Chapter 125

Aria

Darren collided with me, knocking me to the floor before I could even comprehend the sound of the gunshot or the screams.

The impact knocked the breath from my lungs, but I barely registered it. All I could focus on now was the sting on my cheek, the warmth of the fresh blood that was now trickling down my skin.

Had I been hit?

My fingers fluttered across the stinging sensation on my cheek, my eyes widening as they came away red. Then, I turned my head to see the crack in the wall, the silver bullet embedded in the ornate wallpaper.

“Aria,” Darren whispered, pulling me close and kissing my cheek so that his lips became stained with my blood. “I’m so sorry. This is all my fault…”

I shook my head, my hands reaching up to grip his wrists. “I’m okay,” I managed. “It’s just a scratch.”

But Darren didn’t seem to hear me. His arms wrapped around me, pulling me upright and into his lap as if he could shield me from the world. I could feel his heart pounding against my chest, a sensation that normally would have calmed me were it not for the chaos surrounding us.

“Guards!” Darren barked, lifting his head toward the security officers nearby. “Find the shooter. Now!”

Several guards moved instantly, sprinting toward the exit where a hooded figure was slipping out into the night. Darren looked at me again, and his face was as white as a sheet.

“Everything will be alright,” I said softly, forcing a smile. “It barely touched me, see? You saved me.”

Darren’s face softened ever so slightly, but I could tell that he didn’t entirely believe me. Truthfully, I wasn’t sure if I believed myself, either.

How could everything be alright after this? This was supposed to be a night of peace, a night to bridge the gap between humans and werewolves. But instead, it had turned into a nightmare. Hatred had won the night, and if it weren’t for Darren’s swift thinking…

That bullet might have done more than just graze me.

I felt a lump form in my throat at the very thought, but I pushed it down, forcing my expression into one of calm and strength. Darren’s eyes softened just a little more as he realized what I was doing, and he nodded, pressing one last kiss to my cheek. He didn’t seem to notice the blood on his lips.

“Aria! Darren!”

I turned at the sound of William’s voice, his face ashen as he rushed toward us. Bella was right behind him, her eyes as wide as saucers.

“Are you alright?” William asked, dropping to a crouch beside us.

I nodded, forcing a small smile. “We’re fine. But the guests…”

William nodded as he glanced at the worried guests huddled throughout the hall. The security officers were herding them through the rear exits of the building for evacuation, the red and blue flashing lights of police cars and ambulances shining through the windows.

I looked at Darren, and it seemed we both had the same thought. William hadn’t announced that he was a shifter yet—he was supposed to announce it during his speech tonight, but the event had been cut short before the speeches had come.

As for the rest of us… the guests were already terrified enough as it was. They weren’t just afraid of the protesters, but also us—they had seen the raw fury in Darren and Liam’s eyes, the claws extended from Darren’s fingertips.

Monsters.

Perhaps it was better if only humans assisted in evacuating and assessing the guests tonight.

“We’ll go help,” Bella said as if reading my mind. She nudged William, and he nodded, rising. They both slipped out through the back, joining the rest of the group.

Darren and I stayed where we were for a moment, his arms still wrapped around me as we caught our breath together. But then he stood, pulling me to my feet.

We made our way toward the leader of the protesters.

The man was still on the floor, his hands now cuffed behind his back as Liam stood over him. His face was twisted with hatred, and his eyes were blazing as he glared up at us from where he lay.

“You think this changes anything?” he spat. “I’d easily lead an attack against you monstrosities again. You don’t belong here.”

I felt a surge of anger, but I forced it down, my hand tightening around Darren’s. Darren, for his part, didn’t answer. Not in words, at least. Although the warning growl he loosed from his throat seemed to shut the man up for now.

The police arrived a moment later and took the man into custody. After that, we were questioned about the incident.

Then, we were told to go home for now.

As if we could possibly sleep after what had happened.

Later that night, as Darren and I lay in the warm comfort of his bed together, it was just as I expected; neither of us could sleep. Lucas had long since been tucked into bed, blissfully unaware of the night’s events, but Darren and I could only lay there in silent shock.

His arms were wrapped around me, his hold so tight it was almost suffocating. But I didn’t mind. I needed him just as much as he needed me.

His fingers brushed against my cheek, tracing the spot where the bullet had grazed me. The wound had already healed, thanks to my newfound werewolf healing—something that would take quite some time to get used to—but I could still feel the ghost of the sting.

“You’re sure you’re okay?” Darren asked softly.

I nodded, turning my head to press a kiss to his fingers. “I’m fine, Darren. Really. You’ve asked a thousand times by now.”

But, just as he had all the times I’d said those words already, he didn’t look convinced.

“If people are willing to go to such lengths at a public event,” he said quietly, “then who’s to say they won’t attack when we least expect it?”

I didn’t know what to say. The thought had crossed my mind too, but I hadn’t wanted to dwell on it.

Darren turned to me then and said the words that I had been expecting to hear all night. “Aria, I want you to move in with me.”

I blinked. I figured he was going to say this, but it still took me aback hearing them out loud. “Darren…”

“I know you said you weren’t ready,” he continued, “but it’s not safe for you to live in your apartment all by yourself. I also want to assign you a bodyguard whenever you go out, at least for the time being. Not just because I love you, nor just because you’re my mate, but also because you’re the White Wolf Luna. You’re a symbol of our movement, and that makes you a target.”

His words hung in the air between us for a few moments, and I felt my stomach dip. I knew he was right. That tomato had been aimed for me tonight, and the bullet, too. I was a symbol now, whether I liked it or not. Whether I ever intended to be one or not.

And perhaps, to many of those protesters, I was a traitor. A woman raised by humans, and yet had turned from them to fall in love with a werewolf.

But the thought of leaving my apartment, of leaving the last vestige of my old life behind, hurt more than I wanted to admit.

I thought about my little apartment, about Anna and Morty, about the life I had worked so hard to build before everything changed. It wasn’t much, but it had been mine. And letting it go felt like letting go of a part of myself.

Like letting the last shred of my humanity slip away.

But Darren was right. It wasn’t safe anymore. And as much as it hurt, I knew what I had to do.

“Okay. I’ll move in with you.”

Darren’s arms tightened around me, his breath warm against my skin as he pressed a kiss to the top of my head. “Thank you,” he murmured. “I’ll make it comfortable for you here, I promise. It’ll be like nothing really changed.”

We both knew that wouldn’t be the case, but I offered him a tender smile nonetheless.

I closed my eyes, letting myself sink into his embrace. But even as I did, I couldn’t shake the feeling of loss that lingered in my chest.

In that moment, I felt the true weight of my separation from humanity as a werewolf.

And for the first time, I profoundly understood why the werewolves had hidden from humans for so long.