<h4>Chapter 186: We win or we fall.</h4>


    <strong><i>**~ Cayden’s POV ~**</i></strong>


    Aurora suddenly jumped up, eyes wide as she stared at the woman standing behind me.


    "Sister?" she whispered.


    The woman’s eyes welled up. "Aurora?"


    I turned to get a better look. They looked so alike—same red hair, same piercing green eyes. Their features mirrored each other almost perfectly.


    Aurora didn’t wait another second. She ran into the woman’s arms, and they embraced tightly, clinging to each other as years of separation poured out through their tears.


    <i>I had never seen Aurora cry. Not once.</i>


    Even now—bleeding profusely on the floor


    she still tried to hold her head high. That was Aurora. She had faced countless challenges and never once broken. She was rigid. Cold. Unshaken.


    <i>But now... she was crying. Aurora was really crying.</i>


    I turned to Lilith, who mirrored my expression—utter confusion, disbelief. We were both lost.


    The woman beside Aurora clutched her tightly, sobbing.


    "Oh my God... It’s really her," the woman whispered. "I can’t believe this..."


    Aurora slowly raised her head, her voice trembling.


    "Mom and Dad told me you were dead," she said. "They told me you ran away... that a werewolf killed you. Alice... you’re really alive."


    They cried harder, holding each other tightly.


    Alice. So her name is Alice. And they were sisters.


    Since when did Aurora have parents? I’d never thought to ask. Never thought to look that deeply into her past.


    Lilith stood slowly. "You two... you’re sisters?" she asked.


    Alice turned, wiping her tears. "Yes, Lilith. She’s the sister I always told you about. The one I was separated from when I ran away."


    Aurora’s eyes widened. "Wait...what? Mom and Dad stopped you from seeing me?"


    Alice nodded solemnly. "Yes. They took me to perform the Crescent Ritual. After I became a Crescent, they kept me away from you. Said I’d be a bad influence."


    "But... they told me you died," Aurora whispered.


    "I’m sorry," Alice said gently. "I’m sorry they lied to you."


    "Where are they now?"


    "They’re dead," Aurora replied. Her tone was hollow, but notpletely sad


    more resolved than broken.


    "They left me in Dahlia’s care," she added.


    Alice’s expression dimmed, but she didn’t crumble.


    <fn83d2> Th?s chapter is updated by find(?)ovel</fn83d2>


    Aurora wiped thest of her tears away, and I could see the version of her I knew returning


    "I was kept under Dahlia’s care," she exined. "She trained me to be a good witch. I learned a lot from her. Too much. Especially how to wield dark magic."


    She paused. "Until I realized she was not the person I should be learning from. And that’s when I turned—when I helped the High House. Their current Alpha."


    She looked directly at me. Alice followed her gaze, immediately understanding.


    "She’s the one," Alice whispered. "The one you told me about."


    Aurora nodded. "I’ve been in the High House ever since. That’s why you never saw me in the streets. When I was unfrozen... I became the wolf here."


    "I came looking for you," Alice said softly. "You were the first person I searched for when I got free. But I couldn’t find you."


    "I’ve always been here," Aurora replied, her voice low.


    I blinked, absorbing it all. "Okay... let me get this straight. You’re sisters. You" I pointed at Alice, "you’re a Crescent. And you" I gestured to Aurora, "are a witch."


    Aurora gave a tired smile. "Correct."


    "I found her again," Alice whispered, wrapping her arms around Aurora as they leaned into each other.


    "We have a lot to talk about," she said.


    "For now..." she stood up and turned to Lilith. "The Crescents are under Dahlia’s control."


    "I know," Lilith replied firmly. "And like I said, we need to break them free."


    "The only way," Alice added, "is through the natural born crescent Hazel."


    Lilith nodded. "Where is she?"


    "I’ve already sent for her. She should be on her way back now."


    "She needs to be here immediately," Alice said. "We need to make her the Alpha. Once she bes Alpha of the Crescents, they’ll have to listen. And once we strip Dahlia of her army, she bes vulnerable."


    "But Dahlia..." Aurora whispered. "How did she return?"


    "She must be more powerful than before."


    "Oh, she won’t be," Lilith snapped. "She came back from hell. That journey burns your power. Destroys your essence. That’s why she clings to the Crescents, they’re her only remaining weapon."


    "And Cyrius," I said quietly. "He’s with her now."


    "Cyrius?" Alice blinked. "Who is that?"


    "He’s my brother," I said.


    Alice turned to Lilith, visibly confused.


    "But... isn’t he the one they said was buried? In a graveyard?"


    Lilith nodded grimly. "He was. But he’s awakened."


    Alice’s brows furrowed. "Awakened?"


    "Yes," Aurora answered for her. "And he didn’t wake alone. He came back with vampires. And now that he’s with Dahlia..." she paused, exhaling deeply, "...that means Dahlia now has power over both the Crescents and the Vampires. All against us—werewolves."


    The room fell silent for a moment before Aurora spoke again, more firmly this time.


    "But we also have the Witch," she said, cing a hand on her chest, "and three Crescents on our side. We shouldn’t lose hope. Hazel will be back soon. And when she returns, we’ll begin executing the Alpha’s n."


    Alice nodded slowly. "And the babies," she added. "They’re still the key. That’s why Hazel left in the first ce. She went to find them."


    My breath hitched. "The babies... they’re missing?"


    "Yes," Alice said bitterly. "My unfortunate, miserable brother took them again. Somehow, he entered the High House without a trace—without anyone seeing him. Hazel trusted him... blindly. And once he left, she called for help. But by then it was toote. She said no one was in the house. But we were all here."


    "The way he got in..." Aurora murmured. "It’s unnatural."


    "That’s Dahlia," Alice said.


    I turned toward her. "Or a witch. Dahlia might have empowered him—or he’s working with another witch."


    "A witch?" I looked at Aurora.


    She met my gaze evenly. "No. If a witch had cast any spell inside the High House, I would have felt it. The barriers would’ve been triggered immediately. I’ve personally sealed the grounds."


    "But what if the witch is stronger than you?" Alice asked.


    Aurora hesitated, a flicker of doubt passing through her usually confident eyes.


    "Do you really believe you’re the strongest witch in all of New Orleans?" Alice continued. "What if there’s a witch out there working with Cyrius?"


    "It’s definitely not Dahlia," Lilith cut in. "She just came back from Hell. She’s weak. Her powers are burned out. That’s why she’s using the Crescents as her weapons instead of fighting herself."


    "Then someone else must be helping him," Alice said. "A witch strong enough to bypass Aurora’s barriers undetected."


    Aurora ran a hand through her hair and groaned. "This is going to be a tough fight."


    "Not just tough," Lilith said, her voice t. "This is ourst battle."


    Everyone fell silent.


    Lilith’s eyes burned with certainty. "Because this one will decide everything. This is the final war. After this... There will be no more problems. No more threats. No more hiding. We win....or we fall."


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