Aria.
My voice broke at the end, the image of my mother, sick and frail, rising in my mind. The injustice of it made my throat ache.
Alpha Elias frowned, the weight of my words pressing down on him. He gestured toward the chair by my desk. “Sit, Aria. Please. I don’t have much time to explain.”
I shook my head stubbornly, my heart pounding too loudly in my ears. “No. Tell me how. How are you even here? How did you get past Ravencrest’s patrols, their borders? No one slips in or out without being seen.”
For the first time, a faint glimmer of pride flickered in his tired eyes. “I’ve been planning this for months. Every route, every movement. Waiting for the perfect opportunity.” He paused, glancing again toward the window.
“And tonight was it. With the game, packs have been moving in a
