Chapter 6

Aria ran.

Her breath came in short, uneven bursts as her feet pounded against the forest floor, her muscles burning with the effort. The night air was cold, sharp against her sweat-slicked skin, but she didn’t stop.

She couldn’t.

She had spent weeks fighting to survive after Killian’s rejection—had spent every last ounce of her strength dragging herself through the wilderness, refusing to die.

She would not be claimed again.

Not by him.

Not by anyone.

Branches whipped at her arms, her legs, but she didn’t slow. The scent of damp earth filled her lungs as she weaved through the towering trees, each step a desperate attempt to put distance between herself and him.

Darius Thorn.

Her heart stuttered just thinking of his name.

The power he wielded. The quiet, terrifying control he had over his surroundings—over her.

She hated it.

Hated the way he had looked at her, like he could see through every wall she had built, every wound she had tried to bury.

Hated the way his voice had curled around her like smoke, dark and dangerous, promising something she wasn’t sure she had the strength to resist.

You’re mine.

No.

No, she wasn’t.

Aria gritted her teeth, pushing herself harder. She had no idea where she was going. She had been running for what felt like forever, her body teetering on the edge of collapse, but she couldn’t stop.

Because stopping meant accepting this.

Stopping meant facing what had just happened.

And she wasn’t ready.

Not yet.

The moon shone high above, casting silver light over the darkened landscape, and Aria forced herself to focus.

Think.

She needed a plan.

Darius had let her go—for now. But she knew his kind. Alphas didn’t let go.

Not really.

And the way he had spoken… the way he had looked at her…

He wasn’t going to chase her.

Not yet.

But he didn’t have to.

Because he knew.

Knew she would come back.

Knew she wouldn’t get far.

Aria’s stomach twisted violently.

She hated that he might be right.

Her body was still weak. Her wolf, though stirring, was nowhere near strong enough to fight back if she was caught. She had no pack, no allies, nowhere safe to go.

She was still alone.

The realization made her chest tighten, but she swallowed the pain. She had been alone for a long time now. What was one more night?

The trees thinned as she pushed forward, her breath hitching when she saw a break in the woods ahead.

Open land.

A chance.

Maybe.

Her pace faltered slightly, just for a second, but it was enough for her body to remind her just how drained she was. Her legs trembled beneath her, her muscles protesting the abuse she had put them through, and a sharp wave of dizziness made the ground sway beneath her feet.

Aria stumbled, catching herself against the rough bark of a tree, her chest heaving.

Damn it.

She needed rest.

But she couldn’t stop.

Not yet.

Her fingers curled into the bark, digging into the rough surface as she forced herself to keep moving. Just a little further. Just until she could find some kind of shelter—someplace to hide, if only for a little while.

Her vision blurred at the edges, exhaustion pressing down on her like a heavy weight, but she gritted her teeth.

One step.

Then another.

Then—

A snap.

The sound was subtle, barely more than a whisper against the night air, but it sent ice shooting down her spine.

She froze.

Her heart slammed against her ribs, her pulse a frantic drumbeat in her ears.

She wasn’t alone.

Slowly, carefully, she turned her head, her breath catching in her throat as she scanned the darkness.

Nothing.

But she felt it.

A presence.

Something—someone—watching.

Aria’s body tensed, her instincts screaming at her to run, but she forced herself to stay still, listening.

Waiting.

The seconds stretched on, thick with tension, and then—

A voice.

Low. Smooth.

Too familiar.

“You’re lost.”

Aria’s blood ran cold.

No.

No, it wasn’t possible.

She had been running for hours.

Hadn’t she?

Slowly, her gaze lifted, and there, standing in the shadows just a few feet away, was him.

Darius.

His golden eyes gleamed in the moonlight, watching her with quiet amusement, his expression unreadable.

Aria’s stomach twisted violently.

“No,” she breathed, shaking her head. “That’s not—”

She shouldn’t be here.

She had run. She had left him behind, had put as much distance as she could between them—

So how was he already here?

Darius tilted his head slightly, his smirk deepening. “I told you, little wolf. You can run as far as you want.”

The night air was thick between them, charged with something she didn’t want to name.

“But you’ll always end up right back where you started.”

Her breath hitched.

No.

No, that couldn’t be true.

But…

Her surroundings.

The trees.

The damn scent in the air.

Aria’s throat tightened as she realized—

She had been running in circles.

Her mind reeled, panic clawing at her ribs. No. That wasn’t— She wouldn’t—

But she had.

Somehow, she had.

And he knew it.

Darius exhaled softly, stepping forward. Not rushing. Not grabbing.

Because he didn’t have to.

“You’re tired,” he murmured, his voice a quiet promise.

A dark truth.

She was.

Gods, she was so tired.

Her legs trembled beneath her, her vision swimming at the edges, her body screaming for rest.

Darius watched her, patient, unshaken.

And then—

He held out his hand.

Not demanding. Not forcing.

Just waiting.

As if he already knew.

As if he already had her.

Aria’s breath came in short, uneven bursts, her entire body trembling as she stared at that outstretched hand.

She shouldn’t.

She couldn’t.

But she was so damn tired.

Her body swayed, her knees threatening to buckle, and before she could even think—

Darius moved.

Not to catch her.

But to hold her.

Firm. Steady.

Unshakable.

Aria let out a shuddering breath, every ounce of resistance crumbling beneath the weight of her exhaustion.

Darius’s arms tightened around her, his voice a low murmur against her ear.

“Shhh, little wolf,” he whispered.

And for the first time in weeks—

Aria didn’t fight it.