Every breath I breathe is burdened by the tension in the air between us, which feels as dense as fog. Alicia looks around warily, her eyes darting as if she's looking for someone who might be listening in. Her voice drops to a secretive whisper as she takes a step closer.She says, "Bennet regrets rejecting you, Aurora," in a sweet voice that sounds like she's giving a perverse gift. "He desires your return."Her words taunt me for a moment as they linger in the air. Something old and painful is simmering deep inside of me, and I can feel my heart skip a beat. But I push it down immediately. After everything, Bennet isn't worthy of my thoughts. Right now, he's the last person I want to hear about.My fists clench at my sides as I gaze at Alicia. I struggle to maintain my composure as I bite out, "I don't care what Bennet wants." "He made his decision. I was thrown away by him.With that sickly sweet smile still on her face, she shrugs. Did he? Did you push him away instead? Bennet alw
I sat on the edge of the bed with my hands twisted in my lap, the tension in the room oppressive. My stomach turns over with nervousness. I've mentally practiced the words a dozen times, but none of them seem to fit. They all feel too frail and helpless to withstand what I'm going to say.With his back to me, Callum stands by the window. Everything feels colder because of the eerie glow provided by the moonlight's long-lasting shadows on the floor. My heart beats steadily in my chest, and the longer the silence lasts, the louder it appears to get.I am aware that I must inform him about the visit from Alicia and Cassandra. I can no longer hide this from him. However, when I open my mouth, I am tightly held back by my fear of what he could say or think. I make myself talk, but my voice sounds a little shaky."Callum." I start out very quietly, speaking hardly louder than a whisper. "I need to share something with you."He doesn’t turn around. Even though we are in the same room, I can
Tension permeates the morning air. I sense it as soon as I enter the packhouse…the pressure of the looks and the whispers that seem to follow me everywhere. A well-known knot of anxiety tightens in my chest as my heart sinks. This feels different, even though I've always understood that this pack can be vicious when it comes to gossip. more malevolent. more intimate.Greta is here. I'm positive it is. She has been lying to the pack about Bennet, about me, and about my pregnancy. People have turned against me because of her venomous voice, which has slithered through the packhouse's walls. Their criticism is like jagged claws piercing my flesh.I overhear bits of talk among a bunch of pack members as I walk by them."She has reportedly been skulking around with Bennet the entire time."She can't handle Callum's charms. She has been deceiving everyone."The infant... Do you even believe it to be his?I get a wave of nausea that makes my stomach turn. I want to yell at them, to tell them
I'm startled by Mia's words as she carries me into a dimly lit area of the packhouse, her hands shaking a little and her face going white. Even before she makes a single word, the intensity in her face chills me.With terrified eyes, she whispers, "Aurora, I heard something." "It's awful, I mean really awful."My heart is already racing in my chest as I frown. If it wasn't serious, Mia wouldn't draw me aside like this. "What is it?"She looks around to make sure no one is listening as she breathes, "Greta." "Tonight, she intends to meet with the betrayer."I feel as though the walls are closing in on me, and my stomach drops like a stone. The betrayer. the one who has been working against us and causing this catastrophe and confusion. The mere notion that Greta is working with them hat is, meeting with them makes me feel angry and afraid."Are you certain?" I try not to tremble when I ask, but it's obvious that I'm afraid.Mia gives a short nod, her face pallid. In the garden, I heard
The night air is thick and heavy as if the whole forest is holding its breath. I remain close to the woods, my heart hammering in my chest so loudly I’m sure someone will hear it. The ancient tower looms ahead, its silhouette dark and ominous against the starry sky. My heart quickens with each step closer, knowing this spot might either contain the key to my rescue or lead me into a trap. I squat low, creeping forward with precise, methodical motions. Every snap of a tree or rustle of leaves sets my nerves on edge. I can’t afford to make a sound, can’t afford to be caught now. The closer I get, the more my concern rises. Greta is in there, conversing with the offender. The concept alone makes my blood boil, but I push myself to keep focused. I need to know who she’s working with. I need to stop them, once and for all. But one false move, and I’ll lose everything. The watchtower sits in front of me, abandoned and deteriorating, its stone walls covered with moss and vegetat
The cool night air brushes over my skin as I lean my body closer to the stone wall, scarcely daring to breathe. My heart thunders in my chest, the suspense is excruciating. I bend closer, careful not to make a sound, attempting to hear any more of the exchange between Greta and the spy. For a minute, there’s quiet. I’m holding my breath, waiting for something.....anything....that will give me an indication to who it is. Greta stands aside, and in that one, horrifying second, my world falls. Bennet. He’s standing there, his face gloomy, his stare frigid as stone. I blink, my heart stuttering, trying to fathom what I’m witnessing. Bennet is the enemy. I swallow back a gasp, my whole body stiffening in astonishment. The guy who once professed to love me, who disregarded me and left me shattered, had been working with Greta all along. My mind racing, trying to make sense of everything, but the pieces fit into place with horrible certainty. This entire time... It was him. A w
