Aurora's POV
"You might want to get down from Kane," Rod muttered as he stared long and hard at Salem. He looked paler than the last time we met, his hands shaking as if they had been left in ice.
"Where is Alicia, bastard?"
"Who is that?" He clicked his tongue while gripping the sword sheathed at his waist.
"The name doesn't ring a bell. Maybe if you explain her more vividly, I'd be able to picture her."
His focus shifted to me as I walked to Rod's side. My heart wouldn't stop pounding as I stood next to Kane. There was rage boiling within me, and I knew for a fact it wasn't mine. We were already connected, and I could feel what he felt.
"My men who survived your little encounter whisper that you were seeking someone. Did you lose your alpha's mate, Rod?"
"Grrr!" Kane leapt toward him, and for a moment I thought he had him. But when the dust settled, I realized Salem was somehow behind me.
"You really need to control your anger," he remarked with a grin.
Rod moved with incredible speed, his dagger aimed for Salem's neck, but Salem blocked it once again. Their clash erupted—Salem moving with a cocky ease, defending himself with his sword still sheathed. Every strike Rod made carried pure rage, yet he still couldn't land a single hit.
Kane took down the rest of Salem's men one by one, and the few who remained scattered into the dark woods. They were right to run, because for a moment even I considered fleeing. I had heard stories about the fury that lingered after a transformation, but whatever I sensed from Kane was far beyond that.
Soon, he turned his gaze to Salem, who had somehow swept Rod off his feet.
"Give a sick man a break," Salem groaned as Kane circled him frantically like a predator.
"Hand over the girl, and I'll let you all leave with your food."
"Fuck you!" Rod snapped before counterattacking.
Salem kicked him hard, sending him flying straight into Kane's grasp. Kane sank his fangs into Salem's arm without hesitation. Salem didn't cry out. His silence sent chills through me—he showed no reaction to his arm being on the verge of being ripped off. He only struggled to free himself, but Kane's jaw grip was firm. With a slow, tired exhale, Salem finally drew his sword.
A terrifying look crossed Rod's face the moment the blade came out. He tried to reach them, and a surge of instinctive alertness rushed through me. Before Salem could strike, I pushed Kane out of the way, and the sword sliced across my back.
The scorching pain had me crumbling in agony. I shrieked as the heat spread through my entire body. Panting heavily, I watched as he kicked Rod away effortlessly. He glanced at his sword and slowly licked my blood from the blade, smirking.
"You indeed are different," he muttered. The sword was black and bore an emblem I recognized from my mother's grimoire.
"I must have you."
Kane attacked again viciously, but Salem kept evading them. Even with their combined effort, they couldn't get him. Rod looked especially shaken by the sword, as though he knew exactly what it was.
I tried to sit up, but everything blurred. My body felt distant, almost weightless, and the light slowly dimmed until only Salem's smile lingered in my mind.
******
"He is almost there," a voice rumbled in the darkness. It felt strangely familiar, yet its intensity frightened me.
"He's almost there."
The darkness split apart as a fire flickered to life at its center, casting long shadows around me. I stepped closer and noticed something burning within it, though I couldn't tell what it was. The strangest part was the lack of heat despite the raging flames—the air felt freezing cold.
I reached into the fire and closed my fingers around it: a feather. It burned with light, not heat, yet the moment I touched it, a surge of energy rushed through me. The world seemed to hold its breath until I sensed a presence beside me.
I turned instinctively and froze. The figure was… me. Her skin was sallow, her eyes blood-red, and she wore the same torn dress from the day I was executed. She reached for the burning feather in my hand, her lips parting as if to speak, but no sound came out.
"Wake up!" the voice roared again, and I jolted awake in Kane's arms. We were in his room at Crescent Pack, his face etched with worry.
"How are you feeling?" he asked as I tried to stand.
"Careful!" he exclaimed when I collapsed back into his arms. My legs were weak; I could barely feel them.
"What happened? How… where?"
"He left when Rod transformed too," Kane replied softly.
"He knew he couldn't take both of us. You were hit by his sword—the Maiden Sword. It has laces of silver that burn through our blood."
I shuddered as I remembered the tormenting pain. My thoughts drifted back to the dream, and I noticed that the hand I'd used to grab the feather was ice-cold.
"The supplies? Did we get them?"
"Yes. They're being distributed by the council as we speak," he said, grabbing his belt from the bed.
"Stay here. Heal up. The wound has been treated, but you need rest."
"Where is Rod?"
"He passed out when we arrived. He forced himself to transform. It was risky, but he saved your life." His expression darkened. I knew he was furious that Salem had escaped—the man he'd been hunting all this time.
"You should rest."
He left me alone with my thoughts. The fact that both an alpha and his beta couldn't take Salem down was terrifying. The intimidating aura he carried despite looking moments from death—it was no wonder he led the Deep Traders. For Salem to command them meant he wasn't someone to underestimate.
"I was told you're awake," Rod said as he entered the room, limping heavily, his left foot dragging behind him.
"How do you feel? Not everyone survives a Maiden cut."
"You obviously have," I replied weakly as I pushed myself upright.
"Why would you risk your life for me? You could've died transforming again."
"I didn't," he said with a soft laugh as he sat beside me. He exhaled deeply, his eyes filled with concern.
"I'm sorry for dragging you into this. It's not your fight. I know he won't apologize, but he feels sorry too."
I didn't know how to respond. If he knew who I really was, he'd understand—it was my fight. I had a bigger agenda than both of them combined.
"Can I ask you a question?" I leaned closer, ignoring the pain flaring in my back.
"Yeah."
"What's the deal between the two of you? He fought like he knew your moves—and you did the same."
The question struck a nerve. His expression dulled, and he inhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair.
"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."
He smiled faintly, dimples appearing on his chin.
"My history with Salem goes back to my days on the street."
"The street?"
"I wasn't trained in a castle like Kane or even given a roof over my head. I was an omega—the pack's bitch," he said, pausing between breaths.
"And Salem… Salem was my brother."
Shock washed over me as his words landed, catching me completely off guard.