Stefano's POV
The blood trail led us straight into Deephowl territory. I should have stopped at the border, should have waited for permission. But when I saw that first drop of crimson on the leaves, fresh and still warm, all protocol went out the window.
"Alpha, we can't just cross…" Marcus started.
"Then stay here," I snapped, shifting into wolf form mid-stride. "I am getting my mate."
Four of my most loyal wolves followed without hesitation. The others, including Marcus, remained at the border, conflicted between duty and caution.
I didn't care. Every drop of blood on the ground was a spike of pure rage in my chest. Aurora was hurt. Aurora was bleeding.
And someone was going to die for it.
The trail led deeper into the forest until I heard it. A man's voice, cold, saying words that pierce my heart.
"Foolish child."
I didn't think. I just attacked.
My jaws found flesh and bone. The man, silver-haired and radiating dark power, went down with a shout of surprise. I bit down harder, tasting blood, wanting to rip and tear until there was nothing left.
"Stefano, no!" Aurora's voice, weak but unmistakable. "Don't kill him yet!"
The words melted my anger just enough. I released my bite but kept the man pinned, growling deep in my chest. Around us, my patrol wolves surrounded them in a protective circle.
I shifted back to human form, not caring about my nakedness. "Who are you?"
The man smiled despite the blood running down his neck. "Cassian Grey. Though your mate knew me as Darius Shadowmere."
I looked at Aurora. She was sitting against a tree,
blood dripping from both arms, her face pale as death. But her eyes…her eyes were different. Golden where they should have been hazel. And they held recognition.
"You remember me," I breathed.
"No," she whispered. "But I know who you are. My mate."
It wasn't much, but it was something. I turned back to Cassian, rage building again. "What did you do to her?"
"What was necessary." He didn't seem concerned about being surrounded by hostile wolves.
"Though I must say, your timing is unfortunate. A few more days and I would have had everything I needed."
"Needed for what?" I asked
"He is draining my blood," Aurora said quietly.
"Using it for some kind of ritual. He wants to become a god."
The casual madnedd of the statement should have been laughable. But the dark power radiating from this man said otherwise.
"He is also my father," Aurora added. "And he's the one who arranged my murder."
Everything went very still.
"Your father," I repeated slowly.
"Guilty," Cassian said cheerfully. "Though technically, I never wanted her dead. Just powerless enough to manipulate. Beatrice was a bit more enthusiastic with the poison than I intended."
Beatrice. The name hit my heart.
"Beatrice was in on this?" I looked at Aurora. "Your twin sister?"
"Not just in on it," Cassian explained. "She was my tool from childhood. I planted jealousy in her heart, nurtured it, fed it until she was willing to do anything to take Aurora's place. Including murder."
I thought of the past three weeks. Beatrice's constant presence, her comfort, her advice. The meetings with Marcus she had told me about.
"She is been manipulating the pack," I realized.
"Undermining my authority. Positioning Marcus for a challenge."
"Very good," Cassian applauded mockingly. "Yes, Marcus is another of my pawns. When you fell, he would have taken over, married Beatrice, and together they would have ruled Moonstone Pack. All while I worked in the shadows, gathering power."
"Why?" Aurora's voice was pained. "Why do all this? I'm your daughter!"
For the first time, Cassian's smile disappeared .
"You are a means to an end. You, your mother, your sister…all of you. Tools in a plan decades in the making."
"Elena," I said, remembering. "Aurora's mother. What did you do to her?"
"She is alive, actually." Cassian shrugged.
"Locked in a magical stasis in a hidden room beneath your pack house. I couldn't bring myself to kill her completely, sentimental weakness. But I couldn't let her interfere either."
Aurora made a sound of pure anguish. "My mother is alive?"
"For now." Cassian's eyes gleamed. "Though once I complete the ritual, none of it will matter. You'll all be less than insects to a god."
I had heard enough. "You're not completing any ritual. You're going to rot in my dungeons while I decide exactly how slowly you will die."
