Damon’s POV
The air felt heavier than usual, the kind of oppressive weight that settled in your chest and refused to leave. It wasn’t just the lake house, though the once-safe refuge now felt like a tomb. No, this was different. It was her. Aria. Trapped in whatever nightmare Juda had her in. Every shallow breath she took felt like a countdown, ticking toward something I wasn’t ready to face.
I paced the living room, my wolf restless beneath my skin. Every instinct screamed at me to act, to do something. But all I could do was wait. And I hated it.
The low rumble of an approaching car snapped me out of my thoughts. Drake stood by the window, arms crossed, but his posture stiffened as the headlights cut through the night.
“They’re here,” he muttered.
I clenched my jaw, the mix of anger
