（Aurora's POV）

The antiseptic smell of Dr. Steve's clinic has become my unwelcome companion over the past weeks. I sit on the edge of the examination table, my fingers nervously tracing the angry red scar that runs down my right leg. The wound - my sacrifice for Marcus - refuses to heal properly, defying the natural regenerative abilities that should be every werewolf's birthright.

I watch Dr. Steve's face grow increasingly grave as he examines my latest X-rays. The silence stretches until I can't bear it any longer.

"It's better, isn't it?" I ask, trying to keep the desperation out of my voice. "The pain isn't as bad as last week."

Dr. Steve sets down the X-rays with a heavy sigh. "Aurora, I need you to understand the severity of your situation. The wound isn't just healing slowly - it's barely healing at all." His eyes meet mine with unwavering directness. "That hunter's trap wasn't just any mechanical device. It was designed specifically to maim werewolves, to prevent our natural healing from taking effect."

My heart stutters. "But surely with time-"

"Time isn't enough," he cuts me off gently. "You need complete rest. No training, no patrol duties, and absolutely no shifting into wolf form. If you reinjure this leg, or if you push yourself too hard..." He pauses, and I can tell he's choosing his next words carefully. "We could be looking at amputation."

The word hangs in the air like a death sentence. I feel Fiona, my wolf, recoil in horror within my mind.

"But Marcus..." I whisper, thinking of our nightly runs through Moonlight Forest, the only time we truly had to ourselves now that he's so busy with his Alpha heir duties. "We haven't been able to run together in weeks. He's been so distant lately, and those moments were all we had..."

"I understand this is difficult," Dr. Steve says, his voice softening. "But as the future Luna of the Storm Pack, you have a responsibility to-"

A commotion in the hallway cuts him off. Rushed footsteps approach, and the door bursts open to reveal Jessica, one of the younger nurses. Her face is pale, eyes wide with urgency.

"Doctor Steve! Marcus was attacked by a stray wolf while on patrol, he's covered in blood—"

I didn't even finish listening to her words, nor did I have time to think, I had already stood up, I had completely forgotten Steve's suggestion just now, even though my leg felt a stabbing pain as soon as it hit the ground. I limped towards the door, my heart full of concern for Marcus. Covered in blood? Was he attacked? Was he injured?Why hadn't our mate bond prompted me?

I was so lost in my own thoughts that as soon as I stepped outside, I hit a solid wall of muscle. Marcus' familiar scent wrapped around me and I looked up to see him surprised. He was covered in blood, but it wasn't his, it came from the - woman - he was holding tightly in his arms?

I looked up at Marcus's face, but his eyes were not focused on me even for a moment. Instead, his entire attention was concentrated on the woman in his arms - her beauty was evident, even though it was covered in blood.

Long raven hair cascades over Marcus's arm like silk, framing a face that seems carved from the finest porcelain. Her features are delicate yet striking - high cheekbones, full lips, and long dark lashes that contrast sharply with her pale skin. Even in a state of unconsciousness and injury, she still exuded a mature and sensual feminine quality that immediately made me feel ashamed of myself.

"Marcus?" I reach for him, but he steps back.

"Not now, Aurora," he says tersely. "Steve! She needs help immediately!"

The dismissal stings like a physical blow. I watch helplessly as Marcus carries the mysterious woman to the examination table, his movements gentle despite his obvious urgency. A warrior from his patrol unit - Jack - notices my hurt expression and steps closer.

"We found them at the border," he explains in a low voice. "She and her brother were being chased by rogue wolves. When one of them went for Marcus's throat, she..." He hesitates, glancing at the woman. "She threw herself in front of him. Took the blow meant for him."

My mind flashes back to the day of my own injury - the glint of metal in the underbrush, the split-second decision to push Marcus away from the hunter's trap, the searing pain as the mechanism snapped shut around my leg. I'd made the same choice this woman had, but somehow this feels different.

I watch as Dr. Steve examines the woman, his expression growing increasingly troubled. "This isn't right," he mutters. "These patterns... they're inconsistent with a werewolf attack. And this chest wound - it's only half as deep as it should be, given a werewolf's strength."

"Are you suggesting my sister inflicted these wounds on herself?" A man I hadn't noticed before steps forward, his handsome features twisted with rage. Like his sister, he possesses an otherworldly beauty that seems almost too perfect. "She nearly died protecting your future Alpha!"

Alex, our newest but most observant warrior, moves to stand beside Dr. Steve. His silver eyes narrow as he studies the wounds. "The doctor is right. These injuries don't match typical rogue attack patterns. We need to-"

"Enough!" Marcus's voice cracks through the room like thunder. I flinch - I've never heard him use that tone before. "She saved my life! We help her first, then ask questions later." His eyes find mine, pleading. "Aurora, you understand, don't you? She did exactly what you did - she protected me."

The comparison made my chest tighten and I was uncomfortable, but the pleading look in Marcus' eyes was too much to resist. "Aurora, help me, you're the nicest aren't you? Usually you're the one who likes to help people the most." Marcus followed up.

I had to go forward to check the woman's wound first. As I reached for the woman's wound, something strange happened. A familiar warmth welled up in my chest and spread down my arm to my fingertips. Pure white light began to emanate from my palms, enveloping the wounded woman.

