The weight of Kai’s words lingered long after he had walked away, disappearing into the shadows of the estate.
"You don’t run alone. Not anymore."
Aria hadn’t realized just how much she had been running. Not just from the enemy, not just from the truth about who—what—she was.
She had been running from them.
From the bond forming between her and the triplet Alphas.
From the growing realization that no matter how much she tried to do this alone, they wouldn’t let her.
That thought both reassured and terrified her.
She wasn’t used to needing anyone.
She wasn’t sure she knew how.
The night air was crisp against her skin as she walked through the estate’s training grounds, the grass cool beneath her bare feet. The sounds of distant warriors sparring filled the air, but the estate itself felt quieter than usual.
Perhaps it was the tension—the calm before the storm.
Because now, everyone knew.
The Shadow Order was real.
Lucian was real.
And something else was out there, hunting her.
Something worse.
Her fingers curled into fists as she exhaled, trying to push away the thoughts rattling inside her skull. She had spent too much time in her own head already. She needed to move.
With that thought, she made her way toward the training grounds, stepping onto the open field where a few warriors were finishing up their evening drills.
She had barely taken a step before she felt eyes on her.
Not enemies.
Him.
Sebastian.
She turned slowly, finding him leaning against a nearby post, his arms crossed over his chest. His green eyes were dark, unreadable, and for a moment, neither of them spoke.
Then—
“You can’t sleep either.”
It wasn’t a question.
Aria sighed, rolling her shoulders. “Too much on my mind.”
Sebastian pushed off the post, walking toward her with measured steps. “That’s dangerous.”
She raised a brow. “Thinking?”
His lips twitched slightly, but his gaze didn’t waver. “Thinking too much can get you killed.”
She smirked. “So can running headfirst into battle without a plan.”
Sebastian exhaled, stopping in front of her. “Then it’s a good thing we’re working on one.”
Aria’s expression sobered. “Do we have a lead?”
He nodded. “Dante’s tracking the remnants of that massacre you found. If there are any survivors, we’ll find them.”
Her stomach twisted. “And if we don’t?”
Sebastian’s jaw tightened. “Then we assume the worst.”
Aria hated that answer.
Hated that they might already be too late.
Before she could respond, Sebastian took a step closer. She could feel the warmth radiating from him, the quiet intensity that always surrounded him.
"You shouldn't have gone alone," he murmured.
Aria swallowed hard. "I had Dante."
Sebastian’s gaze darkened. “That’s not enough.”
She clenched her fists, bristling slightly. “I’m not some helpless omega.”
“I know,” Sebastian said, his voice softer. “That’s not the point.”
She frowned. “Then what is the point?”
Sebastian exhaled slowly, his fingers brushing against hers—just barely. A touch so light she might have imagined it.
“You’re ours, Aria,” he murmured.
Her breath caught.
She pulled back slightly, her heart hammering against her ribs. “I—”
Sebastian studied her, his green eyes sharp. “Are you going to run from this too?”
Her chest tightened.
Because deep down, she knew exactly what he was talking about.
Not just the war.
Not just the fight ahead.
Them.
This bond between her and the Alphas—something she didn’t understand, something she didn’t know how to accept.
She had spent so long surviving, so long being alone, that the idea of belonging somewhere, to someone…
It terrified her.
She shook her head, taking a step back. “We have bigger things to worry about right now.”
Sebastian didn’t argue.
He didn’t push.
But the look in his eyes told her this conversation wasn’t over.
Not by a long shot.
The following morning, Dante returned with news.
“The massacre wasn’t random,” he said, dropping a bloodstained piece of cloth onto the table in the war room. The jagged crest—the **same one Aria had seen on the dead warriors—**was stained with dirt and ash.
Aria frowned. “What does it mean?”
Dante crossed his arms. “We don’t know yet. But whoever they were, they weren’t just civilians. They were soldiers.”
Sebastian studied the cloth, his green eyes sharp. “And if they were working with the Shadow Order?”
Kai leaned forward. “Then we just lost an entire potential lead.”
A cold knot formed in Aria’s stomach.
They had gone searching for answers.
And instead, they had found a warning.
Sebastian exhaled, his fingers tapping against the table. “We need more information.”
Dante nodded. “I might have a lead.”
Kai arched a brow. “Might?”
Dante’s lips twitched. “It’s not exactly a friendly one.”
Aria frowned. “Who?”
Dante hesitated. Then, finally, he said, “A rogue.”
Sebastian stiffened slightly. “You trust a rogue?”
Dante shrugged. “I trust that he knows things we don’t.”
Kai sighed. “Well, that sounds like a great idea. Let’s go running into a trap.”
Aria ignored him, turning to Dante. “Where is he?”
Dante hesitated. Then—
“A few hours west of the border.”
Sebastian exhaled sharply. “We’ll take a small team.”
Kai groaned. “Of course we will.”
Aria straightened. “I’m going.”
Sebastian’s eyes flicked to her. “No.”
She narrowed her gaze. “Yes.”
Sebastian’s jaw ticked.
Kai snickered. “I love when you two argue. It’s like watching a hurricane try to fight a wildfire.”
Aria ignored him, keeping her gaze locked onto Sebastian’s. “This is about me. About what I am. If there’s information out there, I need to hear it.”
Sebastian held her stare for a long moment.
Then—finally—he sighed. “Fine.”
Dante smirked.
Kai groaned. “This is going to be fun.”
Aria exhaled, steadying herself.
They had their next move.
They had their lead.
And this time?
She wasn’t just following.
She was leading the charge.