Mia Lily’s sitting on the couch, all giggly, chatting with Theo, who just walked in like he didn’t just spend the last hour glued to his mate. And me? My damn brain’s on a whole rollercoaster. I keep thinking about Damon… his dumb, cocky face. Goddess, I miss that asshole, but I also wanna punch
“Hey, wait..” he says, reaching for my arm. His fingers brush against me, but I yank myself free like his touch might burn me. I cover my face with both hands, feeling way too embarrassed for him to see me right now, not after he heard me spill my guts like that. “Go away,” I mumble, my voice bare
Aria So, everything’s finally starting to fall into place. Me and Lucas are cool now, Mia and Damon are back together, and I’ve been giving Mark the cold shoulder ever since, which honestly feels great. Life should be perfect, right? Except for this damn dream I had last night. It felt so real, li
He reaches for my face, his hands cupping my cheeks so gently I almost forget how much this whole thing is messing with both of us. I want to argue, I want to tell him I’m not ready to let it go, but after what happened, knowing how hard he’s trying to keep me safe even when he’s barely got the stre
Aria My eyes flutter open real slow, and the first thing I feel is the cold. It's dark, the wind's biting, and for a second, I can’t figure out where the hell I am. I push myself upright and realize I’m sitting on the damn ground, outside, in the middle of the night. What the actual fuck? How t
And before I can even breathe properly, the voice comes again, sharper this time. “What are you waiting for? Go ahead. Go.” But I shake my head, staring at the ocean like it’s about to swallow me whole. “Go back where? There’s a whole ass ocean behind me, are you blind or what?” “Go back.” “I
Aria This isn’t right. This is fucking crazy. How the hell did that silver moon tattoo even show up on my neck? Is it real or am I just losing my damn mind? I’ve been pacing around in Lucas’s room like a crazy ass person while my friends sit there, arguing with each other like that’s gonna solve
“Aria!” Lucas panics. “Aria, baby, what’s wrong?” He’s already at my side, holding me, but I can’t even speak. My lips feel numb, heavy like they’ve been stitched shut, and my head’s about to split from all the noise crashing through it. I hear someone’s voice… maybe Mia, maybe Lily…I can’t tell. E
“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