"Aria!"
Her mother's voice cracked with panic, and Aria's chest constricted with guilt. She burst through the tree line to find Cassidy, Marcus, Nessa, and Ezra all gathered near the edge of pack territory. Cassidy's face was pale, her hands shaking. Marcus looked thunderous. Nessa's Luna calm was barely holding. Ezra's jaw was tight with controlled fear.
They all turned when they heard her footsteps.
"Aria!" Cassidy rushed forward and pulled her into a crushing embrace. "Where were you? I went to call you for dinner and you were gone, your window open, I thought..."
She couldn't finish the sentence, but Aria knew what she had thought. That Mira had taken her. That she had been kidnapped or hurt or worse.
"I'm sorry," Aria said, and her voice came out small and barely audible. "I'm so sorry, Mama. I just needed some air. I went for a walk."
