Caleb’s P.O.VI nodded slowly, even though a part of me didn’t fully understand. But I knew the bond of the pack, the strength of our ties, and the fear of leaving the familiar and stepping into the unknown. “Yeah, Caroline, I get it,” I murmured, reaching out to take her hand, hoping the gesture could give her some semblance of comfort. “I fought so hard to fight the bond between me and Aurora, feeling like the Moon Goddess had made a mistake. But I overcame that fear, Caroline.”I forced her to meet my eyes, hoping she could see the sincerity in them. “I’m happy now, happier than I ever expected to be. And at some point, you’re going to have to decide what you’re willing to give up... and what you’re not. No one else can make that choice for you—not me, not your parents, and not even Damien. So if you want me to talk to your parents-”But as soon as Caroline heard the words, she began to panic immediately.“Caleb, they can’t know yet,” she shook her head, her tone filled with urgency
Aurora’s P.O.VI walked slowly, my feet feeling like they were sinking into the ground with every step I took. My heart weighed heavily in my chest, almost as if it was begging me to turn around, to go back and confront him once and for all, to lay everything out. But what would I say to them without sounding like a jealous woman trying to destroy friendship?Caleb and Caroline—just the thought of the two of them together twisted my stomach into knots.They’d assured me, over and over, that there was nothing between them, that whatever they shared was purely platonic, but it was impossible to shake the feeling that something was there, lingering just below the surface, something I couldn’t see but felt in every look they shared, every moment I caught them laughing together.My mind spun as I replayed those moments in my head, trying to convince myself that I was just being paranoid, that I was overthinking everything, and that Caleb was my mate, chosen by the Moon Goddess with a bond t
Aurora’s P.O.VI shook my head, willing myself to be rational, even as my legs moved forward, drawn to this person with a familiar yet unrecognizable face. Maybe it was someone from school, I reasoned, or one of Caleb’s friends messing with me.But when I stepped close enough to look at the person…a sense of dread washed over me like a punch to the gut.I stumbled back, gasping, my heart hammering wildly as I blinked, trying to believe it was some cruel trick of the mind. But no, it was real. He was standing there. My father—gaunt, decayed, like he’d crawled straight from his grave, the skin pulled so tight against his skull I could count every ridge and hollow.He looked like a walking corpse, covered in dirt, bits of dried leaves clinging to his skin, his eyes vacant and dull. The smell hit me then, a sour, rotten stench that made bile rise in my throat.“No… no… this can’t be…” I whispered, scrambling backward, the horror churning inside me like a storm.As if in answer, his body je
Caleb’s P.O.VThe moment we stepped out of the clearing behind the school and rushed toward the stadium, I could feel my heartbeat hammering in fear, worry for Aurora’s safety pulsating through my veins. Panic began to claw at me, an overwhelming need to find her taking control.Caroline was close behind me, her urgency matching my own. People were crowding around, all engrossed in the ongoing award ceremony, unaware of the turmoil churning inside me.My eyes darted through the stadium, scanning the faces in the sea of people, yet there was no sign of Aurora.My pulse quickened further, a strange dread curling up in the pit of my stomach. I tried to reach out to her, feeling for the bond that had tied us together since the moment I marked her, but—nothing. It was like a wall had been erected between us, shutting me out completely. Her scent, usually so vibrant and comforting, had vanished from the air, leaving a hollow void in its place."Did you say something to her before we went to
Caleb’s P.O.VI lowered Caroline carefully to the ground, whispering a quick, “Stay here,” before I spun around and charged toward Damien. He body was bent over Aurora, looming, his face twisted with an anger that only fueled mine. With a roar, I kicked him off of her, sending him sprawling backward before throwing myself onto him, fists already swinging.I didn’t even give him a chance to speak—one punch after another, left and right, just like he’d done to me in the field after the match, but this time, I wasn’t holding back.“This is how you get back at me, huh?” I growled, each word punctuated with a blow. “You can’t win a fight, so you go after my mate?”Damien raised his hands defensively, trying to shield himself, but I could see the flicker of confusion and desperation in his eyes as he struggled under my fists. “Caleb, stop—” he gasped, his voice strained, barely audible over the pounding of my heart in my ears. “It’s not like that… I didn’t mean… Check on your mate!”“Like he
Caleb’s P.O.VThe packhouse loomed ahead as I got out of the car and rushed toward it, carrying Aurora while Damien walked beside me with Caroline in his arms. We made it past the gates, handing my mate over to the waiting healers, just like I knew they would be at my father’s command.Alpha Camden had a way of ensuring everything was in place before I could even ask, and this time, I was thankful for my father’s efficient ways. As we neared the doors, he stepped forward, his gaze hardening as he looked over both Aurora and Caroline, clearly assessing their condition before anything else."What happened, Caleb?" His tone was demanding but calm, a practiced combination that rarely failed to pull answers from anyone. "Where did you find them?"I shook my head and quickly replied, "It was actually Damien who found Aurora, Dad. He’s the one you should be asking."As the healers approached, I saw Damien’s hand linger on Caroline’s shoulder for a second longer than necessary before he finall
