9

ARIA

Her story sounded unreal, but I knew my father too well. Victor was praised by the Ironwill Basin Pack as an alpha who could do no wrong.

They saw the golden wolf with the easy smile. The strong leader. The man everyone trusted. Most of them never saw what lived underneath that image. I did. I knew about the hunger he carried.

I knew how badly he wanted control of Ironwill Basin. That was why my marriage to Alaric had been arranged in the first place.

I had believed the bond would be political. A marriage to tie power together. I never thought it would be sealed with blood instead of vows. But the more I thought about it, the more it fit. Killing to gain power was exactly something my father would do.

“Rook found me,” I said quietly. “You already got what you wanted, Lyra. Why did you come back?”

“Alaric is a beast,” she said in a whisper. Her voice cracked under the weight of it. “I came back to see my father, and to get supplies. I needed to run. I can’t marry him. One day he’ll kill me. I know it in my bones.”

After everything I had endured, after all the fear sitting in my chest, I still felt something soften toward her. She had tried to protect someone. She had not known what Alaric truly was.

She had not understood the cost. And after what I had witnessed in the Grand Moon Hall, I believed her. His cruelty was not hidden. It was waiting for permission.

“He won’t stop,” I told her. “Even if he decides he doesn’t want you, he’ll still hunt you down. Men like him don’t accept rejection. Not when power is involved.”

“I know.” Her tears finally broke free and slid down her face. “But I have to try. And I had to say I was sorry before I left. I don’t deserve forgiveness.”

That was when the thought came to me. Sharp and dangerous. The kind that could get me killed if I was wrong.

“Lyra,” I said slowly, “listen to me. You’re not the only one who needs to disappear. I’m locked in this room, but I have to escape. Tonight. If we work together, we might both survive.”

If I was still there when my father returned, he would scent the change on me. He would know. And he would not hesitate.

I waited. I barely breathed. I expected fear, or doubt, or questions. It could have been a trap. Victor loved giving me hope just to tear it away when I reached for it. He had done it more times than I could count.

But Lyra lifted her chin and straightened her spine.

“I’m in,” she said.

It was nearly three in the morning when the door finally opened again. Six long hours had crawled by since I last saw her. The guard lay slumped on the floor, out cold, the sleeping draught doing its work just like we planned. Lyra held the key tightly, her fingers shaking.

“Rook and Torin went west on a run,” she whispered. “We’ll go east, toward the river, then split up. Are you sure you won’t come with me? My father has a safe place.”

“Did you tell him about me?” I asked, sharper than I meant to.

She shook her head right away. “No. But you can trust him.”

“I do,” I said. “That’s why he needs to know nothing. If they come asking, he needs to be able to say it was the truth.”

I squeezed her hand. “You can’t come with me. I already have a plan. I’ll call your new phone in a few days. When I’m safe, I’ll come back for you. We’ll build something new.”

I couldn’t tell her everything. Not yet. Trust had to be earned, and survival came first.

My bag was ready. We shifted, which cost me more time than I could afford. Pain rippled through me as my body fought the change. Then we slipped out of Victor Blackwood’s keep. No one stopped us. No one even thought to look.

When the wolves began howling far to the west, we ran east instead. Toward the river.

The escape was almost too easy. No one believed I could make it this far. We crossed into the water and finally parted, each of us glancing back one last time. Maybe one day, when the danger was gone, Lyra and I could be family.

When I reached the hotel where I had last seen Kael, dawn was creeping into the sky. I didn’t expect him to still be there. I only needed information about the Goldenreach clan, and the hotel was neutral ground. Once I had a map, I planned to leave immediately.

Then I saw him.

Kael stood in the parking lot.

My heart skipped. The ball had been weeks ago. He wasn’t from this area. Had he stayed? Was he waiting for me?

Hope spread through my chest before I could stop it. All I had to do was shift. Just once. Show him who I was.

Seven Jeeps were lined up nearby. He spoke to someone briefly, then climbed into the passenger seat of one in the middle.

They were leaving.

I hesitated only a second. Then I moved. I circled the vehicles and sniffed. One of them carried his scent strongly. It was packed with his things. He wasn’t coming back.

I made a choice. I slipped into the trunk and curled up tight. Moments later, it slammed shut.

The engine started. The convoy pulled away.

Hours passed. Exhaustion finally dragged me under. I hadn’t slept in days. I should have planned for that. Dreams filled the dark. When Kael found me, I would explain everything. He would understand. We would figure it out together. I would be safe. Far from my father.

Goldenreach. Aria of Goldenreach.

I liked the sound of that.

Rough hands yanked me awake. Fingers closed around the scruff of my wolf and hauled me out. My body hit the pavement hard. I rolled onto my back at once, showing my belly. A whimper slipped out of me, from pain, and from instinct.

I submitted.