04💫

Aurora POV.

Papers were all crumpled upon my desk—a mess Leon seemed to have the utmost passion to create. Seemingly, his only objective was to annoy me in class as he discreetly chucked them at me, grinning the few times I decided to put on the face of disdaining the annoyance. Leon—the twin brother. His twin brother was no less a piece of news when the night that happened did indeed occur; it was Lennon. And now, Leon seemed determined to remind me of that at every opportunity.

I frowned as I walked home, clutching my books tightly. The day had already been long and exhausting, but Rebeeca’s earlier threat to steer clear of her for the entire day had made it worse. I had obeyed without question—I didn’t want any more trouble today.

As I rounded the bend, the little modest house that was home came into sight. A wave of relief washed over me, but it was short-lived.

Someone was sitting by the front door. No—two people. And they looked familiar.

A chill ran down my spine. All was not OK.

Aurora, I do not like this, Ice warned in my mind, her voice tight and low.

“Alex?” I called as I approached, my voice a little shaky.

The boy who sat there looked up; his face was pale, his shirt singed and torn in places, a black eye marrying his face, his expression one of pure despair.

“Aurora,” he said quietly, standing up unsteadily. As soon as he was close enough, he pulled me into a hug.

I froze for a second, then stepped backward. “What happened? Alex, tell me!”

He faltered; his lips began to quiver. “Aurora… they took your mom.”

His words felt like a slap, and my knees buckled. “What?”

“We fought. We tried to stop them,” Alex said, his voice cracking. “But the Celestials… they captured your mom. And your dad… he’s been thrown in jail for attacking Alpha Celestial when he tried to intervene.”

“What are you saying?” I whispered, incapable of processing it.

“They’re forcing your father to agree to their terms. If he doesn’t, they’ll keep him locked up—or worse… they might kill him.”

The air went out of my lungs as I stepped backward, clutching my chest.

I clenched my fist. “The Celestials? You mean Rebeeca’s family?”

Alex nodded grimly. “They’ve stopped recruiting from outside of their world. Instead, they’ve started enslaving Omegas of Lemonia. Your mom… she was taken due to that decision.”

“That’s insane!” I shouted. “We can report this! Other packs can help us, right? Someone has to stand up to them!”

Alex looked away, his expression dark.

These Celestials… they are rotten to their core, Ice growled in my mind, echoing my anger.

“I’ll go save her,” I said, my voice shaking with determination. “I’ll bring Mom back!”

“Aurora, no! It’s too dangerous!” Alex reached for my arm, but I cast him off.

“I don’t care! They’re my parents!”

He got up and tried to follow me, but I pushed him away. “Stay here! This is my fight.”

I didn’t wait for his response. Running, my heart pounding in my chest, the only thing on my mind was Mom and Dad. They’d sacrificed enough for me, and they’d done it gladly; I couldn’t let them suffer anymore.

By the time I arrived at the mansion, night had already fallen. The estate stood before me, a sprawling display of power and wealth. It was eerily quiet, with only a few guards patrolling the area.

I managed to slip inside unnoticed, my heart racing as I tried to make my way along the darkened hallways. It was a big mansion, but I had been here long enough on previous occasions to sometimes recognize parts of the paths.

Aurora, your mom’s energy… it’s coming from that direction, Ice said, guiding me toward a large set of double doors at the end of the hall.

I moved quickly but froze when I heard footsteps.

Hide! Ice hissed.

I went straight to the side into the shadow and pushed myself against a half-open door. In this gap, I could see them. Two guards dragged my mother down the corridor; she was shackled, her head hung, and her body too weak.

My eyes welled up with tears. “I have to save her, Ice,” I whispered. “Why does it have to be this way? Why does it always have to be us who suffer?”

Ice didn’t say a word. She didn’t have to. I could sense her anger and pain, feel it like it was my own.

I came forward, but before I could do anything, a sudden noise from behind made me stop.

I spun around, my heart racing. A faint click echoed in the room, and then the lights suddenly flickered on.

There stood Alpha Cali himself, blocking the doorframe.

Topless, his muscles were clearly defined and covered in light scars and scratches, almost as if he had just gotten himself into a fight the day before. Amber eyes cut to mine—hard and unyielding.

“I knew it,” he said, his tone even but with an edge of authority. “You’re here.”

I stepped back as he came closer, my heart pounding.

“What are you doing, Aurora? Breaking into my room again?” His tone was almost teasing, but there was a seriousness in his gaze that made my blood run cold.

Only this time, I realized too late that I’d entered the very same room I had by accident when I had come to this mansion in the first place.

In a few long strides, he closed the gap between us, and his hand reached to tip my chin upwards before I could react.

“You do look like her,” he murmured low. His amber eyes darkened, studying me intently. “How is it that you’re still alive?”

His words sent running chills down my spine.

“What are you talking about?” I demanded, pushing his hand away.

He didn’t even flinch but smirked ever so faintly. “You’ve got spirit; I’ll give you that.”

“Why does every one of you high ranks think that you can boss everyone around?!” I snapped louder this time.

His expression hardened slightly. “What are you talking about?”

“Don’t act like you don’t know!” I shouted. “Your family—your Celestials! They took my mom and dad! They’re forcing Omegas to be their slaves!”

Cali’s eyes narrowed. “I didn’t know that.”

“Well, now you do!” I shot back, shaking with anger. “So do something about it! You have the power to stop this! Or are you just like the rest of them?”

I was shaking now, tears streaming down my face as the weight of my helplessness crashed over me.

Before I could say more, Cali grabbed my wrist. The next thing I knew, I was pinned beneath him, his hand cradling the back of my head to keep it from hitting the floor.

I froze, my breath catching in my throat as his face hovered inches from mine. His scent—a mix of fresh pine and peppermint—overwhelmed me.

“You want my help?” he asked in a low, serious tone. “I can help you get your mom back.”

I blinked, shocked by his words.

“But…” Amber eyes seemed to sear into mine, his voice going dark. “I don’t give out free favors.”

“What are you saying?” I asked in a whisper, trembling.

A small, almost predatory smile played on his lips. “Be my mate, Aurora. And I’ll make sure your parents are set free.”