CHAPTER TWO

ARIA

Six years later

I wake to the feeling of three small bodies piling onto my bed, their giggles filling the room like music.

"Mama, wake up!"

"There's someone at the door!"

"He says he has important letters!"

I blink my eyes open and find myself staring into three pairs of bright eyes—two gray like storm clouds, one amber like honey. My babies. My entire world.

Lily bounces on my stomach, her dark curls flying everywhere. "Come on, Mama! He's been waiting forever!"

"Forever is five minutes to you, Lil," Noah says, rolling his eyes in that way that makes him look far too mature for a five-year-old. He's sitting at the edge of the bed, more reserved than his sisters but just as excited.

Emma, my quietest one, leans down and plants a kiss on my cheek. "Morning, Mama."

"Morning, babies." I pull them all in for a hug, breathing in their scent—milk and honey and something wild underneath that only I can detect. My wolf, Kelly, purrs with contentment. These three are everything. They're the reason I survived. The reason I kept going when all I wanted to do was give up.

The nightmare from last night—running through the forest, the pack hunting me, Declan's cold eyes, it all fades away under the warmth of their small arms around me.

"The mailman is still waiting!" Lily reminds me, pulling at my hand.

"Alright, alright." I slide out of bed and grab my robe. "Let's not keep him waiting then."

The three of them race ahead of me down the stairs of our small townhouse, their feet thundering on the hardwood. I follow at a more reasonable pace, running my fingers through my hair to make myself somewhat presentable.

When I open the door, Mr. Bennet is standing on my front porch with his usual warm smile. He's been our mail carrier for three years now, and he's one of the few people in this neighborhood who treats me like family.

"Dr. Sinclair, good morning." He tips his head respectfully. "I apologize for the early visit, but I have two letters here that require in-person delivery and signature."

"No problem at all, Mr. Bennet." I take the clipboard he offers and sign my name. "How's little Mary doing? Is her cough any better?"

His expression brightens. "Much better, thanks to that tea blend you recommended. My wife wanted me to thank you again." He pauses, looking almost sheepish. "Actually, Mary's been complaining about her ear hurting. Nothing serious, I think, but if you have time later this week..."

"Of course. Bring her by the clinic tomorrow afternoon. I'll take a look."

"You're too kind, Dr. Sinclair." He hands me two thick envelopes. "Have a good day."

I wave as he heads back to his truck, then close the door and turn to find all three kids staring at me with concerned expressions.

"Is Mary okay?" Emma asks softly.

"She will be," I assure her, ruffling her hair. "Just a little ear infection, probably. Nothing a good doctor can't fix."

Noah crosses his arms. "You're the best doctor. You'll fix her right up."

"Yeah!" Lily bounces on her toes. "Everyone says Dr. Sinclair is the best!"

I smile at their confidence in me. They don't know about my other identity—the one where werewolves from packs all over seek out Dr. W for injuries and ailments they can't explain to human doctors. They don't know that I wear a mask and disguise my scent, that I charge high fees for my silence and discretion. That the money I make from those secret appointments is what's been keeping us afloat.

"Come on, let's have breakfast. Then you three have school."

"But it's Saturday!" Lily protests.

"Oh right." I laugh. "Then how about we make pancakes?"

The kids cheer and race toward the kitchen. I follow them, the two letters still in my hand, forgotten for the moment as I watch them argue over who gets to crack the eggs.

Six years. It's been six years since I fled the pack, since I crossed into human territory with nothing but the clothes on my back and a baby—three babies, as it turned out—growing inside me.

I'd been terrified. Alone. Pregnant and broke in a city where I knew no one.

But then I met Sarah, a human nurse who found me collapsed outside the hospital. She didn't ask questions. She just helped. Got me a place to stay, helped me forge documents, taught me how to navigate the human world. When she learned I had medical knowledge, she helped me get a job at a community clinic.

I built a life here. A good life. I kept my wolf hidden, taught myself to suppress my scent, and raised my three perfect pups in a world where they could be safe. Where Declan and Celeste and the entire pack couldn't touch them.

The kids are almost six now. In a few months, they'll start showing signs of their werewolf nature—enhanced strength, sharper senses, the first stirrings of their wolves. I've been preparing for it, researching how to help them through the shift when it comes.

