She turns to face me with a soft smile. "It’s alright." Still, guilt tugs at me. "I just… I don’t know much about them," she murmurs. I exhale, my fingers grazing over the edge of the pillow. "I wish I knew more too. But my mom remembered them fondly, especially your mother. She was her best frie
Lucas "Lucas, where the hell are you?" my dad grunts. My eyes flick to Aria, and she looks fucking mortified. "Where’s Damon?" he demands, his tone sharp as hell. "What did you do to him?" I grit my teeth. "If you really wanna know, then come get me yourself." "You’re coming back, now." "I’m n
Lucas I search everywhere. Around the bathhouse, the street next to it, and the one after that. Hell, I even ask random people if they’ve seen her. Aria. My Aria. Nothing. No one has seen her. This can’t be happening. She wouldn’t leave me. Not after everything we’ve been through. I try to mind
She’s really gone. I don’t know how long I stay like that…minutes, hours? I don’t even fucking blink. At some point, exhaustion takes over, and everything fades to black. …… I’m lying on my bed, staring at the fucking wall like it holds the meaning of life, when I hear the door unlocking. Proba
Aria Finally, I pull up to the restaurant Aunt Esther works at. It's in some random suburb in New York. I push open the door and the scent of pancakes hits me. I'm starving. I look around and notice a few people scattered, minding their business, thank goddess. Aunt Esther works two part-time jobs
Aunt Esther sighs and pulls me close, hugging me tight. “It’s okay, Aria. You’re going to be fine.” “No… no. I don’t know how much longer I can take this. He’s been trying to mind-link me, and I’ve been blocking it. Even my friends… I don’t know how much my wolf can handle. It’s weakening us,” I wh
**Eight Months Later** Aria "Aria, get your ass downstairs already! You're gonna be late for your first day of college!" Aunt Esther yells from the kitchen. "I'm coming!" I shout back, rolling my eyes as I smooth my hands over my hair. With one last glance in the mirror, I nod in approval. Palaz
And just like that, she pulls me into a hug. I clutch her back, squeezing my eyes shut. "I’m sorry… so, so sorry." After a few minutes, we’re all sitting together in an empty lecture hall, still processing the absolute mindfuck that we’ve somehow ended up in the same university. "I can't believe
But Lucas? Oh no. He’s not calming down one bit. “I can’t calm down, Aria. You need to say something right now. Tell this idiot you belong in Shadow Pang.” He’s practically barking it, and honestly, I’m about two seconds from losing it too. “Lucas,” I start, trying real hard to keep my voice soft a
Aria “Aria, I’m telling you, there’s nothing to be scared of. I mean, yeah, the Hollow sect are creepy as hell and all that, but Alpha Marcel’s got the resources. He’s got the people, the connections. You’re safe here,” Mark says the second we step into the living room, like he’s trying to sell me
Aria After I shower and get dressed, Lucas and I head downstairs for breakfast. Alpha Marcel’s not in the living room yet, and Mark... well, goddess knows where he is. Probably off being mysterious and annoying, as usual. We make our way to the dining room where the maid who called us is already
I turn to the side, my back pressed against his chest, and his arm slides around my waist like it belongs there. His body’s warm, grounding, and his scent…gosh it's so soothing. “Goodnight, baby,” he whispers, pressing a soft kiss to my shoulder. “Goodnight, baby,” I murmur back, letting my hand s
Aria “Oh yeah… they’re not here right now,” Alpha Marcel says, scratching his head like he’s trying to dig out the answer. “They went outta the country to visit a relative of my wife.” I nod, but honestly, it sounds like total bullshit. Like, really? In the middle of all this chaos? The pack’s cu
“Let me guess. He said, ‘Screw this fire crap’?” “Pretty much. Said it was barbaric and refused to keep sacrificing his people. And the moment he stopped? Curse hit us like a wrecking ball. No sunlight, no crops, no peace. Just rot and death. Now there’s some weird-ass illness spreading…werewolves
Aria Lola takes a deep breath, glancing over my shoulder like someone might be eavesdropping, then locks eyes with me. “Your mother... she was a beautiful and brave woman,” she says, and for a second, she looks like she’s about to cry or punch someone. “I used to wait on her.” Wait, what? “You did
Alpha Marcel groans like I just smacked him with nothing but facts duh. "You’re right," he mutters, rubbing his forehead. "I’m just, you know... skeptical. I’m scared because he grew up with his father, and I worry he’ll be like him." I shake my head and look straight at Lucas, feeling my heart do
Aria The woman. It’s definitely her. Same long black hair, same damn round face, same sad ass eyes. What the hell is she doing here? I swear something feels weird and off as fuck. "Aria, are you alright?" Alpha Marcel’s voice yanks me back to reality. He’s looking between me and the lady like he’