Caleb’s P.O.V“Good evening ladies and gentlemen!” Caroline’s father took the microphone to make the announcement, grabbing everyone’s attention instantly. “The moment you’ve all been waiting for is here! Please welcome the birthday boy and his beautiful date onstage.”‘I’m so sorry.’ Caroline told me via the mental bond. ‘First the dress and now this…I don’t think he understands that mating bonds can’t be forced.’‘It’s alright.’ I smile at her outwardly as I kept up the mental connection. ‘Let’s just get this show over with.’‘Yes, everything will become clear in a few seconds.’ Caroline added as I got on stage and helped her up.The crowd, that consisted of all unmated women of the pack and beyond, from teens to young adults, looked at me expectantly, and I couldn’t help but feel my heart thrashing inside my chest as the weight of their combined glances weighed heavily on my shoulders.“No! Caleb, there’s only a minute left for the clock to strike midnight and for the big reveal.”
Caleb’s P.O.VI arrived at the street with the old rundown houses and moss covered fences in less than twenty minutes, but as soon as I entered the neighbourhood…something seemed off.I parked in front of the two storied house at the end of the street, which I knew was hers and got off the car. But then I paused mid-step. What was I going to tell Aurora when I saw her? What could I possibly say to ease her hurt? To make her humiliation go away?I’m sorry? That would never be enough in a million years…not after everything she had been through. Fuck! I really screwed up!I walked up to the front porch hesitantly, unsure of what I was going to say, but the need to check on her and see if she was alright was driving me wild. The entire place held the stench of rust and decay and I looked around wearily. The house was in poor condition, and even worse was the stench of alcohol that seemed to permeate from the very walls of this disaster.I knocked once since the door bell wasn’t working a
Caleb's P.O.V:I raced through the forest, with Aurora on my back, holding on for dear life. She face was buried in my fur and I could feel her entire body trembling, but I was unable to tell if it was from fear or pain.I took the path that led to the pack grounds. It was a longer path than the streets, but I wasn’t going to use the front entry as it was going to be surrounded by guests who were already told to leave by my father himself. I don’t know what happened to Shane, but I was sure that father would take care of him too. He was a fair and just Alpha and he didn’t differentiate in punishment, even if it was his own son.‘Tell the doctors to prepare a bed and be ready to receive a human patient,’ I telepathed Jade, as he was the only one I could trust right now, apart from Caroline. ‘Inform Caroline too. I’m nearly there.’I hadn’t trusted myself to take Aurora to a human hospital. I needed her to be near me, around people I could trust to treat her well and people who wouldn’t
Aurora's P.O.V:A slow beeping sound woke me up from a deep slumber.At first, everything in front of my eyes was hazy, unfocused, but slowly, as I blinked several times, my vision started to clear. But still the drowsiness wanted to take over me, lull me back into a deep sleep. But I fought the urge. Something felt wrong…different. And it scared me.Forcing my eyes open with all the strength I had, I looked up at the clear white ceiling and immediately knew that I was no longer in my own house.My house was falling apart, with fine cracks spreading like spider-webs on the ceiling and paint that was crusting off in flakes. This ceiling looked brand new and well kept.Fuck! Was I in a hospital? No! I couldn’t be! They would ask too many questions…I remembered what had happened at the party…and then getting home to find out that I had been sold off by my father…and those men…Mr. Hemming…I shut my eyes tightly as I tried to keep those memories away. I didn’t want to remember what happe
Caleb’s P.O.VIt was an odd sensation…this rejection…I know Aurora didn’t reject me as her mate, but the fact that she had cowered away from me, with that horrified expression on her face…it was no less than an actual rejection. And the more I thought about it, the more helpless I felt.I had never been helpless in my life before, but for the first time, I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t know how I could make it all better so Aurora wouldn’t be scared of me, and I didn’t know what to do to make her pain and anguish disappear.The poor girl had been suffering for so long…and I couldn’t believe how oblivious I had been all this time. I had seen the bruises from time to time, knew that her father was a drunk and a gambler, but never in my wildest imaginations had I thought he would go as low as to sell his own flesh and blood off to a bunch of-Suddenly, the piercing ring from a phone call brought me back to the present, and I saw my father dig into his pant pockets to fish out his pho
