On the day of my marking ceremony, I don't receive flowers or a mate's embrace. Instead, I receive news that my boyfriend, Liam Hagerty, was caught in a snowstorm and his body was never found. I lose the man I love, and the pup in my belly loses its father. The grief nearly destroys me, but everyone keeps saying, "Aurora, stay strong—at least for the pup." On the day of the funeral, Liam's twin brother, Jasper Hagerty, returns from the border patrol with his mate. Every time I see Jasper's face—the exact same face as Liam's—my heart aches all over again. Then one night, I accidentally overhear a conversation between my mother-in-law—the old Luna—and Jasper. "Liam, you have to go through with this. Your brother died saving you, and your sister-in-law's been through so much. Let her give birth and have something to rely on. Then, you can host your marking ceremony with Aurora." Silence follows. Then "Jasper" speaks. "But what about Aurora? She's carrying my pup..." His mother sighs. "Aurora is strong and considerate. She'll understand." Jasper says in resignation, "Alright, Mom. I'll do as you say." That's when I realize Liam never died. The man I thought was my brother-in-law, Jasper, is just Liam putting on an act. Heartbroken beyond words, I call my older brother, Axel Maddox. "Axel, I want to come home. Liam is already dead, so there's no reason for me to stay here anymore."
Voir plusI left that place of sorrow with Axel and went back to live with his pack, where we kept to ourselves.I tried my best to forget the past, Liam, and all the pain. But in the quiet of the night, my thoughts still drifted back to him, to the good times we'd shared.One day, while Axel and I were gathering herbs in the yard, we heard a knock at the gate. Frowning, he went to answer it.As Axel opened the gate, he saw Liam on his knees, his face streaked with blood. Liam's eyes were filled with pain and regret.Axel's face twisted with rage. He swung without hesitation, snarling, "You've got some nerve coming here!"Liam didn't flinch. He took the blow without protest, still on his knees as he pleaded, "I just need to see Aurora, please."Axel pulled back for another hit, but I stood and met Liam's gaze with icy stillness. This time, I wouldn't let his words get through to me.The second Liam saw me, his eyes lit up with excitement. Still on his knees, he straightened his posture, h
Liam paused for just a second before reaching for the envelope. He tore it open and found my goodbye letter inside."Liam, living in this house without you is torture. Every glance at Jasper brings you to mind. The pain won't let me sleep. It's eating me alive night after night. That's why I'm leaving. I'm going home to try to move on."The words hit Liam like a punch to the chest. He crumpled to the floor, clutching the letter. Tears swam in his vision, turning everything hazy.Russell saw him unraveling and moved in, voice low with worry. "Liam, don't tear yourself up like this. Even from heaven, Ms. Maddox wouldn't want you hurting like this."Liam's head snapped up, his bloodshot eyes fixing on Russell. "You're right. Falling apart won't help. I need to find out what really happened to Aurora before she fell!"His body was weak, but he pushed through it, demanding, "Track down every detail about Aurora's movements before she went over the cliff. I need to know which Rogues tar
Liam was stunned. "What?"Shocked, Liam's face turned deathly pale. His body went rigid, and then he dropped straight to the floor, out cold.…When Liam finally came to, he was in a hospital.He shot upright and grabbed Russell by the collar. "Where's Aurora? Is she okay? Did anyone find her?"Russell hesitated, then shook his head. "Mr. Hagerty, the pack's search team is already on it, b-but that cliff is too high. The odds of survival are basically zero."Liam's eyes burned with a red haze. He shoved Russell away and stumbled toward the door. "I'm going to find her. She's out there alone. She must be terrified."Russell and the bodyguards rushed after him.The whole way, Liam forced himself forward on pure willpower, barely managing to drag himself to the cliff's edge. His body shook as he stared down into the endless drop."Aurora!" Liam's voice ripped through the air, hoarse and broken, ringing through the valley.The rescue team moved in, their voices careful. "Mr. Hag
I stayed quiet, lost in memories of the past.When I heard the news about Liam's death, I was so overwhelmed with grief that I actually got sick. I didn't even get to see his body, much less attend his funeral.By the time I got out of the hospital, all that was left was his grave. However, I believed in what we'd had—those five years together—so it never even crossed my mind that any of it might've been fake.Unbothered, Freya stepped up to the bed and stared down at me like I was beneath her. "Aurora, you still haven't figured out that Liam was playing you this whole time?"I clenched my fists, barely holding back my anger.But Freya only looked more pleased with herself. She leaned in close, her voice a taunting whisper. "You know, Liam treats me like something precious. He won't even let me pour my own water."He takes me shopping and traveling. He even gave me the pack's most expensive white fox fur coat. Everyone knows I'm his true mate. And you? You're just a worthless Ome
Tears filled my eyes again. The pain hit me so hard that my legs gave out, and I crumpled to the floor, sobbing uncontrollably.A nurse hurried over and patted my shoulder. "Miss, are you okay? We can always do this another day if you're not ready."I pressed my hands over my ears, my cheeks slick with tears.There was no denying the truth—I still loved Liam. He'd lied to me and hurt me, but I still couldn't stop thinking about him.My heart felt like it was being torn apart, the agony so raw I could hardly breathe.My hand shook as I pressed it to my stomach, remembering the steady thump of the pup's heartbeat from the monitor at the prenatal appointment. The sound filled me with something soft and fragile.I owed Liam another chance, even if it was just for the pup. I had to try. I wiped my tears and picked up my phone, dialing Liam.His voice sounded from the other end of the line. "Hey, Aurora? What's up? I'm in the middle of something—""Liam, I need to talk to you. Can yo
Liam froze, his eyes reddening slightly. He reached out as if to pull me into a hug, but his hands stopped midair as if he'd suddenly remembered the role he was playing.After a brief pause, he pulled himself together and chuckled. "Aurora, you miss Liam so much that you're seeing him in me. But it's okay. I'll look after you and your pup in his place."His voice was full of concern, but what he didn't know was that I didn't want Jasper looking after me—I wanted him to care for me as Liam himself.I lowered my eyes, my fists tightening as I held back the urge to ask who he really was. But I knew no matter how hard I pushed, he wouldn't tell me the truth.It'd only make things strained between us, or worse, make him suspicious and ruin my chances of getting away. So, I kept quiet.Liam didn't seem to notice anything unusual about me. He gave my shoulder a light pat and spoke softly. "You should get some rest. Just say the word if you need anything."With that, he turned and left,
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