AARON
I almost lost my mind when I saw Elara collapse. It felt like something inside me cracked open, like a deep, sharp break I couldn't explain.
Before Jeremy even reached her, I was already there, scooping her into my arms like she was made of glass. Her head lolled gently against my shoulder, her lips parted slightly as if she was just asleep. But her skin… her skin was burning hot like she was just freshly brought out of the oven.
Was it a fever? Or something worse?
I didn't wait to find out. I just started moving, fast towards my quarters.
Hardin and I had moved out of Father's house when we turned eighteen. Well, he made me do it. It wasn't entirely my kind of thing. He said he wanted space, freedom, a life away from Father's endless control. I hadn't cared much back then, but right now, I was grateful we did. Because facing Father after everything that happened tonight? It was pure chaos.
By the time I reached our quarters, the lights were still on. Hardin was in the sitting room already, lounging like he'd been expecting me.
Elara was still limp in my arms, her weight frighteningly still.
Hardin's head snapped up the second I stepped in. His eyes narrowed, and I knew he could already sense it, the storm brewing inside me. There was never any point hiding from him. For us, being twins meant sharing everything, emotions, instincts, even pain. He felt what I felt, though he always tried to fight it or worse, ignore it.
Still, we couldn't be more different. In everything; likes, temper, and especially in women. And I could already tell Elara was exactly the kind of girl he'd hate, those kind of stubborn, defiant, unpredictable women.
His nostrils flared. "Why the hell did you do that back there, Aaron?!"
I let out a long breath, trying to keep my voice steady. "Can you at least let me breathe before you start throwing questions at me?"
"Well, you didn't do the same before storming out of the hall without a word," Hardin snapped, his voice tight with anger. "Do you have any idea what you put me through?"
"I'm sorry," I muttered, not even looking up.
"Yeah? Then you'd better have a damn good explanation for that stunt. Because Enor practically bolted after you like a crazy woman on display. You'll have to fix that too when you're done with me."
I didn't bother replying. I just sighed and moved toward the couch, gently lowering Elara onto it. Her breathing was shallow, her face pale but peaceful, so damn peaceful I was actually tempted to kiss her cheeks.
Hardin's voice cut through the silence, sharp and demanding.
"Who the hell is that?"
He'd only just noticed her. I wasn't even surprised. He was too busy fuming to see what was right in front of him.
"That," I said evenly, slipping my hands into my pockets and facing him, "is our mate."
He froze. Then scoffed, a dry, humorless sound slipped through his mouth. "Mate?" he repeated, louder this time, like the word itself offended him. "What the hell are you talking about, guy?"
"You don't need me to explain what a mate is," I shot back quietly. "You felt it too, didn't you?"
Hardin exhaled hard, pacing like a caged animal, his jaw tightening as his wolf's energy flickered through him. He looked like he was fighting himself, or maybe trying not to believe what I'd just said.
"Tell me you're joking," he said finally, his voice low but edged with warning.
"I wish I was," I replied calmly. "But I'm not. I'm actually glad we finally found her."
He stopped pacing. His eyes, sharp and burning, cut into me like a sharp sword. "Stop calling her our mate. Don't twist this, Aaron. I don't want her. I hope you've already rejected her, because I sure as hell don't understand what she's doing here."
"If you don't want her, that's on you," I said, my tone dropping cold. "But I do. I'm not forcing you to accept her, Hardin. Keep pretending all you want, but you and I both know your wolf wants her just as badly as mine does."
"Exactly," Hardin cut in smoothly, his tone dropping low but cold. "Lyon only reacted because her scent confused him for a moment. But not anymore."
I scoffed, shaking my head slowly. "That's funny, Hardin. Really. Because for the first time, you actually don't make any sense to me. You've been suppressing Lyon on purpose, that's why he's been so damn quiet. But I can promise you, one sniff of Elara's scent, and you'll lose it completely."
Hardin let out a harsh, mocking laugh, one that didn't quite reach his eyes. I ignored him and began pulling off my shirt, then my trousers, until I was down to just my boxers. I was completely exhausted and ready to crash.
That was when the door burst open without warning.
Hardin and I both turned our heads sharply.
"What the—" I started, but froze the moment I saw Enor.
F*ck.
Not again.
She staggered toward me, her steps unsteady, her eyes wild with something between hurt and desperation. Then, before I could react, her palm landed squarely on my bare chest. Her touch burned me, not with desire, but irritation and anger. Only then did it hit me that I was standing half-naked in front of her.
"What the hell, Enor!" Hardin barked before I even reacted. I stepped back slightly. "Didn't your parents teach you basic manners? You knock before walking into someone's house, and you wait for an answer before entering."
She didn't even flinch. Her eyes stayed locked on mine as she slowly dragged her hand away as though his words fell into deaf ears.
"Enor," I exhaled, forcing my voice to remain calm. "You shouldn't have come in like that. I was just getting ready for bed and you—"
"I don't care about that, Aaron!" she snapped, cutting me off. "I only care about us! Besides, I was supposed to see everything tonight anyway, if you hadn't called off the wedding." Her voice cracked as her eyes glistened with fury and heartbreak. "That's unfair, Aaron."
Hardin groaned from behind us, rubbing his temple. "Can you two take your lover's quarrel somewhere else? I've had enough of a headache for one night."
I turned back to Enor, my tone firmer now. "You heard him. Let's just talk tomorrow, okay? It's late."
"No!" she shouted, her voice trembling. "We're talking now! I know my sister's here, probably hiding somewhere, listening to me. She's always hated me, Aaron. She can't stand to see me happy! And now she's seducing you, and you can't even see it!"
My jaw tightened, anger sparking in my chest.
"She's not seducing me," I said coldly. "She's my mate, Enor. I found her. And I'm not letting her go, no matter how hard you try to twist it."
Her face hardened, her breathing shallow. For a moment, she looked like she might slap me, or worse, break down right there.
"Please, just go home," I said quietly, trying to end it before it got worse. "We'll talk tomorrow. But tonight... just leave."
The silence that followed was thick, heavy with pain, jealousy, and the kind of truth no one wanted to admit out loud.
"I'm going to kill myself, Aaron!" Enor's voice trembled as tears streamed down her cheeks. "You're the reason I've held on this long, and I can't let someone from nowhere claiming to be your mate, take you away from me!"
"Enor, don't do anything stupid," I warned, trying to steady my tone even as frustration burned inside me. "Just go home and do as I said."
Before I could say another word, Hardin suddenly stepped forward, his expression caught between shock and fury.
"Wait," he said sharply, his eyes narrowing. "Did I just hear her say, her sister? You mean that girl, Elara, is Enor's sister? The same human who left Vale?"
I met his stare in silence for a beat before finally answering.
"Yes," I said quietly. "She's the one."
"You can't be serious right now. Our mate is human?"
Yes," I replied slowly but my voice was still firm.
The air grew heavier after that, thick with the weight of what it meant. Even Hardin, for once, couldn't find the next thing to say.