THE GUARDIAN WHO CHOSE HERSELF

Guardian Aria Thorne was raised to shield royal heir Rowan Hale with her body, her wolf, and eventually her life. When a supposedly ceremonial attack turns real, forbidden white light erupts from her hands and exposes a system built on obedience collars, erased names, and Guardians who were never allowed to leave. A marriage treaty with Rowan can give Aria temporary protection, but only if she writes the exit doors herself. Together they investigate buried massacres and a minister who can weaponize the dead, while Aria fights to create an independent Guardian order no crown can command. Loving Rowan may be her choice—but first she must prove she belongs to herself.