LOGINI shook my head violently. “No.”“Aria Vale,” he said again, sharper this time. “You are no longer part of this Pack’s affairs. You need to leave the premises immediately.”The words didn’t land properly, they passed through me without meaning. All I could feel was Damon or what was left of him.I p
Aria’s POVI woke up before my eyes even opened, not because of light or sound, but because the bond wasn’t right.It felt broken, like something vital had been stretched too far and snapped somewhere in the distance. I lay still for a few seconds, staring at the ceiling as my mind tried to piece to
My hand slowly moved to my stomach, resting there through the wet fabric of my clothes. The gesture was instinctive, protective, grounding in a way nothing else was anymore.“You’re still here,” I whispered, barely audible. “At least I still have you.”My throat tightened again, but this time I didn
Aria’s POVThe cabin was farther from the Pack territory than I remembered, or maybe it only felt that way because I walked most of the distance in silence with nothing but my thoughts and the sting still burning in my chest.Lex had given me the location weeks ago—casually, like it wasn’t something
“Mira,” I said slowly, forcing calm into my voice even as my pulse roared in my ears. “Let go of me.”She leaned closer instead, her breath uneven. “You think I didn’t see it?” She hissed. “You think I didn’t notice how Damon looked at you? How he changed when you walked into a room? And Kade… pathe
Aria’s POVMira’s apartment felt colder than I remembered, even though nothing about the room had changed. The same narrow hallway, the same faded curtains that never quite blocked out the streetlights, the same scent of dried herbs she used to burn when she wanted to ‘calm energy.’ Tonight, even th
Aria’s POV"You need to eat."Mira shoved a plate of toast in front of me, but I pushed it away."I'm not hungry.""You look like a ghost," Mira said, sitting across from me at our small kitchen table. "A ghost with a very expensive scarf."She pointed her fork at my neck. I had wrapped a fresh sil
Aria’s POVThe air in the car was suffocating. It was warm, dry, and smelled entirely of him.Pine and spice. It was everywhere. It filled my nose and coated my tongue.Damon was leaning over the center console.His hand was inches from my neck and his eyes looked pitch black."Rain," he said again.
Aria’s POVThe archives were quiet and smelt of old books.I liked it. It felt safe and comforting.For the last four hours, I had been organizing files from fifty years ago.My hands were gray with dust, and my back ached, but I didn't stop.If I stopped, I would think and if I thought, I would rem
Damon’s POVI was going to burn the forest down.It was the only logical reaction because I had woken up on the cold ground… and she was gone like I had only imagined her.My mate had vanished and I had tracked her scent to the river, and then—nothing. It washed away. Gone just like that. What the a







