ログインArcher’s POV: I waited until Aria disappeared around the corner before I finally let myself breathe. My hand went to my neck. The marks she left were still there. Two tiny punctures. They were barely visible, but I could feel them.I could feel everything. The pressure of her mouth against my skin. The sharp sting of her fangs as they entered my neck. The warmth that followed after. The way my entire body had gone still the second she’d bitten me.I closed my eyes. Bad idea. The second I did, I was back in that moment. Aria on top of me, her violet eyes unfocused. Her hands gripping my shirt. Her magic crackling through the air. Her mouth against my throat. My wolf stirred restlessly. I opened my eyes. “No.”“Again.” He snarled in my mind. I rubbed the back of my neck. “That can’t happen again.”My wolf growled. “Liar.”I hated that he was right. Deep down the truth was…I wanted it again. I wanted it so badly it scared me. I’d spent years hearing stories about the old laws surround
Aria’s POV: The training field was almost empty. That should have made me feel better. Instead, standing across from Archer with a wooden sword in my hand made every nerve in my body feel painfully, strangely alive. He’d been pushing me harder today. Maybe because of the weird encounter last night. I try to keep from thinking of it. Or of the hunger I felt…still feel. Every time I thought I’d found an opening, he shifted, forcing me to adapt, forcing me to chase him. I blocked his strike. He countered. I ducked beneath his arm. He swept my legs. I hit the ground with a grunt.“Again.”I glared up at him. “You enjoy this way too much.”“You’re getting better.”“That wasn’t an answer.”“It was.” He offered me his hand.I looked at it, already annoyed by the calm confidence written all over his face. Then I took it. The second I was on my feet, he came at me again. I barely got my sword up in time. Wood cracked against wood. I gave ground. He followed.“You’re hesitating.”“I’m thinki
Aria’s POV: Something was wrong with me. I knew it the moment I woke up. There was a strange emptiness beneath my skin. It wasn’t pain. Not exactly. It was more like my body was searching for something my mind couldn’t name.I lay there staring at the ceiling, trying to figure it out. My stomach growled. Hungry. That had to be it. I hadn’t eaten much the night before. After yesterday’s events it’s not surprising. I pushed myself out of bed and got ready for breakfast. Maybe food would fix whatever this was.It didn’t…I ate enough to make Crystal stare at me across the table.“Are you okay?” I looked down at my empty plate.“Yeah.”“You just ate enough for three people.”“I guess I was hungry.” She raised an eyebrow.“You’ve been hungry all morning.”“I know.”The strange thing was, I still felt empty.My stomach was full. Whatever part of me that was asking for something…It hadn’t been satisfied. I tried my best to ignore it. I really did. I spent the morning in class. I took notes.
Aria’s POV: The Council chamber had never felt smaller.I stood in the center of the room with Lucien beside me, surrounded by ancient stone, cold faces, and too many pairs of eyes watching my every breath. Elder Thorne sat at the center of the curved table. He looked almost pleased to see me. I didn’t like that one bit. “We’ve exhausted the standard methods,” Elder Thorne said.Lucien’s hand remained loosely at my back.“The standard methods failed,” another elder corrected.“They all failed,” Thorne replied. “Which is precisely the problem.”I swallowed. “What exactly are you asking me to do?”The doors opened behind us. An unfamiliar woman entered. She was older than the other witches I’d seen at Ebonveil, her silver hair braided tightly down her back. Dark markings covered her hands, disappearing beneath the sleeves of her robes.The air changed when she entered. My magic reacted immediately. A cold prickling crawled across my skin. Lucien noticed the change. His hand tightened
Lucien’s POV: I knew something was wrong before I saw her. The academy had a way of speaking without words. It was as if the air shifted, every hall quiet and intense. Secrets spilling from the walls. By the time I reached the western corridor, I’d already heard three different versions of what happened.Lorie had cornered Aria. Lorie had pushed her. Jasper had found her. Jasper had carried her out. Every version made my blood run colder. None of them told me how badly Aria was hurt.I turned the corner. There she was. Walking toward me with Crystal beside her. Her books were pressed against her chest, and she was listening to Crystal talk about something with a faint smile on her face.She looked fine. Which was concerning after everything that happened. I stopped. Aria noticed me a second later. Her smile disappeared. Not from fear. Recognition. She knew I’d heard.“Lucien.” I crossed the distance between us.“What happened?” Crystal looked between us.“I’ll…” She hesitated. “…give
Archer’s POV:I knew something was wrong the second I stepped onto the training grounds. The wolves were talking. Not the usual kind of talking. This was quieter. Conversations stopped when I walked past. Heads turned. A few students looked at me before quickly looking away. Kieran was waiting beside the practice ring. His expression told me everything. I wasn’t going to like what he had to say. “What happened?” He pushed away from the fence.“Hawthorne attacked Aria.” My body went still.“What?”“She cornered her in the east wing bathroom.” My wolf stirred violently.“Is she hurt?”“Bruised. Maybe worse.”“Maybe?”“Kieran.” He sighed.“Jasper found her.”The name hit differently than I expected.“What did he do?”“He restrained Lorie before she could do anything else.” I waited.“And?”“He carried Aria out.” My jaw tightened.Of course he did. I looked away. For a week, I’d been telling myself Jasper was the problem. That he was selfish. That he would eventually hurt her again. Tha