I barely manage to stifle the cry rising in my throat as the sharp crack of a twig resonates under my foot. Damn it. My heart pounds so loudly that I think they can hear it too. The chilly night air wraps around me like a suffocating blanket, making my every nerve tremble with anxiety. I freeze, pressing myself even further against the wall, hoping to the moon that the sound goes undetected. But Bennet’s head snaps up swiftly, his eyes narrowing as they scan the darkness. His whole body turns rigid, and I can practically feel the gears moving in his mind. I hold my breath, pushing myself to fade into the darkness. My heartbeat pounds in my ears, a continuous reminder that one incorrect action may end everything. One false breath and it’s done. Bennet’s gaze searches the surroundings, his nostrils twitching as if he’s attempting to scent something...or someone. Me. “Did you hear that?” Bennet mutters, his voice low and tight, but not low enough to escape my quick ears. Gr
Bennet's eyes are flaming with rage as he tightens his hold on my arm. I prepare for the worst, but before he can approach me again, the night air is broken by a bone-chilling howl. Bennet is stopped in his tracks by the loud, shrill sound that reverberates across the jungle.Everything pauses for a second. As Bennet hears the cry in the distance, his head jerks up and his eyes narrow. Just enough of his hold on my arm lets go, allowing me to twist away. Not in my opinion. Instinct takes control. My heart slams against my ribs as I dash into the woods, my body moving before my thoughts can keep up.My feet thud against the forest floor, each step quicker than the previous, and I barely control the need to scream out. I stutter over roots concealed in the shadows and feel branches slap against my face, but I keep going. I'm unable to stop. I must leave.Bennet's piercing, enraged voice can be heard behind me. He yells, "Get her!" to Greta. “Don’t let her get away!”The sound of their v
Bennet's comments weigh heavily on us both, causing Callum's face to go pale and his eyes to widen in disbelief. I feel as though I can't breathe because of the oppressive silence that envelops me like a vice."My father," Callum mumbles, hardly able to put the words into words. "What happened to your family is his fault?"Bennet doesn't avert her gaze. His voice is weighted with regret, grief, and remorse, and his face is bleak. "Yes."The earth sways. I feel as like I'm standing on the precipice of a collapsing cliff, one step from plunging into an abyss from which I will never be able to recover, and the ground beneath me is shaky.As I turn to face Callum, tears sting my eyes and my heart bursts out in ways I never knew were possible. I stutter, my voice scratchy and hardly audible above a whisper, "You knew." "Did you not?"Callum's face flashes with desperation as he rapidly shakes his head. "No, Aurora. I promise you that I didn't know everything. His hands extend toward me, bu
"I had no idea!" I take a step back, but Callum's eyes are suddenly wild and his hands are reaching for me once more. I must not allow him to touch me. Not right now. Not in this manner. "I never would have…I would have stopped him, Aurora, if I had known. You must think so. Please.I am so conflicted right now that I cannot even begin to describe it. I'd like to think he's real. Yes, I do. However, the truth is staring at me with all of its ugly weight, right in front of me. It was his father's fault. Additionally, Callum was supposed to be unique. The one who wasn't like them was supposed to be him.What if he is, though? What if he is actually just like the others? Better than the monster that robbed me of my family?I try to contain the sob that catches in my throat by putting my fingers to my lips. I won't let him witness my breakdown. Not right now. Not in this manner.I mumble, "I don't know what to believe anymore," in a voice so shattered that it hardly sounds like mine.The
Bennet steps forward slowly, his face serious, something in his eyes that I can't quite identify. A cautionary tale? An appeal? Or worse?"Callum, there's more about Aurora's family that you don't know." Even though his voice is soft, I can feel the weight of it making my stomach turn. "Whatever became of them."My breath catches in my throat and I stiffen. His delivery is more than a simple epiphany. Something sinister is going on. I may not be prepared to hear it.With a look of worry on his face, Callum looks at me before turning back to Bennet. "What are you discussing?"Bennet pauses. For a moment only. However, it's sufficient to validate my worst suspicions.He has some knowledge. Something he ought not to do.There's something about me.My voice is hardly audible above a whisper as I say, "Bennet." "What do you mean?"When he stares at me, his eyes are filled with guilt. Genuine, unadulterated guilt. My heartbeat quickens.Then he utters it."The deaths of Aurora's family were
