Chapter 262 AURORA

The roar of fire and stinging smell of smoke brought me abruptly awake. Dane was up, tugging into his boots with speed and urgency.

“Stay here,” he said without looking round, the line of his mouth precluding further discussion of this.

I was hot on his heels in a matter of seconds, the chill of the night air biting through my thin robe. The village square was ablaze with chaos as flames engulfed the western communal hall. Wolves darted in every direction, some carrying buckets of water while others herded frightened pups and elders to safety.

Dane’s voice rose above the din, sharp and commanding. “Form a line from the well! Move, move!”

I saw Piper and Warrick near the edge of the mayhem, directing a group of younger wolves to safety. Piper’s voice was firm but calm, her hand to the shoulder of a shaking boy. Warrick, for once, seemed to follow her lead, without any trace of his usual banter.

“Keep moving!” Piper yelled, wheeling to Warrick. “We’ll come back to help once they’re safe.”

Warrick nodded, his face grim. “If they don’t hurry up, I’ll carry them all myself.”

Despite the urgency, their teamwork was smooth, and it brought a flicker of pride amid the chaos.

I edged closer to the flames, my heart pounding as I scanned the area. Trajan appeared beside me, his expression grim.

“Have you seen Rowan?” I asked, my voice tight.

Trajan shook his head. “Not yet. But if he’s anywhere near this, we’ll find him.”

A movement near the edge of the fire caught my eye. My breath hitched as I saw Rowan standing there, his face streaked with soot and his hands smeared with ash.

“Rowan!” I called out, moving toward him.

He froze, his eyes wide as if he had been caught doing something he shouldn’t.

“Aurora,” he said, his voice hoarse. “I…”

“What are you doing here?” I asked, the tone sharper than I intended.

Rowan glanced into the flames before looking back into my face. “I… I was trying to help.”

But he hesitated at the word ‘help,’ and unease roiled in my guts.

“Help with what? You should have been with the others, escorting the younglings out.”

“I didn’t start this,” Rowan exclaimed quickly, defensiveness pitching his voice high.

“Did I say you did?” I replied with narrowed eyes.

His silence spoke volumes between us.

Dane’s voice continued to bark out orders in the background, water hissing where it hit the base of the flames.

It was before I could press the point further that a voice interrupted.

“Isn’t it weird,” I thought, emerging from the darkness, measured with false sincerity. “That Rowan’s always in the wrong place at the wrong time?”

His fists were clenched at his sides. “I’m telling you, I didn’t do this.”

“Then help prove it,” I said, my voice low but firm. “Stay here until we can sort this out.”

He nodded reluctantly, and I turned back to the fire, the heat searing my skin as I joined Dane and Trajan in the effort to extinguish it.

By the time the fire was out, the community center was little more than a blackened shell, the air thick with smoke and unspoken queries. As the final few flickers died, I saw something glint amidst the embers. I slowly knelt, reached in, grasped the object; my fingers closed over still-warm metal.

It was a small broken fragment of my old pendant that had shattered during the restoration of the grove. My heart seemed to clench as I looked at the piece, trying to work out the implications that swam in my head.

Then Dane was beside me, frowning. “What is it?”

I held it up for him to see; my voice was barely a whisper. “Something we should’ve left buried.”

I stared at the broken piece of my old pendant, the jagged edges catching the faint moonlight. The weight of it settled heavily in my palm, as if it carried more than just memories.

Dane crouched beside me, his hand firm on my shoulder. “Why is this here?” he growled, low, but tense.

“I don’t know,” I said, but my mind was racing, considering alternatives, and each one was worse than the last.

This pendant shouldn’t have been anywhere near the communal hall. It shouldn’t even exist in pieces large enough to be found; it had shattered into fragments too small to be gathered when it broke.

“Do you think someone planted it here?” Dane’s tone was low but with an edge to it.

I held his gaze, that flicker of suspicion in his eyes mirroring my own. “It’s possible. But why? To what end?”

Trajan stepped forward before he could respond. His face had turned grim.

“The fire’s out, but the damage is extensive. We’re just lucky it didn’t spread to the other structures.”

Dane rose, his face setting into a determined expression. “We will find out who did this. No one leaves the village until we have some answers.”

Trajan nodded, then paused, his eyes falling to the fragment in my hand. “What’s that?”

I held it up, my voice steady despite the turmoil within me. “A piece of something that should’ve stayed buried.”

Trajan’s brows knit, but he didn’t push the issue. He turned to Dane.

“I’ll organize a patrol to watch the borders. If this was meant to be a distraction, we can’t afford to leave ourselves exposed.”

Dane nodded. “Good. And make sure everyone knows to report anything unusual, no matter how small.”

I tucked the fragment into my pocket, its presence an unpleasant reminder of all that we had presumed to leave in our wake, as Trajan shifted away.

Back at the communal hall: Wolves worked in a flurry, moving pieces of wreckage left in the aftermath of the fire, while Piper and Warrick were teasing a façade over somber-faced individuals.

“Careful with that beam, Warrick,” Piper teased. “Wouldn’t want you to pull something.”

Warrick smirked, hoisting the beam onto his shoulder with exaggerated ease. “You mean like your sense of humor? Don’t worry, it’s intact.”

Despite myself, I smiled. Their ability to find levity in the darkest moments was something I deeply admired.

Alina lingered near the edge of the group, her eyes sharp as she observed the scene. When our gazes met, her lips curved into a small, knowing smile.

I approached her, my steps measured. “If you’ve got something to say, Alina, now’s the time.”

Her smile widened, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “Just admiring how quickly everyone jumps into action under your leadership. It’s impressive, really.”

“Save the flattery,” I said, my voice flat. “You’re not fooling anyone.”

Alina cocked her head to one side, her expression suddenly coy. “I don’t need to fool anyone, Aurora. I just speak the truth.”

Before I could say another word, Dane called my name, his voice slicing through the tension. “Aurora, a word?”

I turned away from Alina, the quiet chuckle that followed me as I joined Dane.

In the quiet of the office, Dane closed the door behind us, his arms crossed as he leaned against the desk.

“What’s on your mind?”

I pulled the fragment from my pocket, placing it on the desk between us. “This. It doesn’t make sense, Dane. How did it get there? Why now?”

He picked it up, turning it over in his hand. “We need to consider every possibility. Someone wants us distracted, but this feels personal.”

I nodded, the knot in my stomach pulling tighter. “Whoever it is, they know how to get under our skin. It’s frustrating me already. We need to stay ahead of them.”

Dane’s gaze softened as he stepped closer, his hand brushing against mine. “We will. Together.”

His warm touch steadied me, and I took strength from the surety in his voice.

“Let’s hope you’re right,” I said, but the doubt clung in my mind and would not be so easily quieted.

Later that night, it was almost too quiet when the pack lay down to rest, after all the noise; the difference was just too great. But I did not find sleep. Lying awake, the fragment safely tucked under my pillow, its presence itself remained, reminding me of how many questions had been left dangling in the air over our heads.

I shot upright in bed at the rustling sound outside my window. Couldn’t get enough sleep; who or what is stressing us like this?