My current plan is simple: pay off the loan I took out when I first arrived—only eight thousand dollars left, and then we're gone. We'll travel. See the world. Stay on the move so no pack can ever claim us.

I've become strong. Optimistic. I'm not that broken girl who ran through the forest anymore.

"Mama, you're smiling really big," Noah observes as I flip a pancake. "What're you thinking about?"

"Just how lucky I am to have you three."

Lily wraps her arms around my waist. "We're lucky to have you, too!"

I ruffle her hair, my heart swelling. Yeah. We're going to be okay. We're going to be more than okay.

I set a plate of pancakes on the table and finally look down at the letters in my hand. Might as well see what was so important that Mr. Cole had to deliver them personally.

The first envelope is plain, cream-colored. Professional. But when I turn it over, my breath catches in my throat.

There, pressed into the wax seal, is an emblem I know too well. A wolf's head in profile, surrounded by a circle of oak leaves.

The Crescent Ridge Pack emblem.

Declan's pack. My old pack.

No.

My hands start to shake. Kelly whimpers in my mind, immediately on alert.

"Mama?" Emma's voice sounds far away. "Are you okay?"

I force myself to breathe. "I'm fine, baby. Just... give Mama a minute, okay?"

I set the first letter down and look at the second one. This one is black, sealed with red wax, and addressed simply to "Dr. W."

My secret identity. The werewolf healer no one can find, no one can trace.

How? How could these two letters arrive at the same time? How could he—

I rip open the first letter with trembling fingers.

Aria Sinclair,

By order of Alpha Declan Cross, you are hereby summoned to return to Crescent Ridge Pack territory within fourteen days of receiving this notice. Failure to comply will result in you being declared a rogue and hunted accordingly.

This is not a request.

Alpha Declan Cross

The words blur. My chest tightens.

I grab the second letter and tear it open.

Dr. W,

Your services are urgently requested at Crescent Ridge Pack. We require treatment for matters of the highest importance. Name your price. All expenses will be covered, and your safety and discretion are guaranteed.

Please respond within seven days.

Alpha Declan Cross

I drop both letters on the counter like they burned me.

He's looking for me. And he's looking for Dr. W.

Does he know? Does he know they're the same person?

No. No, that's impossible. Dr. W never shows her face. There's no way he could trace Dr. W back to me.

But the timing. Both letters arriving on the same day. To the same address.

My mind flashes back to last night's nightmare. Running through the forest. The pack hunting me. Declan's voice ordering them to catch me.

It wasn't just a nightmare. It was a memory. One I've been trying to forget for six years.

Why now? Why is he summoning me back now?

"Mama?"

I look up to find all three kids standing in front of me, their pancakes forgotten. They're staring at me with worried expressions.

"You look scared," Noah says quietly.

I force a smile and crouch down to their level. "I'm okay. I just... got some news that surprised me, that's all."

Lily tilts her head. "Bad news?"

"Grown-up news," I say carefully. "Nothing for you three to worry about."

Emma reaches out and takes my hand. "We don't like it when you're sad."

God, they're so sweet. So perfect. I pull all three of them into a hug, holding them tight.

Celeste must be Luna now. She and Declan must be ruling the pack together. If she ever found out about the kids, if she ever discovered that Declan has three illegitimate pups out here—she would see them as threats. As competition.

She would hurt them. I know she would.

The memory of her malicious smile flashes through my mind. The way her nails dug into my skin. The triumph in her eyes when Declan marked her.

She's dangerous. And I can't let her anywhere near my babies.

I pull back and cup their faces. "How would you three feel about a little adventure?"

Lily's eyes light up. "What kind of adventure?"

"The moving kind," I say carefully. "We might need to find a new place to live soon."

Noah frowns. "But we like it here."

"I know, baby. But sometimes change is good. And wherever we go, we'll be together. That's what matters most, right?"

They nod, though Emma still looks uncertain.

"Can we finish our pancakes first?" Lily asks.

I laugh despite the fear clawing at my chest. "Yes. Finish your pancakes."

As they return to the table, I grab the letters and shove them into a drawer. My mind is already racing.

I don't know if Declan knows my true identity. I don't know what he wants with Dr. W, or why he's summoning Aria Sinclair back to the pack after six years of silence.

But none of it matters.

What matters is keeping my children safe. And the only way to do that is to stay as far away from Crescent Ridge Pack and Declan Cross as possible.