Chapter 24

Aurora’s POV

Sleep didn’t come easily.  

Even after Jason left me alone in the room, I lay awake, staring at the ceiling, my mind a tangled mess of memories, anger, and unanswered questions.  

Jason regretted killing me. That much was clear. But regret didn’t erase what he had done. It didn’t erase the betrayal, the pain, or the blood he had spilled.  

I turned onto my side, gripping the sheets.  

Lydia was onto me. She could ruin everything.  

And Jason… he wasn’t a fool. He suspected me, even if he didn’t want to admit it.  

I needed to be careful.  

A knock at the door startled me. I shot up, my heart pounding.  

Who would come at this hour?  

Forcing myself to remain calm, I crossed the room and opened the door just a sliver.  

A young maid stood there, eyes wide with urgency.  

"My Lady," she whispered, glancing over her shoulder as if she feared being seen. "Someone wishes to meet you. Please, come quickly."  

My stomach clenched.  

A trap?  

I had no allies in this pack. No one who would risk themselves for me.  

And yet… something told me I needed to go.  

I nodded, slipping out of the room and following the maid down the dimly lit corridors. The packhouse was eerily silent at this hour, only the occasional flicker of torchlight guiding our path.  

She led me outside, past the courtyard and into the training grounds. A lone figure stood in the shadows, cloaked in darkness.  

The moment I saw him, I froze.  

Zane.  

My stepbrother.  

Every muscle in my body went rigid. Why was he here?  

The maid bowed her head and quickly retreated, leaving us alone.  

Zane stepped forward, his expression unreadable. The torchlight cast flickering shadows across his face, making him look even more sinister than I remembered.  

"You've done well hiding yourself, sister," he said, his voice cool and calculated.  

I swallowed hard. "I don’t know what you’re talking about."  

A smirk tugged at his lips. "Don’t insult my intelligence, Aurora."  

Hearing my real name from his mouth sent a chill down my spine.  

I clenched my fists. "What do you want?"  

Zane tilted his head, studying me. "You’re playing a dangerous game, sneaking back into the enemy’s den."  

I held his gaze. "And yet, *you* sought me out. Why?"  

He let out a low chuckle. "Because, dear sister, I find your return… intriguing. You had no interest in reclaiming the throne when we last spoke. And yet, here you are, back in the RedMoon Pack, playing the dutiful slave. Why?"  

I crossed my arms. "That’s none of your concern."  

Zane’s smirk widened. "Oh, but it is. You see, I don’t care what happens to you. But our dear brother Logan? He *would* care if he knew the truth."  

A sharp pang of anger cut through me.  

"You came to *threaten* me?" I asked, my voice cold.  

Zane’s expression darkened. "I came to warn you." He stepped closer, his voice dropping to a whisper. "Logan made a deal with Alpha Archie."  

My breath caught.  

Alpha Archie—the very monster who had turned Jason against me.  

"What deal?" I demanded.  

Zane’s eyes gleamed with something I couldn’t quite place. 

“Logan is working with Archie. In return Archie promises to help him maintain his rule over the Vampire Kingdom."  

My stomach churned.  

The truth was even worse than I imagined. My own stepbrother had betrayed our people

I took a slow breath, trying to control the rage building inside me. "Why are you telling me this?"  

Zane shrugged. "Consider it an investment. You were always the strongest of us, Aurora. If you truly plan on reclaiming what was stolen from you, then you’ll need allies."  

I narrowed my eyes. "And you expect me to *trust* you?"  

Zane let out a quiet laugh. "Of course not. But I expect you to think carefully before you make your next move."  

His smirk faded, and for the first time, his expression turned serious. "Logan doesn’t know you’re alive. 

Not Yet. But when he finds out, he will try to kill you again. And this time, he won’t fail."  

I swallowed hard, my mind racing.  

Logan and Archie were working together. My own stepbrother had aligned himself with the very creature who had orchestrated my death.  

Zane took a step back. "You should thank me for the warning."  

I clenched my jaw. "I’ll thank you when Logan is dead."  

Zane chuckled, giving me a mock bow. "Good luck, sister."  

Then, just as silently as he had come, he disappeared into the night.  

I stood there for a long moment, my heart hammering.  

My mission had just become more complicated.  

Not only did I have to get close to Jason, but I also had to stop Logan and Archie before they destroyed everything.  

And the worst part?  

Jason didn’t even know he was being manipulated.  

Taking a deep breath, I turned back toward the packhouse.  

One thing was clear—if I wanted to survive, I needed to act fast.  

Because the clock was ticking.  

Jason’s POV

Sleep evaded me.  

Melissa—Aurora, was back.  

I wasn’t a fool. I had known something was different about her from the moment I first saw her. But now? The way she spoke, the way she carried herself—it was her.

I had killed Aurora.  

And yet, she stood before me, alive, breathing, burning with the same fire I had fallen in love with once before.  

My fists clenched.  

I needed answers.  

But more than that, I needed to keep her safe.  

I had already lost her once.  

I wouldn’t lose her again.  

Not to Logan.  

Not to Archie.  

Not even to her own revenge.  

Aurora’s POV

As I slipped back into the packhouse, my mind was spinning.  

I needed to get closer to Jason.  

I needed to make him trust me.  

Because soon, very soon…  

I would make him suffer the way he made me suffer.  

And then, when the time was right—when I had unraveled every secret he kept from me…  

I would decide whether he deserved to live or die.  

For now, I would play the role of Melissa.  

But soon, very soon—  

He would remember exactly who I was.  

And he would regret ever betraying me.