The room falls silent as we watch her wounds begin to close under my touch. Within moments, her eyes flutter open, revealing eyes of an impossible sea-blue eyes, flecked with gold. Those eyes fix immediately on Marcus with an intensity that makes my skin crawl.

"My savior," she breathes, her voice like honey and silk. "The stories about the great Storm Pack's future Alpha hardly do you justice." Her hand finds Marcus's wrist, her touch lingering. "Such strength, such nobility..."

I step back, stunned by both my unexpected healing ability and the woman's rapid recovery. She sits up with impossible grace, running perfectly manicured fingers through her hair. Now that the blood is gone, her beauty is even more apparent - and more unsettling. Her features are almost hypnotic in their perfection, her body curved in all the right places, visible even through her torn clothing.

I heard the sound of the soldiers standing next to me taking a breath, obviously they were also shocked by her beauty. I looked at Marcus, his expression had not changed, and I felt a little calmer in my heart, I found my voice, "Who are you?" I asked.

"I'm Sarah," she continues, she didn't look at me,her hand still on Marcus's wrist. Tears gather in her eyes, making them sparkle like jewels. "My brother Charles and I... we're Omega refugees. The things we've endured..." Her voice breaks perfectly, her lower lip trembling. "When we saw you coming to our rescue, I thought I was dreaming. The Moon Goddess herself must have sent you."

Something about her scent sets off warning bells in my mind. ""She's lying,"" Fiona snarls. ""Let me out. I'll show you what I sense.""

But Marcus is already patting Sarah's hand reassuringly. "You're safe now," he says, his voice gentler than it had been moments before. "We'll protect you."

Sarah presses closer to him, her torn shirt slipping conveniently to reveal a glimpse of creamy flesh. "You're everything they say you are," she whispers, looking up at him through those impossibly long lashes. "Strong, brave, compassionate..." Her free hand comes up to rest on his chest, just over his heart. "I knew the moment I saw you that you were worth dying for."

I feel sick watching her performance, but what's worse is seeing how effectively it works on Marcus. He's looking at her with a softness I've never seen before, as if she's some precious thing that needs protection.

"The wounds still need to be properly examined," Dr. Steve insists. "Especially given the traces of dark magic I'm detecting-"

"Dark magic?" Sarah's voice rises in panic, her grip on Marcus tightening. Her eyes go wide with fear, tears spilling down her perfect cheeks. "No, please... we're just ordinary werewolves! Haven't we suffered enough?" She presses herself against Marcus, her body trembling. "Please don't send us away. I'd rather die than go back out there..."

What shocked and gradually frightened me was that Marcos gently wiped away her tears. "No one will send you away," he proclaimed. "My savior, you will stay in the guest room until you have fully recovered."

"Marcus-" I start to protest, but his sharp look silences me.

"They're injured Omegas seeking refuge, Aurora," he says, his voice carrying an edge I've never heard before. "And she took a blow meant for me. We have a duty to help them. Aurora, you are the future luna, you must understand me, right?"As he spoke, her hand continued to grip his wrist. I felt the thundering of the bond between partners.

"Let me show them!" Fiona demands. "Let me shift!"

Unable to contain my wolf any longer, I feel my form melting into Fiona's pure white shape. I growl low in my throat, trying to convey all the warning signals I'm picking up from these strangers.

Sarah screams - a perfect, theatrical sound - and presses herself even closer to Marcus. "Please," she begs, her voice breaking. "Control your mate! I'm still so weak..." She sways dramatically, as if about to faint.

"Aurora!" Marcus's voice cracks with authority. "Shift back. Now! You're frightening her!"

In my wolf form, I can distinguish the various scents in the room more clearly. There is something off about Sarah and her brother - especially Sarah, whose scent has a strange sweetness, yet also a hint of decay. This odor surrounds her and Marcus, making my fur stand on end. Why can't the others sense it?

"Aurora, be obedient, come back quickly." Marcus gently requested me. Fiona sensed his soothing for us, let out a whimper, and I transformed back into human form.

Sarah's hand slides up Marcus's arm, her touch possessive. "I understand," she murmurs, voice pitched low and intimate. "You're trying to protect everyone, aren't you? Such a heavy burden for one man to bear..." Her eyes meet mine for a split second, and the triumph in them is unmistakable.

"I'm feeling strange," Sarah announces suddenly, her voice weak and trembling. "There's something... when she healed me..." Her eyes turn accusingly toward me. "What did you do to me?"

Marcus's head snaps up, his expression darkening. "Aurora?" The doubt in his voice cuts deeper than any physical wound.

"I didn't-" I begin after shifting back, but Sarah's soft whimper cuts me off.

"It burns," she whispers, clutching her chest where my healing light touched her. She arches her back slightly, the movement causing her torn shirt to slip further, revealing more of her flawless skin. "Like something's trying to tear me apart from the inside."

Marcus was like a different person, he spoke in a voice imbued with Alpha power, loudly questioning me: "Aurora? Explain!" I felt the oppression of his Alpha power, for the first time. I felt a lot of pain, my leg injury became very painful under the pressure of his power, as if it had been burned by flames and then weighted down. "Stop!" I couldn't help but cry out.