Arias POV The moment the words left my mouth, the beating stopped. The addicts froze like feral animals caught mid-snarl, their gaunt faces twisting toward me. One of them still had his fist mid-air, hovering over Thane’s father, whose frail body trembled on the cracked floor. This close, it was impossible not to see the signs Thane had told me about. He looked at me and scrambled backward, scraping his back against the wall like he wanted to vanish into it. “Stay back!” he croaked, voice sharp and ragged. “Demon… demon, demon—get away from me!” My heart cracked a little. “No,” I said softly, crouching down, hands lifted in peace. “I’m not a demon. I’m a friend. I’m here to help—” “What the hell does this have to do with you?” one of the addicts growled behind me. I stood up slowly and turned to face them. “Then let me ask, why are you ganging up on him? What did he do to deserve that?” “He’s got it,” another slurred — a man with rotting teeth and jittery hands. “The pills.
Aria’s POV I stared at the screen. Why does Selene have Thane’s father? Where is she taking him? It doesn’t make sense. It doesn’t add up. I tapped the keyboard, fast-forwarding the footage slightly, tracking her movements. Selene was guiding him like she’d done it a hundred times before. He leaned into her like he trusted her, like she was familiar. And that unsettled me even more. What kind of relationship did she have with him? My jaw tensed as I followed her on the screen. Then there it was — she exited through one of the service corridors, one the staff used that didn’t have heavy traffic. She paused at the back gate, checked both sides like she was cautious of being seen, then helped him into a sleek black car waiting just beyond the hospital fence. She got in the driver’s seat and drove off. I switched feeds, fingers flying across the keys as I jumped from one street camera to the next, trying to trace the car. Come on… come on… she turned right onto one of th
Aria’s POV The hush that settled over the field was so thick I could hear my own ragged breathing. A thousand eyes locked on me, and then the murmuring began. Voices rose, shocked, disbelieving, washing over me like a wave. The shock collars activated again with a loud crack, dropping the rogues back into unconscious heaps across the field. Over the loudspeakers, the commentators scrambled to find their words. “Goal! A goal from the Violet Thunder team — the Omega team! That brings them to a total of four points!” “Did you see that? An Omega — yes, an OMEGA — killed a rogue with the ball! I have never, in all my years, heard of something like this!” “Who is that girl?!” Their astonished voices faded as I jogged back to the team huddle, sweat prickling under my jersey. Tyla was practically bouncing. “I knew you wouldn’t let me down, Aria!” Erica nodded quickly, breathless, eyes wide with hope. “If we keep this up, we might actually stand a chance!” Quin shook her head. “No —
Aria’s POV The moment the ball slammed into our net, the entire stadium erupted — cheers and claps and a chorus of “GOAL!” echoing over the field. The Beta team jumped around celebrating. Meanwhile, I heard a harsh buzz, and the rogues on the field dropped like sacks of meat, their shock collars activated, leaving them unconscious for the break. I let out a long breath, wiping sweat from my brow as we regrouped near our side of the field. The big screens flickered, showing the commentators again. “And there you have it, folks! That’s exactly what we expected. The Violet Thunder team should probably just forfeit before they get themselves killed. Seriously, who names an Omega team that?” “I mean, really,” the second commentator laughed, “Omegas playing rogue ball? This is a death wish.” Eliza clicked her tongue, arms crossed. “Remind me later that we need to change the name of this team,” she grumbled. I managed a weak laugh. “How are you guys holding up?” Tyla scowled, rolli
Aria’s POV As I was still conversing with Thane, the infirmary door swung open, and Eliza burst through, practically shouting. “It worked!” I jolted upright, eyes wide. “What? Really?” Eliza nodded so hard I thought her head might fly off. “Yes! They were just talking, you know, then they both fell asleep. ” Relief crashed through me. “That’s amazing,” I breathed. “Eliza, that’s… incredible.” Thane stood, a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. “That’s good news,” he said. “I’ll go check on them.” He slipped away toward the room, leaving me and Eliza alone. Eliza leaned closer with a mischievous grin. “You’re so lucky, you know that?” I blinked, caught off guard. “Lucky?” She jabbed a thumb toward the door. “Thane. You’d better treat him right, Aria, or someone else will.” I snorted. “Oh? You?” “Of course not me! I mean all those girls at the academy who practically worship the ground he walks on. You should see the way they look at him.” I couldn’t help but la
Quin’s POVI stepped closer, my heart in my throat as I looked down at her — my wolf, only…not a wolf right now. Her human form looked so big yet so fragile, so tired. The way her chest rose and fell, slow and heavy, made something twist deep in my chest. Eliza hovered near me, watching with that fierce protectiveness I’d come to depend on. But all I could really see was her. How long had she suffered… because of me? “I’m so sorry,” I whispered, my voice cracking. “I’m so, so sorry.” Then — a tiny movement. Her fingers twitched, barely a shift, but enough that I saw it. My heart slammed against my ribs. Eliza leaned forward, eyes wide. “She moved,” she breathed. “Quin, she must be listening to you. Talk more.” I swallowed hard, feeling the sting of tears. “I…” My voice shook. “Even when I couldn’t see you for those five months, I felt you. I felt how much it hurt. Your sorrow, your pain — it was like I was drowning in it every day.” Her eyelids fluttered, a faint sign of li