Aria’s POV
“You used to melt when I touched you, remember?” His lips curled into a smirk. “Just a pretty body with a big mouth.”
I swallowed.
Kill him, Whitee growled. Tear his throat out. No one touches us like that.
I wanted to. Goddess, I wanted to.
But I didn’t know my strength yet. I hadn’t shifted. I didn’t know if I could win... or worse, if I’d fail and he’d take everything.
Then pretend. Pretend to be the weak little girl he thinks you are. Until he slips.
I took a shaky breath, letting my shoulders sag. Then I bent slightly, like he’d drained the strength out of me.
His eyes lit up. “Now that’s the Aria I remember.” He lunged for me.
I let him believe it.
I played along.
Then I kicked his shin.
Hard.
He cursed and stumbled back, confused. “The hell was that?”
I didn
