Sitting on the brink of her bed, her thoughts kept looping endlessly and painfully from the night before. Though the shock of Damien's rejection still lingered, the reality of the contract marriage she had accepted—that with Lucas Ashford—was beginning to weigh in.Since the rejection, her wolf had been quiet, a far-off presence in the rear of her mind damaged by the mate connection that never had a chance to develop. Aria had been wondering whether she had made a bad mistake while much of the night she had been turning over. But the clarity of her choice also rose with the light. Now staying in the Moonstone pack was not an option; Lucas, for better or worse, gave her a path out.She was taken from her ideas by a harsh tap on the door. Rising to her feet, she ran her hands over her simple grey dress and opened the door to see Lucas standing there looking just as perfect as always. H
The next morning arrived much too fast. The sun barely showed above the horizon, bathing Aria's new room's big windows in an orange hue. Her body weighty with the truth of her choice, she stirred slowly. Though not the type she had previously dreamt of, marriage was the weight she had signed up for. This constituted a contract; nothing more.She showered quickly, then stood before the mirror marveling at her image. Usually so vibrant, her brown eyes were lifeless, and her face bore traces of the weariness from the emotional roller coaster she had been on. She sighed and tucked a wild strand of hair behind her ear. She really ought to have worn what? Was it really important?She was taken from her ideas by a knock on the door. Standing there with a kind, somewhat mechanical grin was Roland, Lucas's assistant. "Mr. Ashford asks for your attendance in his briefing in his study."Briefing? Aria ar eyebrows but nodded softly. She swiftly changed from her luggage using a basic white top and
Aria had slept little at all. She lay in the huge bed looking at the ceiling, the weight of the approaching gala crushing down on her chest. She had swapped one jail for another, and now the walls were closing in.She was startled from her thoughts by the faint tap on the door. She sat up, drawing the blanket tightly over her. Ask to come in.Roland entered the room with his customary formal manner. Good morning, Mrs. Ashford he nodded politely. "Camille will be coming soon to assist with evening event preparation. Mr. Ashford wants me to remind you of the significance of tonight's look.Under the covers, Aria closed her fists. Mrs. Ashford. The name sounded alien, like if it did not belong to her. But it did then as well. It needed only her signing her name on the deal.Her voice tight, "Thank you, Roland," she said. I will be ready.Roland nodded once more politely before walking off alone once again.The hours flew in a haze of getting ready. Arriving with her normal energy, Camill
Tension permeated the journey back to Lucas's estate, the quiet between them like a strained rope almost about to break. Aria gazed out the window, the vehicle whirling over the streets as the city lights erupted into one continuous line. Her head whirled with images of Viktor Pierce, the unnerving sensation of his eyes still hovering over her flesh. Not for a moment, she didn't trust him; Lucas's response made it very evident she shouldn't.Aria could feel the questions boiling within her as they drew up to the mansion, but she wasn't sure whether Lucas would provide her any actual answers. His cryptic warning about Viktor told her enough to let her know about the risks hiding just beneath the surface of Lucas's life.Lucas got out of the vehicle silently, his body tense with barely shown irritation. Aria followed him inside the house, her feet light and uncertain. She wasn't sure whether she should ask him additional questions or let it go entirely.But Lucas's voice sliced low and
As Lucas's invisible look locked Aria's, the air between them tightened. Her pulse raced in her chest, her mind wriggling for a reason, but the quiet hanging in the air only made the anxiety worse. Lucas had not moved from his position at the doorway; his massive shoulders blocked her escape, but his eyes—those icy, sharp eyes—seemed to sear through her with a subdued wrath.Again, he asked, his voice a quiet rumble, calm yet shockingly dangerously deadly.Aria choked and battled to find her voice. Her hands twitched frantically in front of her as she stuttered, not meant to be here. "I was only looking around the home and the door was open, so I—”Lucas said, "You were warned," his voice lowering to a frigid calm. "I advised you to keep off the west wing."Her gut turned over in his tone at the harsh sharpness. She had crossed a boundary, and Lucas was not the kind of guy to let it go easily. She couldn't get rid of the image of the wall—her photograph surrounded by pictures of other
The rogue camp was alive with movement as the sun began to rise, the first light of dawn casting long shadows across the clearing. I sat on the edge of my makeshift bed, my muscles still aching from the journey. My mind, however, was sharper than ever, the fire within me restless.It was strange, being in a place like this—a camp filled with wolves who had been cast out, just like me. It made me realize how many others had been left behind, forgotten by their packs. Each wolf here had a story, a past filled with betrayal and hardship, and though I didn’t know them yet, I could see the pain reflected in their eyes.A few rogues moved around the camp, their expressions wary as they went about their tasks. They acknowledged me with nods, though none of them spoke. I was an outsider, and they had no reason to trust me. Not yet.Luca approached, his face set with determination. “You’re up early,&rdq