Ascension 70_A Warrior Luna's Awakening

+8 Pearls

 Third Person’s POV

 On the other side of the city, Aurora was being called before the higher council of flights to answer for what had happened, while Caelum left the terminal alone.

 His mind was still a fog, weighed down by thest words Freya had spoken before she vanished from the airport.

 Who had truly saved his life?

 Was it Freya—or Aurora?

 When he had first opened his eyes, the face he saw had been Aurora’s. The healers at the hospital swore it was Aurora who had apanied him there, who had been at his side. And yet Freya had imed, with that steady defiance in her eyes, that it had been her.

 Was it a lie? Or was there something more?

 The pressure in his chest felt like a boulder crushing down on his ribs, making it hard to breathe.

 By the time Caelum reached the Silverfang Pack’s vi, his wolf still restless within him, he found Eleanor, his mother, and Giselle, his younger sister, waiting in the lounge.

 The moment he stepped through the door, both rose to meet him.

 “Brother, what took you so long? It was only supposed to be a trip to the Lunar Severance Office. Don’t tell me Freya refused the divorce?” Giselle asked with a mocking edge, her pretty face alight with cruel amusement. In her mind, no doubt, Freya would never let go of someone like him–Alpha of Silverfang, head of SilverTech Forgeworks, a wolf most saw as a golden prize.

 “Don’t tell me she thought one and a half million wasn’t enough,” Eleanor snapped, her voice sharp with disdain. “Frankly, giving her that much was far too generous!” 

 “Enough,” Caelum growled, pressing his fingers to his temple. His voice carried the weight of Alphamand, but even so, there was exhaustion behind it. “The severance is done. Freya and I are divorced.”

 “Truly?” Eleanor’s eyes brightened, a hungry triumph sparking in them.

 “I’ve no reason to lie,” Caelum replied tly.

 “Excellent. That woman was never worthy of you. But Aurora–ah, she’s different. Daughter of the Bluemoon Beta, a rising pilot in the Airborne Wing. With her as my daughter–inw, the family’s standing will ze like fire. Even the elders of Ashbourne will envy me.” Eleanor’s delight was palpable, already dreaming of the prestige.

 “Freya will regret this,” Giselle said with a vicious smirk. “She’ll never find another male of your worth, Brother. In fact, when you and Aurora are wed, we should send her an invitation–let her choke on her own bitterness when she sees what she threw away.”

 “I told you before.” Caelum said, his brow furrowing, “Aurora and I are only friends.”

 “Friends?” Giselle scoffed. “Brother, you can’t fool us. Aurora has always been your white moonlight. The only reason you ever married Freya was because Aurora left the country. You were desperate, and you settled. Now you’re free–finally free- to be with the one you’ve always wanted.”

 Eleanor nodded firmly, her voice decisive. “No more pretense between family. I know your heart, Caelum. Give it some time, and I’ll see to it that your bond with Aurora is made official.”

 Caelum said nothing. Weariness rolled through him like a storm, heavier than armor on his shoulders. Without another word, he turned away and ascended the stairs to his chamber.

 Even his own mother and sister refused to believe Aurora was only a friend.

 Was it his fault? Had his actions, his choices, sown too much confusion?

 12:32 PM PP

 +8 Pearls

 Yes, he had once admired Aurora–long ago, when she had pulled him back from the brink, when she had been untouchable beauty and status as the Beta’s daughter. For the wolf he had been then, she was both savior and distant star.

 But admiration had been something he buried deep, disguising it as “gratitude,” as repayment for a life–debt. He had never dared dream of more.

 Andter, when he had bound himself to Freya, he had sworn to honor that bond. Even when Aurora returned, even when his heart still stirred with remnants of old longing, he had never once betrayed his vows.

 Still, he had wanted to treat Aurora with kindness, to keep her close–but he’d hidden behind the word “friend,” thinking it would shield him.

 Yet to the world, it seemed a hollow shield. To Freya, it had been nothing but hypocrisy. Her bitter words came back to him, sharp as ws: that he only feared guilt, only sought to preserve his honor, using “friendship” as a mask.

 Caelum pulled the crimson–bound divorce decree from his pocket. His wolf snarled at the sight of it, his mouth filling with the taste of ash and bitterness. 

 The sharp ring of his phone broke the silence. Aurora’s name lit the screen.

 For a moment, he considered letting it go unanswered. But no–he had questions for her as well.

 He epted the call. Aurora’s voice trembled through the speaker, tinged with unease. “Caelum… where are you? I need to see

 you.

 “Where are you now? I’lle to you,” he said, his voice clipped.

 “I’m still at the airport,” she replied softly. “I’ve juste from the vice president’s office.”

 Normally, her tone would have triggered his instinct to soothe, to offerfort. But tonight, his heart was hollow, drained of

 words.

 “I’ll be there,” he said shortly, and cut the line.

 Aurora lowered her phone, her delicate fingers tightening around it, teeth sinking into her lower lip. Fear shed across her pale features.

 Caelum Grafton could never know the truth. The Alpha’s savior could only ever be her. 

 Half an hourter, Caelum strode into the vast airport hall. His gaze found her at once–Aurora, standing alone, eyes rimmed red, her usual poise stripped away. She looked fragile, pitiful, her wolf diminished to a trembling shadow.

 And

 yet

 the storm in Caelum’s chest only grew heavier.

17kNovel

Ascension 70