Chapter 38

Aria

“Daddy!”

Lucas leaped off of his stool, nearly sending milk flying everywhere in his haste—but with a silent glare from me, he paused, blushing and carefully setting his cup down. Only then did he barrel toward his father.

A rare smile touched Darren’s lips as he crouched and held his arms open to Lucas. Just as the little boy reached him, he lifted him and spun him through the air, causing a chorus of tiny giggles to float through the room.

“I missed you, bud,” Darren said, ruffling Lucas’s chestnut hair. “I hope you were good for Aria.”

Lucas nodded vehemently. “Yes! We had so much fun! I colored a picture for you, and…”

As Lucas chattered on about his week with me, my gaze shifted once more to the elevator display, which was still glowing with that bright downward arrow.

Darren finally set Lucas down and turned to me. “Sorry, you were saying…?”

I shook my head. “Nothing. I just thought you came down instead of up, that’s all.”

To my surprise, a faint trace of amusement flickered across Darren’s face. “Right…” He seemed to control his smirk, as if there was some kind of inside joke that I wasn’t getting. “I guess I forgot to tell you.”

“Tell me what?”

Instead of answering, Darren stepped back toward the elevator, gesturing for me to follow. He pressed the ‘up’ button, and the doors slid back open with a soft whoosh. “Come with me. I’ll show you. And bring your jacket.”

I raised my eyebrows, but grabbed my jacket and followed anyway. Lucas bounded after us excitedly, still chattering about his week as he haphazardly stuffed his feet into his boots and shrugged on his own coat.

Once we were all inside the elevator, Darren pressed the number thirteen. I didn’t think anything of it—that was, after all, the top floor of the building. Where the highly realistic playroom was.

But something about the tiny smirk tugging at Darren’s lips gave me pause. He never smiled without reason.

When we stepped out of the elevator, we were met with the same forestlike playroom I’d entered countless times before. Lucas immediately took off, shifting into his pup form and racing around the realistic trees. White powder was sprinkled across the floor, more of it gently floating down from that insanely beautiful projection of the sky.

Although, for the first time ever, I noticed that I actually couldn’t see where the fake snow machines were. Nor could I hear them; in fact, it was incredibly… quiet.

Like the forest during a snowball.

“You’re a smart woman, Aria. Do I really need to tell you what this place really is?” Darren asked, almost chuckling.

I took a slow step forward, my breath visible in the cold air. “Enlighten me,” I said, placing my hands on my hips. “Because it sounds like you’re mocking me.”

Darren shook his head. “I’m not mocking you.” He stepped up beside me and gestured around at the highly realistic environment, where Lucas was currently leaving a trail in the ‘snow’ on the ground.

I think it hit me, really, before he even said it.

“This isn’t a playroom,” he said. “We’re really in the forest.”

I felt as if the rug had suddenly been ripped out from under me. “Sorry, what?” I asked, whirling to face him. “You’re fucking with me.”

Darren chuckled and shook his head.

“How?” I managed.

“Magic,” he said simply, as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. When I just stared at him incredulously, he continued, “Every pack headquarters has something like this—a portal between the human world and the werewolf lands so that pack members can travel safely. The elevator acts as a gateway when you press the number thirteen.”

Astonished, I turned in slow circles, taking it all in with fresh eyes—the trees, the snow, the vastness of the space.

No fucking wonder it looked so realistic; it was real. And although part of me still wanted to believe that he was messing with me, I knew deep down that he wasn’t. If werewolves were real, then I supposed this wasn’t as far-fetched as it seemed.

“But where exactly are we?” I asked, still trying to piece together how this all worked.

“Technically, we’re deep within the national park,” Darren explained, gesturing to the forest around us.

Over the next few minutes, Darren explained that werewolf territories were hidden in national parks and unowned land, protected by magical wards that kept humans like me from finding them. They were invisible to the outside world.

If a human were to somehow stumble upon those lands, they would suddenly come across a deep ravine or a wild animal some other reason to turn around and leave.

Or, in some rare cases—less rare as of late—rogue wolves who lingered at the borders might attack.

That was why he had been gone all week; he was handling that issue in his pack lands. Securing the borders and neutralizing the rogues who’d been attacking people—myself and Lucas included.

As he spoke, I stared at the space around us, seeing nothing but snow and trees. I needed to know for certain that he wasn’t full of shit. “Can I… touch it?”

Darren nodded, and with some hesitation, I reached out. My fingers met something solid, but invisible—like a wall. I pressed my palm against it, but shook my head. “It feels like concrete.”

“It’s not, I assure you,” Darren said, walking up beside me and holding his hand out. His own fingers went right past mine, and he swooshed it through the air to prove that there was no wall there. “I can get through. But not you. And not Lucas, at least not yet. No one can get through either side without my explicit permission, actually.”

“This is… incredible,” I breathed, stepping back, my mind still reeling. “All this time, I thought it was just some kind of… I don’t know, a fancy playroom that only billionaires can afford.”

Darren just shook his head and stuffed his hand back into his pocket. “Nope. Although I won’t lie; it was a little funny to see you so confused about it.”

I stuck my tongue out at him, but then turned to take it all in again.

The snow was falling faster now, thicker flakes swirling down from the sky. I couldn’t help myself—I stepped into the center of the clearing, lifting my face toward them. These weren’t artificial snowflakes like I had assumed; they melted on my skin, cold and wet and completely real.

Without thinking, I spun in place, arms outstretched, laughing softly as the world turned around me. It seemed like every day, all of my childhood dreams—all of the fantasy stories and late nights wishing that there was more to the world than met the eye—were coming more and more true. I couldn’t help myself; I felt like a kid again, filled with wonder and excitement.

When I finally stopped, I turned and realized that Darren was standing closer to me than before. There was something in his eyes, something soft that I hadn’t seen since that day in the tent.

My breath caught as he stepped closer, brushing a few stray snowflakes from my hair with the back of his hand. My cheeks flushed hotly at the memory of our kiss, but then he was stepping away, putting distance between us once again.

I took a breath to steady myself. “Could I…” I hesitated. “Could I see more? Beyond the wards, I mean. See the pack lands? At least from far away?”

The change in Darren’s expression was immediate. Whatever softness had been there quickly vanished.

“No,” he said, his voice brooking no argument. “It’s not safe. I’ve already taken a risk in showing you this place to begin with, but Lucas needs somewhere he can run freely in his wolf form. That’s the only reason I let you come up here.”

My excitement deflated, and I forced a nod, trying to mask my disappointment. “Of course. I understand.”

Darren’s gaze softened slightly. “Look,” he said, his tone gentler this time, “I can’t take you into pack lands. It would put both you and the pack at risk. But…” He seemed to consider his next words carefully. “I could show you other things. Things that won’t endanger anyone.”

A flicker of hope sparked in my chest. “Really?”

He nodded slowly. “Within reason,” he added, his eyes meeting mine. “What would you like to see?”

My mind raced. I thought of the way his eyes had glowed in the tent, the familiarity to them. I had seen the pup version of Lucas countless times now, and I had seen Liam once, but as for Darren…

“Can you shift for me?”