I ran through the woods, trying to clear my mind of everything that had happened.
The rogues didn’t make any moves. They were gone by the time I got there. What the hell were they planning?
I tried to close out Cronnos from my mind. Ever since we had left Aurora in her room crying last night he wouldn’t shut up.
I’d decided to take patrol duty tonight, to get my mind off her, but I just couldn’t stop thinking about those beautiful gray eyes staring at me with sadness written all over them.
Then a sweet scent crept into my nostrils.
I’d recognize that smell anywhere. It was her…
Aurora was out here. But what was she doing all the way out here at this hour of the night? It wasn’t safe to be running around without protection.
Anger flared within me.
What the fuck was she doing out here in the woods, near the border, alone?
I sprinted toward the place where her scent was drawing me, getting more anxious as it became stronger near the border of our pack.
I reached a clearing. Right beside the lake sat a beautiful wolf with fur as white as snow, and eyes that shone as bright as amethysts.
Who was this wolf? She was beautiful, but I’d never seen a shift like that before.
Usually, a wolf’s true form resembled its human features. The fur would be similar to the human’s hair color, the eyes the same hue as the human’s eyes.
But this one was completely different.
White fur and purple eyes…
What did it mean?
I knew I’d read something about it before, but I couldn’t recall just what.
I was too blown away by how beautiful she was.
That was Aurora’s voice, ringing in my head. Was this wolf Aurora?
Was she planning to leave?
It was Aurora. Why did her wolf take this form?
But I couldn’t think about that right now.
She was actually contemplating leaving the village.
It would be the best for both of us, especially for me, but…
Why did it anger me that she wanted to leave?
I unconsciously took a step toward her, stepping on a twig and making it snap, alerting her to my presence.
She stood up, on guard and ready for the attacker to show themself.
I had no other choice. I walked forward from where I was hiding and growled at her, showing my superiority over her.
I wanted so badly to mark her right now.
I stood warily as I watched the wolf approach me. He growled, and that was enough to make me crouch down in fear. His aura exuded authority.
That’s when the wind brought his scent to me, and I recognized who this wolf was.
Alpha Wolfgang…
I bowed my wolf’s head low, until my nose touched the ground.
Shoot, the mind-linking. I’d heard my dad and the others talk about it. I lifted my head to look at him.
After all, I was mateless, and had no living family left in this village. Both my parents are dead, and I had been their only daughter.
Montana had raised me, and cared for me, but I was nothing more than the daughter of her late husband. She’d had no choice but to take care of me until I could defend myself.
But now, I was legally an adult. I could leave, and fend for myself.
I stood there, stunned.
What the hell was I saying? Aurora had every right to leave the village if she wanted to. It would even be convenient. The mate I never wanted, out of sight and out of mind.
Whenever I was with Aurora it was like my brain stopped working.
I spun around, ready to chew her head off for talking back to her alpha— but the sight of her stopped me in my tracks.
The moonlight made her white fur glow, her amethyst eyes shining defiantly back at me. She looked regal, proud.
We stood in silence, facing one another.
I’d been interrupted before I had the chance to officially reject her as my mate.
Now was my chance to do it and put all of this foolishness behind me.
A part of me wanted to listen to Cronnos. But I couldn’t. Our pack had to stay strong. The rogues were still at our borders. And I could not afford to have a weak luna.
I stared into Aurora’s amethyst eyes and prepared to shatter her heart forever.
