#Chapter 124: A Night of Peace

Darren My world shattered when Aria’s hand was ripped from mine. “Aria!” I shouted, my voice cutting through the din. But there was no response, no sign of her in the sea of panicked faces. I cursed under my breath, shouting her name through the mate bond as I whirled to catch a glimpse of her. People jostled me as they ran, gunshots echoing through the hall. “Aria!” No response. Dammit. I should have hired more security. I should have anticipated something like this. The protesters outside had been growing in number all night, their shouts and jeers growing louder and more aggressive. But I hadn’t expected them to storm the event, and certainly hadn’t expected them to be armed. Who had armed them? Who had rallied them to do something like this? The questions burned in my mind, but there was no time to think. I had to find Aria. My mate. I pushed through the crowd, my wolf surging to the surface as I scanned the room for any s