Aurora’s P.O.V“Caleb told me what happened yesterday.” Caroline sat on the bed opposite to me, reapplying the bandage on my arm. It was almost healed, that too in a matter of a couple of days, but she insisted that I keep it on for another day or two, so it can heal properly without any permanent bone damage.“Are you going to tell me that it’s just a kiss?” I asked, looking at her beautiful face to see her reaction. “Are you going to tell me to give him another chance as well?”Caleb’s kiss had taken me by surprise; caught me completely off-guard. But if I was being very honest, it had left me breathless and wanting more at the same time…until the realization of what he had stolen had set in. It hadn’t been just a kiss; it had been a dream for me, to kiss the boy I love on my first proper date. However, I had soon realized that there had been another completely different reason for my disappointment in Caleb. And it hadn’t just been because of a stolen first kiss. If Caroline asked
Aurora’s P.O.V“I love Caleb, like any sibling would love another. But that’s about it.” She shrugged her shoulders. “We know each other too well; in fact, we are very similar people.” She repeated my thoughts from earlier, much to my surprise. “To me, Caleb is the one person who I can always rely on during troubled times, but I could never imagine him as a partner for life. And besides, I’m tired of living up to everyone’s expectations. I don’t want to be the person that my pack wants me to be. I just want to be myself.”“Your love towards Caleb…it turned into your cage…your resentment.”I finally understood what she was meaning to tell me all this time. She and Caleb had been forced into a relationship together because others had wanted them to work out, but it wasn’t what Caroline had wanted. The love she had once felt towards Caleb; be it as a friend or as a sibling…it had become her cage, because she hadn’t been able to express herself clearly to everyone.But as Caroline describe
Caleb’s P.O.V“How is she?” I asked as soon as I saw Caroline walk up to my car early next morning.I had to practice for an upcoming match with the Ellsworth High Football team that was going to be led by Damien, the future Alpha of our neighbouring pack and my enemy since my early teenhood. It was a match I was looking forward to because of Damien’s recent challenge to me, but since I had finished practice really late last night, I hadn’t been able to visit Aurora at all.I had wanted to apologize, I really had and I knew procrastinating won’t get me anywhere, but I was a bit nervous to face her after what had happened. My wolf was anxious too, but I wanted this to be special. I had stolen her first kiss without her permission…so when I went to apologize, I wanted it to be exactly how she had hoped her first kiss to be.“A lot better,” Caroline gave me a bright smile, as she answered my previous question. “I did warn her that you might not be able to visit as often as you did before
Caleb’s P.O.V“What?” Caroline’s head turned in my direction immediately, her eyes wide with surprise. “You? Bake a cake? Whatever for?”Well, at least I successfully had her attention. “I wanted to apologize to Aurora properly…and to invite her to my game…but I wanted to do everything right this time.” I told her now.Even though she was my mate, I hardly knew her and she hardly knew me. I wanted her to like me and I wanted to earn her trust. Both of which would require a lot of effort on my part. And I was ready to make that effort; but I also needed guidance on how to win a woman’s heart. So, who better to ask than my best friend?“Aurora doesn’t like cake. She’s more of a savoury person.” Caroline told me after a few seconds of silence, appearing to be deep in thought. “Rather than cake, maybe try to make her dumplings? I think she’d prefer pork and shrimp or even chicken and chives. I’ll help you make them.”Suddenly, a thought came to my mind.“You know…I might be wrong on this,
Caleb’s P.O.VI shook my head at the ridiculous behavior, laughing at Caroline as she stormed up the stairs. The rest of the girls did turn to give me a mean look even though I hadn’t done anything, but I guess that was how girl gangs worked?Jade, having witnessed the whole incident, gave me a ‘what-did-you-do-this-time’ look. Shaking my head at her antics, I told Jade why Caroline had been so upset. But instead of laughing at the joke, he seemed to be deep in thought.“Come on, man!” I shook my head, slapping my hand on his shoulder to snap him out of that look. “It was a joke. Of course Caroline isn’t gay!”“I know.” Jade nodded. “But that’s not what I was thinking about.”“Then what were you thinking about?” I raised my eyebrows at him.I had been just joking! Seriously! Aurora was already my mate and even if Caroline was gay…which I knew she wasn’t, I think…there was no way in hell I was letting her near Aurora again if she thought she was going to steal my girl.“It’s about what
Caleb’s P.O.VI was about to head to my first class, Geography, when I though I heard Caroline’s voice from down the hall.The hallways were all empty after the first bell, and with the second bell only a minute away, the only people who would be loitering around would be the ones who wanted to cut class and smoke weed in the washrooms. But Caroline wasn’t one of them. I don’t think she had ever cut class in her life.Which was why I found the situation to be a bit odd, to say the least. Did I hear it right? Was I mistaken about the voice?“Why? Why would you do such a thing?”Yup. It was definitely Caroline. It was a voice I had heard since I was a child.Changing routs before the teacher spotted me, I headed down the empty hallway that led to an empty classroom at the end of the hall, and found the door locked, as expected. But it wasn’t going to stop me from finding out what was going on. So I used only a bit of my strength, and the lock broke right off as I pulled the door open to
Caleb’s P.O.VThe girls stared at me in awe, and fear, not used to having me snap at them like this. But I was far from done with them.“How come you don’t know that? If your mate turns out to be from another pack, I’d dare you to try and ignore the pull. Because you won’t be able to hold back then, and no one will hold you back either! Our wolf’s loyalty is to our mates first and foremost and no fool, who has found their mate, would ever oppose to such a sacred bond!”Caroline was suddenly beside me, pulling me back, and I realized only then that I had walked up to the other women, invading their personal space until I was all but breathing down their neck. Thankfully, Caroline had stopped me right on time or there would’ve been some dangerous consequences. “Look, I know you guys are upset that Shane had to leave,” Caroline spoke calmly, her voice soft but firm. “But that didn’t give you the right to act rashly with Aurora or provide her with false information and half-truths.”“She
Aurora’s P.O.VI hadn’t spoken to Caleb for two days and neither had he come to visit me even once during that time. The realization wasn’t a pleasant one and it made me doubt myself even more.Had I been too demanding? Had I been too childish? Had Caleb given up on me?The last idea seemed absurd…considering how Caroline had glorified the mating bond…but it also made me think deeply about my own actions.For the last six years, I had been completely alone. The only companion I had was Riley. He had been the only person I had loved, cherished and cared for. My crush for Caleb had seemed as impossible as the existence of werewolves themselves. And yet, here I was, right at the centre of a werewolf pack and as it turns out, as Caleb’s mate. I was someone he could never hurt, never turn down.But had I taken advantage of the kindness he had shown me? Had I grown conceited because of the mating bond, thinking that he would bend to my every request?Was it so wrong for one single thing in m
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