LOGINAurora's POVThump. Thump, thump.The repeated sounds of my heartbeat at the base of my throat did not shatter the peace but lent to it.My brow furrowed slightly as I continued to breathe, with warmth spreading through my body.A faint scent of marigolds, something I could easily recognize but had not smelt for a long time, wafted past my nostrils.“Had enough rest, Alora?”My eyes snapped open at the sound of that voice and my body, though previously strengthless, had become instantly energized. I rushed to my feet, the robes I was wearing swaying over my feet.“Sorry, Master,” I found myself saying, but in my heart I was confused. Where was I?The sunlight was blinding, I realized. And I had been laying down to rest under the shade of a tree. But now, my eyes were drawn to a castle in the distance.Something stirred in my gut.Where was I?How had I gotten here?‘We have been here before,’ Amber’s voice rang through the mindlink. ‘You simply forgot.’What?“Snap back to reality,
Aurora’s POVI had not expected to be attacked tonight when I thought it was all nearly over. The sentencing would be tomorrow, and I was ready to get things over with. For the first time I had let go of all my inhibitions and slept like a baby after retiring for the night.I was only grateful that things had not gone so far that I could not overpower this woman.The two men in the room growled at Seraphina’s words as if on cue. It was a clear threat to me. I pursed my lips.I didn't want her dead yet. If she was to die, her dealings with the rogues truly needed to be exposed.“Then I will kill you first,” Zephyr tightened his grip on her neck, leaving her wheezing with a pitiful expression on her face.“Zephyr, no,” but before I could continue, the rogue leader cried out,falling to his knees.“Oathbreaker,” Seraphina chuckled hoarsely, as Zephyr was left a writhing mess on the ground.I froze. That voice. It didn't seem to come from Seraphina (or Rosalie Blackwood) herself. It cam
Alaric’s POVThe mansion was quiet and the night was deep when I finally returned.My shoulders were relaxed, not because the issues between the Elders had been resolved, but that I had worn myself out from hours of endless discussions, arguments and in between those moments, turbulent emotions tinged with regret and a desire to do things over.Only the night guards on shift were aware of my entering, and they bowed to me, in silent greeting.I waved them off and slipped into the foyer of the mansion.But suddenly I frowned. The house was silent, no movement, no person awake.However it felt odd.I had felt those oddities before, but those times when my mind was addled and seraphina always found a way to distract me, I never really thought of them as important.Now it was different.Even my wolf was alert.‘Something is wrong,’ my Wolf intoned, the itch to react rising within me and causing my skin to feel a tightness borne from feeling the air constrict around you.I raised my nose
Rosalie’s/Seraphina’s POVDrip. Drip. Drip.My eyes flashed, though my head remained lowered.My skin felt like ants were crawling over it.My lips moved, curses and rambling on the tip of my tongue, but there was no sound that left my lips.It was that damned Elder. She was more skilled than I expected. She had bound me after Aurora, that bitch. Had ruined my plans and set Alaric free from my hold.Everything had gone downhill after that.The dull ache at the back of my head sharpened, and I gasped, curling on the stone floor as a hand, invisible, wrapped around my neck and my heart, squeezing with venomous rage.‘Failure! You fail and fail! That’s all you do!!’Asura raged in my head and I coughed out, copper on my tongue and my blood spilling from my lips, dripping onto the floor.The sounds of dripping continued in the background, and it was maddening.I was going insane.‘Your fault. You should have told me she was that powerful,’ I couldn't help but snap,, my patience already w
Aurora’s POVBy the time I had come to a decision on what to do, I could already hear Elder Miriam pattering about in the kitchen.Zephyr had given me information which had put a lot of things into perspective.But could I really trust it?I didn't know, but one thing I knew was that he couldn't stay here.Elder Miriam for one, would not let him stay for one more night.“You,” I kept my tone even. “Will come home with me.”His eyes lit up, emotions of relief and exhaustion flooding his sclera and red pupils sarky standing out.“Thank you, my lady,” he sounded ever so subservient. If I didn't know him to be a rogue leader now, I would have assumed he was a puppy I had trained and kept under my thumb.To be fair, I intended to do just that, keep him under my thumb.“First,’ I gestured to the pendant. “This stays with me for now. Until everything is handled.”Then I cast a spell in his direction, muttering the enchantment of the concealment spell, and linking a tethering harm to him a
Alaric’s POV“Alpha.”The knocks on the door of my study roused me from the reverie I was in.I had spent so long staring out the window that I was unsure of how much time had truly passed.When I turned my head, the first thing that caught my attention were those papers, laying on the carpet a few feet away from me.The divorce petition.It was a reality I couldn't accept.However, when I thought of Aurora’s words at the clinic earlier that afternoon, there was a pressure in my chest that I found hard to settle.She was leaving me.It was a bitter truth, something I found I could not, for the life of me, swallow comfortably.But it was true.‘It’s not final yet. There's still time to convince her otherwise,’ a voice in my head stated.I slowly stood, listening to the knocks on the door. I had locked the study door from the inside. I had needed time to think, time to process. But it wasn't enough.Seeing the sunset carve its path across the sky and stream in with radiant orange rays
Aurora’s POVThe effect on Seraphina was sudden. She blinked once, twice, then her eyes reddened, and so did her cheeks. She looked embarrassed,and this time I knew it was sincere, because every time Eva hit, she always struck right at the heart.I had to admit though, I never expected Eva to come
Aurora’s POVMy heart ached, my mind was a mess, simply from one encounter. Simply from those words that left my son’s mouth, I was once again thrown into the mire, reminding me of the scene before my death in my previous life.I closed my eyes, trying to breathe, trying to pull myself back into th
Alaric’s POVWatching her leave again was infuriating.Everything was wrong. It wasn’t supposed to be like this. I stared at my mate’s back, unable to hide the frustration that welled up.She hadn't been like this before. She had been much more understanding. She took care of matters without compla
Aurora’s POVI held my breath briefly, feeling like even the air held contamination.“Stay behind me,” I lowered my voice into a whisper to Lyra, who nodded quickly. Her glowing, smiling face had turned pale, and I caught a trace of fear in her eyes.As I walked through the hallway and passed the r







