Chapter 17
Aria’s POV.
I woke to the soft morning light spilling through the curtains, but it wasn’t the sun that hit me first.
It was Kyra, my inner wolf, growling low and fierce, a sound that vibrated in my chest. My head throbbed, a dull ache pulsing behind my eyes, and I pressed my fingers to my temples, trying to ease it.
"Kyra, what’s wrong?" I asked, my voice shaky in my mind. "Why are you so stirred up?"
Her growl grew louder, urgent, like a warning bell. "Something’s wrong, Aria," she said, her voice sharp. "The Fang Pack isn’t safe. I feel it—danger, close and dark. We need to leave. Now."
I shook my head, my heart racing. "No, Kyra," I said, my voice firm despite the ache.
"We came here for a reason. The recognition, Kael’s deal with Alpha Nicholas—we can’t just run." My stomach twisted, her words sinking in, but I pushed them down.
Leaving now would ruin everything, my plan to make Kael love me, to secure my place as his Luna, even as Aria, not Celeste. I couldn’t let fear win, not when I was so close.
Kyra pressed harder, her presence heavy, clawing at my control. "Aria, listen to me!" she snapped, her growl almost a snarl.
"Danger’s coming. It’s in the air, in the pack. We’re not safe!" Her urgency sent a chill down my spine, my skin prickling.
I gripped the sheets, my knuckles white, fighting to keep her back. She wanted to take over, to force me to act, but I held her down, my will stronger—for now.