*Aria*
Silence dropped over the clearing like a net.
Kade’s taunt hung in the cold air:
*“Why don’t you tell us who you’d rather stand beside?”*
Below, the Nightfang wolves smirked, some openly, some with just the edges of their mouths.
On our side, Blackmoon warriors bristled, jaws clenched, hands flexing as if they were already slamming Kade into the nearest tree.
Lucian stood at their front, a solid wall of fury and control.
His eyes were blazing.
Not black.
Not cursed.
Gold, bright and hot, his wolf so close to the surface I could practically feel its breath on my face up here on the ridge.
“Aria,” Rhea hissed beside me. Her fingers dug harder into my sleeve. “We need to go. Right now. While they’re busy posturing, we slip back. You were never here.”
I tore my gaze from the
