“Aria.” Liam knelt beside her, his voice soft. “Are you okay?”
She nodded numbly, though the truth was far from it. Her mind was a whirlwind of questions, fears, and that lingering sense of power she didn’t understand.
Ethan’s voice cut through the quiet, sharp and defensive. “We need to get back to the packhouse. It’s not safe out here.”
Aria lifted her head, anger flaring in her chest. “Not safe? That’s all you have to say? After what just happened?”
Ethan flinched, his expression hardening. “This isn’t the time for arguments. Klaus is planning something, and we need to be prepared.”
“Prepared for what?” Aria shot back, rising to her feet. “Another ambush? Another betrayal? How can we fight him if we can’t even trust each other?”
Liam stood as well, his eyes burning with frustratio