Cassian laughed. "You think you can hold me? I have been planning this for two centuries, boy. Do you really believe I don't have contingencies?"
Dark energy exploded outward. My wolves yelped, thrown back by the force. I barely managed to stay on my feet, positioning myself between Cassian and Aurora.
"Impressive," Cassian acknowledged, rising to his feet. His neck wound was already healing. "But futile. I may not have collected enough of Aurora's blood yet, but what I have will be sufficient for the preliminary stages."
He raised his hands, and the forest itself seemed to respond. Trees bent inward, their branches reaching like grasping fingers. The earth shock.
"Run," Aurora whispered. "Stefano, please. You can't fight him. Not yet."
"I am not leaving you," I growled.
"You have to." She struggled to stand, using the tree for support. "He's too powerful. We need help, real help. Celeste. The Goddess. Something."
She was right, and I hated it. But pride wouldn't save her. Tactical retreat might.
"Everyone fall back!" I ordered. "To the border!"
My wolves didn't hesitate, years of training taking over. I scooped Aurora into my arms, her blood soaking into my skin as I ran.
Behind us, Cassian's laughter echoed through the forest. "Run, little Alpha! But you can't hide her from me! I'll find her! I'll always find her!"
We crashed through the grasses, branches tearing at exposed skin. Aurora was barely conscious, her breathing shallow.
"Stay with me," I urged. "Just a little further."
"Stefano," she murmured. "The bond. I can feel it now. Pulling us together."
Despite everything, i felt warm throughout my body. "I feel it too. I never stopped feeling it."
We burst through the border just as Celeste Nightweaver materialized before us.
"Well," she said dryly, "you certainly know how to make an entrance."
"Help her," I gasped, laying Aurora on the ground.
"Please. She's dying."
Celeste knelt beside Aurora, her ancient eyes assessing. "She's stronger than she looks. But yes, without intervention, she'll fade." She looked up at me. "Bring her to my sanctum. Quickly."
I gathered Aurora again, following Celeste deeper into Deephowl territory. The other wolves, including Marcus who had apparently decided to cross after all, followed at a distance.
Celeste's sanctum was a massive tree, hollowed out and transformed into a dwelling that hummed with power. She directed me to a raised stone slab in the center.
"Put her here."
I did so reluctantly, hating to let her go even for a moment.
Celeste began to work, her hands glowing with silvery light as they hovered over Aurora's wounds. "The blood loss is severe. And there's dark magic in her system, trying to establish a connection." Her eyes narrowed. "Cassian's been preparing her for a long time."
"Can you break it?" I asked.
"I can try." She pressed her palm to Aurora's forehead. "But it will hurt. She needs to stay conscious and fight from the inside while I work from the outside."
"I can do it," Aurora said weakly, her eyes fluttering open. "I have to."
"Then begin." Celeste's voice became audible, words in an ancient language flowing from her lips.
Aurora screamed.
It tore at something primal in me, hearing my mate in such agony. I grabbed her hand, squeezing tight.
"I am here," I told her. "I'm right here. You're not alone."
She held my hand desperately. Sweat poured down her face as Celeste's magic worked, burning away the dark connections Cassian had woven into her very essence.
"Almost," Celeste muttered. "Just a bit more.
Aurora, push! Push against the darkness!"
Golden light erupted from Aurora's mark, fighting against shadows that writhed and twisted, trying to maintain their hold. The two forces clashed, filling the sanctum with blinding radiance.
Then, with a final cry from Aurora, the darkness shattered.
The silence that followed was profound.
Aurora collapsed back onto the stone, breathing hard but alive. The wounds on her arms had closed, leaving only faint scars.
"It's done," Celeste announced, looking exhausted herself. "The connection is severed. He won't be able to track her through blood magic anymore."
"Thank you," I said sincerely. "We owe you."
"Yes, you are." Celeste moved to a cabinet, pulling out vials of liquid. "And I'll collect when the time comes. For now, she needs rest. Days of it. And when she wakes, she'll need to eat enough for three people."
