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.
DarrenAfter everyone left the office that night, I stayed behind to do some digging of my own. Something wasn’t adding up with the printer fire; there was no way that hair tie just fell in there by accident, but it also seemed unlikely that Aria would have done it intentionally.I pulled the printe
AriaI nearly choked on my drink as I looked up to see those brown and blue eyes staring down at me. Darren was still in his work clothes, clearly having had the same idea I’d had in coming here.“D-Darren!” I exclaimed. “I—”Before I could finish, Bella set down her drink and smiled, waving her han
AriaBella and I stepped into the bar, the sound of the pumping music filling our ears. I shook a few snowflakes off my shoulders as we found a seat at a table in the corner, where we could have a private conversation without being in the middle of the dance floor.“Thanks for coming out with me, Be
AriaI groaned softly, pushing myself up to a sitting position. I was still in my clothes from the night before although my shoes had been removed at some point, and my head was pounding something fierce from a night of sleeping on a sofa.Darren appeared in the doorway with a cup of coffee in his h







