The darkness swallowed Aria whole.
It wasn’t just the absence of light—it was a void, a suffocating force pressing against her lungs, her bones, her very essence. She wasn’t falling. She wasn’t floating. She just was.
Then, in the distance—a whisper.
Soft at first. A breath against her skin.
Then louder.
Voices. Familiar voices.
"She’s changing."
"We need to get her back."
"Aria, wake up."
A jolt of energy surged through her, yanking her out of the void.
Her eyes snapped open.
Pain. Blinding. Consuming.
Every nerve in her body burned, like fire had been injected into her veins. Her breath came in sharp, uneven gasps as the world around her shifted into focus.
She wasn’t in the forest anymore.
She was in a cave.
The walls were jagged stone, damp with moisture, the air thick with the scent of earth and blood. A fire flickered in the center, casting long, shifting shadows across the space.
Dante was beside her, his eyes sharp with worry. “You’re awake.”
Aria swallowed, her throat raw. “Where—”
Lucian stepped into view, arms crossed, his silver eyes assessing. “We had to move. The Shadow Order retreated, but they’ll come back.”
She tried to sit up, but her entire body screamed in protest.
Dante placed a firm hand on her shoulder. “Take it slow.”
Slow wasn’t an option.
She forced herself upright, fighting through the burning pain in her limbs. Her head spun, memories from the fight flashing through her mind.
The soldiers. The fight.
Selene.
And then—
The power.
She had felt it surge through her, something raw, something primal.
Something she didn’t understand.
She met Lucian’s gaze. “What happened?”
Lucian tilted his head slightly. “You lost control.”
Aria’s stomach tightened. “I—” She swallowed hard, trying to recall exactly what had happened. “I remember… a blast.”
Lucian nodded. “It wasn’t just a blast. You knocked out every soldier in the area. Some of our own got caught in it too.”
Aria’s breath hitched. “Did I—”
Dante shook his head. “No one died. But whatever you did? It was enough to make Selene retreat.”
Selene.
The name sent a shiver down Aria’s spine.
She clenched her fists. “She’s not done with me.”
Lucian exhaled. “No. She isn’t.”
Cassian entered the cave then, his expression grim. “We need to move soon. We bought some time, but not much.”
Aria forced herself to stand, ignoring the wave of dizziness that followed. “Where are we going?”
Cassian’s dark eyes flickered. “Back to Moonstone.”
Aria stilled.
Dante cursed under his breath. “Yeah. That’s gonna be fun.”
Aria’s chest tightened. Sebastian. Kai. The pack.
They had no idea what had happened.
What she had become.
And now she had to go home.
The journey back was brutal.
They moved fast, covering miles at an exhausting pace, always watching for signs of pursuit. Aria’s body still ached, but she pushed through it. She didn’t have time for pain.
By the time they reached Moonstone Pack territory, the sun was dipping below the horizon, casting a warm glow over the treetops.
They had barely crossed the border when the patrols found them.
The moment the guards recognized Aria, their expressions shifted from relief to shock.
“You’re alive,” one of them muttered, eyes wide.
Aria frowned. “Why wouldn’t I be?”
The guard hesitated. “Because… they said you were dead.”
A cold knot formed in Aria’s stomach.
They.
Sebastian.
Kai.
Her pack.
She didn’t hesitate. “Take me to them.”
The tension in the war room was suffocating.
Sebastian stood at the head of the table, arms crossed, his green eyes sharp and furious. Kai was beside him, golden eyes burning with an emotion Aria couldn’t quite place.
The moment she stepped inside, the silence cracked.
Sebastian’s voice was lethal.
“You were dead.”
Aria swallowed hard. “I—”
“Do you have any idea what you’ve done?” His voice was low, but it held the force of a brewing storm. “Do you have any idea what we’ve been through?”
She flinched. “Sebastian, I—”
“We thought you were dead, Aria.” His voice broke slightly, raw and sharp. “We were ready to burn the Shadow Order to the ground for you.”
Her stomach tightened.
She had known they would be angry. She had expected this confrontation.
But she hadn’t expected this pain.
Kai exhaled sharply, running a hand through his dark hair. “You just disappeared. No warning. No word.” His golden eyes burned as he met her gaze. “And now you show up, alive, with him?”
His gaze flicked to Lucian, his expression dangerous.
Aria tensed. “Kai—”
Sebastian took a step forward. “Tell me one thing, Aria.” His voice was quieter now, deadly. “Did you leave because you didn’t trust us?”
The words hit harder than any physical blow could have.
She opened her mouth. Closed it.
Because she didn’t know how to answer.
Sebastian’s jaw clenched. “That’s what I thought.”
The tension in the room was thick enough to choke her.
Then—
Lucian stepped forward.
And Sebastian moved.
It was instant.
One second, they were across the room. The next, Sebastian had Lucian pinned against the wall, his claws pressed against his throat.
“Give me one good reason,” Sebastian growled, “why I shouldn’t rip your heart out.”
Lucian didn’t even flinch.
“I could give you several,” he murmured. “But you wouldn’t believe me.”
Sebastian’s claws pressed harder.
Kai didn’t move to stop him.
Dante, however, did.
“Sebastian.” Dante’s voice was sharp, cutting through the tension. “Stand down.”
Sebastian didn’t move.
His rage was palpable, his green eyes glowing with barely restrained fury.
Aria’s chest ached.
She had done this.
She had broken them.
She took a step forward. “Sebastian, stop.”
His gaze snapped to her.
And for the first time, she saw something else beneath the anger.
Betrayal.
Her throat tightened. “Please.”
Sebastian exhaled sharply—then released Lucian.
The moment he stepped back, he turned to Aria, his voice quiet.
“You broke our trust.”
She flinched.
Kai’s expression was unreadable. “Fix it.”
Aria swallowed hard. “How?”
Sebastian’s green eyes darkened.
“You tell us everything.”
The words settled between them like a final judgment.
Aria took a deep breath.
Then, she spoke.
And by the time she finished—
Nothing would ever be the same again.