Aurora’s P.O.VI step forward, my gaze hard, my voice cold. "Step aside," I tell the girls, my tone leaving no room for negotiation."I have nothing to say to you, and I certainly don’t owe you any explanations. So move."But Taylor takes a step toward me, her eyes narrowed. I feel the air shift before she even speaks, the challenge in her eyes obvious."You think you can just walk in here and act like you're above all of us now?" she sneers, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Just because you’ve changed your hair, changed your clothes, doesn’t mean you’ve changed your place."Before I can process what’s happening, she raises her hand and slaps me across the face. The sting is sharp, but I’m too stunned to move for a second. I cradle my cheek in disbelief, my fingers trembling for a moment. Did she really just...?But as I turn to look at the girls, they both seem to have a look of smug satisfaction on their face, like they had just won the lottery. Their confidence in doing something w
Aurora’s P.O.VI didn’t know how it happened, not really. One moment, Caleb and I were sitting there, our eyes locked, the silence between us loaded with something unspoken but palpable. Then, without a second thought, I leaned in, and his lips met mine. It was warm, electrifying, and utterly intoxicating. My entire world narrowed down to that moment—Caleb's arms wrapping around me, pulling me closer as if he never wanted to let go. The way his hand gently rested against the small of my back sent shivers racing up my spine. For the first time in forever, I felt fearless, as if nothing else mattered. But then, like a cruel interruption, the shrill sound of a phone ringing sliced through the quiet. It felt jarring, almost offensive, in its timing. Caleb and I broke apart, breathless, our gazes darting everywhere except at each other. Jade rose from his seat at the table, muttering something about it being an important call, and stepped away to answer it. The absence of his presence only
Caroline’s P.O.VAs soon as the car skidded to a stop in front of the pack house, I barely waited for the engine to turn off before I was out, my feet hitting the ground hard and fast. “Hey! Slow down, Care!” Jade shouted after me, his longer strides catching up with mine effortlessly.“Jade, you don’t understand! If he knows—if they know, this is bad. This is so, so bad!” My voice cracked, and I hated the way my panic was bleeding through, but it was impossible to hold it back. My legs felt like jelly, but I didn’t stop moving. I couldn’t.“You’re not going in there alone. I said I’ve got your back, and I meant it.” His voice was steady, calm—so unlike my own frantic rambling. He gripped my arm for just a second to slow me down, but I yanked it free, practically sprinting up the stairs leading to the Alpha’s office.“You don’t get it, Jade!” I snapped over my shoulder. “This isn’t about whether someone has my back. If Alpha Camden knows, if my dad—” My throat tightened, cutting off t
Caroline’s P.O.VThankfully, my dad finally noticed something was off and maybe because the pack bond was letting my emotions bleed out, but his stance softened, and he stepped forward."Caroline," he said, his voice trembling with concern. "Why didn’t you tell me any of this before? You’ve been acting strange for weeks now. And now this…test? What was I supposed to think? I can’t read your mind, Caroline."He had this look on his face, a mix of worry and confusion. I wanted to tell him everything. I wanted to scream and let him know how scared I was, but the words wouldn’t come out. Instead, I just stood there, silent, trying to hold it all together.Before I could say anything, Jade spoke up, his voice sharp and unwavering. "Beta Raymond, Caroline didn’t want to bring it up," he said, his eyes meeting my dad’s with a calmness that didn’t match the tension in the room."She wanted to figure out what exactly was going on before she confided in anyone. She didn’t want it to seem like sh
Caroline’s P.O.VI watched in silence as Alpha Camden stepped forward, his commanding presence filling the room. He gestured toward the door, and in walked a woman—at first glance, she looked like any ordinary middle-aged woman. Her pale skin and platinum blonde hair were unremarkable, but there was something about her, an energy that I couldn't quite place. She had an aura that made me feel unsettled, like she wasn’t quite human.Alpha Camden’s voice broke through my thoughts. “This is Harmona,” he said, his tone respectful.“She’s a witch, and she’s here to help us understand something we’ve found. The symbol we discovered on the body of Aurora’s father.”I glanced at the others, but my eyes kept returning to Harmona. She didn’t speak right away. Instead, she stood there, observing us with an intensity that made me feel like she was weighing each of us, seeing straight through to our core.Finally, she spoke, her voice smooth, almost melodic. “I’ve studied the symbol,” she began, her
Caroline’s P.O.VI sat across from Alpha Camden, my mind racing as I tried to piece everything together."But…Alpha Camden, this seems impossible," I began, my voice shaky but determined. "For so long, we couldn't make sense of the whole Lunar Sisters theory. I mean, Aurora’s human. How could she possibly be tied to me in that way, right? There’s no way she could be my Lunar Sister, not with her being... human."Alpha Camden leaned forward, his eyes locked on mine. "But you're starting to think there's something more to it, aren't you?"I nodded slowly, trying to keep my thoughts in order as I spoke. "Yes. At first, I couldn't wrap my head around it. But now, everything we've learned, everything that’s been happening, it might actually make sense." I paused, my voice growing more intense with each word."If it was a witch, someone tied to use magic, then that could explain everything. Maybe that person was connected to Aurora, in some way. And that’s why they targeted her father, hopin
Aurora’s P.O.VI woke up with a jolt, my body drenched in cold sweat. My heart hammered in my chest, and I was gasping for breath, the dark, suffocating feeling of my nightmare still lingering around me. My eyes darted around, but all I could see was blackness. No light, no sounds—just that endless void. Panic flooded through me, and I fought against the overwhelming sense of being trapped. I couldn’t let it take me again. I couldn’t stay in that place, that dark abyss.I tried to stand, but something was different. My feet met solid ground. Soft, familiar ground. Slowly, I blinked, trying to make sense of it all. I wasn't standing in the dark anymore. I wasn't in the place I had been before. I was... lying down? My hands brushed over the fabric beneath me, and the realization hit me like a punch to the gut.This wasn’t my room.I sat up, confusion clouding my mind. The room around me came into focus, a slow, creeping clarity. It was small, cozy, and had a certain warmth to it, somethi
Aurora’s P.O.VI opened my eyes, gasping for air, but all I could feel was the pressure in my chest, the burning sensation in my lungs as the water surrounded me. I tried to flail my arms, desperate to push myself up, but it was like the water was pulling me deeper. Panic surged through me. I can't breathe, I can't breathe, my mind screamed, the darkness creeping in at the edges of my vision. I didn't know where I was, or if anyone could hear me, or if anyone would find me in time.I could barely make sense of anything, but just as I thought I was about to slip under for good, I felt something—a hand, warm and firm, grabbing mine. Who...? Before I could make sense of it, I was being yanked up, and the water rushed off of my face as my head broke the surface. My body was pulled upward, and with a sharp inhale, I was suddenly hoisted onto the side of the pool. I coughed, sputtering, my body shaking as I tried to steady myself, gasping for air like it was the first time I’d ever had it."
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