SHADE POV -
I was face down on the couch, every fiber of my body screaming with a hunger I didn't understand. My father's betrayal had torn me apart hours before. It had shattered any faith I'd ever had in the lessons they tried to teach me. Leadership classes had filled my head with speeches and decorum, but no one had shown me what to do when the world broke, and my blood demanded vengeance.
Aria was resting flat on my back, her chest pressing heavily into me. I felt her heartbeat matching mine, racing as it was. She spread her fingers through my hair, pulling hard enough to keep me from slipping away. She'd abandoned soft comfort. She was determined to haul me back from the edge.
I felt each throb beneath her palm. My muscles twitched and jerked. Power pooled in every joint. My brea
