Caleb’s P.O.V
Later that night, the three of us — Aurora, Caroline, and I — were huddled around the dining table, books sprawled out and pens scratching against paper as we worked on our homework. The weekly class tests loomed over us, and the tension in the air made the silence heavier than usual. Aurora rubbed her eyes for the third time in the past minute, and I noticed how her shoulders slumped with exhaustion.
"I'm tired," she finally said, breaking the quiet with a soft yawn. Her voice was laced with weariness. "I think I’m going to head to bed now. We’ve been at this for hours, and I need some sleep before my brain is completely fried."
I glanced up from my notes and nodded, trying not to show how her leaving would make the room feel emptier.
"Yes, of course. You should rest up," I said, setting my pen down for a moment. "Caroline and I will finish this up and head to bed soon too. Don't worry about it."
Aurora smiled faintly, her gratitude evident in the way her eyes softened. "Thanks for this, Caleb. Goodnight, guys." She gathered her stuff and gave us a small wave before retreating to her room. I watched her leave, her footsteps fading down the hall, before turning back to Caroline.
Caroline arched an eyebrow at me. "We’re really finishing this up, huh?" she teased, but there was an edge to her voice, like she knew the homework was the least of our concerns tonight.
I smirked faintly. "Not exactly," I muttered, closing my textbook and pushing it aside. "Come on. We’ve got more important things to do."
Without another word, we headed to my dad’s office. The door was already ajar, and the familiar scent of his cologne and the faint, herbal tang of magic wafted out into the hallway. Inside, my father — Alpha Camden — was seated behind his desk, his presence as commanding as ever, even when he wasn’t trying. Next to him stood Harmona, the witch we had called upon for guidance. Her eyes, sharp and unnervingly perceptive, flicked to us as we stepped inside.
"You’re late," my dad said, his tone clipped but not unkind. He leaned back in his chair, folding his arms across his chest. "I expected you here fifteen minutes ago."
"Homework," I replied simply, shutting the door behind us. "Aurora was with us, and we didn’t want to leave her hanging."
Caroline took a seat when my father motioned for us, but I kept close to his desk.
"She went to bed, so there’s no need to worry." Caroline reassured us. "So, what’s going on? Why call us here at this hour?"
Harmona’s gaze settled on Caroline briefly before shifting back to my dad. She didn’t say anything, but the tension in the room thickened. My father let out a heavy sigh, running a hand through his hair.
"There’s been a development," he said, his voice low and serious. "And I needed both of you here to hear it firsthand."
I crossed my arms, leaning against the wall as I looked between them. "What kind of development? Something to do with the pack?"
"Not just the pack," Harmona finally spoke, her voice smooth yet heavy with the weight of unspoken truths.
"It concerns Aurora. I need to know if Aurora has said anything to you about how she feels,” Harmona asked, her voice steady but laced with urgency.
I leaned back against the wall, my arms crossed, watching her closely. She always had this way of commanding attention, even in the smallest moments. Her eyes moved between Caroline and me, searching for answers.
Caroline was the first to speak. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and sighed. “She only asked us who you were and why she hadn't seen you before.” Her voice wavered slightly, and she glanced at me before continuing. “I told her the story we agreed on. You know, the one we rehearsed. She... she seemed to believe it.” There was a hesitation in her tone, a crack that suggested she wasn’t entirely convinced of her own words.
Harmona’s lips pressed into a thin line. She didn’t look satisfied. “She didn’t buy it,” she said flatly, shaking her head. “Not entirely. I could see it in her eyes—she’s questioning everything. And, Caleb, I can sense something from her. There’s magic there, but it’s… hidden. It’s not like anything I’ve felt before.”
I frowned, sitting up straighter. “Hidden how?” I asked, my voice sharper than I intended. “Are you saying someone cloaked her or...?”
Harmona raised a hand to cut me off. “I don’t know,” she admitted, her brows furrowing. “It’s faint, like it’s buried under layers of something. Maybe it’s a spell, or maybe she’s suppressing it herself without realizing. But we can’t ignore it. Whatever it is, it’s there.”