Caleb’s P.O.VMy father nodded, absorbing Damien’s words as though piecing together a puzzle. "And you didn't see anyone else? Someone who might have done this to Aurora?" He asked. “Other than the man who fell to the ground?”Damien hesitated, as if he was trying to remember every details through the haze of memory. "No, Alpha. It was just her… but there was something in the air, something wrong. It was like… like an energy, a heaviness. I’ve never felt anything like it before, so I can’t describe to you how it really felt…but I know I felt it…this presence."I watched as my father processed this, his expression hardening further. "So, you’re saying there could be something, or someone, out there, just lurking?" He looked at me, his eyes narrowed, and for a second, I felt the weight of his unspoken worry – he hated uncertainties."Caleb, I want the perimeter doubled. No one leaves or enters without my approval until we get to the bottom of this. And you," he turned back to Damien, his
Caleb’s P.O.VI stood there, watching as the reality of the situation sank into everyone’s expressions, each face frozen with a mix of horror and disbelief. The idea of a three-day-old corpse just showing up here, at our school of all places, seemed so utterly insane that I almost felt like I was trapped in some twisted nightmare.And right in front of Aurora, no less. How the hell did this happen? Alpha Camden was the first to speak, breaking the stunned silence with a low, serious tone that carried the weight of authority and relief."It’s good no humans were around," he said, crossing his arms with a grim frown. "If anyone outside our circle had seen that... well, it would’ve been a much more difficult situation to contain."Damien, still processing, looked between Alpha Camden and me, his expression bordering on outrage and confusion. "Are you sure this isn’t some kind of sick prank?" he asked, his eyes narrowing."Maybe someone’s messing with Aurora, bullying her, trying to scare
Aurora’s P.O.VThat night, after returning to my room, a storm raged outside, howling through the trees and rattling the windows like it was trying to force its way in. The air felt heavy, thick with something I couldn't quite name, pressing down on my chest as I sat curled up on the bed.Every light in the room was on, pushing back the shadows, but no matter how bright it was, I couldn’t stop my thoughts from drifting back to Lucas and what he had done. He had kept my mother’s skeleton in my room—my mother’s old room—like some twisted trophy, a constant reminder of everything he had stolen from me. The image was burned into my mind, and no matter how much I tried to push it away, it clung to me, wrapping around my thoughts like vines strangling the life out of something.I wasn’t angry that her skeleton had been destroyed when the house collapsed. If anything, I was relieved. That place—where I had suffered, where so many others had suffered—was gone, reduced to nothing but rubble and
Aurora’s P.O.VI don't know how to answer him. The words sit on the tip of my tongue, but I can't bring myself to say them. Riley is watching me, his blue eyes so much like our mother's, filled with quiet expectation. And maybe that's what makes it worse. He doesn't know—he has no idea about the truth that has weighed on my shoulders for the past few days. He doesn't know that we're more than what he assumes us to be, that the blood running through our veins is the same, tangled in a history neither of us asked for.I should tell him. Maybe, in some twisted way, he deserves to know. But what good would it do? The past won't change. Our mother’s suffering won’t be undone just because the truth is spoken aloud. And so, I keep my mouth shut, my fingers curling against the fabric of my sleeve as if that might somehow anchor me in place.Riley tilts his head slightly, waiting. I need to say something. Anything. But my throat is dry, my mind blank, and I think he notices—because his brows d
Aurora’s P.O.VThe tires crunched against the gravel road as we finally pulled into the DarkWater Pack’s territory. The journey had been long, but as we neared our destination, a different kind of weight settled over me. Anxiety, relief, and a strange sense of longing tangled together, making it hard to breathe. My fingers curled into the fabric of my pants, my knuckles turning white.As soon as the car came to a halt, Caleb was already at my side, offering his hand. I didn’t hesitate to take it, my legs slightly unsteady as I stepped out into the familiar land I once called home. The moment my feet touched the ground, a voice cut through the air, sharp and desperate.“Aurora!”My head snapped towards the entrance, my heart nearly leaping out of my chest. Riley.Before my mind could even process it, my body was already moving. I broke into a run, my lungs burning as I closed the distance between us. Riley was running too, his arms wide open, his face a mixture of overwhelming relief a