I stand still, my heart thumping in my chest, the air around me heavy, almost oppressive. My thoughts and basic life are constantly under strain from Victor's words, which linger in the air. Deep within me, I sense a force that is new to me…power that is unbridled and raw…calling to me.Callum puts his hand in mine and wraps his fingers firmly around my wrist, bringing me back to the here and now. Though I can feel the tremble of worry coursing through him, his grip is strong. He draws me away, obscuring my eyes from Victor's piercing stare.Aurora, don't listen to him. He's telling lies. Although Callum's voice is urgent, I was surprised by how deeply it conveys desperation. It's difficult to cling to that right now, even though his comments are meant to reassure me and remind me of who I am and have always been. Because what Victor is saying seems too real.For a second, I want to believe Callum when I look at him. Even while I want to fully trust him, I can feel the change, the fla
As Victor observes me, his smile is icy, bordering on cruel. His eyes shine with contentment, and I can feel his words weighing heavily and suffocatingly on me. It feels like the earth has moved underfoot and I'm sinking into an unavoidable darkness. His cold, relentless presence hovers above me."You think you're just an ordinary wolf, Aurora?" His low voice is a warning, a taunt. "That is far from who you are."His words tighten with every breath, encircling me like a trap and causing every fiber in my body to clench, freezing me in place. I whisper, "You don't know what you're talking about," yet something inside of me recognizes. I have a strong want to believe him, yet I am unable to do so. I won't. This isn't possible.Victor takes a stride toward us, bringing us closer. My pulse quickens as I sense the heat of his presence. His calculating, black eyes never leave me. He knows he has me where he wants me, and his smirk widens as his lips twist higher."Haven't you always sensed
I'm under pressure from the rogue, but I don't have time to reflect. No more. Everything is blending into a single, chaotic jumble of snarls, blood, and desperation as the globe spins too quickly. Even if my hands shake around the dagger, I am no longer strong enough to defend myself. Not by themselves.A slight smirk tugs at Victor's lips as he stands across from me, his eyes never leaving mine. He knows, I see. He is aware of my thoughts and feelings. The decision I must make.The decision is pressing down on me like a thousand pounds, and I can feel my chest constricting and my breathing getting short. I turn to face Callum, who has always been there for me and is my guardian. The one who, even in the most dire circumstances, has never faltered. There is something raw in his golden eyes: love, rage, and terror. His voice is low and desperate, and he tightens his hold on my arm, drawing me back slightly.Callum's voice is hardly audible above the din of the battlefield, but he whisp
As it charges with its teeth bared and saliva streaming from its mouth, the rogue's eyes pierce mine. I automatically sidestep, my heart hammering against my ribs, but the beast is faster than I thought. The air is knocked out of my lungs as it crashes into me. Pain shooting through my chest, I fight to stay upright as the forest spins.The rogue is unrelenting as I swing my knife, aiming for its throat. Snarling, it dodges and pushes me back toward the trees. The impact's force causes my eyesight to blur, and for a split second, I worry that I won't survive this battle.My feet slip on the blood-slick floor as I scramble. Even if my breathing is labored, I don't give up and continue to move. It's no longer just about me. It's about defending my pack and those who have battled beside me. I cannot allow Victor to triumph.I lift my dagger, the blade gleaming in the moonlight, as the rogue lunges once more. I swing it as hard as I can with what little strength I have left. A deep gash i
The night devolves into mayhem. The air is filled with growls and snarls as bodies collide, claws tearing through fur, fangs digging into flesh. Blood is all over the woodland floor, and the smell is overpowering. A rogue lunges at me, its eyes blazing with bloodlust, before I can even react.Callum moves like a blur and slams a vicious blow into it before it can get to me. With a shriek of anguish, the rogue falls to the ground as his claws sever its side. He doesn't think twice. With one more deadly strike, he completes the job and turns to face me."Stay close," he growls, looking over the battlefield with his golden gaze. "I won’t let them touch you."I tighten my hold on my dagger and nod.Bennet, on the other hand, battles like a man under a spell. His movements are precise, his strikes are powerful, and each attack is planned for maximum damage. Tonight, he is different. He doesn't hesitate or let any residual feelings stop him. With every enemy he defeats, it seems as though h
As we run through the woodland, Callum's hand firmly holding mine, the tension in the air is palpable. Every stride Victor's army takes gets louder and closer until I can hear it echoing in my ears. The trees appear to close in, winding around us like a prison, and my heart thuds in my chest."We must continue to move," Callum exhorts in a stern yet quiet voice. Even though I can feel the weight of the looming conflict bearing down on us, his eyes spark with resolve.I nod, but my body is exhausted from the mental maelstrom roiling inside of me as much as the running, and my legs feel heavy. Though Bennet's revelation still taints my thoughts like a poison, I can't afford to be weak right now. Not when we are about to die.The rustle of leaves in front of me abruptly stops me in my tracks. As others start to appear out of the darkness, I know what's happening and my blood chills. Victor's outlaws. They are present. There were dozens of them, encircling us from all sides and obstructin