“Aria… calm down,” he says, but his voice is soft, like he doesn’t even believe his own words. “No. I’m sorry,” I mumble against his shoulder, still crying. “I shouldn’t have…” He wraps his arms around my waist and gently pulls me down to sit on the couch with him. The second I sit, he starts rubb
Aria I can’t stop pacing like a damn lunatic down this hallway. Maria's in there right now, doing her best to bring Lucas back to consciousness, and I’m out here losing my damn mind. Like, legit on the verge of biting my nails down to the bone, and I don’t even bite my nails. After he collapsed,
Sarita’s voice pulls me out of the spiral. “The only reason he didn’t relapse after you left is because he couldn’t afford to. Taking wolfsbane meant he’d lose his sense of smell. And that would’ve made it impossible for him to find you. He didn’t want to risk that.” And just like that, my heart sh
Damon This is not happening. Nope. My ears must be broken or something. Because there's no fucking way Mia just said what I think she said. And those eyes…goddess, the way she looked at me, like I stabbed her in the damn heart. Pain, anger, betrayal…basically the whole package, all wrapped up in o
She storms off, hair whipping behind her. Lily gives me a long, pitying glance before trailing after her. I’m just standing there like I’ve been hit by a damn freight train. I’ve seen Aria mad before, back on the cruise ship when Lucas pulled his usual bullshit, but this? This was next level. “Yo
“Someone’s losing it.” a smartass voice from behind says. I spin around quickly. And there he is. Fucking Mark. Sitting on the ground with his back against the wall, looking smug as shit. “You…how long have you been here?” I ask, blinking at him. “I didn’t hide. You were just too busy talking to
Aria “Aria, take it easy, please. You're losing your damn mind,” Lily says, sitting right beside me, trying to play therapist. But nope. It’s not helping. Not even a little. My brain’s on overdrive, spiraling like a damn hurricane, and I just can’t stop blaming myself for everything that went dow
“Aria, it’s okay… I’m okay,” Lucas whispers, rubbing my back so gently like he’s afraid I’ll break. “Please… it’s not your fault.” But I can't stop crying. “It is my fault. I’m so sorry, Lucas,” I sob, barely able to get the words out. Before he can say anything else, I hear someone behind us. “L
“Aria, you good?” Mark’s voice cuts through my little mental spiral and drags me back to reality. I blink a few times, trying to pull myself together before I look at him. “Yeah. I’m fine. Just got a little caught up in my feelings. Nothing dramatic.” Mark nods like he believes me, even though I’m
Aria We step outta the living room, and the cold hits me like a freaking slap to the face. This wind? Rude as hell. It goes straight through my jacket like it’s got beef with me personally. It’s still pitch dark outside, obviously, but there’s electricity glowing from this part of the mansion like
Lucas The second I hit the room, I just crash onto the bed like my body finally gave up. I yank the blanket over my face like that’s gonna block out the bullshit in my head. My skull feels like it’s about to explode, and my chest? Yeah, that shit’s not doing any better either. It’s like someone’s
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