LOGINAria's pov THREE YEARS LATERThe sound of tiny footsteps echoed loudly down the marble hallway of the Vaelor estate. It was followed immediately by the desperate cries of two maids."Young master, please! Stop running! Your tie isn't straight!""I don't care!" a high, childish voice shouted back with pride. "I don't need a tie! I'm an Alpha!"Four-year-old Nico came sprinting around the corner. He was a miniature version of his father, complete with messy dark hair and bright, curious amber eyes. He was wearing a tiny black suit, but the jacket was unbuttoned and his silk bow tie was dangling uselessly around his neck like a broken string. He had a massive, mischievous grin on his face as he tried to escape his nannies.Before Nico could make it past the grand staircase, a large arm reached out from the shadows.Noah caught the boy effortlessly with one arm, scooping him into the air by his waist. Nico gasped, his little legs kicking fruitlessly as he was swung upward against a broad
The New Dawn Aria's pov"Long live Luna Aria!"The roar of the pack echoed across the massive green lawns of the Vaelor estate. Hundreds of wolves stood in perfect, neat lines, their heads bowed in respect. The morning sun was bright and warm, breaking through the heavy clouds that had hung over the territory for months.I stood on the grand stone balcony, looking out at the people who had probably once hated me as an Omega. Now, they looked at me with pure devotion. I wore a long, deep red dress that flowed in the wind, but the heaviest thing on my body was the silver bracelet on my right wrist. It caught the sunlight, flashing brightly for everyone to see.Noah stepped up right behind me. His massive, warm chest pressed against my back, his presence a heavy wall of safety and power. He wore a sharp black suit, looking every bit the absolute ruler he was born to be. His large, scarred hands came around my waist, his long fingers locking tightly over my stomach. He pulled me back aga
Aria's pov "Shut the door, Livia!" Noah roared, his voice booming through the ruined suite.Livia did not ask questions. She saw Max’s still, white face on the table, and her own eyes flashed a bright, furious yellow. She slammed the heavy wooden door shut behind her, locking it with a loud click. She stood there like a wall, her fists clenching until her knuckles turned white.But the room was not empty yet.A loud, bloody gasp came from the corner. Damon wasn't dead. The deep cut across his throat was healing at a terrifying speed, thick black veins popping out along his neck. He pushed himself up from the shattered glass, his crimson eyes glowing with an animal madness. "You think you can keep me here?" Damon wheezed, blood spitting from his lips as he lunged toward the balcony door."You aren't going anywhere," Livia snarled.She did not wait for Noah. She threw her entire body weight into Damon, her shoulder slamming into his ribs. The impact sounded like a car crash. Damon gru
Aria's pov "Get your hands off me, Cassian!" Noah roared. His shook the metal table underneath him.Noah’s amber eyes flared a blinding gold light as he struggled against his twin."Make me," Cassian snarled back. He leaned his full weight into Noah, his own fangs fully extended. His gaze slipped over his shoulder, locking onto me with a raw, terrifying hunger. "She is not yours, Noah. You almost let her die several times and you know it. You do not deserve to be her Alpha.""Stop it! Both of you, stop!" I screamed, my voice cracking as I took a step forward. My hands were still stained with Max’s blood, sticky and warm. "Damon is dead! Why are you doing this right now?"Cassian ignored me, his grip on Noah’s throat tightening until Noah choked, a drop of dark blood spilling from his lips. "She is coming with me, Noah. I am taking her away, and you are going to let me walk out that door."With a feral, deafening roar, Noah’s wolf completely took over. His entire body swelled with a s
Aria's pov"Give me the bracelet, Aria," Damon commanded. He extended his hand toward me, his fingers twitching with greed. "Hand it over, and maybe I will let your little Alpha boyfriends live. If you refuse, I will let my men tear this room apart, and I will take it from your dead body.""You'll have to kill me first," Noah growled, his voice deep and beastly. His claws were fully out now, sharp and dripping with thick Alpha tension."You want this?" I asked. I raised my wrist, shaking the silver bracelet. The metal caught the dim light of the monitors. "You think you can just scare me and take it? You killed my mother. You burned my village. You are a monster, Damon. If you want this bracelet, you are going to have to fight for it."Damon laughed, a dark, dry sound that made my skin crawl. "You have spirit, little girl. Just like your mother. But spirit does not win wars against true Alphas."Before his guards could lunge at us, an explosive roar ripped through the room. It was Ca
Aria's pov "She took his body?" I screamed, my voice echoing off the cold marble walls of the foyer. My hands began to shake violently. The thought of Maeve putting her hands on Max’s lifeless body made a sick wave of fury and horror rush through my veins. "Why? Why would she do that?""Where is she, Ryan?" Noah roared. He did not wait for an answer from me. He stepped over the pool of blood, his massive hands grabbing Ryan by the torn collar of his shirt. He lifted the broken Alpha inches off the floor. "Tell me where she took my brother, or I will end you right now.""The... The Grand Plaza Hotel," Ryan choked out, coughing as the pressure on his throat tightened. "Room 404."Noah dropped Ryan like a piece of trash. He turned around, his face a mask of pure ice. "Cassian, lock Ryan in the cells downstairs. If he moves, kill him. Aria, you’re coming with me.""No, she isn't," Cassian snapped, stepping in front of the door. His own eyes flashed gold, his chest heaving as he stared do
Maeve knew something was wrong the second her phone started vibrating against the marble countertop.Three calls. Then five. Then eight. One after another, the screen lit up in the dim apartment, a relentless, buzzing intrusion that made the air in the room feel instantly thin. By the time she fina
Aria’s POVMax was dead. And somehow that wasn't even the most terrifying thing anymore.His body was gone.I sat alone inside the motel room staring at the rain sliding down the window while the same two thoughts repeated endlessly inside my head.The bracelet rested against my wrist while my fing
Aria’s POVI couldn’t get the blood off my hands. Hours later and it was still there.Dried into the cracks of my skin. Beneath my nails. Burned into me so deeply it felt permanent.The motel bathroom sink ran cold water endlessly while I scrubbed harder until my knuckles turned raw, but every time
Aria’s POVFor one horrible second, nobody moved.Luca stood by the open door staring up at me with wide curious eyes, one tiny hand still gripping the handle while rainwater dripped softly from the edge of my coat onto the marble floor.Behind him, the entire room had gone silent.I looked past th







