جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 209

AlecThe Don's estate was nothing as I had imagined. It was beautiful, almost too beautiful for a place belonging to a man whose name was spoken in our world with the kind of caution usually reserved for enemies. Polished floors, dark wood lining every wall, and armed men standing quietly along the corridors and near every entrance, watching us without bothering to hide it.Maxwell walked beside me, tension rolling off him in waves. Neither of us had said much since leaving home. There was nothing left to say. We'd spent days searching for Aurora, imagining every possible thing that could have happened to her, only to learn she'd been taken by a man who claimed to be her father.Now we were finally here, and she was somewhere in this house. That thought was the only thing keeping me from losing control entirely.The doors to the Don's private sitting room opened, and we followed our father inside. The man waiting for us rose slowly from his chair. He looked older than I'd expected, t

AuroraI had no idea how long I'd been sitting there with Alec and Maxwell before the door finally opened. Both of them looked up immediately, and so did I.Dad walked in first, followed by Alpha Denver, who carried his usual calm, watchful presence beside him. Something about my father's expression had shifted since he'd left the room, though I couldn't tell yet whether that was a good sign.Alec's hand found mine almost immediately, and I squeezed his fingers."Are you okay?" he whispered.I nodded, even though I wasn't completely sure.My eyes stayed on Dad as he took his seat, Alpha Denver settling across from him and offering a brief, reassuring nod to the twins."I believe your father, and I have reached an understanding," Alpha Denver said.My heart started beating faster. "Does that mean I can go home?"Dad looked at me. "It means we've found something we can both accept."I wasn't sure whether to feel relieved or nervous."What exactly did you agree on?"He leaned back in his

AuroraDinner that evening felt different from every dinner I had shared with the family before. I was sitting at the same table, surrounded by the same people, but something inside me had changed. I wasn't worried anymore about whether my father would accept Alec and Maxwell or whether I would somehow be forced to choose between my father and the family I had built here. For the first time since everything had started, I could simply sit down and enjoy being with the people I loved.Alec was telling a story about one of the younger warriors who had challenged Maxwell during training and had apparently spent the rest of the afternoon regretting his decision. Maxwell kept interrupting him to correct the details, which only encouraged Alec to make the story even more dramatic."You are making me sound like some kind of monster," Maxwell complained."You nearly threw him through a wall.""He deserved it.""He apologized three times.""Because he finally realized he was wrong."I couldn'

AuroraFor the first few minutes after we arrived on the island, I honestly didn't know where to look. The beach stretched farther than I could see, soft white sand meeting clear blue water. A few palm trees swayed lazily in the breeze, and somewhere farther inland I could make out a small wooden cabin surrounded by greenery.I turned slowly, taking it all in. "This is real?"Maxwell laughed beside me. "You've asked that about six times since we landed.""Because I still don't believe you brought me to a private island."Alec smiled as he reached for one of my bags. "Believe it or not, we are here, aren't we?""It is beautiful. Though I'm still trying to understand why.""Because you finished your exams.""That's the reason?""You have been through a lot recently."Maxwell nodded. "And you needed a break."I smiled, a little embarrassed by how much that touched me. "You two are ridiculous.""We've been called worse," Maxwell said.We followed a narrow path toward the cabin, the twins