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A wave of panic shoots through me as I wonder why she's here. Her hair is a caricature of what it usually is. She's always so put together, but right now, there's nothing put together about the woman staring at me.Whatever the case may be, I can't stand for her to see me like this, a shadow of the man he used to be, weak and easily defeated.Through the fog of my emotions, I miss the fist flying to my face, and my neck twists in the most painful manner, the force of the blow knocking me to the ground.Somehow, amidst the cheer from the crowd, I make out a sharp gasp, and my eyes crack open to find Aurora wide-eyed, pulling Ronan to her side and shielding his eyes from the brutality in front of him.

Maybe it was the shame, maybe it was the anger from all the disrespect I've been put through, but a surge of rage engulfs me, dulling out the audience and the noise around me.My opponent charges at me again, but this time, I'm quick to dodge his attack, rolling to the other side to give myself time to recover.

I stand, my eyes barely leaving her as I charge towards my opponent, ducking two punches of his and landing him one of my own.That seems to do it as he falls, face first, like a bag of grain into the dirt. The crowd erupts in applause, but my attention is somewhere else.But aside from Aurora, there's something else, a feeling I cannot easily shake off. It takes a moment to figure out what it is, but eventually, I do, and my eyes dart to her son.Besides the abnormal nature of her visit, something doesn't feel right. The boy doesn't look right, and for some reason, panic sinks into my bones, and an urgent need to protect him overrides the rage from earlier.It's a weird feeling, seeing as the protective instinct is something usually reserved for parents, but he turns around and looks right at me. A look crosses his eyes, and I can almost swear I see the spirit of his wolf ghost through his eyes.My eyes widen as I realize what is going on. I push past everyone in my way and charge toward Rora. I have a lot of questions.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Aurora

I can feel the intensity of his stare digging holes at the back of my neck, but still, I choose to ignore it, not flinching as he leads us into the pack house.

"Take him to my personal healer and instruct her to enlist every measure within and above her powers to make sure he gets better." I hear him say, and this time, I turn, matching his gaze as best I can. He knows I can tell from the way his eyes dart between Ronan and myself.I watch the maid take Ronan away, my eyes never leaving his tired, sunken ones until the door closes softly behind her. I draw in a deep breath, mentally preparing myself for this long-overdue conversation.An uncomfortable silence lingers in the air for what feels like forever before he finally speaks, bringing the suffocating silence to a timely end."Now, Aurora." His voice is calm like he isn't mad at me, "I'm going to ask one more time. Don't lie to me," he says, closing the gap between us.

I can feel his breath on my face now, hot and humid. "Is Ronan my son?" he barks, the suddenness of his tone causing me to jerk away involuntarily, making me stumble a little before regaining my balance.Drawing in a deep breath, I lace my fingers together, comporting myself before I try to form a reply. Just like it is with mates, shifters get a pull on their kids. It's never as strong as the bond between mates, but in the event of danger, the feeling can intensify, almost like the child is sending out a signal to their protector. I have no doubt it's what Lucien felt. I feared this would happen, but I wasn't going to let my stubbornness and personal issues cost me my son's life.

I blink back tears, my chin rising in defiance, "Yes, he is," I say simply, not averting my gaze. I bite back the need to say more. There's no need to explain myself, not when he hasn't asked me to.

He scoffs lightly, the hurt in his eyes as clear as day. "How could you keep this away from me for five years? Five whole years, Aurora?"As he speaks, he's shaking his head. He sounds angry and betrayed, but I don't blame him for that. But one thing I will not allow is him making this entirely my fault."I asked, and you lied. You said it was some unmemorable one-night stand. Why didn't you come clean then?"