Aria’s shadows surged toward Lucy with a mind of their own — writhing, reaching, answering a call she didn’t give.
“Stop—” Aria choked out, stumbling backward.
But her power didn’t listen. She felt like she would suffocate under the control of the darkness.
Lucy’s expression softened with twisted affection.
“You feel it, don’t you? The blood bond between us. The one your mother tried to break before she died.”
Aria froze.
Blood bond?
Dominic grabbed her arm.
“Aria, look at me—focus on me!”
Adrian gripped her shoulders, grounding her.
“Don’t let her in. She’s trying to hijack your power.”
Lucy tsked, eyes gleaming.
“Of course, she can’t stop it, boys. She is mine. Her blood awakened under my care. Her wolf grew under my hand. Her magic—”
Lucas’s growl cut through the forest li
