Chapter 25

Aurora’s POV

The morning air was crisp as I stepped out onto the training grounds. The RedMoon warriors were already at work, their grunts and the clash of steel ringing through the open space. I kept my posture relaxed, my expression neutral, but inside, my thoughts churned.  

Last night’s meeting with Zane still weighed on me. Logan had made a deal with Alpha Archie. He was feeding my people to a monster. And Jason—Jason was walking blindly into a war without even knowing who his true enemy was.  

I needed to act.  

But first, I needed to secure my place here.  

A warrior’s cry rang out as two fighters collided in the center of the grounds, their swords locked in a brutal contest of strength.  

“You shouldn’t be here.”  

I turned, my gaze meeting Jason’s.  

His blue eyes were intense, searching, as if he was still trying to piece me together. I had expected this—his suspicion, his need for answers. But I couldn’t afford to let him unravel me just yet.  

I tilted my head, feigning innocence. “And why is that, Alpha?”  

Jason crossed his arms, his stance commanding. “You’re not a warrior. You’re a servant. Watching the warriors train won’t change that.”  

I forced a small smile. “Maybe I just admire strength.”  

His gaze darkened. “Strength isn’t just about admiration, Melissa. It’s earned through blood.”  

Blood.  

I knew that all too well.  

I stepped closer, lowering my voice. “Then maybe you should teach me.”  

Jason’s eyes flickered with something unreadable. “You want to train?”  

I nodded. “I don’t want to be weak.”  

That part wasn’t a lie. If I was going to survive this, I needed to be strong—not just in mind but in body. And if training with Jason gave me more insight into his world, his weaknesses, I would take it.  

Jason exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck. “You’ll get hurt.”  

I met his gaze head-on. “Then I’ll heal.”  

For a moment, he was silent, his gaze locked onto mine. Then, without warning, he pulled a dagger from his belt and tossed it to me.  

I caught it midair, the weight of it familiar in my hand.  

“Show me what you can do,” Jason said.  

I tightened my grip on the dagger, my pulse steady.  

If he wanted a show, I would give him one.  

Jason’s POV

I expected her to hesitate.  

I expected her to falter, to fumble with the weapon like someone who had never held a blade before.  

Instead, she moved like a shadow.  

Melissa didn’t attack head-on. She circled me, light on her feet, her grip on the dagger sure and steady.  

That was my first confirmation.  

She wasn’t just some weak, defenseless servant.  

She had trained before.  

And yet… she was still holding back.  

I narrowed my eyes, testing her. I lunged forward with a feint, but she sidestepped smoothly, her blade flicking toward my ribs. I twisted at the last second, feeling the whisper of metal just shy of my skin.  

My instincts kicked in. I countered with a sweep of my leg, forcing her off balance.  

She stumbled but didn’t fall.  

Her movements were precise, controlled.  

This wasn’t a servant’s clumsy attempt at self-defense.  

This was a warrior.  

And that only confirmed my growing suspicion.  

Who the hell was she?  

I grabbed her wrist, twisting the dagger from her grip, and in the next breath, I had her pinned against the training post.  

She didn’t struggle.  

Instead, she looked up at me with those hauntingly familiar eyes.  

And smiled.  

Damn it.  

My pulse thundered.  

She was baiting me. Testing *me* just as much as I was testing her.  

I released her and stepped back.  

“You’re better than you let on,” I said, watching her closely.  

She tilted her head, that infuriating smile still playing on her lips. “Perhaps I had a good teacher.”  

My jaw tightened. “Who taught you?”  

She shrugged. “No one you’d know.”  

Lies.  

Every instinct told me she was lying.  

But I had no proof. Not yet.  

I turned away, sheathing my dagger. 

“Training is over.”  

Melissa brushed past me, her scent lingering. 

“Let me know when you’re ready for a real fight, Alpha.”  

And with that, she walked away, leaving me standing there with a storm brewing in my chest.  

Aurora’s POV

I could feel Jason’s eyes on me as I left the training grounds.  

He was onto me.  

But I had expected that.  

The more he questioned, the closer I would get to the truth.  

And soon, I would have my revenge.  

But before I could make my next move, a voice stopped me in my tracks.  

“You shouldn’t play with fire, Melissa.”  

I turned sharply.  

Lydia.  

She stood at the entrance to the packhouse, her arms crossed, eyes filled with thinly veiled contempt.  

I forced a neutral expression. “I don’t know what you mean.”  

Lydia took a slow step forward. “You think I don’t see what you’re doing? Getting close to Jason. Manipulating him.” Her voice dropped to a venomous whisper.

“I don’t trust you.”  

I met her gaze, unflinching. “Then don’t.”  

Lydia’s eyes flashed. “You don’t belong here.”  

I tilted my head. “And yet, Jason brought me back. That must mean something.”  

Lydia’s lips curled into a sneer. “You’re a fool if you think you’re anything more than a distraction to him. Jason doesn’t care about you. You’re just filling the void she left behind.”  

I went still.  

She meant “Aurora.”

Me.  

Lydia leaned in, her breath hot against my ear. “And when he finds out who you really are, he’ll kill you all over again.”  

I held my ground, forcing a slow, cold smile. “Then I suppose I’ll have to kill him first.”  

Lydia’s expression faltered for just a second.  

I stepped past her, feeling the weight of her glare burning into my back.  

She was a problem.  

A problem I would deal with soon enough.  

For now, I had bigger things to handle.  

Like finding out just how deep Jason’s regret ran—  

And just how much he truly knew.  

Because if he had been manipulated into killing me before…  

Then perhaps his death wouldn’t be the justice I had once dreamed of.  

Perhaps, instead…  

It would be Logan.