Damian's POV
By the time the plane touched down at my private airfield in the capital, we'd both cleaned up and made ourselves presentable.
Aria's hair was still slightly mussed, and there was a faint flush to her cheeks that made my wolf want to drag her right back into my arms, but otherwise, we looked like we'd spent the flight doing anything but what we'd actually been doing.
The door opened, and cool evening air rushed in. I stood first, offering Aria my hand, and she took it without hesitation.
The moment we stepped onto the tarmac, I spotted Rick waiting near one of the SUVs. He looked tense—jaw tight, shoulders stiff—and my body responded in kind.
Something was wrong.
"Alpha," Rick said as we approached, his voice carefully neutral. "Welcome back."
"Rick." I
