로그인Damon’s POVFor the first time in weeks, I wasn't working. No patrol reports, no council meetings, no elders trying to force decisions onto my desk. Just Aria.I had made that decision the night before and refused to let anything interfere with it, though unfortunately Aria was currently trying to.
For a moment, he just stared at me then, slowly, his expression softened again, like he was slipping back into a version of himself that knew how to win me over.“You’re really choosing him,” he said quietly. “After everything I did for you?”I let out a short, humorless laugh. “You didn’t do anythi
Aria’s POVThe infirmary was too quiet, not peaceful—never peaceful—but had this kind of silence that felt forced, like the walls themselves were holding their breath. The smell of antiseptic was sharp enough to sting my nose the moment I stepped inside, and for a second I almost turned back.Almost
For a moment, he just stared at me then, slowly, his expression softened again, like he was slipping back into a version of himself that knew how to win me over.“You’re really choosing him,” he said quietly. “After everything I did for you?”I let out a short, humorless laugh. “You didn’t do anythi
Aria’s POVThe infirmary was too quiet, not peaceful—never peaceful—but had this kind of silence that felt forced, like the walls themselves were holding their breath. The smell of antiseptic was sharp enough to sting my nose the moment I stepped inside, and for a second I almost turned back.Almost
Aria's POVThe feeling wouldn't leave, it followed me through lunch, through the reports stacked on my desk, through every conversation I barely paid attention to and no matter how many times I reminded myself that Damon could handle himself, that he had survived far worse than a day spent with Kade
Thorne nodded immediately. “It’ll be done.”Silence fell again, heavier this time.“You should be out there,” he added carefully. “We need to assess the damage, figure out how this happened.”“I know.”But I didn’t move because every time I looked at Aria, every time I saw how still she was, how fra
I clenched my jaw and swallowed the words and I scowled instead. Kade didn’t seem bothered in the slightest. If anything, my irritation appeared to amuse him. He stepped closer and leaned down before I could react and then brushed his lips against my forehead.The contact made my entire body recoil
Damon wore formal black tailored close to his broad frame, silver threading along the cuffs and collar catching the moonlight with restrained brilliance. The fabric accentuated the strength in his shoulders, the deliberate confidence in his posture. His dark hair had been drawn back neatly, revealin
Aria’s POVBy nightfall, every candle had been lit, every silver tray aligned, every silk ribbon drawn taut beneath careful hands. The pack house no longer resembled a home but a shrine built for spectacle, and I moved through it in the uniform Lyra had gifted me, the ivory fabric brushing softly ag







