Chapter 29 AURORA

Dane helped me out of the cave. He stayed near me as we walked out, like he cared for me.

Because he did care for me. He wanted me.

But at Esther’s words, his entire body went as rigid as stone.

“What are you talking about?” I snapped at Esther. “I’ve only spoken to you once in the last five years, and that was when you invaded my home earlier tonight.”

Esther flinched away like she thought I’d hit her. “Don’t hurt me! I know you’ve always wanted Dane for your own, but what you’ve done tonight is too far! You made us spill Blue Ridge blood! Now the Council will kill us!”

I felt like I’d swallowed a dozen heavy stones. What was she doing? There was no way I’d let her frame me for this. Carefully, calmly, I turned to Dane. “She’s lying. I don’t know why.”

“I’m not,” Esther said. Her voice took on a sly tone. “Check my pocket. I recorded the last conversation we had on the phone, setting this all up.”

Dane looked at me, and I shrugged. “It didn’t happen. I don’t care if you check.”

He bent and pulled Esther’s phone from her pocket while I looked into the nighttime forest, trying to decide if the rest of the Reeds were about to ambush us. Why was she the only one here?

The Reeds had always been stealthy and underhanded. I wouldn’t be surprised if they were out there watching, waiting, probably hoping whatever Esther had concocted on her phone worked.

But it wouldn’t. The recording would be some weird, staticky fake, and it would clear my name.

Dane retrieved her phone. She told him her passcode, then how to find the recording she claimed she’d made.

I wasn’t worried…until I heard my own voice. It came from the phone, cold and cruel and just as clear as if there were two of me standing here. “Remember, you old bitch, you follow my orders, now.”

“But Ann…” Esther’s voice, sounding afraid.

“That’s Aurora to you,” my voice snapped back. But that was impossible. I’d never had this conversation. I’d never said these words!

“I’m sorry, Aurora,” Esther whimpered. “You know that we can’t shed his blood. How can we get him onto Reed lands? He won’t break the pact.”

“I’ll handle it,” I said. “You just get the Night’s Truth. I know he wants me. Then make sure the Blue Ridge wolves know exactly where to find us.”

“What if he attacks you? He’s always said he hates you!”

The voice that sounded so much like mine laughed softly. “That’s what the silver bullets are for. But don’t kill him. Remember, he ruined my life. I need him to live after I’ve ruined his. I want to watch him suffer the way he made me suffer. And that bitch, Evelyn, too.”

The recording ended. Dead silence hung in the air.

Somewhere in the middle of it, I’d closed my eyes. Tears burned behind them. The warmth that had filled me when I realized Dane wanted me was gone, replaced with a cold sense of reality.

I opened them to find all of the Blue Ridge wolves staring at me.

Dane’s eyes were filled with hate. Behind him, Evelyn looked shocked. Even though I knew it was useless, I said, “That wasn’t me. I didn’t do this.”

Even to my own ears, my voice sounded numb and flat.

Dane slid Esther’s phone into his pocket. Evelyn took his arm and looked up at him with tragedy on her face. “She fooled you. It’s all right, my love. We can talk about this. We’ll get through it.”

We can talk about it. Dane had just said that to me moments ago, and I’d felt such strange, new hope. That was gone now, crushed, like my hope always was.

“I’d like the phone,” I said. “I would like to figure out how she stole my voice.”

“No,” Dane’s voice grated.

I was still clutching my torn shirt together with my hands. I could still feel the heat of his body and his mouth on mine.

I waited to see what he would do. I was alone, deep in the wilderness, with him, his warriors, and Evelyn Reed.

He believed the worst of me, like he always did, and I was totally at his mercy.

Finally, he spoke. “The alliance between High Alpine and Blue Ridge stands. But I will not work with you. I never want to see you again. Send Trajan. Send that cousin of yours. I never want to see you again.”

Then he turned…and he left.

He and his wolves, every single one of them, walked away.

They left me, standing in the middle of the forest, alone with Esther Reed.

“Oh, dear,” she said, and smiled slyly at me. “I think the Alpha is upset.”