Aurora’s P.O.VHis words were met with stunned silence, the weight of his generosity settling over the room. Relief crashed over me so suddenly that my legs nearly gave out.Ashton, Maggie and Avery, three people who had been tormented by Lucas and Harmon for so long, suffering the same fate as me and losing everyone they had…now they would finally have a permanent home. A place where they can breathe a sigh of relief without worrying about the horrible nightmares they had endured for so long.I turned to him, my eyes burning with unshed tears. "Alpha Camden, I... I don’t even know what to say. I can never repay this kindness."His expression softened as he reached out, resting a reassuring hand on my shoulder. "Aurora, child, you don’t owe me anything," he said gently. "You are Caleb’s mate, and you’re like a daughter to me. There is nothing to repay. Family looks out for each other. Always."His words broke something inside me, the last fragile wall of doubt and fear crumbling under
Aurora’s P.O.VThe weight of their gazes pressed down on me, twin sets of piercing eyes scrutinizing our every move, our every breath. The two Alphas, towering figures of authority, sat before us, their expressions unreadable, their silence a vice squeezing at my lungs. I swallowed hard, my fingers twitching at my sides. Maggie, Ashton, the others—we were all standing in a row like criminals waiting for judgment. My heartbeat thundered in my ears, the room suffocating with tension as we waited for someone to speak first."Tell us everything," one of them said finally, his voice a low command that brooked no argument. "Every detail that might matter."A long pause. I could feel Maggie trembling beside me, her breath uneven. When she finally stepped forward, her voice was quiet, but the words she spoke sent ice through my veins."He kept them," she whispered, as if saying it too loud would summon ghosts. "The skeletons. Of our mothers. He... he preserved them. In our room."The silence
Caleb’s P.O.VThe weight of everything crashed down on me all at once. The battle, the bloodshed, the loss, and the unexpected kindness that had followed. My body ached, my heart even more so, but for the first time in what felt like forever, I let myself believe that maybe—just maybe—things were going to be okay.I watched as Alpha Jackson finally nodded, his expression grim yet resolute as he took in the condition of the infirmary.“Under any other circumstance, this would have been a call for celebration.” He exhaled sharply, shaking his head. “But given everything… I don’t think any of us are in the mood for that.” His eyes flickered to me, searching for understanding, but I was already somewhere else in my mind. My focus had shifted entirely. I gave him a curt nod, my body already moving before my mind had fully caught up. “I’ll leave the rest to my father,” I muttered. The pack, the responsibilities, the politics—none of it mattered to me right now. Not when Aurora was still ly
Caleb’s P.O.VI didn’t know how long it took to head back, especially with Aurora in my arms, cradled tight so I didn’t lose her warmth. My body was screaming at me to collapse, to give in to the overwhelming exhaustion that had wrapped itself around my bones. Every step toward Alpha Jackson’s packhouse felt like walking through quicksand, my limbs heavy, my breath shallow. But I couldn’t stop. The others needed help, and if I gave in now, I might not have the strength to bring them the rest of the way. Silvia was slumped against me, her small frame limp, her face still damp with the tears that had drained her of consciousness. I had held her as she sobbed, whispered reassurances I wasn’t sure I believed myself. Her cries had been so broken, so raw, that it had shattered whatever was left of my strength, but I refused to let her go. I owed her that much.The others were still unconscious, their bodies battered and weakened from the blood loss. It wasn’t just exhaustion—it was surviva
Aurora’s P.O.VGuilt clings to me like a second skin, heavy and suffocating, as I step back into the circle. My hands tremble at my sides, and I barely muster the strength to lift my gaze. When I do, my heart clenches at the sight of Ashton and my two remaining siblings, their white dresses now soaked in blood, just like mine. The crimson stains tell a story I wish I could erase, a tale of choices made in desperation, of losses that will never be reclaimed. I swallow hard, my throat thick with emotion, but the weight of duty presses down harder than grief.Ashton begins the chant, his voice steady, unwavering. I try to focus, try to push aside the gnawing ache in my chest, but the image of little Violet’s face flashes in my mind. Her laughter, her tiny hands grasping mine just days ago—gone now, sacrificed to the very nightmare we tried to escape. A sharp sob threatens to escape, but I clamp my lips shut, my breath hitching as the first tear slips down my cheek. I know this is necessa
Aurora’s P.O.VThe realization hit me like a punch to the gut, a knot forming in my throat. Violet was gone. I could see her absence in the space where she should’ve been standing, and she was nowhere to be seen in the group. The air around us felt empty without her presence."Violet!" I shouted, my voice cracking with panic. The chant faltered for a moment, but I quickly pushed forward, trying to concentrate. "She’s not here!"Ashton’s eyes flashed with alarm as he noticed our hesitation. He glanced around, his expression hardening. "Where is she?" he demanded, his tone cold, but it did nothing to hide the tension that coiled in his shoulders. “Oh god…did we…leave her behind?”Before I could answer, a high-pitched cry broke through the noise. Silvia, her white hair glowing like a beacon in the fading light, was wailing uncontrollably. Her small body trembled as she reached for the house that was crumbling to the ground. "Mama! Grandmama!" Her sobs tore at my heart.Alpha Jackson was