Aria’s POV I nodded, steady. “Yeah. All of them.” She just sat there, stunned, her lips parted but no words came out. For a heartbeat, I thought she’d start interrogating me, ask a million questions, maybe even call me a liar. But she didn’t. She just… let it be. Interesting. Less than an hour later, the front door opened, footsteps echoing through the penthouse. The Apex brothers were back. Kaid was the first to appear, his sharp gaze sweeping the room until he locked eyes with the woman sitting calmly at the table. “Why didn’t you call me?” Kaid asked, his tone dipping into that deep rumble he reserved for when he wasn’t pleased. “I would have picked you up.” His mother waved him off, her soft smile returning. “That’s exactly why I didn’t. I can take care of myself.” Kaid frowned. “Still—” “You have a lot of explaining to do, young man,” she cut in, her voice warm but firm, laced with that impossible-to-ignore motherly authority. Kaid’s eyes flicked to me, then back to
Aria’s POV Quin practically glowed with happiness as she buzzed around her smart house apartment. “I can’t believe you’re really staying with me for a while,” she beamed, her soft curls bouncing as she spun to face Eliza. “What made you finally agree to stay?” Eliza shrugged like it wasn’t a big deal, but I could see the hesitation in her eyes. “I just didn’t want it to seem like I was hanging around because of all the riches you’ve been enjoying.” Quin waved her off like that was the dumbest thing she’d ever heard. “Please. That’s all the Apex brothers’ doing.You’re not that type. I know you.”“Ugh. You two are disgustingly sweet best friends. Makes me sick.” “Shut up.” Quin laughed softly, brushing me off as she walked toward the kitchen. “I’ll go grab something for us to eat. There’s a ton of stuff in the fridge.” When she left, I turned to Eliza, my tone dipping low. “how are you feeling?” “I’m good. It’s like…” She exhaled, the tiniest smile tugging at her lips. “It’s like
Selena’s POV I walked through the hall of the compound, the low hum of security scanners buzzing as I passed. The red lights flickered, then turned green as I was cleared. Of course I was. They knew who I was. Even in this secret location—the heart of the Shadow Pack—where the walls had no ears but the people did, I still carried weight. Maybe not as much as I did at the academy, where everyone fell in line with just a glance from me, but here? Here, I was still important enough to make people move. The agents I passed dipped their heads in respect, stepping aside quickly. I didn’t bother acknowledging most of them. Power wasn’t given here—it was taken. And I’d taken enough to know where I stood. But it wasn’t enough yet. I marched toward the office at the end of the hall, the one with the thick black doors and the no-nonsense secretary perched like a guard dog outside. She glanced up from her desk, her expression carefully blank. “State your business.” “I’m here to see Mr. X.”
Eliza’s POV I let out a shaky breath. “That’s why I brought you here.” The look on Aria’s face said it all—sharp, guarded, furious, but under all that, confusion. She wanted answers. I understood that look. I’d worn it myself more times than I could count. “Why did I just hear Priscilla talking about getting rid of Quin?” she demanded, her voice low and tight. I motioned to the chair across from me. “Sit.” She hesitated but eventually she crossed the room and sat, her arms folded. I ran a hand through my hair and sat down too, my legs feeling heavier than they should. Where do I even start? I sucked in a breath and let it out slowly. “I don’t even know where to begin.” “Start from the part where Priscilla gave you the order to get rid of your own friend,” Aria snapped. “How long has this been happening? Why?” I swallowed the lump rising in my throat. “I didn’t have a choice.” Her eyes narrowed. “What do you mean you didn’t have a choice?” “They’ve had me on a leash for year
I sprinted across the field, the wind cutting sharp against my skin as I pushed harder, faster—until I crossed the line first. Tyla’s footsteps thudded behind me, her breathing ragged when she finally caught up. She bent over, hands on her knees, panting like she’d been chased by hellhounds. “How…how are you that fast? And you’re not even out of breath.” I shrugged, wiping the sweat off my brow with the back of my hand. “Used to running errands.” She groaned, flopping to the grass like she’d been dramatically struck down. “But it’s still insane. You have to rest at some point.” I flicked a glance at the others using the field—students from higher ranks, glancing at me with the usual scorn laced in their eyes. I smirked, turning back to Tyla. “We can’t rest. Not yet. We’re the only ones in our team. You know that means we have to work twice as hard.” Tyla’s response was to dramatically collapse to her back, flailing her arms like a child. “Fine. Then I’m dead. Training’s over.”
Aria’s POV The Apex brothers had a whole damn floor just for this—a private infirmary in their penthouse tower. I’d only seen pieces of this place, but apparently, there were entire levels I hadn’t even touched. Maybe one day, when I wasn’t constantly fighting for my life or unraveling conspiracies, I’d bother to explore the rest of their world. But right now, my focus was glued to the restrained figure on the sturdy infirmary bed. Quin’s wolf. We got her. Thank the moon goddess for that. And someone else. My eyes flicked to Kaid. There he was, sitting like a wounded beast, scowling so hard it was a miracle his face hadn’t cracked. His entire aura screamed don’t touch me, and yet. There were two male attendants hovering over him, fumbling with the silver bullets still lodged in his skin. “Leave it,” Kaid growled, batting their hands away like they were flies. “I can get them out myself.” Yeah, that tracked. Kaid would rather rip out his own damn bullets with his teeth th