veins like molten fire, setting her skin alight with a

a part of her that had been locke

is golden eyes were wild with desperation. "Aria,

Alpha, you already kno

them. The voices-the whispers of the Forgotten Ones-were still

xara

a shudder do

y legs, her breath uneven. "I

owned.

fists. The woman in the thr

y above a whisper. "I saw... me. But no

," Lucian finished, h

mber seemed to dar

d. "That's no

, mocking smile. "And

ip on Aria tightening. "She's not t

s," Lucian interrupted.

a jolt throug

she wasn't a queen of shadows, that she was

down, s

uried inside her, wa

a werewolf caugh

bridge bet

at mea

e for me," s

ed. "They a

e walls

istance, followed by the deep, unnat

nsed, his golden eyes flashing da

. "Running won't s

to the surface. "I don't car

his gaze shifting back to Aria. "Haven't you r

ever yours

shook the en

twisting like living creatures. The air turned thick, suff

th

rs burs

in its path. Figures emerged from the fog, cloaked in black

ad arr

nes had come fo

his t

't leave wi

en's Aw

ng to her in a language she shouldn't understand-but did. The v

th fury as he stepped in front of her, shielding her f

couldn'

lver-lined armor glinting under the dim torches. The leader-tall, rega

xara

the air like a spell, ma

you are," she forc

d, his voice smooth but unbre

d. "She is not going

till playing the hero, Alpha?" His gaze flickered to Lu

owed in the darkness, but his face re

n's smirk widened. "You

w, inhuman rumble vibrated through the

Ones weren't

e here t

he said, voice laced with a deadly pr

arkened with amusement.

next in

ing exp

ed, his claws extending as he lunged at the nearest attacker. The room fill

ovements too fast to track. Aria stood f

un.

t the Forgotten Ones' voices, but somet

No

uldn't

anym

like anything she had ever felt. Her skin glowe

n's smirk vanished

ning as he saw the glo

nish, the shadows

me, she did

shadows froze mid-air. The

rgotten One

's lips parted in s

he first time, she felt it-t

just thei

their

was done