CHAPTER SEVENTY-NINE
I pace back and forth in front of Aubrey's bed, my hands clenched into fists at my sides. The afternoon sunlight streams through the tall windows of her chambers, casting long shadows across the stone floor.
"Knox, you're making me dizzy," she says, a hint of amusement in her voice despite the exhaustion that still lingers in her green eyes. "Just tell me what's bothering you."
I stop pacing and turn to face her, my heart hammering against my ribcage. The words I've been rehearsing in my head suddenly feel impossible to say. I run a hand through my dark hair and take a deep breath.
"Aubrey, there's something I need to tell you about what we found in the Ancient Heart." My voice comes out rougher than I intended.
Her expression shifts, becoming more alert. She sits up straighter. "What about it?"
I move closer to the bed, my boots echoing against the stone. "We discovered a white wolf and..." I pause, swallowing hard. "It was your mother, Aubrey."
The color drains from her face instantly. "My mother?" The words come out as barely a whisper.
"I'm sorry. I should have told you sooner, but—"
"She's here?" Aubrey interrupts, her voice stronger now but filled with disbelief. "My mother's remains are within the castle territory?"
I nod, unable to find the right words. She hadn't expected this—none of us had.
Aubrey throws back the covers and swings her legs over the side of the bed. "I need to see her."
"No." I step forward, placing a gentle but firm hand on her shoulder. "You should wait until you've fully recovered. You're still weak from—"
"I can't wait, Knox." She looks up at me, and I see a fierce determination burning in her eyes that reminds me exactly why I fell in love with her. "I need to see my mother. Now."
Every instinct in my body tells me this is a bad idea. She's barely been conscious for two days, and the emotional toll of seeing her mother's remains could set back her recovery. But I also know that look—there's no arguing with Aubrey when she's made up her mind.
"Alright," I say reluctantly. "But we go slowly, and if you feel faint, we're coming straight back."
She nods, already moving toward her wardrobe. I help her into a simple black dress that reaches her ankles, and she pulls on a dark wool cloak. Her hands are still shaking slightly as she fastens the clasp at her throat.
The walk to the forbidden section feels endless.
I keep one arm around Aubrey's waist, feeling how she leans into me for support despite trying to appear strong.
The castle corridors give way to rougher stone passages, and finally, we emerge into the forest where the ancient magic still hangs heavy in the air.
The makeshift burial site is beneath a cluster of silver birch trees. We'd wrapped her mother's remains in white linen and placed wildflowers around the small clearing. It looks peaceful now, nothing like the chaotic scene we'd discovered days ago.
The moment Aubrey sees the white cloth, she breaks.
A sound escapes her throat—part sob, part keening wail—and she drops to her knees beside her mother's body. Her carefully maintained composure crumbles completely, and watching her devastation is like taking a blade to my own heart.
"Mom," she whispers, reaching out with trembling fingers to touch the linen. "I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry I couldn't save you."
I kneel behind her, unsure whether to offer comfort or give her space to grieve. Tears stream down her face as memories seem to flood back—I can see it in the way her expression shifts, reliving moments I'll never be able to share.
"I remember that night," she says, her voice broken. "The blood. So much blood everywhere. She fought so hard to protect me, Knox. She was so brave, and I was just a frightened child hiding behind her."
"Aubrey—"
"She told me to run. Those were her last words to me—just 'run, my darling, and don't look back.' But I did look back. I saw her fall."
The anguish in her voice makes my chest tight. I've never felt so helpless, watching the woman I love relive her worst nightmare.
"I should have told you sooner," I admit, my own voice thick with emotion. "I was waiting for the right moment, afraid that knowing would be too much for you to handle."
Aubrey wipes her tears with the back of her hand and shakes her head. "No, I understand why you hesitated. Anyone would have." She takes a shuddering breath. "But knowing where she is... it actually brings me some relief. She's not lost anymore."
Her tears stop, and I watch as something hardens in her expression. When she looks at me again, there's a cold fury burning in her green eyes that makes me take a step back.
"But I will never let the one responsible for her death go unpunished," she says, her voice deadly quiet. "With Jax gone, Avery will pay the price for helping him."
Before I can respond, Aria's voice echoes in my mind, and I know she's speaking to Aubrey as well.
"Aubrey, your grief is understandable, but you must not let it consume you," Aria says gently. "There is something you need to know about your heritage—about what you truly are."
Aubrey's brow furrows. "What do you mean?"
"You are a silver wolf, the rarest of our kind. We are born with extraordinary powers—the ability to resist and absorb magic that would destroy other werewolves. Your mother possessed these same gifts."
"You knew this?" Aubrey's voice rises with anger. "You've known what I am this entire time and never told me?"
"I was waiting for you to be ready. These powers are not easily controlled, and in the wrong hands, they can be devastating."
