LOGINBanners hung across the walls, pink and white, with “Congratulations” written in bold letters. Streamers dangled from the ceiling, and our dining room table was lost under piles of gifts wrapped in pastel paper.“What the hell?” I managed, my jaw dropping as Bella rushed forward with Theo balanced o
AriaA year had passed since Darren and I signed that treaty, and life had settled into something sweet, even with all its ups and downs.The scars on my chest had faded to thin white lines, and Darren’s wound was just a memory beneath his shirt. We’d become godparents to Bella and Liam’s little boy
AriaLunar Labs was reduced to a shell of its former self.The once-sleek and vibrant building, surrounded by lush gardens and pebbled fountains, was now barren and burnt. The glass walls were shattered, the halls within burned and destroyed. Those damn slurs were still painted across nearly every s
He didn’t hesitate. “No.”The word hung in the air for a long moment. The president blinked, clearly startled. “With all due respect, Mr. President,” Darren went on, leaning forward in his chair, “we’re not coming back. Not like that. After being deported, hunted, abused by your government—my people
AriaDarren and I stepped out of the car and faced the sprawling estate that was the human president’s home. My chest still ached faintly from my wound, the stitches long gone but the pain lingering. Beside me, Darren subtly favored his left side when he moved, still healing from the hole in his che
We stayed like that for a while, neither of us speaking. At some point, I must have begun to drift off again, too exhausted from the day’s events to keep my eyes open.But then, suddenly, the door burst open, shattering the stillness, and I jolted upright, wincing as the movement pulled at my wound.
And as we walked away, Darren didn’t make an attempt to lower his voice as he thoroughly scolded the supervisor. Even Brandon and Melissa cocked their heads to listen to the exchange.“Dammit, Arthur, I’m not here to do your job for you… Remove three points from your tally immediately!”…A little w
“Good morning, handsome,” Sarah cooed, circling my desk and perching on the edge of it, less than a foot from me. “Did you need me for something?”I felt my eye twitch as I looked up at her. She’d been laying on the seduction pretty thick lately. Maybe I hadn’t made it clear enough that it wasn’t wo
“No, Bella. I’m not gonna let you march into my workplace and beat the hell out of my adoptive sister.”“Fine.” She checked her nails with an impish look in her eyes. “But if I ever run into her on the street, promise you’ll come visit me in prison.”“Sure thing,” I said with a laugh.Finally, Bella
My friend and I looked at each other, too stunned to move. The flannel guy seemed pretty shocked himself, probably trying to decide if he was in the mood to start a bar brawl now—he certainly seemed drunk enough for it.But at that moment, a warm arm wrapped itself around my waist and tugged me clos







