7

ARIA

“How did you end up here?” I asked. My voice sounded weak.

Mira blinked slightly, like she hadn’t expected the question. Then her expression softened.

“It’s… not the same for everyone,” she said carefully.

I frowned a little. “What do you mean?”

She hesitated for a second. “I wasn’t born human,” she said quietly. “Not completely.”

Something in my chest tightened. I didn’t like where this was going.

“I’m… part of a pack,” she continued. “Like the others here.”

“Pack,” I repeated slowly. The word felt strange in my mouth.

Mira nodded gently. “I’m half-wolf.”

That was it. Something in me just shut down. I let out a small breath and looked away. I didn’t say anything. I just… lost interest.

Mira noticed immediately.

“I didn’t mean to upset you,” she said softly. “It’s just…”

“It’s fine,” I cut in quietly. My voice came out flat. “I’m just… tired.”

That wasn’t it. Not really. But I didn’t have the energy to explain, or to pretend I understood.

Mira watched me for a moment longer before asking gently, “Why did you react that way?”

I shook my head slightly. “Sorry. I didn’t mean it like that. It’s just… everything feels like a mess. Nothing makes sense. I feel like I’m going to wake up any second and realize this is all just… some bad dream.”

Mira’s expression shifted, something like sympathy flickering across her face. “I can imagine. It’s not easy being thrown into something like this.”

I didn’t respond.

Selene moved past us then, placing something neatly on the table. It was like she wasn’t even part of the conversation.

“Do you not talk much?” I asked.

She looked at me. “Yes,” she said simply.

Her tone wasn’t rude, but it wasn’t warm either.

“I apologize.”

I blinked, a little taken aback, then looked at Mira.

“She’s always like that,” Mira said with a small smile. “Don’t take it personally.”

I nodded slowly.

My gaze drifted to the mirror across the room. I stood and walked toward it. The girl staring back at me didn’t look like me. Not really. Wearing clothes that weren’t mine.

I lifted my hand and touched my face like I needed to confirm I was still real.

*If this is a dream, wake up. Wake up right now.*

Monsters. That’s what they were. Every single one of them. Even Mira. She was half-wolf.

“What about you?” I asked quietly, glancing at Selene. “Are you… a wolf too?”

Selene didn’t hesitate. “Yes. A full one.”

Something in me sank. “I see.”

Silence settled again.

“I think…” I started, my voice barely steady. “I think I want to rest. Can I have some privacy?”

Mira nodded immediately. “Of course. We’ll be nearby if you need anything.”

Selene didn’t say anything, but she moved toward the door. Within seconds, they were both gone.

The room fell silent.

Then the door opened again.

I turned and froze.

Alaric stood in the doorway.

The air changed instantly. That same heavy, suffocating presence filled the space. My pulse jumped, but I forced myself not to back away.

“Get out,” I said, my voice sharper than I expected. “I don’t want to see you.”

His gaze darkened.

He stepped inside and closed the door behind him without a word. Each step he took toward me felt deliberate, measured, like a predator who already knew the outcome.

“I said leave…”

His hand shot out and gripped my chin, hard enough that a small, involuntary sound left my throat. I tried to wrench my face away, but his fingers only tightened, forcing my head up so I had no choice but to meet his eyes.

“Which part of ‘you belong to me’ didn’t you understand?” he asked, voice low and rough.

He stepped in until there was almost no space left between us. The heat of his body pressed against mine. When he spoke again, his lips brushed mine with every word, soft, deliberate, and dangerous.

“You are in my territory. Under my roof. Wearing clothes I provided. Breathing because I allow it.”

I shoved at his chest, struggling against the hold on my chin, but it was useless. He didn’t even shift. His free hand settled on my waist, fingers spreading over the fabric as if claiming the space.

Then he leaned down.

His nose brushed the side of my neck, and he inhaled deeply. The sound sent a full-body shiver racing down my spine. Warm breath ghosted over the sensitive skin just below my ear, and my pulse stuttered hard enough that I was sure he could feel it.

“You smell…” he murmured against my neck, lips barely grazing the skin with every word, “like something that doesn’t know it’s already been claimed.”

A soft, humiliating warmth bloomed low in my stomach. I hated it. I hated how my body reacted, how my heart slammed against my ribs as if it was trying to escape.

He stayed there a second longer, breathing me in, before lifting his head just enough to bring his mouth to my ear.

“I’ll be back,” he whispered, the words soft and tingling against my skin.

I shivered. I tried to hide it, tried to keep my body still, but he noticed. Of course he did. A faint, satisfied smirk curved his mouth as he finally released my chin and stepped back.

Without another word, he turned and walked out. The door clicked shut behind him.

I stood frozen in the middle of the room, one hand pressed hard against my chest, the other hovering near my chin where his fingers had dug in. My heart was racing so violently I could feel it in my throat. My lips still tingled from how close his had been. The place on my neck where he had breathed me in felt hot, hypersensitive, like his presence had left a mark without even touching me properly.

I was burning and cold at the same time. And something far more dangerous was curling under the fear. Something I refused to name.

I turned toward the window on unsteady legs, chest still rising and falling too fast, and stared out at the dark stretch of trees.

This place was bigger than I thought. Trees stretched endlessly in every direction. Buildings too, large ones and smaller ones, all spaced out like some hidden community buried deep inside the woods.

People moved. Or… wolves. I didn’t know anymore.

How am I supposed to escape this?

There was no clear path. No obvious way out. Just trees. Endless trees.

And the lingering heat on my skin made the need to run feel even more urgent.

I swallowed hard, then turned away. I couldn’t just stand here. I had to try.

By the time I stepped outside, it was already dark.

The air felt colder at night. Every sound seemed louder, sharper. The rustling of leaves, the distant movement of something I couldn’t see, the faint echo of voices far away.

I stepped forward slowly, my arms wrapping around myself without thinking. The ground beneath my feet felt unfamiliar. I walked without direction. Past things I didn’t stop to look at too closely.

The deeper I went, the more it hit me, there was no way out. Not easily.

My steps slowed at first, then stopped. I stood there, staring into nothing, my chest rising and falling unevenly. What am I supposed to do?

A small, broken sob slipped out before I could stop it. I turned slightly, wiping at my face quickly.

Get it together. My breath caught in my throat. I felt uncomfortable, like someone or something was watching me.

I turned slowly, my gaze scanning the darkness. There was nothing there. Just trees. Of course I was being paranoid… After everything I had seen, everything I had been told. Anyone would feel like this.

I shook my head slightly, forcing myself to breathe.

There’s nothing there.

But the feeling didn’t go away. It got worse, stronger and closer. Like something was right there. My heart slammed violently against my ribs.

Before I even realized what I was doing, I turned and ran back to the house. I didn’t think. I didn’t look back. I just ran.

My feet pounded against the ground, my breath coming in sharp, uneven bursts as panic surged through me again.