Chapter 31

**Chapter 31**

**Aria’s POV**

I didn’t need to see her face to know who it was. The very essence of her presence was unmistakable.

It was Sophia.

I instinctively lowered my head, angling my body slightly to shield Lana from her view. With a quick shuffle, I attempted to sidestep her, but she anticipated my move, positioning herself deliberately in my path, her movements slow and calculated.

Inside me, my wolf stirred, a low growl rumbling just beneath the surface, a molten fury threatening to erupt. My hands tightened around Lana, my fingers trembling with pent-up tension. The pulse in my temples throbbed, a relentless drumbeat of anger and fear that made it feel as if the air had thickened around me.

“You’ve got the wrong person,” I managed to say, my voice flat and devoid of emotion, even as my heart raced like a caged animal.