Aria's POV.
The run back to the Blackwood house nearly tore me apart. My wolf pushed me harder than my body could handle, my legs shaking, my lungs burning with every stride. Each step was a reminder of how broken I already was. The hospital smell clung to me, the sting of antiseptic still in my nose, the memory of Cassian’s voice echoing in my head like a wound that wouldn’t close.
When the house came into view, I almost stopped. For a moment, I hovered at the edge of the trees, staring at the place I once called home but had only ever known as a prison. My wolf whined inside me, but I forced her down, shifting back.
The pain of shifting was sharp, jagged. My knees hit the dirt first, my hands next, my body trembling from the strain. I stumbled up, arms wrapped around myself, shiverin
