I stepped back into the room, relieved to find Aria already awake, her eyes bright with curiosity as they found mine. Smiling, I walked over, and without thinking, I wrapped her in a hug. Just feeling her heartbeat against mine eased the tension I’d been holding onto since the ceremony.
She looked up, tilting her head. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing." I smiled, but the memory of last night’s events still lingered. "You just… you scared me a lot."
She rolled her eyes, but her smile softened. "Well, it seems like everyone else was pretty shocked too, judging by all the staring when I shifted. Magnus, why were they looking at me like that?"
I hesitated, trying to choose my words carefully. She’d been unconscious since her transformation, and I didn't want to overwhelm her. "You’ve been out since last night, so don’t worry about it too much."
But Aria wasn’t one to let things slide. With a mischievous grin, she suddenly sprang onto my back, nearly toppling me. "Magnus, don’t you dare brush this off! Tell me what happened."
I steadied myself, chuckling as I regained my balance. "Alright, alright, stubborn little wolf. The truth is… you’re the first White Wolf to appear in over 2,000 years."
Her eyes went wide. "What? But—" Before she could finish her sentence, she tugged on my hair, hard enough that I winced in genuine pain.