Ethan’s POV“Whatever scientific hoo-hah they were using to heal her so fast has worn off,” grunted the Medic, a muscular young woman with a stern jaw and an even sterner expression. She was no-nonsense, and she didn’t like to be left guessing.Aria’s condition had left her guessing.“That’s why she’s bleeding?” I asked, hating the tinge of desperation in my voice. What I really wanted to say was: It wasn’t me that hurt her?I hated that it was even a possibility. I’d been so overwhelmed by emotions back in her guest suite, warmed by her seeming acceptance of what I was convinced was our mate bond, that I hadn't been able to stop myself from clutching her tight. Too tight. With her wolf still suppressed, I couldn’t confirm my suspicions that we were mates – but the fact that Aria had felt it too was all the confirmation I really needed. It had hit me when I'd carried her home, the enormity of what I'd done, and somewhere between then and Aria waking up I'd decided it had to be the tr
“What, exactly, did you tell Ethan?”Zoe looked out of place in the pack hospital, too sharp and dark for the rumpled white bedding and soft cream walls. Even her back was held rigid as she surveyed me, her eyeliner creasing into folds as she narrowed her eyes at me.She’d been kinder than normal until now, although she wasn’t one to fuss, which I was darn glad of. Ethan had been acting like a mother hen since he’d discovered our mate bond. He’d barely let me out of his sight. It would’ve been sweet… if it had been real.I swallowed the sudden lump in my throat. With everything that had happened with the Rogues, I’d let my other concerns slip. Even Ethan telling me he thought I had cheated on him, when he’d been the snake kissing Selene on that stage, had faded into dim unimportance.Dying – okay, sort of dying – had thrown everything into sharp relief. Sammy was all that mattered to me. I hadn’t given up on my revenge plans – far from it – but the reason behind it felt less like the
Aurora’s POVIt wasn’t awful because I didn’t want Violet back. In fact, it wasn’t awful at all to begin with.Sammy was asleep on my hospital bed. He’d spent the evening here with me, chattering away about the pack’s day care and the friends he was making. He’d told me about staying with Zoe and how much fun he was having with her, but how much he missed me. My heart had panged with every word.“–And Auntie Zoe gave me chocolate ice cream for breakfast!” He’d slapped a tiny hand over his mouth, his eyes going wide. “I wasn’t supposed to tell you that,” he’d whispered, a blush crawling up his rounded cheeks.I wouldn’t normally let him have dessert for breakfast, but given the circumstances… “Don’t tell Auntie Zoe you told me.” I’d put a finger to my lips. “But if it’s okay with you, then it’s okay with me.”He’d grinned. “Really, Mum?”“Really.”“I’m going to have ice cream for breakfast every day!”I didn’t care if the sugar rush lasted forever, as long as he was coping with the tur
Ethan’s POVAria’s eyes narrowed. Or were they Aurora’s eyes? “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she lied, so smoothly that I almost believed her.‘Mate!’ howled Sterling, over and over and over again. ‘Violet’s back, Violet’s back!’I crossed my arms tightly over my chest. “Sterling can smell Violet. I can feel the mate bond between us. There’s no point lying about it.”“I’m not lying,” she sniped. She didn’t seem scared or even worried; she just seemed annoyed. Annoyed at being caught out? Or was she annoyed at not being believed?I inhaled deeply. It had been six years since I’d been close enough to Aurora to smell her, but breathing her scent in took me straight back. It was as though we’d never left the past. That time suddenly ceased to exist. We were back together, spending lazy mornings under the covers, two steaming cups of coffee on the nightstand and a book face-down on Aurora’s lap. Her hair smelled of her favourite shampoo – one from the local salon that just smel
Aurora’s POVI had one last-ditch attempt at making a plan. In the ten seconds I had to come up with something genius, the best I could do was: plead innocence.‘You’re innocent until proven guilty,’ Violet agreed, though she didn’t sound convinced.I didn’t have a chance to think of anything better. Ready or not, it was game time. There were torturous moments where I believed it could never work. Ethan kept insisting that I was Aurora, his dark eyes so intense they scared me. Then he looked at Sammy, and my heart iced over. No. He could do what he wanted to me – but he wouldn’t lay a finger on Sammy. I would die protecting my son, and I would force my way out of my grave to keep on protecting him if I had to. I’d done it before. I’d find a way to damn well do it again.“Ethan, I don’t know what’s going on.” I pleaded with him, hating my simpering tone but sticking to it as I saw the first glimmer of confusion taking hold of him. “I’m not your dead wife. I’m me.”He looked so devast
Aurora’s POVThe next day, I’d healed enough to leave the pack hospital. The day after that, I decided I was done with resting and needed to get back to work.I had a few new scars on my torso and down my arms and legs, but none of them bothered me as much as the angry red scrape down my cheek. Violet promised they’d heal in time, thanks to her wolfish accelerated healing, but I didn’t want them to disappear one day in the future. I wanted them gone now.Although I’d healed physically, I hadn’t begun to get over the trauma of my attack. Every time I saw that slash down my cheek in the mirror, or my glassy reflection in a dark window , I was dragged back to those frozen woods, to that icy stone slab, to Dominic’s arrogant smirk – and to the pain that followed it.Sammy was the only thing holding me together. With no purpose but healing, I’d struggled to draw myself out of the past and into the present. If not for my son, I might have lost myself a second time in the pristine white of t
Aurora’s POV It took me half an hour to pull myself together enough to finish the drive home. I didn’t want to, but… I knew what I had to do.I’d stumbled out of the car, squinting into the too-bright headlights for a glimpse of Selene’s blonde hair. After she’d waved and winked at me, she’d skipped away, agile on her high heels even in the autumn rain. I’d stood, leaning on the bonnet of the car for support, trying to spot her as fogginess and dizziness took hold of my mind.I’d seen Selene twice now, and I could’ve sworn I’d heard her laughing at me in the woods with Dominic. My skin crawled as the sound lingered in my memory. If she’d been in the coffee shop, the woods, and now here…She wasn’t in Berlin. She was here, in Midnight City.Either she was lying to Ethan – or Ethan was lying to me. I had to confront him. I weighed the risks as I navigated the city roads. Unless they were in on it together, Ethan felt like less of a threat to me than Selene Snowfield did. After all, it
Ethan’s POV‘What is your problem?’ huffed Sterling as I bolted out of Aria’s room. ‘You practically ran out of there.’‘I don’t know.’ I slammed the door open and kicked it shut behind me. Then I fell back against the wood with a groan. ‘Something’s not right.’‘Well, yes. Obviously.’‘Why does she care about Selene so much?’ I pushed away from the door and started to pace. ‘It doesn’t make any sense.’‘It does,’ he said levelly, every word carefully considered. ‘She’s our mate. Selene is your wife. She might be jealous.’Because every word was so well chosen, my back prickled at his choice of might. ‘She might be jealous?’‘It would make sense.’I sighed. ‘But?’‘But it would also make sense if our earlier suspicions had some truth to them.’‘What do you mean?’This time, it was Sterling who sighed. ‘Who would have more reason to hate Selene than anyone?’It took me a moment, but when I got it my heart dropped right down to my feet. ‘Aurora,’ I said.‘Exactly.’I dragged a hand thro