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
Caleb’s P.O.VMy father took a step closer, his gaze hard as he studied the corpse. "Lift the cloth," he instructed the healer, who pulled back the fabric to reveal the chest.I sucked in a breath, my eyes narrowing as I saw the symbol carved deep into the man’s flesh. It wasn’t just a marking; it looked ritualistic, deliberate. Almost like a satanic symbol, but twisted somehow. Different. I’d never seen anything like it before, and judging by the look on Damien’s face, neither had he.It was in the form of a circle, with thin lines joining the sides of a rectangle inside the circle. Vines crawled the sides and intertwined with the rectangle in a way a serpent twisted around its prey. The details were impeccable, and whoever did this to a corpse…was a sick motherfucker I hoped would rot in hell."What the hell is that?" Damien murmured, breaking the silence, his voice low but tense. Father didn’t answer right away, his eyes still fixed on the strange symbol. After a long pause, he fina
Aurora’s P.O.VI woke up gasping, my chest heaving as if I’d been running for miles. Cold sweat trickled down my face, and my hands instinctively clutched at my head, pain searing through it like a jagged knife.For a moment, the world was a blur, the echoes of voices and the distant hum of machines melding into one cacophony. My breath came in shallow bursts, and I was too disoriented to distinguish reality from the vivid nightmare clawing at my mind.“Aurora!” Caleb’s voice cut through the fog like a lifeline. His hands were on my shoulders, firm yet gentle, shaking me just enough to ground me.“Hey, hey, it’s okay. You’re safe. Look at me. Aurora, look at me!”I blinked, my vision sharpening as I met his concerned eyes. The fear in them mirrored the turmoil I felt inside, and for a moment, I wasn’t sure if I was still in that school parking lot, trapped in suffocating grip of that shadow. My hands trembled as I reached out to touch Caleb’s arm, needing to feel something solid, somet
Aurora’s P.O.VCaleb’s eyes widened, and for a moment, he looked like he wasn’t sure if he’d heard me right. “Your dad?” he echoed, the disbelief evident. “Aurora, are you sure—” “I know what I told you,” I interrupted, my voice firmer now. “He was there. Clear as day. Standing right in front of me. And the way he looked—Caleb, it wasn’t normal. It was like... like he wasn’t really…him.” God, I wish I could make him understand what I saw, the way my father had looked at that moment, so ashen and pale. But I didn’t know how to find the right words.One moment he was upright, the next he was a crumpled heap on the ground. The sound of his bones cracking echoed in the air, sharp and sickening. It made a shiver run down my spine just remembering it.Caleb didn’t respond immediately, his silence heavy, his gaze searching my face as if trying to determine whether I was serious.“And then what?” he asked finally, his voice hoarse. I hesitated again, the memory replaying in my mind like a b
Aurora’s P.O.VI couldn’t feel my legs as Caleb held onto me, his arm steadying me as I stumbled forward, each step dragging me closer to the reality I didn’t want to face. He’d tried to talk me out of this, his voice firm but edged with the kind of worry that made my chest ache."Aurora, you don’t have to do this," he’d said, his hand squeezing mine just enough to anchor me. But I couldn’t listen. I’d insisted. I had to see him. The thought of not looking at him one last time, was unbearable. So here I was, my insides hollow, my breath catching with every sterile, metallic-scented step toward the morgue. Caleb was silent beside me, and though I could feel the tension in his every movement, he didn’t argue further.The healer greeted us with a somber nod, her eyes flicking between me and Caleb, her lips pressed into a thin line. I couldn’t meet her gaze for long; it felt too much like acknowledging the truth I still wasn’t ready to accept. She led the way, her steps careful, deliberate
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