Aurora’s P.O.V
"It means you’re connected," he said, his tone softening like he thought that might make this easier for me to understand. It didn’t. "Two women bound by the Moon Goddess herself. But for the bond to exist, one of you has to be a wolf and the other... a witch."
The world seemed to tilt on its axis, and for a moment, I thought I might be sick. "A wolf and…a witch," I said slowly, like the words might make more sense if I said them out loud. They didn’t. "And you’re saying that’s... me and Caroline?"
"Yes," Caleb said, his voice firm now, like he’d finally found his footing. "Aurora, think about it. Haven’t you ever felt... different around her? Like there’s something tying you together that you can’t explain? Like the two of you knew each other in a way no one else did?"
I shook my head, trying to process everything he was saying. "Even if that’s true—which, by the way, I’m still not sure it is—why would the Moon Goddess do something like this? Why would she tie me to Caroline?"
"I don’t know," he admitted, looking genuinely frustrated for the first time. "But this isn’t something that happens by chance. It’s rare—like, once-in-a-millennia kinda rare. And it’s powerful, Aurora. The bond between Lunar Sisters is... its unbreakable. You’re meant to balance each other. To protect each other."
I stared at him, my mind a tangled mess of questions and doubts. Lunar Sisters. A wolf and a witch. Connected by some divine power I didn’t understand and wasn’t sure I wanted to.
It didn’t feel real, but the look in Caleb’s eyes told me it was. Whether I liked it or not, my life had just been flipped upside down. And somehow, Caroline was at the center of it all.
*
Caleb’s P.O.V
As Aurora’s confused gaze locks onto mine, I feel the weight of her words before she even speaks.
"Caleb," she says slowly, like she’s piecing together a puzzle that doesn’t quite fit, "Caroline is a wolf. But if that’s true... then I’m a witch. And that’s impossible." Her voice wavers at the end, doubt and disbelief crashing into each other. She takes a step closer, her eyes narrowing.
"Are you sure about this? Are we sure about this…Lunar Sister thing?"
I sigh heavily, running a hand through my hair, the tension in my chest tightening like a vice.
"Aurora, I wouldn’t be saying this if I wasn’t sure. Jade and I—we’ve gone over it again and again. It all makes sense." I glance at her, trying to find the right words to make her understand. “And it’s not just that day at the parking lot. Caroline and you are connected. Every time you have a nightmare, she can feel it too, your fears, your worry…that’s how I know about them as well.”
That night when Aurora fell into the swimming pool…if Caroline hadn't warned me about it via our pack link, Aurora could’ve drowned…and even tonight, I had followed Aurora to the kitchen when Caroline had warned me once again about Aurora’s feelings of fear and confusion. The connection was getting undeniable the closer they approached Caroline’s birthday, and tonight, Care had told me that she could feel Aurora’s fear as if they were her own.
Aurora’s face fell as the words sink in, and she took a shaky step back. "But Caleb... that doesn’t make any sense. Witches and wolves—that means that I... this shouldn’t even be possible." Her voice cracks, and I can tell she’s trying to keep it together, but the cracks are widening. “I’m human…Caleb…I’m…human…aren’t I?”
And then it hits me. The guilt. The weight of everything I’ve done, everything I’ve hidden. My legs give out, and I crumble to the floor, my head in my hands. The realization of how deeply I’ve hurt Aurora, how I’ve let my fear and ignorance dictate my choices, crashes over me like a tidal wave.
Aurora drops down in front of me, her hands hovering like she doesn’t know whether to comfort me or shake me until I snap out of it.
"Caleb, talk to me. What’s going on?"
I lift my head, meeting her gaze, my throat tight. "Because I hurt you, Aurora. I hurt you in ways I didn’t even realize until now. And I’m so, so sorry. I should’ve told you before." My voice cracks, but I don’t care. “I shouldn’t have kept secrets from you…you’re my mate. I shouldn’t have hurt you.”
I see her lower her head, her eyes watering. The uncertainties in her eyes were clear, and I knew that she would be devastated after learning the whole truth, but at least now, I knew that I had told her the truth, something we shouldn’t have hidden from her in the first place.
Without thinking, I pull her into my arms, holding her like she’s the only thing anchoring me to reality.
"I kept this from you for so long," I whisper into her hair. "And now... now I don’t even know if you’ll forgive me. But I can’t keep running from this anymore. I’ll understand if you don’t forgive me, but…I needed to tell you. I couldn’t keep you in the dark any longer."
Aurora pulls back slightly, her eyes scanning mine, searching for something. "Then don’t," she says softly, but her tone is firm.
"Stop running, Caleb. If you’re sorry, prove it. Tell me what the tests showed. Tell me the whole truth."
I sighed, running a hand through my hair. She always had this way of staring at me, like she could see right through every excuse or half-truth I tried to put together.
I hesitated. My throat felt dry, and I had to force myself to meet her gaze. "She tested you and Riley. She tested your father. She wanted to know if—" I stopped, the words catching.
"If what?" she pressed, her voice sharper now but still eerily calm.
I exhaled slowly, my shoulders sagging. "If you’re... if you’re his daughter. And it turns out... you’re not, Aurora. Riley is his child, but…you’re not."
I watched her closely, expecting her to yell, cry, or demand answers I didn’t have.
But she didn’t. And maybe that’s what made the next part even harder.
Swallowing past the lump in my throat…I finally revealed our theory, knowing that this might just crush her heart.
"Your mom... she must’ve had you with someone else. Caroline doesn’t know what to do with this, and I... I don’t even know how to begin explaining it to you…but that’s all we found, Aurora…you…you might have been born from an affair."