I watch as understanding dawns in Aubrey's eyes. She looks down at her hands, then back at her mother's covered form.
"If I want to defeat Avery," she says slowly, "I need to unlock my full potential. I need to master these abilities."
"Yes," Aria confirms. "But the path will not be easy. Silver wolves must learn to balance their power with wisdom, their strength with compassion. Your mother understood this—it's why she was so formidable, yet so gentle."
Aubrey stands slowly, brushing dirt from her dress. The vulnerability from moments before is gone, replaced by a steely resolve that both impresses and worries me.
"Then teach me," she says to Aria. "Show me how to become what my mother was—what I was born to be."
AUbrEY
The walk back to our room feels endless. Knox's hand brushes against mine, but neither of us speaks.
I push open the door to our bedroom, and the familiar scent of cedar and pine from Knox's presence should comfort me, but tonight it feels distant.
The room is dimly lit by a single candle on the bedside table, casting long shadows across the dark wooden floors.
Knox closes the door behind us with a soft click. I stand in the middle of the room, staring at nothing, feeling like I'm drowning in silence.
So much information—too much, too fast. I don't even know where to begin. I can't even believe my wolf is supposed to be some powerful force destined to stop Avery... when she comes. Because she will.
"Aubrey." His voice is gentle, careful.
I turn to face him. His green eyes search mine with that look he gets when he's trying to read my thoughts.
Without a word, he steps forward and pulls me into his arms. The warmth of his chest against my cheek breaks something inside me, and I let out a shaky breath I didn't know I was holding.
"No matter what happens," he murmurs into my hair, his voice low and steady, "I will always be by your side. Always, Aubrey. You're not alone in this."
His words wrap around me like a blanket, and for the first time since this nightmare began, I feel like I can breathe. I pull back to look at him, taking in the strong line of his jaw, the way his dark eyebrows furrow with concern.
"Knox," I whisper, my voice barely audible.
"I'm here."
I reach up and cup his face in my hands, feeling the slight stubble along his jawline. "I need you to mate with me. Mark me. Tonight."
His eyes widen, and he takes a small step back, his hands still resting on my waist. "Aubrey, are you—are you serious?"
I nod, my heart pounding so hard I'm sure he can hear it. "I've never been more serious about anything in my life."
"But after everything that's happened today—"
"Because of everything that's happened." I move closer to him, pressing my palms flat against his chest. "I need your touch, Knox. I need to feel something other than this emptiness. And I need the world to know that I'm truly yours."
He searches my face for a long moment, his thumb tracing gentle circles on my hip through the fabric of my dress. "If this is what you want..."
"It is." I lean up and kiss him, soft at first, then deeper as he responds. His lips are warm and familiar, tasting faintly of the wine he had earlier. When we break apart, I'm breathless. "Please."
Something shifts in his expression, the careful concern replaced by something deeper, more primal. His hands move to the laces at the back of my dress, his fingers gentle but sure as he slowly loosens them.
"I love you," he whispers against my ear, sending shivers down my spine.
"Show me," I breathe back.
The dress falls to the floor in a whisper of fabric, and he lifts me easily, carrying me to our bed.
The moonlight streaming through the window bathes everything in silver, and for a moment, the rest of the world disappears.
There's only us, only this moment, only the way his hands map every inch of my skin like he's memorizing me.
When he marks me, the sharp pleasure-pain of his teeth at my neck sends fire through every nerve.
I mark him in return, tasting copper and salt and something uniquely Knox.
The bond that forms between us is immediate and overwhelming—I can feel his emotions mixing with mine, his love wrapping around my heart like armor.
Afterward, we lie tangled together, my head on his chest, listening to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat. His fingers trace lazy patterns on my bare shoulder, and I've never felt more complete, more protected.
"How do you feel?" he asks softly.
"Like I'm finally home," I whisper, pressing a kiss to his collarbone.
He tightens his arms around me, and I let my eyes drift closed, finally ready to rest.
I'm not sure how long we've been asleep when the door to our room suddenly slams open with a bang that makes me bolt upright, clutching the linen coverlet to my chest.
"Knox! Aubrey!" Astor's voice cuts through the darkness, urgent and panicked.
Knox is instantly alert, his body tensing as he sits up beside me. "What the hell, Astor?"
Astor stands in the doorway, his chest heaving like he's been running. His usually neat brown hair is wild, and there's sweat beading on his forehead despite the cool night air. He's wearing dark trousers and a hastily thrown-on linen shirt.
"It's Avery," he pants, his eyes wide with alarm. "She's leading the Crescent Moon Pack in a direct assault on our defenses. They hit the eastern border twenty minutes ago."
The peaceful warmth I'd been wrapped in shatters like glass.