Caroline exhaled loudly, running a hand through her hair. “So what does that mean? What do we do? We’ve done everything we can to keep her safe. We’ve prepared for this.”
“Prepared?” Harmona’s laugh was bitter, almost mocking. “We’re not prepared for what’s coming. Her eighteenth birthday is upon us. That’s when it will all come to the surface. Her powers will spike, and if she’s not ready, she could lose control completely.”
“And if she does?” I asked, my jaw tightening. “What happens then?”
Harmona’s gaze locked onto mine, unflinching. “Then we have chaos. And not just for her—for all of us. We need to be ready, Caleb. That means no more half-truths, no more rehearsed stories. She needs to know the truth. All of it.”
Caroline shook her head vehemently. “She’s not ready for that! You’re talking about overwhelming her with everything—her identity, her powers, her destiny. She’s already barely holding it together as it is.”
“And if we wait too long?” Harmona countered, her tone rising. “What then, Caroline? Do you think she’ll thank us when everything explodes, and she’s caught in the middle with no idea how to handle it?”
I rubbed my temples, feeling the weight of their arguments pressing down on me. “Alright, enough,” I said, my voice cutting through their exchange. “We need a plan. A real one. Because Harmona’s right—her birthday isn’t something we can afford to screw up. But Caroline’s right too. We can’t just dump everything on her at once.”
For a moment, silence hung between us, heavy and suffocating. Then Harmona spoke again, her voice softer but no less determined. “We start by watching her more closely. If there’s even the slightest sign of her magic breaking through, we need to act. She doesn’t have to know everything yet, but she needs to be prepared for what’s coming.”
I looked at her, frustration bubbling beneath my calm exterior. "Harmona, you’re asking for something impossible. We don’t even know the date of her birth yet. How are we supposed to figure out how to help Aurora or even prepare for it, if we can’t even get that right?" My voice came out sharper than I intended, but the weight of the situation made it hard to stay composed.
She tilted her head, her calm eyes boring into mine like she could see straight through the storm I was trying to suppress. “Caleb,” she said evenly, her voice carrying that maddening serenity she always managed to keep intact. “If you’re going to doubt everything, then we won’t get anywhere.” She paused, letting the silence stretch long enough to make me shift uncomfortably.
“If we are to believe that Caroline and Aurora are Lunar Sisters, then the date and time of her birth will match hers exactly. It’s the only logical conclusion.”
“That’s a big ‘if,’ Harmona,” I argued, running a hand through my hair. “What if you’re wrong? What if the two of them aren’t what we think they are? Then what? We’re putting all our faith into—”
“Into what?” she interrupted, her tone unyielding now. “Into the one connection that makes sense? Into the one connection that will help us prepare for Aurora’s power spike when it really happens?” She stood, her presence commanding despite the tension in the room. “We don’t have the luxury of doubting this, Caleb. If we’re right, and I think we are, then we’ll need to be prepared.”
I wanted to argue more, but her words hung in the air, heavy and undeniable. “Prepared for what exactly?” I asked, my voice quieter now, less defensive.
“For what happens when the Moon calls,” she said simply, folding her arms across her chest like the answer should’ve been obvious. “Caroline and Aurora—if this is true—they are bound to the same forces. When it happens, it will happen to both of them, and if you’re not ready…” She trailed off, her expression hardening. “Then neither of them might make it out of this alive.”
Her conviction rattled me, and for a moment, I couldn’t find the words to respond. Harmona didn’t just believe this—she knew it, and that certainty left no room for doubt. I exhaled heavily, nodding almost reluctantly.
“Alright,” I said finally. “We’ll follow Caroline’s date. But if we’re doing this, Harmona, we’re doing it with a plan. I’m not walking into this blind.”
Her lips quivered into a faint, knowing smile. “Good. Because I’ve never expected anything less from Aurora’s mate.”