Aria didn’t sleep.The chamber the Hold had given her was warm, stone walls humming softly with unseen wards, but rest slid off her like water. Every time she closed her eyes, sensation surged. Heat. Pressure. A low, pulsing awareness that refused to fade.Her wolf paced.Not frantically. Not afraid.Impatient.She sat up in the massive bed, breath shallow, palms damp against the dark fabric. The symbols carved into the walls glowed faintly, responding to her wakefulness like stars that refused to dim.“I’m awake,” she whispered. “You can stop.”The presence inside her did not.Instead, it pressed closer, curious and demanding, as if testing the boundaries of flesh and bone. A sharp ache bloomed beneath her ribs. Aria hissed and swung her legs over the side of the bed, feet touching cool stone.The moment her skin made contact with the floor, the Hold reacted.The glow intensified.Aria froze.“No,” she breathed. “No, no, no—”The power surged.She cried out as pain ripped through her
Last Updated : 2026-01-06 Read more