LOGINDamon’s POVThe scent led me straight to the warehouse. It clung to the air long before I reached the entrance; faint, strained, but unmistakable.Aria.My steps didn’t slow, but everything else inside me sharpened. The world narrowed into a single point of focus, every instinct aligning toward one
Aria’s POVMy head throbbed before I even opened my eyes.It wasn’t a normal ache. It felt like my skull had been split open and stitched back together with dull wire, every pulse of blood dragging against it. My throat was dry, my tongue heavy, and when I tried to move my hand, nothing responded th
Damon’s POV“Lock down every exit,” I snapped, my voice cutting through the packhouse like a whip. “No one leaves. No one enters. I want patrols on every boundary line now.”Guards scattered instantly, fear in their posture even before obedience. Good. Fear meant speed.Behind me, Mira caught up, br
Aria’s POVThe archive smelled the same as always; old parchment, ink, and dust that never fully left the shelves no matter how often they were cleaned. It should have been boring. Safe, even but my mind wasn’t calm.Not after Alina. Not after the way the room had turned on me in seconds. Not after
“You’re acting like one.”A pause. Then she sighed, almost disappointed. “I just don’t want you blinded.”I stepped closer. “I see her clearly.”Something flickered across her face then—quick, but there. And then she smiled again. “I hope you’re right,” she said gently. “I really do.”She turned to
Damon’s POVThe office doors hadn’t even fully closed behind Thorne when I felt her presence before I saw her.Alina.She never announced herself like everyone else. No knock that waited for permission. No hesitation. Just certainty, as if the space already belonged to her before she stepped into it
I pushed the image aside.“She’ll stay out of the way,” I said, quieter now.Lyra nodded, satisfied. “That’s all I want. Peace.”Peace.The word scraped against the inside of my skull.Another elder approached, clapping me on the shoulder with hearty approval. “You’ve handled this beautifully,” he b
There it was.I met her gaze finally, and whatever she saw in my eyes made her smile falter for a fraction of a second but I did not rise to it.Reacting would mean admitting how deeply this cut. Reacting would give her exactly what she wanted—proof that I was unstable, jealous, dangerous.So I held
Aria’s POVThe river was too cold, it punched the breath out of me the second I hit the surface.The current yanked me under, rolled me against rocks, filled my mouth with silt and freezing water.I kicked wildly, arms flailing for anything solid.Mira’s hand found mine—slippery, desperate and we br
I nodded. “Yes, Beta.”Damon’s fork scraped his plate. He didn’t look at me.Kade put his arm around my shoulders. “She’s been very cooperative. Haven’t you, Aria?”I forced a smile. “Yes.”Lyra spoke up, voice sweet. “I’m sure the High Elders will clear everything. Damon and I are ready for the cer







