Ethan.
“Uncle Ethan!”
I barely had time to brace myself before a small, curly-haired missile crashed into my legs. I let out a huff of laughter, crouching down to scoop my niece into my arms. She wrapped her arms around my neck, her giggles warm against my skin.
“There’s my girl,” I murmured, giving her a gentle squeeze. “Did you today, Emma? Did you drive your teachers crazy? Are you going to end up needing to explain something to Mom?”
She pulled back, nodding with a seriousness that only a four-year-old could muster. “I shared my crayons and didn’t push Danny off the slide, even though he was being super mean. I'm not going to tell mom that I did anything wrong. I did everything correct today. I even got a golden star. My teacher said that I was a good girl.”
“Good girl.” I smoothed a stray curl from her face. “That’s what Alphas do, right? Stay strong and fair. You don't push others, nor do we tease them. We stand strong by their side and we teach them how to be good. That is why we are stronger and more superior.”
“Yes, just like you. When I grow up, I'm going to be a hero and an alpha just like you. I'm going to be very strong and I'm going to be sure that everyone sees that.” Emma said, making me smile.
Emma beamed, pride lighting up her chubby cheeks. She was my brother’s daughter, but the bond between us was unshakable. With my brother constantly busy with pack duties, I had become Emma’s favorite, and only, uncle.
While I was the alpha of the park, I always made sure sometimes to take care of her. He had his other duties to be taken care of and I believe that it was a better option for him not to be the one to pick her up, especially with the wound that he has on his face. Children or humans would not understand why he has such a wound.
“Ready to go home?” I asked softly.
“Yes!” She wriggled in my arms, her little fingers gripping the collar of my jacket. “Can we get ice cream on the way? I want so many scoops. I want chocolate, I want vanilla, and I want cookies.”
I chuckled, standing and balancing her on my hip. “I think that you're going to be getting a sugar rush if I allow you to have all this ice cream.”
“I will not. I'm going to be good and I'm not going to scream. I'm not going to run. I'm going to listen to you, pinky promise.” She said as her eyes widened with mock horror.
“We'll see you when we get to the ice cream stop.” I said, making her smile.
I carried her through the small daycare, exchanging nods with the other parents and teachers. Miss Clara waved at us from behind her desk, a sweet woman who had helped Emma settle into human schooling while we kept our pack’s secrets hidden.
“See you tomorrow, Emma!” Miss Clara called.
“Bye, Miss Clara!”
I pushed open the door, the cool afternoon air brushing against my face. The sun hung low in the sky, casting long shadows along the street. Emma rested her head on my shoulder, her earlier energy fading into the drowsy calm that always settled over her after a long day of play.
I started down the path, the familiar hum of the city filling the silence between us. My mind wandered, pack meetings, rogue patrols, the endless responsibilities that came with being an Alpha. But beneath it all was that ever-present void, the emptiness that I felt was one that I couldn’t quite fill.
It had been three years. Three years since she disappeared.
Aurora Ross.
No matter how many times I tried to search for her, no matter the number of days that I spent looking out for her, calling for her, howling as I wondered whether or not she would hear my call. Nothing. She was not there.
Her name whispered through my thoughts like a ghost. I had convinced myself that she was dead, that the river had claimed her fragile body. It was easier than facing the possibility that she had survived, that she had chosen to leave, to abandon the pack.
“Uncle Ethan?”
Emma’s sleepy voice pulled me back. I adjusted her on my hip, offering a small smile. “Yeah, sweetheart?”
She didn’t answer, her eyelids already drooping. I chuckled, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “Guess that ice cream will have to wait. I'm guessing that you're going to need to go to sleep. A little nap is not going to hurt you.”
“No, I'm wide awake.” She said, and I chuckled. She was halfway asleep. She would have passed out the second that I got her inside the car. I knew that.
We turned the corner, approaching the small playground adjacent to the daycare. Parents milled about, gathering their children, sharing soft laughter and gentle scolds. I slowed, my wolf stirring within me, a sudden prickle of awareness that set my instincts on edge.
And then I saw her.
A woman stood by the daycare gate, one hand resting on a small, curly-haired girl’s shoulder. She was bent down, murmuring softly, her expression tender and weary.
My breath hitched.
The little girl tugged on the woman’s coat, her eyes, green, bright, achingly familiar, shifting through the crowd. For a moment, her gaze landed on me, and something flared inside my chest.
Recognition.
Bond.
No…
My wolf pushed against my skin, a low growl rumbling in my chest. Emma stirred, and I tightened my hold on her, my mind racing.
It couldn’t be.
The woman straightened, tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear. Her face came into full view, and the world seemed to narrow, every sound fading into a dull hum.
Aurora.
My mate.
My rejected, long-lost mate.
She looked different, thinner, her features sharper, shadowed by exhaustion. But it was her. The same soft curve of her lips, the same delicate arch of her brows. And to make matters worse, she was hiding her scent. She was trying to hide from me.
And the little girl...
The bond that I felt towards her. It was impossible. No…
My daughter.
There was no mistaking it. Her scent mingled with Aurora’s, threads of my own woven into the fabric of their bond. It was undeniable, a truth that crashed over me with the force of a tidal wave.
My muscles locked, every instinct screaming at me to move, to go to her, to demand answers. But my feet remained rooted to the ground, my mind struggling to piece together the jagged edges of reality.
Aurora turned, her hand slipping into the little girl’s. She led her down the street, their figures blending into the flow of the crowd.
And I could only watch, my heart thundering, my mind a tangled snarl of disbelief and fury.
She was alive.
She had a child.
My child.
And she had hidden it all from me.
The betrayal burned, white-hot and blinding. My wolf snarled, claws scraping against my control. I wanted to chase after her, to grab her and force the truth from her lips.
