Valeria's POV
Brilliant. The first gift I received from the Shadowridge Pack was a listening device. Wrapped in the guise of care and love, Aria had laced her kindness with a lethal poison. It was terrifying, perhaps even more so than the Nightveil Pack.
When Marcus punished me, at least he was direct. “I’m going to punish you,” he’d say. But Aria? She’d offer me a poisoned apple with a gentle smile, and when I died, she’d mourn me with dignity, personally escorting me to hell.
Steam from the bathroom condensed into droplets, connecting through tiny strands of vapor, sprawling across the marble tiles like spider webs. I suddenly felt like I had gone back to the Nightveil Pack, back to being the obedient tool I once was, like a piece of meat on display, my fate at the mercy of anyone who
