CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE
I follow Aubrey's scent deeper into the forest. Her trail is erratic, panicked—the kind of desperate flight that speaks of terror rather than simple restlessness.
My wolf paces anxiously beneath my skin, sensing our mate's distress through the bond that connects us despite the walls she's built between us.
"She's in pain," Liam growls, his presence sharp with protective fury. "Something has frightened her badly."
I push harder through the underbrush, branches catching at my clothes as concern drives me forward. The fight between us has gone on too long. Whatever secrets Aubrey harbors, whatever truth she's protecting, watching her suffer while maintaining this distance is destroying us both.
When her scent trail leads toward the Ancient Heart, my blood turns to ice.
Not there. Anywhere but there.
The sacred grove has been tainted by dark magic for weeks now, twisted into something that makes even the bravest warriors avoid its borders. For Aubrey to venture into that corrupted space alone... The thought sends terror racing through my veins.
The moment I emerge into the clearing, my breath catches in my throat. The Ancient Heart stretches before me, its usual ethereal beauty warped into something nightmarish. The air itself feels wrong, heavy with malevolent energy that makes my skin crawl.
But none of that matters the instant I see her.
Aubrey stands in the center of the clearing in her wolf form, silver fur gleaming like liquid starlight against the corrupted backdrop.
Even surrounded by this twisted landscape, she's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen.
Her wolf is elegant and powerful, every line speaking of grace and strength.
"Goddess," Liam breathes in awe, his earlier panic forgotten in the face of such perfection. "Look at our mate. Look at what the Moon Goddess blessed us with."
For a moment, I can only stare. Her silver form seems to push back the corruption simply by being there, a beacon of light in the shadow.
Her wolf turns toward me, those familiar blue eyes wide with surprise and something that might be relief. Even in this form, I can read her expressions, can see the exhaustion and fear that have driven her to this forbidden place.
"Aubrey," I say softly, not wanting to startle her further. "What are you doing here? This place isn't safe."
Her wolf whines softly, a sound of distress that makes my chest ache. Whatever brought her here, it wasn't a casual decision. Something drove her to risk the Ancient Heart's corruption, and I need to understand what.
"She's hurting," Liam observes, his protective instincts sharpening. "Our mate needs us."
I step closer, moving slowly and keeping my hands visible. "I'm calling a truce," I tell her, my voice gentle but firm. "Whatever fight we've been having, whatever secrets you're keeping—it can wait. Right now, I just need to know you're safe."
Relief floods her wolf's posture, her rigid stance relaxing slightly as my words register. The fear in her eyes fades, replaced by something warmer, more trusting. It's the first time in days I've seen her look at me without walls between us.
Silver light ripples across her form as she shifts into human form. My breath catches as moonlight illuminates every perfect curve, every line I've memorized during our intimate moments.
Before I can offer her my jacket, she's moving toward me with purpose. Her lips crash against mine in a kiss that tastes of gratitude and desperation, her naked body pressing against my clothed chest with an intimacy that makes my world tilt.
"Thank you," she breathes against my mouth, her voice rough with emotion. "Thank you for being patient with me. I know I haven't made this easy."
My arms come around her automatically, pulling her closer as relief floods through me. This is the first genuine moment we've shared in days—no walls, no careful distance, just Aubrey in my arms where she belongs.
"You're worth the wait," I murmur against her hair, meaning every word. "Whatever you're struggling with, we'll figure it out together."
I reluctantly release her long enough to shrug out of my jacket, wrapping the warm fabric around her shoulders. She pulls it closed with grateful fingers.
As we begin walking back toward the castle, my mind finally catches up to the situation. The beauty of her wolf form had distracted me completely, but now questions surface that need answers.
"Aubrey," I say carefully, not wanting to shatter the fragile peace between us, "what brought you to the Ancient Heart? You know it's forbidden territory, especially now."
She's quiet for a long moment. When she finally speaks, her voice carries a note of confusion that makes my chest tighten.
"I was following my mother's scent," she admits, the words barely above a whisper. "I know how that sounds, but it was so real, so clear. Like she was calling to me."
My steps falter as the implications hit me. "Your mother's scent? Aubrey, your mother has been dead for years. How could you possibly—"
"I don't know," she interrupts, frustration bleeding into her voice. "I can't explain it. I just know what I smelled." She pulls my jacket tighter around herself. "And there was something else. A dark, magical aura, like the air itself, was poisoned. Everything about that place felt wrong."
The description matches what our elders have reported about the Ancient Heart's corruption, but the detail about her mother's scent sends chills down my spine. Dark magic is capable of many things—illusions, manipulations, psychological warfare. Could someone be using Aubrey's grief against her?
"You're right that you shouldn't have gone there," I say gently, not wanting to sound accusatory. "The place has been corrupted by dark magic for weeks. Whatever you sensed—your mother's scent, the malevolent energy—it could all be connected to whoever's been targeting our kingdom."
Aubrey nods, her expression troubled. "I realized that after I got there. The whole place felt like a trap, like something was trying to lure me deeper. I was about to leave when you arrived."
"She's still not telling us everything," Liam observes quietly. "There's more to why she ran into the forest tonight."
He's right. Something drove Aubrey to flee the castle in the first place, something that sent her running in wolf form toward forbidden territory. But pushing now, when we've just found our fragile peace, feels like a mistake.
"Promise me you won't go back there," I say instead, stopping to face her fully. "Whatever called to you tonight, whatever you thought you sensed—it's not worth risking your life."
"I promise," she agrees readily, her blue eyes meeting mine with sincerity. "I never want to see that place again."
I nod, satisfied with her commitment even as questions continue to swirl in my mind.
As we resume walking toward the castle, I make a silent decision.
Tomorrow, I'll return to the Ancient Heart with Noah and Astor.
If someone is using dark magic to manipulate Aubrey, if they're targeting her specifically, I need to understand the scope of the threat.