"Whatever she needs." I looked down at Aurora, who had fallen into unconscious sleep. "She'll have it."
"There's more you should know." Celeste turned to face me fully. "What Cassian said about Beatrice and Marcus, it's true. They've been working together to undermine your authority. And they've made significant progress."
"How significant?"
"Half your council is in Marcus's pocket. They're planning to call for a vote of no confidence within the week. If you lose, you'll be forced to either step down or fight a challenge battle for the Alpha position."
My jaw tighten. "Then I will fight."
"In your current state? Exhausted, grieving, distracted?" Celeste shook her head. "You'd lose. Marcus is fresh, prepared, and has been training specifically to beat you."
"Then what do you suggest?"
"Expose them," she said simply. "Beatrice's jealousy, Marcus's ambition, Cassian's manipulation. Bring it all into the light. The pack won't follow traitors once they know the truth."
"I will need proof."
"You have it." Celeste gestured to a mirror on the wall. The surface shimmered, showing Beatrice and Marcus in what looked like a private meeting room. They were arguing.
"We can't wait any longer," Marcus was saying.
"With Stefano gone into Deephowl, this is our chance. Call the council meeting tomorrow. Force the vote before he returns."
"And if he does return?" Beatrice looked worried.
"With Aurora?"
"Then we deal with them both." Marcus's voice was cold. "Accidents happen in the forest. Especially to weakened Alphas and their traumatized mates."
The mirror went dark.
"Make copies of this," Celeste instructed. "Show it to your loyal wolves. Let them see who's been lying to them."
"I will." I looked back at Aurora. "But first, I'm staying with her. Until she wakes."
Celeste smiled faintly. "Love's devotion.
How…predictable. And yet, somehow always surprising." She moved to the door. "I'll have food and supplies brought. You're welcome to stay as long as necessary. Consider it neutral ground."
She left, leaving me alone with Aurora.
I pulled a chair close to the stone slab, taking her hand in mine. Even in sleep, she was beautiful. Changed, yes. Golden hair instead of red, something ancient and powerful in her features that hadn't been there before. But still her. Still my Aurora.
"I found you," I whispered. "Just like I promised. And I am never letting you go again."
Her fingers twitched in mine, a slight squeeze. Unconscious response or actual acknowledgment, I didn't know. Didn't care.
She was alive. She was here.
And I would burn down anyone who tried to take her from me again.
The door opened quietly. I looked up, expecting Celeste. Instead, it was one of my wolves, Garrett.
"Alpha," he said quietly. "Marcus sent word. He's demanding you return immediately for an emergency council meeting. He says if you don't come by dawn, he'll assume you've abandoned your duties."
"Let him assume," I said coldly. "I'm not going anywhere."
"Alpha, if you don't show, he'll call the vote. You could lose your position."
"Then I lose it." I looked back at Aurora. "Some things are more important than titles."
Garrett shifted uncomfortably. "The pack needs you, sir."
"The pack has managed without me for three weeks while I searched for my mate. They can manage a few more days." I stood, moving to stand directly in front of him. "But I want you to deliver a message to Marcus and the council. Tell them I know about the conspiracy. Tell them I have proof. And tell them that when I return, it will be with my Luna. And we will clean house of every traitor who thought they could use my grief against me."
Garrett's eyes open wide. Then he smiled, fierce and loyal. "It will be my pleasure, Alpha."
After he left, I returned to Aurora's side. Outside the sanctum, I could hear the forest coming alive with night sounds. Somewhere out there, Cassian was planning his next move. Beatrice and Marcus were scheming. Enemies were circling.
But in here, in this moment, there was peace.
I rested my forehead against Aurora's hand. "We are going to get through this," I promised. "All of it. And then we're going to have the life we should have had from the beginning."
A faint golden glow pulsed from her mark, as if in agreement.
I smiled and closed my eyes, finally allowing myself to rest for the first time in three weeks.
My mate was found. The real battle could begin.