LOGINAria’s POVThe first sound I heard was my own breathing. Fast, uneven, too loud in a forest that felt like it was holding its breath with me.I stood frozen between the trees, one hand still hovering near my chest as if I could physically steady my heartbeat. The air here didn’t feel like pack terri
Rain tapped steadily against the windows while voices murmured quietly around us from the rest of the café.Finally, Mira narrowed her eyes at me. “You’re going to investigate this yourself, aren’t you?”I avoided her stare.“That’s a yes,” she sighed dramatically. “I hate when you get that look on
Aria’s POV“You look horrible.”I glared at Mira over the rim of my coffee cup while she slid into the chair across from me. “You always know exactly what to say to comfort me.”“I’m serious,” she replied, frowning as she shoved her curls out of her face. “You have bruises on your neck, your wrist i
He hadn’t looked at me once since we arrived and that hurt more than I wanted to admit.The infirmary doors opened suddenly, and Kade walked in.The moment his eyes landed on me, he crossed the room quickly. “Aria,” he breathed, grabbing my shoulders. “Are you hurt?”“I’m fine,” I answered quietly,
Aria’s POVThe second I reached Damon’s side, his arm came around me hard and fast, pulling me behind him like instinct had taken over completely. His chest rose heavily against my shoulder, his breathing rough from the fight, but his stance never wavered. Every part of him remained locked on Lex.R
Aria’s POVI heard Damon’s voice before I even saw him, it cut through the warehouse like a blade, sharp and commanding, vibrating through the walls and straight into my chest.“Move in. Now!”My body reacted before my mind caught up. Panic surged hot and immediate, and I pressed myself deeper into
I let out a shaky breath, my hands curling into the thin blanket draped over me.That wasn’t it, that couldn’t be it.Damon didn’t do things halfway. He didn’t hover. He didn’t stay. He commanded, he left, he handled things.But staying by my side? That felt… personal.A groan slipped past my lips a
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
We were being overrun.I turned, scanning the battlefield, searching for any opening, any advantage, but there was none.Only chaos, only blood, only loss.Blinding, searing pain ripped through my side as something suddenly slammed into me from behind. I barely registered the impact before claws tor
I shoved him again, desperate this time, my back scraping along the wall, heart hammering so loudly I was sure he could hear it. But his grip didn’t loosen and his presence didn’t falter.“Never,” he said simply, almost softly, yet there was a lethal edge to it. “You’ll come back. You always do.”My







