Chapter 119

Aria

The room fell silent as William stepped inside, his presence commanding attention in a way that only someone like him could. He was a model, after all—one of the best in human society, and probably shifter society, too—and it showed.

His black hair was perfectly styled, his striking green eyes scanning the room with an air of confidence that made my stomach twist uncomfortably. I stiffened in my seat, my fingers tightening around the edge of the table as I tried to process what he was doing here.

I glanced at Darren, trying to gauge his reaction. Was he upset? Annoyed? Jealous, even? William had come onto me once, had dance with me at that masquerade that had changed everything. It felt like only yesterday that Darren was practically ripping me from William, his mouth crashing insistently against mine.

But Darren’s expression was unreadable, his face a mask of calm composure. He turned to William, his voice steady and polite.

“William. To what do we owe the pleasure?”

I blinked in surprise.

As for William, his lips curved into a small smile, although his eyes remained serious. “As you may know,” he said, addressing the room, “I am a panther shifter. One of few, but we exist nonetheless. Our kind has been quiet for many generations, fully integrated into human society to the point at which many of us have never even shifted in our entire lives.”

He paused, his gaze flickering to me for the briefest of moments before returning to Darren. “Perhaps my people are okay with pushing down our primal instincts, hiding ourselves right under the humans’ noses. But I, for one, am in full support of your initiatives.”

The room was silent, the other Alphas and Lunas exchanging curious glances.

“The panthers and the wolves have never allied before,” Kael said cautiously, tilting his head to expose the scar on his cheek. I wondered how he had gotten that scar. Not from a panther, surely?

But then again, this world was still becoming crazier by the day, even now. I wouldn’t have been surprised.

William’s green eyes flitted briefly to Kael.

“Perhaps. But I, for one,” he continued, “choose to stand alongside the werewolves. I want to see a world in which people can truly be themselves without fear. And although I cannot speak for the other panther shifters—most of whom are fully immersed in human society and likely have no intention of making their existence known—I will help you on your campaign to bring humans and shifters together.”

Darren furrowed his brow. “Will you expose your true nature as a panther shifter? At the risk of exposing the other panthers? They might not take kindly to being exposed like the werewolves.”

“We don’t need more shifters who are angry with us,” Mira added.

William nodded. “I understand. But I do plan on exposing my true nature, yes. If the other panthers take issue with it, then they’re welcome to take it up with me, not you all. As for my efforts, I’ll do my best to use my celebrity status to help spread the word that most shifters are peaceful and not dangerous.”

He hesitated, then glanced at me. And when he spoke again, his voice was just a touch lower, and his eyes averted to his feet. “If you’ll have me, that is.”

I felt a flicker of surprise, followed by a warmth that spread through my chest. William’s offer was unexpected, but it was also genuine. I didn’t know him all that well, but I could tell that much.

But then I looked at Darren again, wondering what he might say. For several long moments, the room was silent, and no one dared move a muscle. I bit the inside of my cheek.

Finally, after considering for a moment, Darren stood and extended his hand to William with a nod of respect. “We’d be grateful for your help, William. Thank you.”

William shook Darren’s hand, and for a moment, the two of them stood there with a silent understanding passing between them. It was a strange sight—the Alpha and the panther shifter, two powerful figures from different worlds, united by a common goal.

The meeting continued after that, the atmosphere just the slightest bit lighter now that William had joined us. We discussed the logistics of the campaign, the roles each of us would play, and how we could best utilize William’s celebrity status to our advantage.

By the time the meeting ended, I felt a sense of hope that I hadn’t felt in a long time. But it was bound to be a long road ahead, and I was already exhausted.

As the others filed out of the room, I lingered behind, my thoughts swirling. Darren stayed with me, but said nothing.

Once we were alone, I turned to him with my brow furrowed. “Darren… can I ask you something?”

“Of course. What’s on your mind?”

I hesitated, unsure of how to phrase my question without sounding insecure. “I just… I was surprised by how easily you accepted William’s help. I mean, after everything that happened between us… Or didn’t happen, I guess.”

Darren’s smile widened, and he reached out to brush a strand of hair from my face. “You mean the fact that he tried to hit on you?”

I felt my cheeks flush, but I nodded. “Yeah. That.”

Darren chuckled, the sound low and warm. “Aria, I trust you. Completely. And I know you shut him down before—deleting that dating app right in front of me was a pretty clear message.”

I blinked, surprised by his response. “You’re not… upset?”

“Why would I be?” he asked, cocking his head to the side so that a lock of jet black hair fell over his shoulder. “You chose me. And I chose you. That’s all that matters.”

His words washed over me, and I couldn’t help but smile. I stepped closer, my hands resting on his chest as I looked up at him. “Thank you.”

Darren’s smile softened, his eyes filled with affection. “There’s nothing to thank me for.”

With that, he leaned down, his lips gently pressing to mine. I tilted my chin to allow better access, and my lips instinctively parted to taste his tongue against my own. My wolf hummed with pleasure, and suddenly, my knees began to feel rather… weak.

By the time we finally pulled apart, they were practically trembling.

Darren’s eyes flicked over me. “Something wrong? Legs giving out?” There was a hint of amusement in his voice.

I bit my lip, nodding as my face flushed. “It’s the mate bond, isn’t it? Making me feel like I’ll collapse from just a kiss.”

“Sure is.”

I sighed, leaning into him. “I’ll never get used to that.”

Darren chuckled, a sound that was low and rumbled in his chest like thunder. Then, without another word, he scooped me up into his arms, his strength making the motion effortless. I let out a surprised laugh, my cheeks flushing even deeper as I wrapped my arms around his neck.

“Darren!” I protested as he propped me on the conference table, although I couldn’t keep the smile off my face—especially when his fangs and lips and tongue brushed my neck.

He pulled back just enough to smirk at me, his eyes quite literally glowing with childlike mischief. “No one will see us. It’s just us left now.”

I opened my mouth to protest, but truthfully, I couldn’t find a reason to say no. I wanted this—wanted him. And so, with a playful tilt of my head and a flash of my own eyes, I let him have me there on that table.