Aurora’s P.O.V“You have a lot of questions, I can tell.” Caroline guided me back to the bed I had woken up in and helped me sit down. “And I promise to answer as many of them as I can, but I need you to be open-minded about this, okay? Can you please do that for me?”Open minded? I wanted to laugh so badly at everything that was happening. I was pretty sure I was either already dead or hallucinating.Caleb could turn into an animal…a wolf! Caroline and her friends were all wolves. And even after what had happened in this very house…I still felt more comfortable with Caroline, despite her admitting to being a wolf.Either this was all just hallucination…or I was seriously losing my shit.“Have I gone crazy?” I asked Caroline instead, watching her as she went to shut the door to give us privacy…or probably to kill me without anyone noticing.“Of course not!” Caroline came forward to place her hands on my shoulders. “I’m so sorry you feel this way. Caleb and I didn’t want to break the n
Caroline’s P.O.VMy heart broke for Aurora. She had been through so much in such a short amount of time and I haven’t even told her the most vital part yet.“Do you want me to leave?” I asked her, hoping that she would disagree. “I can come back tomorrow morning, or-”“Stay with me!” Aurora caught my arm before I could finish the sentence. “Please.”Looking into her huge blue eyes, I felt a surge of relief that she wanted me to stay, but at the same time, an overwhelming feeling of guilt filled my heart. If Caleb hadn’t found out she was his mate, then we would have never known the life she was living. Would any of us had gone out of our way to help her or would we have kept our distance…never knowing the pain she was suffering in silence…until one day, she would be just another name in our distant memories.It made me feel like a horrible person. Knowing that it would’ve been her fate because we didn’t get involved in human matters, and neither were we allowed to harm them.“I think
Caleb’s P.O.VThe next morning, I woke up early despite not having had much sleep all night. Caroline had stayed with Aurora until she had fallen asleep early in the morning and then she had informed me that she was leaving.I had asked her to sleep over, in one of the guest rooms inside the pack house that was reserved for her, but she had told me about her parent’s over-reaction to finding out she wasn’t my mate. I wasn’t particularly interested in finding out about their reaction in details, but for the sake of my father’s business, I would have to.Caroline’s father was my father’s current beta and he would be one of my greatest allies when it came time for me to become the Alpha, so it was only fair that I took his advice to heart. However, I knew he wasn’t an irrational man, but now that he knew that his daughter won’t be the future Luna and will have to bow to a simple human instead…I had a pretty good idea of how good of a fit he was going to be throwing.Adults weren’t suppos
Aurora’s P.O.VMy heart was pounding in my chest, each beat echoing louder than the last as Caleb’s lips met mine. It started soft, almost hesitant, but quickly turned into something more intense, more consuming. I tangled my fingers in his hair, pulling him closer, needing more. His hands, strong and steady, gripped my waist, then slid up my back, leaving a trail of warmth wherever he touched.Every nerve in my body felt like it was buzzing, my skin tingling and burning under his touch. The kiss deepened, his tongue teasing mine, and I could barely think beyond the rush of sensations flooding me.A soft moan escaped my lips as I pressed myself against him, feeling his warmth and strength. My hands roamed over his shoulders, down his chest, unable to get enough. I was drowning in the taste of him, the feel of him. It was overwhelming, addictive. I’d never felt so alive, so on fire. Caleb’s hand slid under the robe, his fingers grazing my skin, and I shivered, arching into his touch. M
Caleb’s P.O.VI had no idea what else to do, so I led Aurora back to my room instead of hers. It felt safer this way, like keeping her close would keep her out of harm's reach, at least for the moment. "Here," I said, handing her a towel."You should dry your hair off." I tried to keep my voice steady, though everything felt off, like I was walking a razor-thin line. Aurora took the towel from me without a word and started dabbing at her damp hair."You can head to the bathroom while I find you something to change into," I added, feeling like I had to keep busy, to keep my mind off the fact that I had her in my room. I turned to leave, but just as I opened the door to head out, I heard her voice."Caleb?"I paused, glancing over my shoulder at her. Her eyes locked with mine, the vulnerability in them almost too much to bear."Yeah?" I asked, trying to sound calm."I... I need you," she said, her voice low, but desperate, and it hit me like a punch to the gut. "Please... help me forget
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.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, someth
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, hopi
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, he
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
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 onl
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