AURORA POINT OF VIEW

"From the look of it," I said, studying the markings carefully, "this has runes, sigils, ancient symbols, and glyphs inscribed around the circle. It’s a ritual circle."

Noticing the confusion on Alpha Manuel’s face, I explained further.

“A ritual circle is drawn on the floor when a sacrifice, possession, resurrection, or spellcasting is about to take place. It’s not something ordinary witches perform, this is the work of sorcerers.”

I tilted the paper toward him so he could take another look. His eyes scanned the symbols in silence, unreadable as always.

“This symbol was on Laura's wrist when we found her body in the woods. You have a month to figure out what your sister was involved in before her death,” he said flatly.

“Huh?” I blinked, unsure if I’d heard him right.

“We were unable to find the cause of Laura’s death or any leads,” he continued. “Find out what happened. Prove your innocence.”

With that, he dropped the paper back onto the desk and walked out.

I stood there, stunned.

He believed me?

He didn’t think I killed Laura?

I turned quickly, hoping to catch another glimpse of him, maybe to say something,anything,but he was already gone.

A weak, stunned smile pulled at the corner of my lips. A fragile relief settled in my chest. For the first time since all of this began, someone believed I wasn’t my sister’s killer.

But that relief quickly gave way to resolve.

Whoever did this… I had to find them.

And fast.

ALPHA MANUEL'S POV

The door creaked open suddenly, and the sharp scent of pinewood and musk immediately alerted me, Ryan. His scent hit my nose before his voice did.

I lifted my head slowly from the documents scattered across my desk. Ryan stepped in, his strides casual as an envelope dangled from his hand.

“Here’s what you asked for,” he said, dropping the envelope in front of me without ceremony. “The list of goods and items moved into the pack for the past three months.”

I reached for it silently, fingers brushing the edge of the envelope as I slid it closer. The seal was still intact so I tore it open carefully. My eyes scan the contents, dates, inventory, mundane details on the surface.

Across the desk, Ryan lowered himself into the chair with a heavy sigh, his brows pinched in confusion as he watched me, his arms crossed over his chest like he was trying not to fidget.

“As the Beta of the pack,” he said slowly, his tone laced with concern, “I still don’t know the reason for your sudden obsession over the list of goods brought into the pack.”

I didn’t look up immediately. My fingers gripped the paper a little tighter. My mouth felt dry, but I spoke anyway.

“It’s related to Laura’s death,” I said in a soft tone.

Ryan’s brows drew together. “You’re still on that case?” he asked, his voice quieter now, edged with confusion. “I thought you found the murderer.”

I looked up from the list, holding his gaze. “Aurora isn’t the murderer,” I said firmly. “There’s more to Laura’s death than we thought.”

A faint scoff escaped him as he leaned back in the chair. “Didn’t you interrogate her for days?”

“I didn't. And last week, I found some mystical items and spellbooks hidden in Laura’s apartment,” I said, letting the words settle between us.

He furrowed his eyes, tilting his head slightly. “She’s a witch. Isn’t she supposed to have stuff like that?”

I shook my head. “Yeah, but not this. I had Aurora check them because those things didn't look normal to me, and she confirmed that the spells were prohibited. Sorcery spells. Dangerous ones. The kind the Council keeps locked away.”

Ryan’s lips parted like he wanted to say something, but I cut him off.

“There was also this kind of ritual circle stamped on Laura’s wrist the day her body was found. It was hidden under her bracelet. If she had nothing to do with forbidden spells, why mark herself like that?”

Ryan’s expression hardened slightly, he rubbed his palm along his thigh before meeting my eyes again.

“So what are you planning on doing now?” he asked. “Rumor has it that it's because you’re in love with Aurora you released her from the prison.”

“Aurora is out of prison because I need her to find out what her sister was into before she died,” I said. “I believe it’ll lead us to whoever killed her.”

He watched me closely, saying nothing.

I tapped the edge of the list. “The list is part of the plan.”

His brows lifted slightly. “How?”

“For Laura to engage in sorcery, she would’ve needed the ritual tools,” I explained. “Rare things. Dangerous things. Someone had to bring them into the pack,and if they did, their names would be somewhere in those supply records.”

Ryan’s eyes dropped to the envelope on the desk, then lifted again. This time, he looked more serious.

“Was it part of the goods brought into the pack?” Ryan asked, his voice low and probing.

I glanced down at the files again, scanning the final page one last time. A cold realization settled in my chest. I exhaled slowly and said, “No. It wasn’t.”

Ryan’s expression tightened. He leaned forward slightly.

“That means only one thing, she must’ve smuggled it in,” I added.

He sat back in his chair, arms crossing over his chest. “Do you know why she did it? You were her mate. There had to be something. Something you would’ve picked up on.”

I let the silence stretch for a moment. The words came heavy.

“I was her mate for a week,” I said, the bitterness clinging to the back of my throat. “We hardly saw each other before the coronation. Now that she’s gone, finding out what she was truly involved in feels impossible.”

A knock sounded on the door, sharp but not rushed. We both turned our heads.

“Come in,” I called.

The door opened slowly, and Aurora stepped inside. Her scent drifted in ahead of her, vanilla, soft and warm, but twined with something else, something faintly divine that I couldn’t place. It hit me like a whisper against my skin. I couldn’t help myself, I stared.

She walked toward the desk with quiet grace, her long hair falling like silk over her shoulders. When she reached us, she dipped her head respectfully.

“Alpha Manuel,” she said softly, then turned to Ryan with another bow. “Beta Ryan.”

“Hello, Aurora,” Ryan replied with a polite nod.

Her gaze returned to me and lingered for a few seconds longer than necessary. Her eyes were clear but unreadable, holding something between innocence and warning. I cleared my throat, trying to keep my voice level.

“Why are you here?”

She nodded in response, her hands gently clasped together in front of her.

“I recognized one of the spells hidden in Laura’s attic,” she said. “It's a love potion.”