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 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
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 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'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
The night air seems cooler now. It's not warm enough.I stand there, motionless, my arms wrapped tightly around myself as if that might keep me from coming apart. The trees shake about me, whispering whispers I can’t hear, while the moon looks down, mute and uncaring.Callum is still there.I feel his presence before I ever see him move. He's standing only a few steps away, hands tightening and unclenching at his sides, like he’s fighting himself. “Aurora…” His voice breaks, raw with pain.I shut my eyes, hoping I could forget everything. Wishing I could go back to before—before Bennet's comments ruined the delicate trust between us. Before the truth fought its way into my heart and left nothing but pain.“I can’t…” I mumble, taking a slight step back. “I can’t even look at you right now.” His face twists in misery. “Please, just listen to me. Let me explain—” “What’s there to explain?” My voice rises without trying to. “Your father killed mine, Callum! Your family w
The following morning, the world feels different. The sun rises in gentle hues, caressing the sky with pink and gold. Birds chirp in the treetops. The woodland smells like new rain and optimism. But deep down, I sense it.A warning. A shift. Callum is already awake when I open my eyes. He sits at the edge of the bed, bare-chested, his head down like he’s bearing the weight of the world again. I sneak out from beneath the cover and move to him. My fingertips stroke his shoulder, feeling the strain in his muscles.He turns toward me, his eyes dark and angry. “I can feel it, Aurora. Something’s coming.” I nod. I feel that too. The bliss we tasted last night – it was genuine, but it was also fragile, and somewhere out there, danger is waiting to rip it apart.“We’ll be ready,” I answer gently. He pulls me into his lap without a word, throwing his arms around me like he never wants to let go. And for a short time, we simply hold each other. Because love is all we have today. A Visi
Aurora's pov I never imagined it would end this way, not even in my wildest dream.My head was pounding, my eyes rolling in my head, my hands shaking as I stood in his office doorway and tried to catch my breath. But my y breath was taken away from me by the sight in front of me which was like a punch to the stomach. There he was, my mate, the love of my life sitting behind his desk with his shirt unbuttoned and a woman not just any woman but my step Alicia. They were kissing and smooching.Having sex before me.Their guttural sound filled the air.My heart pounded against my chest as I froze. As I watched them the weight of the rooms silence felt oppressive and their intimacy seemed so... natural. Bennett had never kissed me that way before and to think I had come here so we can prepare my birthday party and met this.Then Bennet eyes locked with mine. There was no surprise in his eyes. He was slow to apologize or offer an explanation. Rather a half-smile that was all too famil
The following morning, the world feels different. The sun rises in gentle hues, caressing the sky with pink and gold. Birds chirp in the treetops. The woodland smells like new rain and optimism. But deep down, I sense it.A warning. A shift. Callum is already awake when I open my eyes. He sits at the edge of the bed, bare-chested, his head down like he’s bearing the weight of the world again. I sneak out from beneath the cover and move to him. My fingertips stroke his shoulder, feeling the strain in his muscles.He turns toward me, his eyes dark and angry. “I can feel it, Aurora. Something’s coming.” I nod. I feel that too. The bliss we tasted last night – it was genuine, but it was also fragile, and somewhere out there, danger is waiting to rip it apart.“We’ll be ready,” I answer gently. He pulls me into his lap without a word, throwing his arms around me like he never wants to let go. And for a short time, we simply hold each other. Because love is all we have today. A Visi
The night air seems cooler now. It's not warm enough.I stand there, motionless, my arms wrapped tightly around myself as if that might keep me from coming apart. The trees shake about me, whispering whispers I can’t hear, while the moon looks down, mute and uncaring.Callum is still there.I feel his presence before I ever see him move. He's standing only a few steps away, hands tightening and unclenching at his sides, like he’s fighting himself. “Aurora…” His voice breaks, raw with pain.I shut my eyes, hoping I could forget everything. Wishing I could go back to before—before Bennet's comments ruined the delicate trust between us. Before the truth fought its way into my heart and left nothing but pain.“I can’t…” I mumble, taking a slight step back. “I can’t even look at you right now.” His face twists in misery. “Please, just listen to me. Let me explain—” “What’s there to explain?” My voice rises without trying to. “Your father killed mine, Callum! Your family w
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