But I couldn’t.
Not yet.
Instead, I held Emma closer, my fingers digging into the soft fabric of her jacket. I forced my breathing to steady, my expression to remain impassive.
Because if Aurora thought she could run from me again, if she believed she could keep my daughter from me…
She was about to learn just how dangerous it is to mess with me.
Aurora.It was already late at night. Everyone else had turned in for the night, and turned off their lights, everywhere in the pack house was silent. But sleep had long since fled from me.I couldn’t stop thinking about it, the gossips behind my back, the way people stared at me like I was something strange. Something… dangerous. The rumors wouldn’t stop. Cursed by the Moon Goddess. The words slithered through the corridors like smoke. I had to know the truth.I pulled on a thick cloak, the hood casting shadows over my face. I didn’t bother with shoes. The soft thud of my bare feet was quieter. The guards on the eastern gate changed shifts at midnight. I knew that because I’d watched them before. Timing was everything.I slipped past the sleeping palace, my heart thudding louder than it should have in my chest. Every creak of the wooden halls, every rustle of the trees outside felt like a warning. But I didn’t stop. I couldn’t. Not when the question clawed at me like this.The pries
Aurora.I barely had the strength to sit up when the door to my room clicked shut behind Ethan, the Alpha. His retreating footsteps echoed down the hall, leaving a hollow silencebehind. The sharp, gnawing pain in my stomach hadn’t eased—if anything, it was worse than before. I pressed my hand against my abdomen, the dull ache twisting into a fiery burn, making me gasp softly.My mind raced, fingers trembling as I reached for the bell beside my bed and rang for a maid. Almost immediately, a soft knock and the familiar face of Miri, the head maid, appeared in the doorway. Her eyes were filled with so much worry. Honestly, she's the only maid I could trust right now.“Miri, please,” I croaked, trying to keep my voice steady, “I feel terrible. This felt like a poison I've been taking for a while now.”She stepped inside, carefully closing the door behind her. “Miss Aurora, are you feeling poisoned? You don’t think someone is trying to harm you?” Her voice was hushed.I nodded weakly, swal
Ethan.The knock on my office door was hesitant, I didn’t bother looking up from the paperwork scattered across my desk. “Come in,” I said, keeping my voice even.Beta Marcus stepped in, his presence as solid and dependable as always, but I could tell something was off the second I looked at him. He stood stiffly, eyes flicking once toward the windows, then back to me.“Spit it out,” I said, dropping my pen and sitting back. “You’ve got that ‘I’d rather be anywhere but here’ look.”He exhaled sharply. “It’s about Aurora.”My pulse skipped.“What about her?” I kept my voice calm, but the sound of her name always scraped at something raw inside me.“She came to me this morning,” Marcus said, crossing the room. He folded his arms across his chest and leaned against the edge of my desk, his usual posture when he had something I wouldn’t like. “She asked if her curse could be lifted.”I stared at him, words catching behind clenched teeth.“Curse,” I repeated slowly.“Yes,” Marcus said, wat
Aurora.When I opened my eyes that morning, the first thing I did was reach for my phone, hoping to scroll through something mundane, memes, baby pictures, maybe a random cooking video.Instead, I was met with a storm.Dozens of notifications blinked on the screen like warning lights. Twitter. Instagram. WhatsApp. Even obscure blogs I didn’t know existed had my name splattered across their headlines."The Cursed wolf: Aurora in Shadow?""Evidence Suggests Aurora's Powers Are Not From the Moon Goddess!""Leaked Photos Show Evidence of a Curse—Is the Pack at Risk?"I sat up in bed so fast I got dizzy. My thumb scrolled furiously, tapping through article after article, my heart pounding louder with every new headline. My face stared back at me, pale, wide-eyed, captured mid-expression at the last ceremony. Someone had even edited dark shadows under my eyes, making me look like some possessed doll.My breathing quickened. “No… no no no,” I whispered, gripping the sheets. “This isn’t real.
Aurora.I stared at my phone again.The screen was still blank. No new messages. No calls. Nothing.With a heavy sigh, I tapped Kaiser’s name and hit call again. One ring. Two. Five. Straight to voicemail.“For the hundredth time,” I muttered under my breath, lying back down on the bed with a groan. I should’ve just thrown the phone across the room already. At this point, the rejection stung more than I wanted to admit.Why was he this angry?I replayed the whole thing in my head. Over and over again. Kaiser barging into my room last night, his eyes practically glowing with rage when he saw Ama tucked into my bed, asleep. The moment I told him she was staying at the palace now, his expression changed, like something inside him snapped. He hadn’t even given me a chance to explain. Just turned and stormed out, the door slamming so hard behind him the walls shook.“She's my daughter,” I whispered to the empty room. “And she’s Ethan's too. Why is that so hard to understand?”I sat up slow
Aurora."Ama, please just sit still for a second.""But Mommy, I still don't get it!" Ama bounced on the bed, her tiny legs swinging off the edge as she hugged her plush wolf to her chest. Her dark curls were wild around her face, cheeks flushed from excitement or maybe curiosity. “Who is Alpha Ethan really?”I sighed, combing through her hair with my fingers, gently detangling the ends as she wiggled beneath me. Her voice carried so much energy it practically buzzed in the air.I hesitated. The words formed in my throat, thick and heavy like honey refusing to pour. But this talk was long overdue.“He’s your father, Ama,” I said finally, quietly.She twisted around so fast I nearly dropped the brush. “Wait what?! Like… my daddy?” Her eyes widened like twin moons.I nodded slowly, waiting for the storm to hit. “Yes. Alpha Ethan is your biological father.”Ama stared at me, blinking. Her bottom lip trembled for a second, then stilled. “But… why didn’t you tell me before?” Her voice wave