Everyone was tense to be around Drake, ever since the day she left. Drake was like another person. He trained harder and was fiercer. Before, Rafe would’ve challenged him. Now, you’d have to be an idiot to challenge Drake. He was mean, dark, and ruthless. Rafe was sure if Aurora came home, she’d want him. Every day that passed and he couldn’t feel her, he grew stronger from forcing himself to train harder. Everyone thought it was to keep his mind off her. Little did they know, he was distracting himself. It’s his fault she left. She knew he loved her, but because he didn’t want to try to complete the mating bond, she left. He hoped as time went by, she’d forgive him and come back. Now, a year has passed. She’d be seventeen now and no one has seen her.
Drake went home more confused than ever. Would she come back to him? She has a whole new outlook than just this piece of land. He wanted to write her back but had so many questions. Did he even know her anymore? When he got home, his father asked to see him.“Son, I need to speak with you.”“What is it?”“I assume you went and saw Markus. Did he tell what you wanted to know?”“I do
Aurora began to cry as she knew she would have to tell him what has happened. Michelle came in to check on her and found her a mess on the floor. She read Drake’s letter and hugged her closest friend. “You have to tell him.”“I don’t want to. I don’t want to go through with it.”“It’s the only way Rafe won’t retaliate. He still has your brother and sister.”
Drake had stayed away from home. Especially now that he knew she would never be his. He knew it was happening today and fought to stay away, but he was close enough. He landed and shifted back and walked through the woods, trying to keep his mind off it. He was dozing off a bit when a sudden, sharp pain vibrated through him. It felt like he had been shot. He looked down and saw no blood, nor a wound. He hurt bad enough for one to be there. As he pondered this, he heard her voice. She called out to him and in an instant, knew something happened to her. He wasted no time as he shifted and took flight. Flying as fast as his wings would go. Drake got home in time to see Mage and one of the Ascendants leaving. He grew paler as he got closer to his home. Will and Jake wer
She expected to be dead by now, but instead, she was feeling stronger than she ever had. She had Drake. They had mated and there was no denying it. She doesn’t know why her first instinct was to shift and run. She wanted to stay and bask in his heat. She knew why she had to run. Markus had nothing to do with what happened and Dominik might think she is dead. Rafe would pay but on her terms. She reached the guardians in record time. She could run faster, her senses were more alive, and she felt downright confident. She shifted, dressed, and went to find Dominik.She found him in his chambers. His back was turned, and the smell of whiskey assailed her nostrils. When he spoke, he didn’t sound himself.
Drake held her close and was almost afraid to let her go. He took in her scent and he was afraid to believe she was here. Doubt plagued him as he thought she wouldn’t have long. She must have heard his thoughts. She separated them and looked deep into his blue eyes,“I’m okay and yes, I am here.”He wrapped her tight against him again and rested his head on top of hers. She pushed away from him and turned to Able. “Go home. Tell my uncle what has happened.”
Drake awoke with a start sometime later. It took him a second to realize where he was. He sat up and saw blood, his blood. Then he touched his neck and looked in the bed beside him to see Aurora fast asleep with his mark on her. He smiled as he fingered the mark she left on him. He remembered what had happened between them and it made him smile more. He got up from the bed and went for the cloth. He wiped the blood off himself and dressed. As much as he would love to stay in bed with her forever, he had to go check on his father. He left her a note and left. The other wolves stared after him as he crossed the border and went for the mountain. Once he was on guardian territory, he was met by Ascendants, they stood fast as he approached.
She was almost at Rafe’s cage when the humans showed up. She was too proud to play an innocent. Rafe saw it all over her face. He convinced the guard to let him out when the humans started to attack. She and the others fought hard, some shifting in the fight.When Aurora shifted, though, the humans’ attention was on her and she knew they were there for her. She took off full speed into the woods. It was hard and easy at the same time with the snow on the ground. She turned to see how far they were and she was shot. She went down and was starting to fade. She heard rantings from a woman and the humans ran. She called out for Drake as the blackness consumed her.
Samuel did not leave Drake’s bedside. He looked to be on death’s door. Like he got shot and not Aurora. This made Dominik sick with worry. When the storm hit, and she still hadn’t been found, he was afraid he had seen her for the last time. On the afternoon after the storm stopped, Dominik was in his office, drunk off of whiskey. He didn’t even hear her walk in. He swung around fast when he heard her voice.“Is this what I am to expect every time you have a scare that I am dead?”“How do you man