Aurora's POV
Emma helped me back to my room, her arm steady around my waist as my vision swam. The pearls at Sarah's throat seemed burned into my retinas, gleaming like tears in the darkness behind my eyes.
"Your skin is burning badly," Emma said softly, helping me lie down on the bed. She poured me a glass of water. "And it seems Fiona's energy is also having issues. I can feel her fluctuating."
As if in response to her words, I felt Fiona surge beneath my skin. My hands began to shake, fur rippling along my arms without my control. "I can't—" I gasped, trying to force back the shift. "Something's wrong with me."
"Let me out!" Fiona's voice was desperate in my mind. "The magic is too strong—"
I started tossing and turning restlessly in bed."Aurora!" Emma gripped me, preventing me from rolling off the bed. "Dr. Stone needs to see this. This is not normal, even for a powerful wolf."
"No doctors," I managed through gritted teeth. My canines were lengthening, pushing against my lips. "Just... need to control it."
My sweat pours down like rain, I grip the bedsheet, welcoming wave after wave of energy fluctuations. "Fiona, hang in there, we can do this." I quietly comforted her. Fiona wails in my mind, "It's so hot, I'm so hot."
I constantly switch between human and wolf, and for most of the time I am half human and half wolf. About half an hour later, the energy gradually calmed down, and I resumed my normal appearance. At this point, I found that Emma's arm had been scratched by me, leaving traces of blood. "I'm sorry, Emma, I'm really sorry." I dared not look into her eyes.
"It's okay, dear. That's not the point. What I'm more interested in knowing is whether this started after you found that diary, right?" Emma squinted her eyes. "Let me go back to the college library. There may be information about the blood pulse in the restricted area. Then we can discuss it privately with Dr. Stone."
I nodded, "Emma, thank you so much.","It's okay, honey, don't worry, the problem is only temporary." Emma held my hand and left in a hurry. Exhausted, I lay down again.I fell into a deep sleep, and then I was awakened by the sound of my phone. I found that it was already night time, and it was a message from Marcus.
"I'm sorry about today. Come to my room? We need to talk."
"Don't go," Fiona warned. But I had already stood up, I couldn't care less about that, I was just eager to seek some explanation, I wanted to know if he still cared for me.
Marcus' room was located in the west wing of the matriarch's house. I had been there countless times over the years, but tonight the pace felt a little different. Eager but timid, I had no idea what greeted me.
I knocked, but there was no answer. The door was unlocked, so I pushed it open—and froze.
Sarah sat on Marcus's bed, wearing one of his shirts. The pearls still gleamed at her throat, and her long legs were bare beneath the hem of the oversized shirt. She looked up with perfectly feigned surprise.
"Oh! Aurora. I was just waiting for Marcus. He asked me to meet him here to discuss some pack protocols." Her smile was sweet poison. "He stepped out to take a call. Forgot his phone, though." She gestured to Marcus's phone on the nightstand.
Realization hit like a physical blow. "You sent that message."
"Did I?" She stretched languorously, the shirt riding up her thigh. "Marcus has been so helpful, teaching me about pack life. He's such a... hands-on instructor."
The power that had been simmering all day exploded. I felt my face changing, fangs dropping, claws extending. "You manipulative—"
"Aurora!" Sarah screamed, scrambling back on the bed. "Please, don't hurt me! I didn't mean—"
The door burst open. Marcus stood there, taking in the scene – Sarah cowering on his bed, me half-shifted with extended claws.
"What the hell are you doing?" he demanded, moving to stand between us. "Aurora, control yourself!"
"She set this up!" My voice came out distorted around my fangs. "She sent that message from your phone. She's playing you—"
"Playing me?" Marcus's face darkened. "The only one playing games is you. Look at yourself! Attacking an innocent pack member because of your jealousy?"
"Innocent?" I laughed, the sound more wolf than human. "She's wearing your shirt! In your bed!"
"It's just that her clothes got dirty during training.I offered it to her after training," Marcus snapped. "Since you scared her so badly she was shaking. Now shift back before I have to make it an order."
"Marcus," Sarah's voice trembled,she tugged at his sleeve,her eyes pleading and fearful,"I'm so sorry. I never meant to come between you two. I just... you've been so kind, and I was lonely, and—"
"Don't apologize," Marcus told her gently. "You've done nothing wrong."
I turned and fled before either of them could see my tears, my control shattered. I ran until I reached Emma's office at the academy, bursting in without knocking.
She took one look at my face and reached for the bottle of wine she kept in her desk. "Tell me."
And so I did it, the words flowed out in sobs, just like the red wine Emma poured for me. When I finished, it was already late at night, the sound of rain tapping on the window.
"I need air," I mumbled, standing on unsteady legs. The wine and emotional exhaustion made the room spin.
"Aurora, wait, your leg--"
I'm in great pain from my injured leg, and I collapsed in an open field in the pouring rain. I think I can heal myself, just as I healed Sarah. I try to summon my power, but I only feel it raging, forcing me to shift between human and partial wolf forms. Every transformation is agonizing.
I have already rushed out of her office, and as I limp into the forest, I have transformed into the shape of a wolf. The rain has soaked my fur, but I welcome the rain - as long as it can wash away the image of Sarah wearing Marcus's shirt, with the pearls shining on her throat.
"Something's wrong," Fiona's voice was fading. "The magic... it's not just the diary. Something else..."
The world began to dim around the edges. Through the haze, I felt strong arms lift me, cradling me against a broad chest. A familiar scent wrapped around me – pine needles and mountain air and something darker, like shadows given form.
The last thing I remembered was being carried through the rain, held safe and warm against someone's heart.
I woke in my own bed, sunlight streaming through the windows. The memory of those strong arms lingered like a dream, and for a moment I thought...
"Marcus?" I whispered.
But the room was empty, and when I touched my sheets, they were dry. Had someone really carried me home, or had I imagined it?
"It wasn't Marcus," Fiona said firmly. "That scent... it was different. Powerful."
"No, it must be Marcus." I said firmly, quickly putting on my clothes and heading to the training ground. I need to see Marcus, I want to prove something to Fiona. But when I arrived, the other warriors were training alone.
"Where's Marcus?" I asked one of them.
"Haven't seen him at training for days," the warrior shrugged. "Not since the new ones arrived."
My heart clenched. Of course. He was too busy with Sarah to maintain his duties.I turned away from the training ground and skipped aimlessly.
"Well, well," a silky voice interrupted my thoughts. "Looking for your wayward fiancé?"
Charles leaned against a nearby tree, his eyes traveling over my body in a way that made my skin crawl. "Or maybe you're finally realizing you could do better?"
He pushed off the tree, moving closer. "You know, you're wasted on him. Such a powerful wolf..." His hand reached for my chest. "Such a beautiful—"
I caught his wrist before he could touch me, twisting until he gasped. "Touch me and lose the hand."I slapped him twice. I had long wanted to do that to the brother and sister.
Even though I am weak, dealing with these Omegas is more than enough for me. I grabbed him by the neck and slammed his head against a tree until his forehead was swollen. "Next time, I don't mind letting you bleed a little more." Saying that, I turned and headed towards Marcus's office. We need to talk, really talk, about what's happening.