Chapter 3

Aurora's POV

Since discovering we were being watched last night, I'd been on high alert.

But strangely, they hadn't made any further moves.

At six AM, a knock came at my door.

I opened it groggily to find Caspian standing there with a bouquet of fresh white roses. He looked like he hadn't slept all night—stubble shadowed his jaw, his eyes were bloodshot, but those deep blue eyes burned with determination.

"Good morning, Aurora." His voice was hoarse. "These are for you."

I didn't take the flowers, staring at him coldly. "What do you want?"

"I'd like to have breakfast with you."

"No thanks." I moved to close the door.

He pressed his hand against the frame. "Please give me a chance, Aurora. A chance to prove myself."

"Prove what? That you're still the same man who abandoned me for another woman?"

"No. Prove I'm not that bastard anymore." His eyes revealed pain and determination. "Prove I can be the man you and Orion need."

I stared at him for several seconds, finally taking the bouquet. Not because I was softening, but because I didn't want to argue in the hallway and wake others.

"One chance. That's it."

For the next three days, he went completely overboard.

Flowers every morning, showing up at the dining hall every lunch, leaving handwritten letters outside my door every night. The letters were long, full of apologies and remorse, the handwriting somewhat messy—clearly written during sleepless nights.

Everyone in the pack was talking about it.

On the third afternoon, a pack meeting was called in the main hall. All elders and important members had to attend to discuss the upcoming territory redistribution.

I hadn't planned to attend, but Elder Whitfield specifically invited me, saying there were matters regarding Orion's inheritance to discuss.

Sitting in the hall, I felt the strange looks from those around me. Some curious, some mocking, others pitying.

Evangeline sat on the platform in an elegant beige suit, smiling as she chatted with the elders. She occasionally glanced my way, her eyes holding barely concealed hostility.

After the meeting began, Elder Whitfield first discussed territory division, then shifted topics:

"Today we also have an important matter regarding Alpha inheritance."

The hall fell silent.

"As everyone knows, the union between Caspian and Evangeline has been arranged, concerning the alliance between two packs..."

"I refuse!"

Caspian suddenly stood, his voice echoing through the entire hall.

Everyone froze, including me.

Elder Whitfield frowned. "Caspian, do you know what you're saying?"

"I'm perfectly clear." Caspian walked to the center of the hall, his gaze sweeping over everyone present. "I refuse the union with Evangeline. I want to win back my true mate."

Evangeline's face went deathly pale. "Caspian, are you insane? For that woman who abandoned you?"

"I abandoned her!" Caspian roared. "I was the bastard who abandoned her!"

The hall erupted in chaos.

I felt my chest tighten, my heart racing. What was he doing? Did he know the consequences?

"I made the biggest mistake of my life," he turned to look at me, tears filling his eyes. "I lost the most precious thing. Now I want to spend the rest of my life making up for that mistake."

Elder Marcus stood, his face grave. "Caspian, if you refuse this union, it means giving up your Alpha inheritance. Are you certain?"

"Certain." He didn't hesitate. "I'd rather give up my Alpha position than lose them again."

The once-mighty Alpha, willing to sacrifice everything for me. Something I wouldn't have dared dream of five years ago was actually happening.

But my heart was a tangle of emotions.

Evangeline shot to her feet, venomous light flashing in her eyes. "Aurora, you really are something. Your skills at seducing men have improved."

"Watch your language." I replied coldly. "When it comes to seduction, I'm not nearly as professional as you."

"You..."

"Enough!" Caspian bellowed. "No one insults her!"

Powerful Alpha dominance radiated from him, making everyone instinctively step back.

"Meeting adjourned." Elder Whitfield announced wearily. "Everyone dismissed."

The crowd gradually dispersed. I started to leave too.

"Aurora, wait." Caspian caught up.

"You're insane." I stopped. "Do you know what you just did?"

"I know. I'm trying to win back the most important person in my life."

"It's too late."

"No, it's not." He grabbed my hand. "As long as you haven't fallen in love with someone else, it's not too late."

I tried to pull away, but he held too tightly.

"Let go."

"Do you still love me?" He looked directly into my eyes. "Aurora, tell me—do you still love me?"

The question made my heart race. Of course I still loved him—the mate bond made it impossible to truly forget him. But what good was love? Could love change the past? Could love guarantee he wouldn't hurt me again?

"That doesn't matter."

"It's the only thing that matters."

Just then, Orion ran out from the children's activity room.

"Mommy!" He threw himself into my arms, then looked curiously at Caspian. "Why are you here again?"

Caspian crouched down to Orion's eye level. "Little guy, I want to be friends with your mommy."

"Be friends?" Orion tilted his head. "Can you teach me cool stuff? Other kids' daddies teach them lots of things."

Hearing the word "daddy," Caspian's expression became both tender and pained.

"What would you like to learn?"

"I want to learn to shift! I want to learn how to control my strength!" Orion said excitedly. "Sometimes I accidentally break things. Mommy says it's because I'm too strong."

"I can teach you." Caspian smiled gently. "But first you need to learn emotional control. A werewolf's power is closely tied to emotions."

"Really?" Orion's eyes lit up.

Watching their interaction, I felt a wave of panic. No, I couldn't let Orion get too attached to him. What if he left again like five years ago?

"Orion, time to go back to our room." I interrupted firmly.

"But Mommy, he was going to teach me..."

"Now."

Orion saw my displeasure and nodded obediently. But before leaving, he turned back to Caspian. "Will you come tomorrow?"

"Of course." Caspian smiled and promised.

That evening, I received an urgent call from Uncle Thomas—his condition had worsened and he needed immediate treatment.

I rushed to the pack's medical facility to find Uncle Thomas lying in bed, his face waxy yellow, breathing labored.

"Aurora, come quickly." Pack doctor Marcus approached me. "His werewolf genes seem to be rejecting some foreign substance. Only your healing ability can help him."

I sat beside the bed, placed my hands on Uncle Thomas's chest, and began channeling my healing power.

Warm energy flowed from my body into his. I sensed there was indeed an abnormal chemical component in his system, destroying his immune system.

While I was focused on healing, I suddenly caught a strange scent.

This wasn't the usual medicinal smell of the medical facility, but something... synthetically chemical. Very faint, but my healing ability made me unusually sensitive to such things.

I followed the scent to its source.

The smell grew stronger, eventually leading to... Evangeline.

She stood at the medical facility entrance, expressing concern about Uncle Thomas's condition. But my healing ability clearly told me that synthetic, technological scent was emanating from her.

This was impossible. Werewolves all had natural scents—how could someone have an artificially synthesized smell?

Unless... she wasn't a real werewolf at all.

Or she was hiding some unknown secret.

I forced myself to stay calm and continue treating Uncle Thomas. But alarm bells were ringing in my mind.

What exactly was Evangeline hiding?

And was this secret connected to those infrared scopes watching us?

An unprecedented sense of crisis washed over me.