LOGINDamon’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.
Aria’s POVThe pounding on my door started before sunrise and at first, I thought I was dreaming so I buried my face deeper into my pillow, groaning as the knocking continued, louder this time and far more persistent."Aria!"My eyes snapped open. I knew that voice.Sitting up, I checked my phone. The bright screen nearly blinded me.5:12 AM.I stared at it in disbelief.Another round of pounding rattled the door."Aria, open this door!""Mira, can you get that?" I called out automatically before remembering she wasn't home. She had stayed overnight at the infirmary after yesterday's chaos.With a groan, I dragged myself across the apartment and yanked the door open.Immediately, I regretted it because Alina stood in the hallway looking as elegant as ever despite the ridiculous hour. Behind her were two older women carrying baskets filled with flowers, candles, folded fabrics, and bundles of herbs."Good morning, dear," Alina said brightly."It is five in the morning.""Exactly.""Nor
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
Aria’s POVSomething in me refused to settle and I know that it wasn’t exactly panic, but if it was, it wasn’t the mind that made you shake or lose breath. It was quieter than that, sharper too, like a thread pulled too tight under my skin, waiting to snap the moment I stopped paying attention. Dam
The bond exploded to life and I felt a violent surge of heat rush through my chest so suddenly my knees nearly buckled. Power raced through every nerve in my body, connecting us with terrifying intensity.Damon felt it too.I saw the exact moment it happened.The exhaustion vanished from his face, t
Aria’s POVThe first thing I noticed when I woke up was that Damon was gone. For a moment, I stayed curled beneath the blankets, staring at the empty space beside me as the haze of sleep slowly lifted. His scent still lingered on the pillow… pine and spice, familiar and comforting then reality hit.
Quieter.Her gaze dropped briefly to my mouth before returning to my eyes."Damon..."I leaned closer slowly, giving her every chance to stop me.She didn't.Our lips met softly.The kiss wasn't rushed. There was no desperation behind it. Just warmth and familiarity and the quiet comfort that seemed
Aria’s POVThe corridor outside the eastern training hall smelled faintly of iron and polished stone, the kind of sterile scent that always clung to places where warriors passed through too often. I had just stepped out with a stack of sealed archive reports in my arms when I felt the shift in air p







