“Love and war taste the same—blood and fire.”
The pack house was too quiet.
The kind of quiet before a hunt… or before a slaughter.
Aria sat on the edge of the bed, pulling on one of my shirts, her bare thighs still marked by my fingers. My scent clung to her, thick in the air, but it didn’t soothe me this time. I could still feel the threat crawling along my skin like a shadow.
“They’re close,” I said, buckling my belt, grabbing my blades.
Aria’s storm‑gray eyes lifted to mine, soft but steady. “Then I fight with you.”
“No.” My voice came out a growl. “You stay here.”
“I’m not weak, Kade.”
“You’re mine,” I snapped, crossing the room, grabbing her jaw, forcing her to look at me. “And if anything happens to you—” My voice broke, and I kissed her hard, teeth clashing, my hands tangli
