Chapter 15
“Amaya.”
She didn’t look up.
The garden was peaceful—too peaceful. The soft breeze rustled the leaves, carrying the scent of fresh roses and damp earth, but the tension between us felt thick, suffocating.
Amaya sat on a stone bench, a book open in her lap, but her eyes weren’t scanning the words. She just stared at the pages, unmoving, as if willing herself to disappear into the ink.
I took a step closer, my voice softer this time. “Amaya, please.”
She finally looked up, her brown eyes searching mine. “Aurora.” She closed the book gently, fingers lingering on the cover. “I was wondering when you’d come find me.”
I exhaled heavily, rubbing my temples. “I didn’t come to chat. I need answers.”
She frowned. “About what?”
I sat down beside her, my fingers digging into the fabric of my dress. “My mother.”
A flicker of concern passed over her face. “Is she…”
“She’s still alive,” I cut in quickly. “But barely.”
Amaya’s shoulders relaxed slightly, but her brows remained furrowed. “What’s wrong with her?”
I hesitated, then whispered the words that had been haunting me since the healer spoke them. “She’s cursed.”
Amaya’s reaction was immediate.
Her grip tightened on the book, her lips pressing together, and for the briefest second, she wouldn’t meet my gaze.
I knew that look. I had seen it too many times before. She was hiding something. A cold chill ran down my spine.
“Amaya,” I said carefully, my voice quiet but firm. “Please talk to me. You’ve been keeping something from me since I came back.”
She swallowed hard, fingers twitching against the book’s worn edges.
For a long moment, she said nothing. Then, finally, she exhaled shakily and whispered, “I know about the curse.”
My stomach dropped. “What?” I breathed.
She lifted her gaze, guilt flashing across her face. “I read about it… a long time ago.”
The world felt like it had tilted beneath me.
“You knew?” My voice came out sharper than I intended. “And you didn’t say anything?”
Amaya flinched but held my gaze. “I didn’t think it would ever affect you. I didn’t know it was real.”
I clenched my jaw, trying to keep my emotions in check. “Then tell me now.”
She hesitated again, but at the look on my face, she sighed and finally began.
“It’s an ancient curse,” she said quietly. “Passed down through generations of your bloodline. It was placed on your ancestors long ago, binding the fate of the Luna to the survival of her family.”
My hands curled into fists. “What do you mean?”
Amaya’s voice dropped lower, as if afraid someone else might hear. “One of the daughters in every generation must take the Luna title. If no one does, the bloodline weakens. And when the bloodline weakens, it begins to die.”
I stared at her, my mind racing.
“So you’re saying… if I don’t become Luna, my mother will die?”
Amaya nodded grimly. “Yes. And eventually, so will you.”
The weight of her words slammed into me like a storm.
I shot up from the bench, pacing furiously.
“No. No, I refuse to believe this. There has to be another way.”
Amaya bit her lip. “There isn’t, Aurora. The curse is bound to the power of the Alpha and Luna bond. Only that bond can break it.”
My nails dug into my palms. “So what? I’m just supposed to throw myself at Tyler’s feet and beg to be his Luna? After everything?” I laughed, but there was no humor in it. “I’d rather die.”
Amaya’s face was unreadable as she studied me. “It’s not just about you anymore.”
I stiffened. “I don’t care.”
“Aurora.” She reached out, placing a hand on mine. “I know what he did to you. I know how much you hate him. But this is bigger than revenge.”
I wrenched my hand away. “No. This is exactly about revenge.”
I turned to face her fully, my heart pounding.
“I don’t care about the bond. I don’t care about the curse. The only thing I want is for Tyler to suffer the way I suffered.”
Amaya sighed, shaking her head. “Hate is a heavy thing to carry, Aurora. It will eat you alive.”
“Then let it,” I snapped.
She studied me carefully, as if debating whether to say what was on her mind.
Then, she took a slow breath and said, “Tyler is not your only mate.”
The world stopped. I blinked. “What?” She held my gaze, unwavering. “You heard me.”
My heart slammed against my ribs. “That’s not possible.”
Amaya nodded. “It is. There’s something special about your bloodline, Aurora. The Moon Goddess gave you more than one mate.”
I took a shaky step back.
Everything I had ever known about the mate bond—the pain of rejection, the cruelty of fate—shattered before me.
Tyler wasn’t the only one. There was someone else. Somewhere.
