AIDEN
The message came through just after midnight.
I was sitting on the edge of my bed with my phone in my hand, the room quiet except for the distant hum of the city outside the windows. My wolf was unusually calm, stretched beneath my awareness with a sense of satisfaction that felt earned. Claire's laughter from earlier still lingered in my thoughts, unguarded and warm, the kind of sound that stayed with you longer than the moment itself. For a few hours, I had let myself believe that the ground under my feet had finally stopped shifting. The vibration of my phone shattered that illusion instantly.
The number wasn't saved.
I stared at the screen for several seconds before opening the message, instinct already tightening in my chest.
We need to talk. About the blood rep
